Expert Advice: November/ December Edition

Towing to the Max
Q: My son has a 2002 Toyota Tacoma TRD Double Cab with 41,000 miles on it. It has a Class-III hitch, which is supposed to be able to tow 5000 pounds. We have a boat and trailer that weigh that amount. Can the Tacoma pull the boat up an incline out of the water without hurting the truck?

A: Towing capacities vary depending on engine size, wheelbase, two- or four-wheel drive, transmission, and more. Consult your owner's manual for the maximum towing capacity of your son's particular model. However, the maximum rating for the most properly equipped 2002 Tacoma is 5000 pounds. That's assuming you're not exceeding the maximum combined weight rating with additional cargo load. Pulling a 5000-pound boat/trailer is indeed pushing it to the limit. The engineers give us these limitations to prevent an overload, which could cause dangerous driving conditions and excessive stress on the drivetrain. Sorry to say it, but towing the maximum weight is cutting it too close. You need a truck with a higher capacity to tow your boat safely, let alone pull it out of the water.

Purging Clunk in the Night
Q: You wrote a column about transmission clunking in a 2003 Silverado LT, a problem I've also experienced. However, mine is more than a clunk: The transmission has a jerking reaction when it shifts, especially after it freewheels at lower speeds and downshifts when I accelerate. I've had it back to the dealer two or three times to no avail. There've been other problems as well. The driver-side door-lock module had to be replaced, the A/C compressor was replaced because of noise, and the automatic mirrors stopped folding in after the second or third time the feature was used. All this happened within 7500 miles of use.

A: There's been an updated technical service bulletin issued by GM with regard to the ever-popular drivetrain clunk. This one, TSB #01-04-17-004A, includes more vehicles and adds a few diagnostic tips to the previous bulletin. The original instructed replacement of the rear driveshaft slip yoke. But this modified nickel-plated slip yoke was to repair a different clunk than what you're describing--the slip yoke would stick, causing a clunk when coming to or accelerating from a stop. Your problem sounds more like the drivetrain freeplay or lash clunk when shifting gears at a stop or decelerating or accelerating quickly while driving. This condition, which GM documents as normal, is the more common complaint of GM truck owners. GM also stipulates that a lash clunk during a 2-3 upshift or 3-2 downshift also should be considered a normal non-repairable characteristic. This updated bulletin directs technicians to all clunk-related service bulletins and diagnostic procedures to eliminate any fixable cause of the noise. But there still hasn't been any repair issued to cure the freeplay clunk. You might want to mention the updated bulletin to the service-department personnel, just to make sure they've covered all the bases.