New H1 Grief

[slowbutsteady]

Hi All,



I have a 99 H1 that is used as a daily driver. I installed a Heath Diesel turbo mod (yuck - removed dog house and other stuff) and I added a TIT (turbo intake temperature) gauge and a boost gauge. I have the boost set to 7psi. The vehicle was running awesome until I got home. The batteries are now dead. I tested various connections with my multimeter and found 3 ohms resistance from battery ground to alternator. I've now cleaned the ground connections and have a solid connection. I'll buy a battery charger tomorrow to get the vehicle started.



In the last 30 days:



- computer upgrade and software changes (decompiling source - still working on that)

- larger lift pump

- filters

- replaced one hub (see wheel falls off)

- replace fluids in all gearboxes, etc

- flushed coolant

- install turbo mod to replace vacuum actuator

- installed boost and EGT gauges (drilled into intake manifold and installed pressure sensor and drilled into turbo intake and installed thermocouple

- moved PMD to wheel well

- rebuilt old PMD

- replaced headlights with halogens



now:

- cleaning and sealing ground connections

- installing Honeywell controller now (HC900)

- installing HO turbo injectors



Other than ground harness connections, is there ANYTHING else I should service to enjoy this vehicle day-to-day? It's very wearing when I fix one thing only to be stranded with it 3 days later with another problem. The problems are logical but i'd like to get them all now so I can enjoy it.



Any issues with:



Fan clutches?

Cooling system?

Steering linkage?



I do have one more problem. Air is leaking out of the hub of one of my front tires. This happened since they went flat. It looks like a seal (bead seal?) is bad. Any suggestions how to fix?

[priuseater]

So far it looks like you've gone thru and replaced most of the more common failures on the truck.

PMD being #1, then lift pump, and turbo wastegate, and then its all preventative maintenance after that on the truck.



Things do happen and go bad, regardless of how much preventative maintenance you do.

So far ive replaced a few parts, some just for piece of mind, but i have had a PMD go bad, the wastegate solenoid go on me, the rear bake caliper spring a leak because of someone’s crappy rebuild, and a bad CTIS gauge fitting that caused me to loose front tire pressure; now i can go 3-4 months without putting any air in the tires.

No matter how much PM you do there’s still something that can get ya unfortunately

Im a maintenance addict on my truck, but just this weekend after coming back from a perfect 1200mile trip my alternator decided to bite the bullet. And at the same time, i have begun having issues with my key interlock system.

The alternator was a easy fix, but took a day out of my weekend; parts were easy to get. The key interlock i have temporarily fixed untill the warmer weather comes around and i can spend some time under the truck taking the shift mechanism out.



As far as other things to check on the truck, without knowing what small things you have done so far, i could only suggest to do basic things such as checking and replacing fluids in your t-case, hubs, diffs, i see you have already done that, just keep on top of them. Check your harmonic balancer, and be rigorous with your steering/suspension greasing schedule. I try to grease all joints whenever i can, it just helps to slow down wear.

Keeping up on oil changes is good, but if you decide to take the plunge into a synthetic engine oil. Try to get into the routine of doing oil analysis checks done, it will help you save a bit of money, help extend oil change intervals, and give you a good snapshot of your engines overall health.



I know you probably have done alot of research on your year of truck, but just keep in mind of the block issues for 97-2000 trucks incase you dont know about it. Hopefully yours has been replaced, or confirmed to not be an effected block.



Other then that, enjoy the truck, and get a feeling for the "force" its something many diy hummer owners get a sense for







For the air leak issue, can you determine if its leaking from the quick disconnect on the front of the wheel? or you positive its leaking from the inner axle attachment point?

I also had 1 of the quick disconnects leak on me, and have since replaced all of them with a upgraded style.

[Hesh]

Lots of times if a tire goes entirely flat, the bead can become compromised and needs to be re-seated and/or cleaned out to ensure a proper seal. Ive long given up hope of fixing all the ctis air leaks - it is an uphill battle that will never end lol. So long as I can park my truck overnight, or over a weekend without my tires going flat, I really could care less about air-loss in the system, ESPECIALLY given the range of climates and temps we see in Manitoba.



I know I'll probably take shit for saying this, but if the maintenance and catchup on this truck is frustrating already, I think you are going about it all wrong. Your truck will never be a high-horsepower "powerhouse" and unless you are looking to create your own complications and problems/mysteries of troubleshooting/repair, Id say that squeezing more power out of these trucks is a fruitless endeavor. Ive taken my truck offroading thru all sorts of terrain and obstacles in the 3 yrs Ive had it, and never once have I not been able to negotiate an obstacle because of a lack of power, nor have I ever gotten stuck (or stayed stuck for that matter) because of too little power. These trucks are slow-moving workhorses with low-down grunt that is rarely rivaled on the trails. These trucks will never scorch down a highway or throw you back in your seat when passing someone shy of throwing a duramax and a few other tens of thousands of dollars. To look at these trucks and all their capabilities offroad is unbelievable, and Ive realized over the course of the last few years the most important elements of this truck are far from the hp figures it puts out, and chasing higher numbers will only put un-due stress on the motor and other components (which inturn costs more time & money), and will only create more problems/mysteries. The level of engineering, testing, and abuse that went into the development of these vehicles is unmatched today and the last 15+ years in the 4x4 market. If you are looking to build a more successful trail truck, there are better places to modify the truck beyond its power output. Boosting your power output will only expose the next weakest link in your chain, and in the H1 the components are all very tough out-of-the-box, and designed to have engineered weak-spots to protect more vital components that cant be bypassed or quickly repaired on the trail or in the field, IE: the halfshafts.



I had similiar grandiose plans of large modification before I bought my truck but the more reading and learning I did about the H1 and the logic behind certain designs, etc, nevermind the hours of seat-time Ive been lucky enough to have under my belt, I quickly learned that spending xxx amount of dollars on the motor can be better off spent on trail-spare items, Lockers, vehicle protection (Hummerdan Skidguards), etc.



Dont read this as me telling you youre wasting your money. I get it, the H1 is a very exciting truck to own and whether youve had it for a week or a decade, it still elicits that smile everytime youre walking back to it. But trust the team behind the truck, and do as much reading as one can on any part of the truck you can, you'd be amazed at the logic and thought that went into some of the smallest and most minute details on our rigs, and how they can be beneficial in the field, or what can potentially fail and leave you stranded if ill-prepared.



Good luck with your diagnostics and plans, there is a great bunch of people here, and overall who share the same love and ownership of such a highly respected brand.

[slowbutsteady]

The bead has become compromised. What can I do?



I agree on the HP issue. It's not worth it. I've settled for reasonable performance.



I do have an issue with my starter. When I try to start the engine the pulleys and belts move a little. This proves the solenoid is engaging and is somewhat powering the starter motor. I tried to jump the vehicle and it did not load the other car at all when I tried to start. I am hoping it is a bad connection.



I have removed the ground connections and cleaned them up (there was 3 ohms of resistance so no charge)

I removed the + connections and cleaned them up.

I haven't messed with the solenoid yet.

I did try and jump the + on the battery to the starter and then start. Same problem.

The only things left that I can think of at this time is:



Solenoid connection is corroded.

Solenoid contact inside is bad,

Is the starter failing to turn because the voltage drops too low and the solenoid disengages?



Before I start testing resistance, batteries, etc... Any suggestions? I'll start down the troubleshooting tomorrow.

[slowbutsteady]

"I know you probably have done alot of research on your year of truck, but just keep in mind of the block issues for 97-2000 trucks incase you dont know about it. Hopefully yours has been replaced, or confirmed to not be an effected block."



It's a 2001 engine. Prior owners daughter filled vehicle with gasoline so the new engine only has 16k miles on it.

[slowbutsteady]

"No matter how much PM you do there’s still something that can get ya unfortunately

Im a maintenance addict on my truck, but just this weekend after coming back from a perfect 1200mile trip my alternator decided to bite the bullet. And at the same time, i have begun having issues with my key interlock system."



It seems alternators, starters, and other common parts goes in all vehicles. Would it not be better to stock replacements if they are going to go bad every 2-3 years? Way do you stock as a spares kit?

[slowbutsteady]

"ESPECIALLY given the range of climates and temps we see in Manitoba."



What issues do you find the severe climate changes cause? Are you changing hub seals every year?

[Hesh]

I wish I could see hubseals last a year. So far Ive had no luck with them, and have tried a range of them, but something tells me my latest batch (the ones off the uparmored HMWV's) may now have been Jynxed because I just spoke about them hahaha. I find that the severe climate ( ranging from -40 C to +35 C) changes will expose any leaks you may have on hoses, and given that your front CTIS hoses do move with the hubs during steering, etc, that these will get very cold and brittle. Ive replaced my PS front hose twice since buying the truck, and instead of running a single one piece hose from the "T" above the frt diff to the hub, Ive tried different hose types & most recently went to a 2pc hose so that if the Hub side becomes comprimised that last 7-9" of hose can be swapped out instead of having to throw her on the hoist and fish my too-big arms above the diff and fiddle with that tough-to-reach spot. Ive also added a bend-restrictor which is basically a flexible rubber sleeve that goes at the hub end and provides more protection to the hose/fitting than those little shields offer. Ive only switched to this new hose style/creation in the last month, so I'll keep things updated should I see any benefits/failures. Also extreme cold can sometimes complicate or expose any shortcomings with the CTIS fittings/lines at the hub where they go from the hub to the wheel.



basically the hose looks like this



(diff side) =-----------------------------------------=+=----EEEEEE= (Hub side)



the = is the fitting

the ----- is the hose

the =+= is the union of the two hoses

the E is the bend restrictor (see below for similiar picture)





This is a pic of a similiar style bend restrictor

[Roy]

Use some soapy water to find air leak.

Starting issue.....try putting booster cables right on the starter connections under the truck. This will check for bad connections or cables.

If all else fails, pull the starter and get it rebuilt. or replaced--$950ish

Do not put a Bosch or Dixie starter on it. You will have issues.!

[slowbutsteady]

No ignition power- the starter is good. I am tryingt figure outhow the ignition switch works. If I jump battery to ignition bus then the vehicle starts.