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http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/d...geId=151142?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..2
But when the aforementioned four-speed in our Silverado fell on its own sword in the middle of traffic that Sunday morning, we lost all confidence in the Chevy.
Over a period of several weeks we had noticed a hard 1-2 shift while the transmission was cold. Once it warmed up, the shift action smoothed out. There were no signs of impending doom, so when we took the Silverado to Santa Monica Chevrolet-Buick for routine service, we asked the service personnel to look over the transmission.
After two days we called for an update. We were told the 3-4 clutch was losing hydraulic pressure and the piston was replaced under warranty. The technicians also reconditioned the transmission. When we reminded our trusty service advisor that the problem was with the 1-2 shift and off-neutral gear engagement, he assured us this was the proper fix. We picked up the truck and two miles later a hard 1-2 shift served as proof that the original issue remained.
We brought it back a few days later and were told by Santa Monica Chevrolet-Buick, "There is no problem. That is just how the truck shifts." Days later the problem came to a head with Senior Photographer Scott Jacobs at the wheel. Jacobs' voice was shaky on the phone. "The Silverado is parked at the office. The transmission locked up on me during a 2-3 shift. It screeched and lurched to a stop on Wilshire Boulevard. Drive doesn't work. Third doesn't work. Second doesn't work. First and reverse sort of work. The office was only a couple of blocks away so I was able to limp it back. An hour later and I'd have been on the Interstate 5 freeway headed to the Dodgers game. That was lucky."
GM Roadside Assistance came to our rescue, towing the Silverado from the office to the local Santa Monica dealership. We called to confirm the status of the vehicle later that afternoon. The advisor was surprisingly frank with his diagnosis. "We've had a rash of these lately...with the input housing busting as the mileage gets up there. It should be ready by end of day tomorrow." The forward sprag was replaced, the transmission again reconditioned and keys to the Silverado were back in our hands the next day.
Quite possibly my favorite part:
"Agility is not what the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado is about. Trucks are built for towing, hauling and general versatility. Nonetheless, we sent this Chevy through our usual battery of speed tests.
Acceleration from zero to 60 mph required 7.2 seconds and the quarter-mile fell in 15.5 seconds at 88.1 mph. By comparison, our long-term Tundra posted a 0-60-mph time of 6.9 seconds and a quarter-mile of 15.1 seconds at 93 mph. In this test, the Silverado's V8 and four-speed automatic was significantly outmatched by the Toyota's 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed.
When it came time to stop from 60 mph, the Silverado needed 139 feet. This was exactly 1 foot shorter than our long-term Tundra. Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton commented, "The ABS is refined with little kickback once activated. But there does not appear to be a brake-assist program, as one 95 percent application of the brakes did not activate ABS fully."
The 0.71g of lateral force generated by the Silverado is nearly identical to that achieved by the Tundra, while the Silverado's 57-mph speed through the slalom is slightly slower than the Toyota's 58.2 mph.
But when the aforementioned four-speed in our Silverado fell on its own sword in the middle of traffic that Sunday morning, we lost all confidence in the Chevy.
Over a period of several weeks we had noticed a hard 1-2 shift while the transmission was cold. Once it warmed up, the shift action smoothed out. There were no signs of impending doom, so when we took the Silverado to Santa Monica Chevrolet-Buick for routine service, we asked the service personnel to look over the transmission.
After two days we called for an update. We were told the 3-4 clutch was losing hydraulic pressure and the piston was replaced under warranty. The technicians also reconditioned the transmission. When we reminded our trusty service advisor that the problem was with the 1-2 shift and off-neutral gear engagement, he assured us this was the proper fix. We picked up the truck and two miles later a hard 1-2 shift served as proof that the original issue remained.
We brought it back a few days later and were told by Santa Monica Chevrolet-Buick, "There is no problem. That is just how the truck shifts." Days later the problem came to a head with Senior Photographer Scott Jacobs at the wheel. Jacobs' voice was shaky on the phone. "The Silverado is parked at the office. The transmission locked up on me during a 2-3 shift. It screeched and lurched to a stop on Wilshire Boulevard. Drive doesn't work. Third doesn't work. Second doesn't work. First and reverse sort of work. The office was only a couple of blocks away so I was able to limp it back. An hour later and I'd have been on the Interstate 5 freeway headed to the Dodgers game. That was lucky."
GM Roadside Assistance came to our rescue, towing the Silverado from the office to the local Santa Monica dealership. We called to confirm the status of the vehicle later that afternoon. The advisor was surprisingly frank with his diagnosis. "We've had a rash of these lately...with the input housing busting as the mileage gets up there. It should be ready by end of day tomorrow." The forward sprag was replaced, the transmission again reconditioned and keys to the Silverado were back in our hands the next day.
Quite possibly my favorite part:
"Agility is not what the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado is about. Trucks are built for towing, hauling and general versatility. Nonetheless, we sent this Chevy through our usual battery of speed tests.
Acceleration from zero to 60 mph required 7.2 seconds and the quarter-mile fell in 15.5 seconds at 88.1 mph. By comparison, our long-term Tundra posted a 0-60-mph time of 6.9 seconds and a quarter-mile of 15.1 seconds at 93 mph. In this test, the Silverado's V8 and four-speed automatic was significantly outmatched by the Toyota's 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed.
When it came time to stop from 60 mph, the Silverado needed 139 feet. This was exactly 1 foot shorter than our long-term Tundra. Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton commented, "The ABS is refined with little kickback once activated. But there does not appear to be a brake-assist program, as one 95 percent application of the brakes did not activate ABS fully."
The 0.71g of lateral force generated by the Silverado is nearly identical to that achieved by the Tundra, while the Silverado's 57-mph speed through the slalom is slightly slower than the Toyota's 58.2 mph.
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