1994 Chevrolet C1500 SIlverado 2WD 5.7 350 c.i. TBI
Summary:
Great truck, powerhouse, not enough stopping power, was an awesome first vehicle
Faults:
My father bought this truck with roughly 171,000 miles on it as an extra truck for me to drive until I was able to buy my own. Despite the problems, I actually love this truck and am selling it soon, and I'm sad thinking about getting rid of it.
When acquired:
No A/C.
Clicking noise coming from under the glove box whenever the key was in the "on" position, and upon shut down.
Bad brake fluid leak, meaning I would drive to school (10 miles), then to work (11 miles), then back home from there (about 2 miles), and almost be out of brake fluid, and I never drive very rough on the brakes at all.
"Service engine soon" light stayed on, never figured out why.
Brakes shake when slowing down, warped rotors??
Goes through front brake pads veryyyyy quickly, doesn't feel as if I even have back brakes to be honest.
New issues since ownership and now:
Motor blew after 3 months, with about 175,000 miles, replaced with a used motor from a wrecked van, runs awesome.
Never fixed A/C, now no heat, blows, but never heats up.
Passenger front caliper stayed clamped, burning up and melting brake pads. Replacing caliper didn't help; turned out to be a "kink" in brake lines.
Wire connecting power to interior melted due to a clamp coming off the frame, causing the wire to rub against exhaust manifold; couldn't even turn hazard lights on. This happened while pulling off the highway, and I was able to coast most of the way to a parking lot, spliced wire and zip tied to frame, fixed it.
Fixed leaking brake fluid.
"Service engine soon" light now comes and goes on its own, but pretty much in the same spot everyday on my daily route.
Shredded front driver side tire, replaced both front with new.
Transmission shifts rough 1st to 2nd gear; 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th are really smooth.
Water temp sensor has never worked.
Head leaks antifreeze.
Now when I stop it starts to feel like it is gonna die, but hasn't yet, thank god. Haha.
General Comments:
Despite all of this, I still really like the truck, and it's decent for the age and miles on it.
Still has plenty of power, and will outrun my dad's truck.
Seats are surprisingly comfortable, but the truck itself handles like a boat.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 18th February, 2010