Owners of General Motors trucks with the Duramax diesel engine complain that the engine fan gets stuck on high.
General Motors might have to face a recall soon. Owners of GMC and Chevrolet trucks with the Duramax diesel engine are frustrated by a problem that occurs during cold weather. The engine fan is prone to getting stuck on high.
General Motors 3.0L Duramax diesel engine has cold weather problems
Owners of GMC and Chevrolet trucks are becoming increasingly frustrated with the Duramax diesel engine during frigid temperatures.
The owner’s manuals instruct drivers to plug the truck in during below-zero temperatures. Plugging an electric cord into the engine block heater should help preheat the engine during cold temperatures. This can make it easier to start.
However, according to Pickup Truck Talk, once Tim Esterdahl unplugged the engine in his Chevy Silverado 1500, the engine fan started running high. It was noticeable from the outside of the truck and he assumed it would calm down once he started driving.
He drove for 90 miles with multiple stops for up to an hour. Every time he started the truck, the fan went on high. General Motors released a software update to solve the issue.
However, with the recent freeze across the country, drivers are complaining that the software update didn’t fix the Duramax diesel engine problem,
Instead, owners are having to disconnect the battery cables to cause the truck to do a hard reset. That’s the only way to get the fan to operate correctly. While this fix is pretty simple, it’s frustrating to do when it’s extremely cold out.
If an engine fan gets stuck on high then it could indicate a potential problem with the cooling system and lead to premature wear. It can drain the battery and cause the engine to overheat if it isn’t addressed.
Plus, it might overcool the engine, which hurts fuel economy and performance.
