Photo: Chevrolet / edited by autoevolution
2017 was a big year for the heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra. It was the year both trucks received the Duramax 6.6-liter turbo diesel V8, which General Motors refers to as regular production order code L5P. Fast forward to August 2022, and General Motors realizes that something may be wrong with Duramax trucks from that era, namely trucks equipped with the dual fuel tank option.
On August 2nd, 2022, the biggest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit opened an investigation into the Silverado 2500 and Silverado 3500 after identifying a high rate of warranty returns alleging engine stalling. The investigation kicked off with 2019 trucks, then expanded to other model years and heavy-duty Sierra sister truck.
Sometime between August 2022 and December 2022, General Motors met with their internal fuel system experts and suppliers. These gentlemen ultimately discovered that dual-tanked pickups are susceptible to debris blockage on the top of the rear fuel tank. At that point, approximately 1,600 tank or fuel pump module damage claims had been filed with General Motors. The first was filed in June 2017.
If the rear fuel tank’s vent gets clogged with debris, the vacuum created during fuel transfer causes the rear fuel tank to collapse. When this occurs, the fuel system isn’t able to provide fuel to the Duramax 6.6-liter turbo diesel V8, which leads to the engine stalling without warning.
Dealers have already been instructed to inspect the rear fuel tank and fuel pump module. If the service technician finds any sort of damage caused by the aforementioned condition, both the tank and module will be replaced. A vent hose will be added as well, for extra peace of mind.
The vent hose repositions the opening to an area that reduces the possibility of debris clogging up the rear fuel tank vent. Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that the vent hose was introduced into production starting with the 2020 model year, which begs a little question. Why did General Motors ignore this issue for so many years now? The simple answer is that recalls are expensive, eating into the automaker’s quarterly profits like crazy.
Affected owners will be notified by first-class mail no later than March 24th, 2023. General Motors estimates that 22,132 trucks from the 2017 to 2019 model years may be potentially affected, split between 17,436 units of the Silverado 2500 and 3500 plus 4,696 units of the Sierra 2500 and 3500. As highlighted earlier, subject trucks are fitted with the L5P engine and the dual fuel tank option (regular production order code N2N).
For the 2017 model year, the L5P used to make 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet (1,234 Nm) of torque, 48 more horsepower and 145 pound-feet (197 Nm) compared to the LML before it. The L5P soldiers on for 2024 with a bit more resources under its belt, namely 470 horsepower at 2,800 revolutions per minute and 975 pound-feet (1,322 Nm) delivered at merely 1,600 revolutions per minute.
Sometime between August 2022 and December 2022, General Motors met with their internal fuel system experts and suppliers. These gentlemen ultimately discovered that dual-tanked pickups are susceptible to debris blockage on the top of the rear fuel tank. At that point, approximately 1,600 tank or fuel pump module damage claims had been filed with General Motors. The first was filed in June 2017.
If the rear fuel tank’s vent gets clogged with debris, the vacuum created during fuel transfer causes the rear fuel tank to collapse. When this occurs, the fuel system isn’t able to provide fuel to the Duramax 6.6-liter turbo diesel V8, which leads to the engine stalling without warning.
Dealers have already been instructed to inspect the rear fuel tank and fuel pump module. If the service technician finds any sort of damage caused by the aforementioned condition, both the tank and module will be replaced. A vent hose will be added as well, for extra peace of mind.
The vent hose repositions the opening to an area that reduces the possibility of debris clogging up the rear fuel tank vent. Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that the vent hose was introduced into production starting with the 2020 model year, which begs a little question. Why did General Motors ignore this issue for so many years now? The simple answer is that recalls are expensive, eating into the automaker’s quarterly profits like crazy.
Affected owners will be notified by first-class mail no later than March 24th, 2023. General Motors estimates that 22,132 trucks from the 2017 to 2019 model years may be potentially affected, split between 17,436 units of the Silverado 2500 and 3500 plus 4,696 units of the Sierra 2500 and 3500. As highlighted earlier, subject trucks are fitted with the L5P engine and the dual fuel tank option (regular production order code N2N).
For the 2017 model year, the L5P used to make 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet (1,234 Nm) of torque, 48 more horsepower and 145 pound-feet (197 Nm) compared to the LML before it. The L5P soldiers on for 2024 with a bit more resources under its belt, namely 470 horsepower at 2,800 revolutions per minute and 975 pound-feet (1,322 Nm) delivered at merely 1,600 revolutions per minute.
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