what should i look for in a 2003?

[PaulG]

i'm in the market for a 4 door truck, since 2003 is the earliest i can go i would like to know what i should be looking out for?



now i know that the HO motor comes with an auto that year which is what i want and i also want to make sure it's a HO motor.

correct me if i'm wrong but it should say on the motor tag 305hp correct? is there a big differance between that motor and the new 2004/05 motors besides 20hp and 30ft tq ?



i just don't want something i should have waited on if you know what i mean. thanks for the help

 

[PaulG]

so by no responces i'm going to assume there wee no problem with this year trucks motor or anything?

 

[DF5152]

there are no major problems as of yet with the 2003 truck but if you are looking ofr an HO Auto you need to find a 2003. 5 truck there is a tag on the valve cover that with tell you HP other than that I dont know if there is a way to tell them apart. There were some issues with the rears making noise. good luck Dan

 

[JohnCooper]

My understanding is that some of the early 03's came with the 47RE trans. You might want to check to see if it has the 48RE.

 

[DF5152]

My understanding is that some of the early 03's came with the 47RE trans. You might want to check to see if it has the 48RE.

the HO motor was only available in auto with the 48RE transmission. late production sometimes referred to as the 2003. 5 you can get an early 04 with the 305hp motor less polution stuff same as late 03. the trucks referred to as 04. 5 have the 600 motor with emissions

 

[rbattelle]

Check the paint carefully for missed spots, thin spots, and flaking. Some colors even had the paint warranty extended to 100,000 miles due to poor primer adhesion. I know because I have a letter from PPG stating that I now have a 100k paint warranty.



Listen carefully for engine knock. If the truck has one, check whether the clutch TSB was ever performed or if it was called for. If so, have the injectors checked before taking delivery.



-Ryan

 

[Johnstra]

Check carefully for a vibration @ 65-70 MPH. To my knowledge this problem is little more than an annoyance, but many have reported it (including myself) and it really can get... well... annoying. Get it out on the highway and give it a chance to warm up good. If it has the vibration, it'll be quite noticeable when you hit about 1900 RPM. It's often more pronounced with the A/C engaged. I had the P/S hose TSB performed and it completely eliminated the vibration for me. Others have reported that the same fix only reduced it for them.



Many folks also report a noisy rear diff - a howl. Mine is noisy on the coast side. Again, this seems to be mostly an annoyance as I haven't heard of anyone loosing a rear-end yet.



Overall, the 305s are solid.



-john

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Check to make sure it has the six speed.

 

[PaulG]

no definatly going auto for sure. i'm sick of shifting done it most of my life and trying to avoid it



thanks for the help guys!

 

[DPelletier]

no definatly going auto for sure. i'm sick of shifting done it most of my life and trying to avoid it



thanks for the help guys!

Best to make sure the engine sticker says 305hp, then.



Dave