2013 Sierra 3500 Slt 4x4 Dually 6.6l Duramax Leather Flat Bed on 2040-cars

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NHTSA ends GM steering investigation without seeking a recall

DETROIT — U.S. safety regulators have closed an investigation into sticky power steering on thousands of older General Motors SUVs and will not seek a recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says GM in 2014 issued “special coverage” to fix the problem on the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and other models. The coverage replaced a steering gear with an improved one. The agency said a recall isn't needed because of the coverage and low complaint and warranty repair rates. The agency opened the probe in June of 2020 into steering problems affecting an estimated 781,000 of the SUVs from the 2010 through 2012 model years. Increased friction could make it feel like the steering wheel is stuck. But GM said the SUVs could still be turned, although with more effort than usual. “In view of the special coverage, low rate of failure and low potential hazard to drivers, this preliminary evaluation is closed,” the agency wrote in documents posted Wednesday on its website. Government/Legal Recalls Chevrolet GMC Safety

GM exploring ways to raise half-ton Duramax diesel tow rating

Lots of truck owners cheered when GM announced fuel economy numbers for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado with the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel inline-six. Even after Ram let loose its EPA mileage ratings for the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the Chevy oil-burner still took the trophy. The victory was years in the making, GM engineers spending an entire four-year development cycle refining the LM2 Duramax to increase mileage. The tradeoff, as well all know by now, is towing; the Duramax in half-ton duty pulls a maximum 9,300 pounds in the Silverado. Rivals across town can do more, the Ford F-150 PowerStroke rated at 11,500, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel game to pull 12,560. GM engineer John Barta told Muscle Cars & Trucks that more hauling chops could be on the way, explaining, "We’re actually looking at upgrading some of the materials around (the engine bay) to see if we can maybe raise our tow rating." Engine bay materials are at issue due to thermal complexities underhood. John Barta, GM's assistant chief engineer of diesel engine controls, said the Duramax's inline-six configuration allowed engineers to get emissions hardware like the combined selective catalytic reduction, diesel oxidation catalysts, and diesel particulate filter unit closer to the engine, where it heats up quicker, getting emissions down quicker. But that filter puts another heat source in those confines, enforcing a cap on the tow rating to keep the engine and other systems from overheating. "If you look under the hood," he said, "youÂ’ll see a significant amount of silver ‘moon tapeÂ’ around to make sure things arenÂ’t getting overheatedÂ… if we were to go up in higher towing, which we can, we start impacting the possibility of deteriorating some of the components.” There isn't much space for more grille, so swapping for a better grade of "moon tape" or a different kind of material could reduce engine bay heat, extracting a higher tow rating in the process.  It's important to note a point Barta's been making for months about the Duramax figures, though. "Even though itÂ’s nice to brag about big numbers, in reality, light duty customers are not towing that large with their trucks," and, "We do know that (95 percent) of our light duty customers donÂ’t tow over 9,000 pounds." On our First Drive of the 2020 Silverado diesel we called out the tow rating, but emphasized that the Chevy and GMC have more important challenges to overcome.

Next-gen GMC Canyon spied with big screen and heavy camo

The next generation of midsize GM pickups is well on its way to being ready, and these new spy shots give us an early look at the new interior inside the GMC Canyon. To our delight, the new Canyon interior doesn’t even remotely resemble the current truck. The relationship between the refreshed SierraÂ’s new interior and what we can see in these Canyon spy shots is impossible to ignore. While itÂ’s not an exact replica of, or a shrunken version of, the CanyonÂ’s screen hardware looks similar to the SierraÂ’s. We can see the volume knob sprouting out of the top left corner, and the whole screen is surrounded by shiny black plastic. The software itÂ’s running is GMÂ’s new Android Automotive-based infotainment that weÂ’ve already sampled in the 2022 Yukon. Just like in that vehicle, we can see that Google Maps is the native navigation system, and it features similar shortcuts on the left-hand side of the screen. Below the screen, the next-gen Canyon features all of its climate controls. The model weÂ’re looking at here must be an upmarket trim, because itÂ’s featuring heated and cooled seats. Another indication that this model could be a Denali (or other higher trim) is the small piece of wood trim on the door that is mostly shrouded by camouflage. We canÂ’t make it out all that well, but any amount of wood trim in a midsize pickup means luxury.  ItÂ’s difficult to make out whatÂ’s going on with the steering wheel, though we can see what appear to be silver switches flanked by flat black buttons. The instrument cluster is similarly difficult to see, but if the little glimpse of a “125 miles to empty” readout is any indication, it could very well be a totally digital cluster. WeÂ’ll need to wait to fully confirm that thought, though. When it comes to the exterior, there isnÂ’t a whole lot to see under the heavy camouflage. We have a reasonable look at the grille behind the mesh, and the front LED lighting signature is partially visible, too. WeÂ’ll note that there isnÂ’t much of a front bumper on this test truck, which is giving it the appearance of being an off-road capable pickup — itÂ’s just nowhere near as extreme as the Canyon prototype we spied last year sporting a ZR2-style suspension.  Big wheels fitted to this tester gives more credence to it possibly being a Denali. The rear is perhaps even more covered up than the front, making it even more difficult to see what GM is hiding.