Cue the holy music, because the Chevrolet Silverado received a miracle in the form of the new 3.0-liter LZ0 Duramax diesel engine. The first-generation LM2 diesel engine is found in plenty of trucks and SUVs but has a few quality issues. However, the problems could be history in the 2023 Chevy Silverado. 

The 2023 Chevy Silverado Duramax diesel fixes belt issues 

The Chevy Silverado has faced oil belt problems for the past few years when equipped with the Duramax diesel engine. The engine needs to be inspected at 150,000 miles, and owners quickly discovered that an oil belt was sitting in oil. 

Some owners became frustrated and felt as if the belt problem could lead to engine damage, but this claim isn’t backed up by much evidence. Also, you must drop the transmission to service that belt, which comes with a $1,000 maintenance fee. 

But according to Pickup Truck Talk, the new and improved 3.0-liter LZ0 Duramax diesel engine has an extended belt life. Reportedly, it doesn’t need an inspection until 200,000 miles. 

The engine belt was not moved to the front of the engine, as that would require a complete redesign, so the transmission still needs to be dropped at transmission time. 

Were the Silverado Duramax slow crank issues corrected? 

Yes, the slow-start or even no-start problems with the Chevy Silverado Duramax engine has been finally solved. Thank goodness, because owners were stuck with incredibly long crank times and sometimes had to wait a few minutes before getting their trucks to start. 

Engineers discovered this problem after dealerships failed to replicate the issue. Reportedly, a supplier provided exciter wheels with bent teeth, making the system think it was inoperable. 

Now General Motors has corrected this supplier issue. Plus, the engine crank was enhanced to allow the teeth to better engage in the LM2 and LZ0 engines. So, the current and new engines are fixed. 

Thank goodness because the engine had to be fully removed to address this problem, and the process took about 40 to 50 hours. Some owners had the issue investigated only to have their new exciter wheel fail. 

What other improvements does the Silverado LZ0 have? 

For the Chevy Silverado, the new LZ0 Duramax diesel engine is more efficient with a 10 percent power increase, and the torque is up by 7.6 percent to 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. This boost comes from new injectors that allowed the turbocharger to be retuned. 

Plus, the aluminum pistons were replaced by new steel pistons with a narrower design that provide a longer piston stroke. The cylinder heads were changed, and improvements were made to the cooling system too. 

But the new engine might not have a better fuel economy. It’s expected to get roughly the same numbers. The LM2 Duramax diesel with 2WD gets an EPA-estimated 31 mpg on the highway, while adding 4xe drops this figure to 26 mpg. 

A diesel hybrid engine is still being considered for the future, so perhaps that will improve the fuel economy. But until then, those who want a Silverado with the Duramax diesel engine can relax. 

The improvements made to the original engine solve a lot of headaches and fixes annoying issues with the oil belt and crank times. Plus, it has a more efficient power delivery with more muscle.