96 GMC K2500 Suburban Restoration (with a couple of mods)

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South VA

K2500 454 Long Roof
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I didn't get to talk with the mechanic for long, but he said that the alternator is apparently ok - some of the associated wiring was bad. What exactly that means I'm not sure. Anyway, he's replacing some wires and crimping on new battery terminals. It's supposed to be ready this afternoon, so I'll talk with him in more detail when I pick it up.
 

South VA

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The battery cables and cable ends were replaced, grounds checked and cleaned up, and it seems to now be working. The dash voltmeter reads ~14v, with no change when I turn on the blinkers and headlights. So I’m thinking that this particular problem is solved.

That said, the A/C is no longer blowing cold air. Not sure why it would do that all of a sudden. I‘m wondering if there’s a fuse or relay that could be the culprit. The first step will be a forum search. Anyway, since we’re headed out for the mountains on Monday, not having A/C isn’t that big a deal.

EDIT: checked the fuses, hoping one would be blown. No such luck.
 
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South VA

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Regarding the A/C, another thing going is that the air stream coming from the dash vents seems pretty weak. Putting the fan on high doesn't do much, and I'm wondering if the blend door isn't opening properly. Guess I need to look at replacing the actuator. Any advice is welcome.
 

South VA

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Well, yesterday’s camping trip to the mountains was a bust. The transmission and the charging system both had issues.

The transmission wouldn’t shift out of second at one point, and then wouldn’t shift into overdrive on several occasions. For some reason when I’d pull off the road (not necessarily a simple task with a camper in tow) and shut it off, it would work fine once we started again. Sounds like I’ll be having a chat with the transmission shop.

Then the voltage gauge dropped below 14, and then started moving when I’d put on the turn indicators or the emergency flashers. So the alternator/wiring/charging system issue has yet to be solved. Not sure what to do, except take it back to the shop that allegedly fixed it.

We wound up turning back after making it more than halfway on the 300 mile trip. I’m just grateful that we were able to make it home without a tow.

It was quite discouraging, and at one point I wondered if it would better to rent a tow vehicle than continue putting money into the Burb. Or maybe buy a newer tow vehicle.

Then again, it seems like both problems ought to be fixable, at some cost. Doing so would still be way cheaper than purchasing and paying the annual fees (registration and personal property tax) and insurance a newer vehicle.

Guess I need to call the respective shops, and see what it’s going to take to get this thing running properly. Sigh.
 

South VA

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Thanks to suggestions in other threads on this forum, I now have a new ignition switch in hand, and a battery tester on the way. The latter item is something I should have had on hand anyway, as we live on a farm and have a bunch of vehicles to maintain. The other item I've found incredibly useful is a DeWalt tire inflator. Expensive, but worth every penny.

I ordered both transmission shift solenoids, one of which is on backorder. I'm going to check the battery when the tester arrives. It's a standard lead acid battery with removable caps and the water level in both end cells were lower than the middle cells, so I topped them off with distilled water and will check again to see if the levels drop. It's a group 34 (top terminals), which is handier than the side terminal setup.

And I have yet to crawl underneath and start checking chassis grounds. Wish I had a garage with a concrete floor!

Oh, and I had the shop charge the AC. I'm thinking there must have been a leak somewhere, since it was last charged in November just before I drove it home from Tucson.
 

South VA

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Drove into town today, and was greeted with the smell of dead mouse coming from the AC vents :eek:. Looks like I'll need to do some reading up on how to remove the dash...

The silver lining is that I need to remove the dash trim panel to install the new stereo, and who knows, removing the dash may make replacing the ignition switch and harness easier. At least that's what I'll tell myself.

I also realized that I haven't been posting pictures, so those will be forthcoming.

Wish me luck!
 

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After some more youtube investigation, I’m thinking the evaporator core fins are clogged with debris and who knows what else. Turns out I can get to it without removing the entire dash. I’m going to give that a try. I’ll post a pic of what I find in there. As soon as it stops raining, that is.
 

BNielsen

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Damn, I hope everything gets resolved with this truck.
You didn't happen to pass through my neck of the woods in the last few weeks did you? I would assume not if you've been having trouble, but I saw a GMT400 K2500 Suburban, same color and everything pulling a camper exactly like yours.
Could just be a coincidence though?
 

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Thanks. I believe it will get resolved if I stay after it. It's been a frustrating experience, but I keep reminding myself that it's a 27 year old truck and stuff is going to need fixed, even if it has comparatively low mileage. I knew going in that I would have to take care of a number of issues, especially since the car sat for a while. But maybe not quite this many issues.

I'm just thankful that they didn't come up on my drive back from Tucson to southern Virginia. And a little puzzled as to why they would come up now. Ah well.

As for passing through your neck of the woods, it's odd that you'd see such a similar rig, camper and all, but it wasn't us. We'll be making a trip in October to Stone Mountain State Park, though. Is that anywhere near you?
 

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Thanks. I believe it will get resolved if I stay after it. It's been a frustrating experience, but I keep reminding myself that it's a 27 year old truck and stuff is going to need fixed, even if it has comparatively low mileage. I knew going in that I would have to take care of a number of issues, especially since the car sat for a while. But maybe not quite this many issues.

I'm just thankful that they didn't come up on my drive back from Tucson to southern Virginia. And a little puzzled as to why they would come up now. Ah well.

As for passing through your neck of the woods, it's odd that you'd see such a similar rig, camper and all, but it wasn't us. We'll be making a trip in October to Stone Mountain State Park, though. Is that anywhere near you?
Stone Mountain is about an hour and a half north of me.
I thought it was weird, hell of a coincidence though.
 
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