GMC Canyon Diesel Engines: Problems, Longevity, and Specs

If you are a fan of pure American vehicles, you probably love the GMC brand. Yes, it's basically the Chevy but with some design changes. But somehow GMC cars are precepted as more American while Chevrolet vehicles are thought to be aimed at the international market. That's why the Canyon and the Colorado can share the market and find their clientele.

Key features and my opinion about the engine

• Production years:2016-2022
• Average lifespan of LWN:190,000-220,000 miles
• Fuel supply type:Common Rail
• Power range:181 hp
• Fuel efficiency:good
• Engine block material:cast-iron
• Engine reliability score:medium
• The most common problems:turbocharger problems, fuel pump issues, problems with towing, minor issues.

What's the 2.8L Duramax engine?

Actually, the introduction of the diesel-powered Canyon was much of a surprise back in 2016. Actually, it could hold on the market till 2022 and if you want a diesel Canyon, you can still get one used with minimal mileage.

The 2.8L Duramax diesel engine belongs to the Duramax L4 family with only two members in it (2.5L and 2.8L).

Here's what you may want to know about this engine:

• this is originally the VM Motori engine - the company has been owned by GM;
• it's made in one of the GM plants in Thailand and is aimed at the Asian market and Australia;
• this is the 4-cylinder turbocharged 2.8L diesel engine that is able to offer 181-197 horsepower and up to 369 lb-ft of torque;
• as far as I'm concerned, GM cars in the US used the version of this engine codenamed LWN;
• the block is cast iron, the timing system is driven by gears - only one camshaft is driven by a belt, so fewer chances for problems here;
• the Honeywell turbocharger is equipped with the intercooler and is pretty good at boosting torque;
• the engine uses the common-rail direct injection which is pretty simple and repairable;
• of course, you will see the EGR system here and also quite simple and straightforward DPF for emission control.

This engine was equipped with the only option of the transmission - the 6-speed automatic 6L50 transmission. A pretty good choice for this vehicle - reliable and easy to repair.

The engine is capable of about 22 MPG in the city and over 30 MPG on highways which is more than good for such a displacement, power, and torque. Diesel engines have always been famous for good fuel consumption and high torque and these are the most visible advantages of the Duramax 2.8L engine.

By the way, you may also read my article about the 3.5L gas engine in these trucks.

But you may predict that the engine comes with its share of problems. Let's dive into this question!

How many miles will the diesel engine last in the Canyon/Colorado?

Usually, these Duramax diesel engines can last up to 250,000 miles if maintained well. I have seen a 2.8L engine in the Canyon last over 300,000 miles with no serious issues. But I've also seen dreadful things happening with them up until they reach 100K miles or something like that.

So, the durability of this diesel engine depends highly on whether you care about it and maintain it exactly as it should be maintained. I would say that the service intervals are somewhat exaggerated by GM and you need to make sure that you change things earlier than the driver's manual tells you to do that.

Anyway, the Canyon 2.8L diesel engine can easily last quite a lot of miles. It's not prone to a lot of issues that will pop up early. I loved these engines, even though they sounded like tractors. They have huge torque and are really fun to drive.

What are the common problems with the Canyon diesel engine?

When it comes to problems, I can tell you a lot of them. In my previous job, I had to deal a lot with Canyon and Colorado trucks after accidents and I should tell you these diesel engines hate being hit by something. But this is not the most common problem with them, anyway.

I dealt with dozens of aged 2.8 L Duramax engines and spoke to the owners of those cars, so I've compiled a list of the most common issues that they experienced or that I found in those vehicles.

Here they are:

1) EGR and DPF issues

Let's start with the obvious things. The EGR valve is going to be clogged at about 120,000 miles or even earlier. The durability of this part depends largely on the style of driving and the average conditions where you drive this car.

The EGR may start leaking coolant into the cylinders and if this issue is ignored, this can lead to really bad consequences. Overheating and bad residues in the engine are just the minor problems out of this list.

Also, the DPF doesn't seem to be the most durable part of this engine. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do but replace it. And this will cost you a fortune.

2) Timing belt interval problem

General Motors wants to sell the truck to you. They don't care if you have some problems when it reaches 150K miles. So, they said in their manual for the 2.8L Duramax engine that replacing the timing belt is only needed at 150,000 miles. While some engines will actually survive this extended period, others won't.

If the belt breaks, you are in trouble. It doesn't matter that camshafts are driven by the gears, valves will still meet with uncontrolled pistons and this will just mince them making it almost impossible to repair the engine.

So, I suggest you change the belt at least at 100,000 miles or even earlier than that.

3) Turbocharger issues

The Canyon diesel engine has a pretty good Honeywell turbocharger. But I suppose GM wanted too much from this simple turbo and made it work at the limit of its potential. That's why, the turbo may leak oil or coolant, cause under-boost, or just fall apart sometimes.

Fortunately, it's not that expensive to repair the turbo. And even the fact that it's repairable is important. So, I wouldn't care much about this problem if I were about to buy the used Canyon.

4) Common rail problems

While the common rail diesel injection is still one of the best technologies for diesel engines, it tends to fail at high mileage. You may think - hey, nothing bad, just injector failure. But no, the common rail system has a super-expensive high-pressure fuel pump that may fail. Also, the injectors themselves are hard to clean or repair if they fail.

So, repairing the injection system in your 2.8L Canyon diesel engine is not that easy. This is going to cost you a lot of money and take some time.

5) Transmission problems

Well, the 6-speed automatic transmission is perfect. But not for trucks. When you are getting a truck with high torque, you want to tow big and heavy trailers. But the Canyon equipped with the diesel engine can only tow up to 8000 pounds. And even this weight is too much.

The thing is that the transmission wasn't originally aimed to be installed in trucks. And it has a very limited towing capacity. So, if you ignore the towing weight limitation, you will most likely have to repair or even replace the expensive transmission sooner than you expect.

6) Vibrations and shaking

This is the diesel engine and it's going to vibrate much more than you may think. Also, it's far from working smoothly in any revs, so it makes your Canyon a little less comfortable than a gas-driven truck.

This is something you need to pay for great low-rev torque and also wonderful fuel consumption. There is nothing you can do with the vibrations - it's just a feature of the engine.

Think gas engine are better? Read about the 2.7L gas in GM trucks in my other article.

What to do to prolong the life of the Canyon's diesel engine?

To drive your 2.8L Duramax engine for a long time, you need to focus on the following things:

• don't forget to change the oil at least according to the manufacturer's intervals;
• use high-quality oil, better choose OEM, and also good expensive filters;
• change the belt much sooner than the manufacturer tells you to do so;
• make sure you use high-quality diesel fuel - this engine hates bad diesel;
• avoid towing anything that weighs over 7500 pounds;
• avoid aggressive driving - this truck is made for work, not for fun.

Other than that, there is nothing special you need to do. If you experience problems with your diesel engine in the Canyon truck, you should immediately show the vehicle to the dealership or an independent mechanic you can truck.

Ah, yes, and one more thing. You aren't likely to find a lot of mechanics in your area who really understand something about these engines. And this is one more serious problem for owners. Even dealers sometimes fail to repair these engines correctly.

Do you have any experience with the 2.8L Duramax engines in the Canyon? Make sure you write a comment about it below!