Ticking/fluttering sound from driver's footwell - TSB #PIP5570

LRob · March 14, 2019

My 2018 Suburban was making this sound from day one. I took it in four different times and they kept telling me they didn't hear anything. I finally found these threads and printed a copy of the PIP5570A GM Bulletin and took it in along with a couple recordings of the sound. I ask them to do what was instructed as the correction. After two days I got a call that my car was ready and they said it was fixed. I took it for a drive with the mechanic and heard the sound immediately. They had not done the PIP5570A correction and said they could not even find it on the GM site. I asked them to please do this. They looked further and found that the bulletin was renamed 18-NA-349. They performed the recommended fix of removing and resealing the steering shaft. The sound is now gone. If it comes back, I will have them replace the steering seal.

RCD · March 15, 2019

I believe that I solved this problem (after a few more drives I'll be 100% sure). I clamped my exhaust flapper valve 100% open using hose clamps and a little piece of sheet metal. So far my truck is totally quiet. It was also making a ticking sound (like a loose heat shield) at cold idle. That is definitely fixed.

mferry22 · March 15, 2019

I had this noise for over a year on my 2017 Sierra. I had the steering shaft boot replaced and the vacuum pump replaced and I am happy to report that the noise is gone!!

madsen203 · April 19, 2019

Glad I found this thread. I am 98% sure this is what is going on in my truck. I was ready to flush the oil, etc thinking it was a lifter.

Thanks for posting this!!!

Jchoi · May 9, 2019

I’m definitely going to inquire about this because I think I’m dealing with the same thing.

lapoolboy · May 9, 2019

I gave up on my idiotic dealer trying to solve this issue and just fixed it myself.

Take the rubber boots off the firewall with three 10mm nuts. Disconnect the steering shaft under the brake master cylinder and separate so you can slide boot off. Apply rubber-safe synthetic grease (I used Sil-Glyde) liberally between the plastic rings inside the boot (you'll see them in the narrow end, distal to the firewall). Reinstall boot and wipe off any excess that pushes out onto the steering shaft. Enjoy your now flutter-free truck!

mferry22 · May 15, 2019

My noise is back and more annoying than ever. I'll be bringing my truck back to the dealership. It was fixed for about a month

TrickyMick · May 15, 2019

mferry22 - I would recommend just fixing it yourself by removing the steering shaft boot, and filling with rubber-safe grease (dielectric or similar)... Dealers have not helped me with this issue... Take a look at my previous post on the resolution - been going strong 4 months now.

mferry22 · May 15, 2019

I'll try that when I get a chance. Thx

Jonty711 · May 22, 2019

I'm going to have to have a look ar this. I just got a 14 for work and the noise is driving me nuts. 180K Km on it.

My 16 has had it creep back in the last 3 weeks. Prior to this I pumped some grease in from outside it.

I'm going to try some gm lube on the inside of the boot, and wrap it with some dynamat to see if theres any difference. I'm not interested in going to a dealer with my 16 - too much hassle!!

lapoolboy · May 22, 2019

1 minute ago, Jonty711 said:

I'm going to have to have a look ar this. I just got a 14 for work and the noise is driving me nuts. 180K Km on it.

My 16 has had it creep back in the last 3 weeks. Prior to this I pumped some grease in from outside it.

I'm going to try some gm lube on the inside of the boot, and wrap it with some dynamat to see if theres any difference. I'm not interested in going to a dealer with my 16 - too much hassle!!

Don't overthink this. Remove the boot with a 10mm wrench and fully remove it from the steering shaft. Clean all the old crap grease out (if there even is any) and LIBERALLY apply synthetic grease of your choice inside the plastic bushing in the end of the boot between the retention rings. Reinstall and wipe off excess that pushes out on steering shaft. Noise-free guaranteed. I also put some grease on the boot-to-firewall mating surface to make sure it sealed well there too.

Jonty711 · May 22, 2019

3 minutes ago, lapoolboy said:

Don't overthink this. Remove the boot with a 10mm wrench and fully remove it from the steering shaft. Clean all the old crap grease out (if there even is any) and LIBERALLY apply synthetic grease of your choice inside the plastic bushing in the end of the boot between the retention rings. Reinstall and wipe off excess that pushes out on steering shaft. Noise-free guaranteed. I also put some grease on the boot-to-firewall mating surface to make sure it sealed well there too.

Ok! Do you open the 15mm bolt and completely remove it or just slide it down?

lapoolboy · May 22, 2019

4 minutes ago, Jonty711 said:

Ok! Do you open the 15mm bolt and completely remove it or just slide it down?

Completely remove it from the steering shaft. Then, push the upper section in toward the firewall and the joint will come apart. After that, you can slide the boot completely off. Easy as ?.

Jchoi · May 25, 2019

On 5/21/2019 at 8:59 PM, lapoolboy said:

Completely remove it from the steering shaft. Then, push the upper section in toward the firewall and the joint will come apart. After that, you can slide the boot completely off. Easy as ?.

I’m going I today to argue this fix with the dealer. They’ve never heard anything of the sort of course. ?

Yondu · June 12, 2019

Dealer says this is not a TSB and there's nothing they can do about it. it sure looks like in the link posted this is from general motors, can anyone confirm?