Correct Model Year?
I have taken over the use and maintenance of a very good conditioned farm truck when my father passed. I remember him calling it an 2005 year but the door jam sticker shows the manufacture date as 08/04. My question is the truck an 2004 or 2005 model? My mother hasn't located the title for us to check it. The truck is a GMC Sierra K2500HD crew cab long bed with the 6.0 motor. Thanks for any help in determining the correct year for this truck.
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For my '04 it is 4, yours is probably going to be 5. Online vin decoders should give you reliable results, as that will be basic, commonly known info (vs using them to determine what options/configuration the vehicle is based on the vin, which I've found to be quite unreliable and/or generic).
I'll check it tomorrow. I'm just wanting the correct year incase I have to order parts for it. Right now, it's running great. Thanks!
Take a pic of the RPO code sticker in the glove box, and keep it with you, and perhaps also decode the list and keep that with you as well, when you buy/order parts. Those codes indicate what options the truck was built with, and some parts you may need will vary based on what options it has. For example, brakes and transmission cooler lines are two things that will vary based on those rpo codes.
The full-service manual will have the meanings for most of the rpo codes (some are internal gm codes), but online rpo code lists are pretty good.
If you plan on keeping the truck and working on it yourself for some time, then I would suggest either getting a subscription to the full-service manual at a site like alldatadiy.com or Do it Yourself Automobile Repair Manuals - Mitchell 1 DIY (or paper version on amazon/ebay) and a knockoff tech ii or knockoff mdi obd-usb adapter and tech2win (you need a win laptop with this), they can get codes from all the systems on the truck, and perform all the diagnostic and programming tasks the full-service manual uses.
The full-service manual will have the meanings for most of the rpo codes (some are internal gm codes), but online rpo code lists are pretty good.
If you plan on keeping the truck and working on it yourself for some time, then I would suggest either getting a subscription to the full-service manual at a site like alldatadiy.com or Do it Yourself Automobile Repair Manuals - Mitchell 1 DIY (or paper version on amazon/ebay) and a knockoff tech ii or knockoff mdi obd-usb adapter and tech2win (you need a win laptop with this), they can get codes from all the systems on the truck, and perform all the diagnostic and programming tasks the full-service manual uses.
The parts are the same between both years just FYI
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The under hood emission sticker will also say what model year it is
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I think the door sticker will also say something about 2005 model year even if the build date is earlier. But the emissions sticker definitely will, but GM was stupid and put the emissions sticker on the air filter housing which can be easily changed or in my case removed.
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door sticker is just production date which can be misleading as different manufacturers change model years on different models at different times so always go by the VIN or emission sticker. Some imports will be titled and registered the year they were imported NOT the year manufactured
Like you stated, the 10th digit is a 5 so it's a 2005 year. I have taken pictures of the rpo codes in my vehicles but haven't gotten around to my parents vehicles yet. Thanks for the information.
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