There is a possible issue floating around about the Chevy Silverado Duramax diesel engine. It may take a long time to crank or not crank at all. But is this problem related to the Chevy Silverado or 3.0-liter Duramax engine? Also, is it a severe problem? 

The Chevy Silverado 3.0-liter Duramax diesel might not crank 

First of all, for a little background information, the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel engine is found in the Chevy Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Sierra, and Cadillac Escalade. So, the cranking issues have been noticed in each of these vehicles, not just the Silverado. 

According to Pickup Truck Talk, there are rising concerns about this engine due to long crank times, if it even cranks at all. Frustrations about this issue are rising in videos and forums such as gm-trucks.com. 

It seems like the engines may have a damaged camshaft position sensor exciter wheel. It’s at the back of the engine in the crankshaft. The wheel might be bent, and as a result, it may not make contact with the crankshaft. It needs the proper shape to catch a hold so the crank will move. 

More potential Durmax issues 

In the Chevy Silverado, you have to remove the cab to access the back of the engine. This process takes about 40 to 50 hours, so it’s pretty involved. Then once people have had this wheel replaced, their new trucks and SUVs still won’t crank. 

Because this issue affects the Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra, etc., there is a new service bulletin out, and sometimes the code p0341 pops up. This refers to when the camshaft position sensor (CMP) signal is out of the expected range or isn’t properly timed with the crankshaft position sensor (CKP) signal. 

A variety of issues can cause this code, including a faulty camshaft sensor, improperly installed sensor, a timing belt or chain jumped a tooth, electrical interference, a damaged or misaligned reluctor wheel, and more. 

There is some speculation that General Motors has shared that 18,000 vehicles are struggling with that issue. But this is just a rumor. GM hasn’t confirmed the information. Either way, it’s becoming a widespread issue online. 

This is a pretty frustrating problem for people. It’s been occurring in Chevy Silverado and other models from 2020 and 2021 so far. This Duramax engine is in the 2019 models, and so far, there are no issues reported for the 2019 models. 

The engine has had changes since 2019. The professional who designed the engine has already moved on, and a group of life-cycle engineers is now assessing issues reported by dealerships. 

Will General Motors issue a recall?

There doesn’t seem to be a current solution for this issue yet, and no recall. It could be due to a bad batch of exciter wheels that went into the diesel engines. Hopefully, they will figure this issue out soon, especially if it’s as big as people speculate. 

We will continue looking for clues about this potential issue and we will definitely let you know if GM issues a recall. The issue doesn’t seem to affect many models. It shouldn’t be a reason to potentially avoid getting a General Motors vehicle with the Duramax diesel.