2002 Chevrolet Avalanche 2500: loss of power steering

Filed Mar 9, 2017 · Engine · 35,000 miles · PA

2002 chevy avalanche 2500 with 8.1 engine dies without warning at driving speeds. The battery light comes on, after the vehicle shuts down, but no check engine light and no warning whatsoever. The vehicle just shuts down. When this happens there is no power steering and no brakes for this 7000 pound vehicle. Sometimes, once pulled over and shutting everything off and trying to restart it will restart, sometimes taking up to 10 minutes of trying to crank it intermittently before it will restart. It has done this, off and on, at random intervals over the years I have owned it. I have read on the internet others from who have the same problem and most likely solution seems to be the crankshaft position sensor which some say has been recalled on the 2001 model engine for the silverados, but cannot find anything for the same 2002 engine, which is the same engine. This is dangerous and frightening enough at "back road" speeds, but considerably more so at major highway speeds as the vehicle loses all power when the engine shuts down, leaving the driver unable to steer, brake or immediately restart the vehicle leaving it stalled in the middle of the interstate there is no code in the ECM so the dealers have not been able to diagnose it. Does someone have to die before something is done?

Filed Feb 15, 2013 · Brakes, Engine · 105,242 miles · OH

The first time this happened I was going home from work on the freeway. I was going 65 MPH and my engine died I had no power steering and the brake pedal was very hard to push. I was able to put my truck in neutral and restart it. The second time the engine died I was sitting at a red light and it shut off. The third time it happened I was going home from work, just got off the freeway and stopped at the red light. When the light turned green I made a left and was going to the next light to make a right and the engine died. I tried to put the brakes on, but they were very tight and I had no power steering. I had to fight to turn the wheel and just made the turn without hitting the other traffic.

Filed Apr 2, 2011 · Electrical · 100,395 miles · TN

2002 chevy avalanche 2500 with 8.1 engine dies without warning at driving speed. The battery light comes on, after the vehicle shuts down, but no check engine light, no problems with alternator or battery charge. No sputtering or sluggishness, no warning whatsoever. The vehicle just shuts down. When this happens there is no power steering and no brakes for this 7k pound vehicle! Sometimes, once pulled over and shutting everything off and trying to restart it will restart immediately, sometimes it takes up to 10 minutes of trying to crank it intermittently before it will restart. It has done this twice in the last three days and a dozen times at random intervals over the last several months I have read on the internet others from who have the same problem and most likely solution seems to be the crankshaft position sensor which some say has been recalled on the 2001 model engine for the silverados, but cannot find anything for the same 2002 engine. This is dangerous and frightening enough at "neighborhood" speeds, but considerably more so at interstate speeds as the vehicle loses all power when the engine shuts down, leaving the driver unable to steer, brake or immediately restart the vehicle leaving it stalled in the middle of the interstate!

Filed Apr 30, 2010 · Engine · 80,140 miles · ID

Driving 2002 chevy avalanche 2500 8.1 l at various times and speeds and engine cuts out. No power steering or brakes. Pulled over and after a minute the engine will restart. Researched online and found that the problem with many other like vehicles have same problem (crankshaft position sensor). Reported previous year same engine had recall for crankshaft position sensor.

Filed Sep 19, 2008 · Engine · 97,895 miles · MA

02 avalanche 2500, engine just stops running while driving. Speed doesn't make a difference. It just dies and I have no power brakes,no power steering. The has been getting worse and is very dangerous to myself and others in traffic around me. It may take up 5 minutes to restart now. 2 chevy dealers say they can't find any problem codes and I can't afford to pay for unneeded parts for trial and error repair. Please help get this problem dealt with. I know there are other owners of the same model, year of this vehicle have same problem. It has been know about for some time that the 2002 avalanche 2500 8.1 liter engine has this problem. It is also known that replacing the crankshaft position sensor will cure it. This should be a safety recall item by gm before someone gets killed in traffic!!!

Filed Aug 4, 2008 · Engine · 62,000 miles · MN

Early 2002 avalanche 2500 with 8.1 liter engine 62k miles. Noticed very intermittent missing at highway speeds occasionally. Engine died on freeway and immediately restarted . 2nd time engine died and wouldn't restart for a couple of minutes. Very dangerous trying to coast across traffic to a shoulder with no steering or brakes assist. Investigated similar problem on internet and fix for others was crankshaft position sensor.

Filed Jan 11, 2008 · Fuel system · NJ

2002 chevrolet avalanche with engine failure. Consumer states that the engine light on the dashboard would illuminate and then the vehicle would lose power steering and brakes. He also stated shortly after, the engine would revive itself. *kb the consumer was told the 2 fuel pumps on the vehicle were disintegrating and needed to be replaced.

Filed Feb 28, 2007 · Electrical, Engine · 62,000 miles · MI

Engine died while driving 60 MPH on the interstate in snowy conditions on 2 lane portion in heavy traffic. By the time I coasted to a stop with no power steering or power brakes I was on an overpass with nowhere to pull out of traffic, so ended up blocking one lane of traffic for about 2 minutes. Obd ii code reader showed no code errors. Replaced fuel filter. Did not fix problem. After checking the federal safety agency site as well as others on the internet found it might be the ckp (crankshaft position sensor). Took it to dealership where their diagnostic tool verified it was the ckp. Quoted part and labor to be $300 - $500. Saving up money for repair.