3rd generation has nothing to do with 3rd injection event I don't think...

 

I thought it was body style. Mine does not have the 3rd injection event. The Forum says 3rd gen 03-07 (just wondering.....I don't know for sure.......just wondering).

 

3rd generation started in 03.....with the new body style and common rail injection. 03 and early 04 have 2 injection events and generally get better fuel mileage. Starting in 04.5 they made some more changes to the CR engine........different injectors, 3 injection events, different turbos, I think different heads...and they became 50 state legal with no more HO or SO models. The 04.5 on up makes more power and adds power easier with boxes/modules/programmers but generally get a little less mileage stock for stock than the 03-early 04s.

04.5.....was 325hp/600 tq at the flywheel.

05.....they called it 325/610.........due to marketing only trying to beat the 605 duramax........but made no actual changes to the engine through 07.

They are all good. There is not a "better" one. It's all personal preference.

..

 

Thanks.....that's about what I thought, but I was not certain.

 

03-04 is my chose

 

The guys I know/knew with 03s all had a lot less warranty claims then what followed.I had a couple of TSBS done and that's it.My doors fit is great,no seals needed up dating.I have green lines marked at body and assembly points and found a number of OKS marked here and there.I think new model and assembly line scrutiny was tougher.Plus NO emissions or 3rd injection event.The guys I know that had 03s were disappointed in the 05s up that they bought compared to the 03s they had.One friend has had 03 , two 05s(new and used) a 06 (05s and 06 had drivetrain vibration issues and a early 6.7 he hated.Says the 03 was by far the best and wished he had kept it past the 155k mark he sold it at.His 06 and 07.5 he hated and got rid of each of them with less then 50k on them and bought a used 05 that was low mileage but has had issues.I'd love to find a low mileage 03 2500 quad 2wd auto for a daily driver to replace my 1998 1500.

 

Your 1 friend has had 5 trucks in 6 years?
My 06 has never been back to the dealer for anything, no vibrations etc

 

Yep.he puts a lot of miles on one.His 03 had 155k by late 04.He pulls a Exiss four horse slant with 8 foot living qtrs with a slide.The four horse part has been turned into a lab.He travels Ga.Tenn.Kentucky and once in a while some others freezing stallion semen and other related horse breeding operations.Counter space,fridge,sink,microscope,some semen tanks etc.plus stopped his hotel bills and such.He's kind of odd in that if he has to many issues,warranty or not he's done with it and he'll get another asap.His 06 started with a vibration that got addressed several times in the first 3k and then he lived with it.Somewhat convinced it was normal after a while.Then he traded it at about 75k due to some sort of business write off and said he really just never liked that truck. The 07.5 was really smooth as was his first 05 and 03 etc.The 07.5 was OK for a real quick 18k.Then check engine light.DPF replaced,next day it stalled with his trailer hooked.Had to be towed.Another DPF and a converter.Stalled again within a week.Had to be towed.Then a turbo/egr.Few days later a very loud screaming noise from the turbo or? plus a check engine light.Couple days later he traded it on another 05 with 25k or so on it.It flipped 100k month or so back and would not start without either and has shift shuttle from 1st to 2nd.Right before that he got a strange vibration that was a seized u/joint.Any way his 03 never needed squat but the power steering hose TSB.First 100k all it got was oil and filters serviced.Tires went 100k.His second truck a 05 was close to the same deal with both front and back pinion seal leaking and that was about it in 150k.The others he has NOT been happy with.Says the 03 he liked the best in driving,fuel mileage and NO issues at all.All trucks he keeps bone stock and does maintenance by schedule A !

 

I thought the headlights are the same on 07 and 06's.

 

They're basically the same, the 06's have that big ugly reflective yellow strip along the bottom though, looks chincy...