New Guy, w/ questions on 2003 ZR5

[roland45]

hello all,
My name is Roland and i guess i am the new guy here.
i just traded in my 95 Blaser Lt with 170,000 miles on it, for a 2003 ZR5 CC with 45,000 ( $10,000 out the door with trade in at a chevy dealership) on it and i have a few questions.
First i guess some info from me is needed.
i am in my late 40s, live in eastern Pa, I hunt, fish, shoot, and spend a lot of time in farmers fields hunting with my GSP.
(she loves the truck by the way).
i have been reading some of the posts on the forum about the dex cool anti freeze and seek opinions on wether or not I should change it out.
Also, is the tranny filter accesable by just jacking up the track and dropping the pan?
and last but not least, under the bed on the drivers side there seems to be a piece of plastice that acts as some sort of stone / mud guard, but not on the passenger side, what is the proper name for this gard?
Thanks to all who find the time to set me straight,
Roland

[HenryJ]

Dump the dex. Do a very good flush and run on just water for a while to really get it all out. Prestone makes a coolant flush / cleaner that is a good idea. Triple rinse. Hopefully it is not too late for your intake gaskets?

Yes you can access the filter after dropping the pan. Be careful. There are solenoids with plastic connectors that can get broken removing the pan. It is a puzzle, but it will come off without forcing anything. Use finesse , not muscle.

That plastic shield protects the filler neck. I don't know if there is a special name for that shield.

Lots to read up on around here. Get comfortable, all your questions have been answered here before. Even the ones you don't know you have yet welcome aboard!

[Serge PETIT]

Be welcome and have a long and safe road with your new truck !

[killian96ss]

Welcome to the forum! When you get a chance, post a pic of your truck. I'm surprised you found one with such low mileage. She must be a nice one!

Steve

[Horsehammerr]

Yes, welcome ! Like HenryJ said dump the dex and for sure flush it out real good. Mine got about 90,000 on it before my Intake gaskets let loose but, I don't suggest waiting. It is a very time consuming project to replace those gaskets. Time equals money and it's always best to beat the cost. I've got 160,000 on mine and just now find it necessary to rebuild my front axles and steering. This beast has really impressed me. I don't do a lot of Off Road riding, at least not on purpose but where I live in the Ozarks it is necessary to lock it in 4x4 some, especially in the winter. I've found out over the last ten years it just can't be stopped. Read over my build specs and see I'm not radical modified but only lack the 2" body lift and 33" tires to be at the Marvelous Mystery Lift. The way mine sits works very good for gentle 'wheelin' and holds the highway and road curves real fine. Anyway, you will find out as most of us, that these truck are habit forming. ENJOY !!

[roland45]

Thanks guys for the heads up on the dex. I will take care of that this weekend. Also I will try and take a pic or 2. It really is a clean looking truck. I had bought a haynes nanual when I first got the 95 blaser, do you guys know if they make a manual for the crew cabs?
Thanks again,
roland

[killian96ss]

Haynes does make a manual for the 98 and up S10's which does cover the CC, but the factory GM manuals used in the dealerships are much better and have far more information in them. The GM manuals are usually a 2 book set and can be found on Amazon and E-bay. You can also order new manuals through Helms or get them on disc.

Steve