Well, no engine is perfect and the second gen l5p, 2024 Duramax engine is no exception. We’Re going to talk about some issues that have come up so far as well as just generally some things that I don’t like about these Duramax engines as a heavyduty diesel. [ Applause, ], [, Music, ] mechanic welcome back to the channel guys, I’m Alex. We are back with this second gen l5p Duramax and today we are jumping off the old rainbow Express because we’re diving into some potential downsides of owning this engine. This engine comes in at 470, horsepower as well as 975 lb feet of torque a nice little bump for 2024, and in order to do that, GM, as we talked about last week, um revised the fueling system and well.

 

 

 

That is where we’re going to start off. That’S the first issue: these 2024 Duramax engines were first released in late spring of 2023 and apparently there was a number of complaints about poor fuel economy, rough running engines and, while GM released a recall in September, stating that the ECM may not properly just fuel injector Flow for the normal variation of fuel, injector flow rate characteristics. This could result in rough idling or increased fuel consumption um. So apparently, a simple ECM flash or an ECM update, has taken care of this issue, but that is the number one specific issue with this. Second gen l5p Duramax.

The next issue, which is a little bit more concerning, is the amount of check engine lights and software issues that these 2024 l5p Duramax engines are having um. It does seem like there is an above average amount of brand new trucks owners with less than like a th000 miles that are having check engine lights, come on and having to bring these trucks back to the dealer for software updates software issues after treatment software problems And that is a little bit concerning this seems to be pretty consistent since the 2024 engines have been released in the spring of 2023 up till now and there’s a couple of key takeaways that I want to touch on. First of all, this is just the game. You play with a modern diesel engine with an emission system. There are a ton of sensors, wiring emission components, computers calculated values, all all of which can throw check engine lights, which can derate the engine at any time anywhere for pretty much any reason – and this is just not a Duramax thing – it’s an industry thing.

The 67 Power Stroke, the 67 cumin. They are all going to be strapped into this dilemma of the modern diesel engine with emission systems. So if it’s not a game, you want to play, the best thing you can do is just buy. A gas engine doesn’t come with emissions and you’re not going to have to deal with drates, basically at all, but secondly, and more specific to GM is the new electronic system that they have implemented in these 2024 HD truck platforms. Um GM calls it their Global, be electronic system that has been put into this platform, and I want to read you something: Global beat is an allnew electronic platform necessary for next generation of vehicles, EVS uh, active safety, infotainment and connectivity features.

 

 

 

Cyber security will become even more important to prevent hacking. Other types of unauthorized access GM took this into account When developing Global b um as it is among the first automakers to create an integrated and dedicated Global product cyber security organization. A team of experts within the company focused on protecting against potential risk of unauthorized access to vehicles and customer data. I mean to me this sounds more like a tech startup out of California, then you know an HD pickup truck meant to be doing hard work. Now, apparently, the reason why they’re so focused on cyber security is because well with this Global be electronic platform.

Gm is now able to do what’s called over theair software updates, meaning they can update your engine software computer software, whatever software at any time anywhere over the air, and that’s why they’re concerned about people hacking into these these trucks. Some criticisms of This Global B electronic system, which I found quite interesting, are, as quote, some owners of vehicles based on global B, have experienced, failed over-the-air software updates that have bricked their vehicles or made it inoperable. This has pushed GM to change its internal procedures for delivering over theair updates, um. Second Global be’s, various cyber security and hacking prevention techniques prevent tuning of vehicles such as changing fuel, air mixtures of internal combustion engines or similar afterm Market modifications. Global B is strongly encrypted.

If it senses any unauthorized access, the vehicle will become inoperable. This prevents tuners Builders and enthusiasts from tuning their vehicles, powertrain, which I mean if anyone’s looking to, let’s say, delete their Duramax engine. It may be very tricky to do so going forward a little bit of a mouth hole, but I did want to paint a full picture for you guys and it’s just not surprising that GM has experienced. You know a lot of software issues because well, it seems like they’ve, implemented a very complicated new electronic system to this HD platform and well the l5p Duramax Diesel, as well as the emission system that comes with it. Those are both very complex items to to begin with and when you strap on even more electronic complexity.

 

 

 

On top of that odds are you’re going to run into maybe some Kinks, some hiccups, which is potentially what is happening with these 2024 um Duramax diesel trucks. The good news is, or the Silver Lining is, that the global B um electronic system has been implemented in other vehicles. Um it’s been on the 1500s since 2022, and people have found ways to sidestep or navigate this in order to tune engines. So it’s not like these trucks will never be able to be deleted. However, it might just be a little bit more of a process and odds are cost a lot more money.

 

 

 

So just keep that in mind. On the first gen l5p engines, it seemed like there was issues with injector connectors, specifically injector number four, the connector would seemingly fail and you’d get a misfire pretty common issue with those engines. Thankfully gmad finally addressed this issue in April of 2023. So, a year ago, um with a technical service bulletin. Ideally this means that this engine, the second gen l5p, will come with updated, connectors, updated, injector harnesses, ideally meaning.

You won’t have to deal with that issue again um and if you are experienced that issue in the first gens go see your dealer, because there is a service bulletin out for that issue. I’Ve talked about it a number of times guys. This is your map sensor. Right here and if this truck wasn’t so near, I think there’s only like 2,000 km on this engine. I’D pull this out and be full of soot.

 

 

 

Maybe I’ll put a clip of the previous Duramax I had in the shop. It was pretty soy well, this is your map sensor here, guys we just pulled it out, as you guys saw, it does not look healthy. This is all carboned up from what your EGR. If you guys have not clean yours, I would highly recommend to do so. This truck has about 66,000 km on it, and you guys you can see it does not look healthy.

So that is what a map sensor should look like pretty big difference. Um, if you guys, are more interested in how to clean it made a full video on it I’ll I’ll link it in the description. Basically, this is your intake here. Right here is your EGR hot pipe essentially, and so what happens? Is your EGR gases are full of soot?

They come into your intake and well your map Center just gets full of soot. I would have loved to see GM, maybe try and do something about this. I understand that this kind of has to be after your EGR gas, because it has to measure you know how much EGR gas is going into the engine to run it properly, but yeah just I mean I would say it’s probably the number one issue: it’s a Very very easy issue to fix and clean anyone can do it. A 10 mil sockets and uh pull her out clean. It out put it back in super simple, maybe do that, like every 20,000 miles or so and uh that should keep these engines running good and nice.

 

 

 

Lastly, in terms of known issues and has been gaining a little bit of traction as of late is the crankshaft pin, snapping or shearing on the harmonic balancer and the oil pump gear now seemingly on Tik Tok Dave’s, Auto Center is a perfect example. Um Dave seems like a very, very knowledgeable fella and while he shows a ton of Duramax crankshafts with sheared pins on them, which um basically take out the engine, because once the oil pump gear isn’t driven by the crankshaft and just spinning freely, there’s no oil going. Your engine – and it’s only a matter of time before she goes bang I’ll link a couple of his videos down below, as well as his channel um, so you guys can check it out for yourself. I don’t know how common these are um and digging into it. Just a little bit deeper, it seems like there’s a little bit more to the story, potentially here’s my two cents on the issue, I’m not an engineer, I’m just just a mechanic, so take that for what it’s worth um, if the amount of Crank sh are failing.

As people would are speculating, I would think that GM would address the issue and well they had the perfect opportunity with this engine. A new generation and as far as I can tell it, is the exact same crank Chef. That’S in the um first gen l5p. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like it is the same crankshaft. I think GM would address this issue if it is as bad as everyone is saying.

 

 

 

Secondly, a number of people have pointed out that the harmonic balancer, the oil gear are are supposed to be held on by friction and not by those dowel pins, and if someone was to remove that harmonic balancer and not torque everything up properly again, that is what’s Causing those pins to Shear is because there was not enough torque or friction on the harmonic balancer, to begin with, which I find very interesting. The third thing is when we see these videos pictures of these crankshaft with SNAP pins on them. We don’t know if those engines were tuned if they’re, making more power um and if they were, if an engine is tuned well, you can kind of just throw reliability out the window. Unfortunately, because these engines are designed to be run at the factory spec and once you take those engines away from the factory spec, you know you’re kind of just playing with fire at that point. So, in my opinion, if you’re running a stock Duramax engine, I think you should be just fine and if you are going to do work and have to pull that harmonic balancer off, make sure you torque that thing to spec by all means.

 

 

 

I encourage everyone to do their own research. As I said, I’m not an engineer. I don’t work for GM, but that is my opinion at the moment about this issue. One thing that I do dislike about this l5p durama platform is how short of a stroke it comes with. This thing comes with a stroke length of 3.

 

 

 

 in when looking at something like 67 cumins uh it stroke length is 4.88 in almost a full inch longer than this engine and well, if you guys been following the channel, a long stroke means that you have a Much better mechanical advantage in terms of making torque, and while these are Big diesel engines, they’re meant to make good torque to what to pull things. So you want to have a very good torquey engine and when looking at something like Ford or their their 67 Power Stroke, they purposely extended their stroke, which also comes with a V8 Diesel, and I really like that. Ford purposely did that, because again, it just allows the engine to produce torque so much easier when pulling or Towing, and it’s not like this engine doesn’t make good torque because it certainly does it it it. It’S got some good pull T, but I just think it could be so much more advantageous with a longer stroke.

 

 

 

So those are some things that would concern me. If I was looking at buying a 2024 Duramax um, it is still very new of an engine and overall, I think the L 5p durmax platform is a pretty pretty solid unit. However, like I mentioned today, the brand new Global B electronic system that has been implemented in this platform does seem to be maybe wreaking some havoc on these engines. These these trucks to begin with um only time will tell to see. If you know GM can really kind of iron that out, let me know what you guys think.

 

 

 

Do you think I’ve missed anything with these Duramax engines um? Have you guys even heard of the global B electronic system? That’S in these trucks do stuff like that. Worry you. It does seem a little odd for me that GM or whoever can have access to the electronics and computers and modules of my truck at all times.

 

 

 

It just a little bit odd um. But if you did like the video, don’t forget to leave that thumbs up and next week we are towing, with this truck 14,000 lb, we’re going to see how she runs up and down my owing course. I’M excited about that. If you guys are don’t forget to subscribe, because we’d love to have you on board anyways enough of me, we’ll see you on the next freaking video