‘07 Denali XL, should I invest?

[RyanXL]

Personally I would walk away from it. Rust, repairs, leaks, misfire, brakes, etc. You are looking at a money pit that will keep begging for more. Take the 5 to 10K you might have to invest to keep er movin and throw that at a cleaner, lower mileage unit from somewhere down south or out west.

I was a mechanic for too many years in the midwest and I know that rust is a cancer you can't cure or get away from......it affects the whole vehicle in different ways. I've been buying from Southern and western states for 11 years now and have zero regrets. You can still get the same thing you have, just in usable condition that warrants a small investment here and there to keep it going.

 

[RyanXL]

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it. I live up North so not a lot of minimal rust older vehicles to choose from so a friend of mine and I can drive can take care of the rust. I figured brakes and some other things are normal repairs when purchasing a used vehicle. But, I see what you are saying about the potential other issues.

 

[RyanXL]

Well, you bought it. It's a platform that you can either discard for an unknown quantity or make regular repairs to this one regardless of cost.

At that age the transmission and transfer case may have already been replaced. The engine may soon need new valve springs and the heads rebuilt.

Yes. I did buy. I was just thinking whether based on the pics in an above reply and how much I paid for it, would you consider continuing to work on it, making it safer?

 

[swathdiver]

Yes. I did buy. I was just thinking whether based on the pics in an above reply and how much I paid for it, would you consider continuing to work on it, making it safer?

I'm of mind to keep fixing it up since rust repairs do not bother you.

Your truck does not have a AFM, or 4 cylinder mode.

 

[RyanXL]

You don't say what year, engine (probably 6.2l), or the mileage. FWIW, this is my 2nd Tahoe which I tend to own for a very long time, and they will last if you put in the time and effort to keep them in good shape. They are comfortable cruisers, can tow, haul, and just out right be a livable truck if you understand what it is you have. Will it get you a lotta miles per gallon to drive, hell no, but are nice on a road trip..

Tell us more about the vehicle details and pics!

It’s a 2007 Yukon Denali XL. 6.2L. Mileage is around 280k. I’ll put some of the pics from above in this reply.

 

[RyanXL]

I'm of mind to keep fixing it up since rust repairs do not bother you.

Your truck does not have a AFM, or 4 cylinder mode.

No it doesn’t have AFM which was a seller for me. Same for the fuel pump driver module.

 

[Kledford79]

I just bought an 07 Yukon XL Denali, 260k miles. Beautiful, been well cared for, 1 owner. New tires. It has Low oil pressure, noisy lifter sometimes, leaks oil badly. I paid 2k. No rust what so ever, I'm gonna fix it, possibly replace the 6.2 this spring, I plan to keep this one forever.

 

[Geotrash]

It’s a 2007 Yukon Denali XL. 6.2L. Mileage is around 280k. I’ll put some of the pics from above in this reply.

Looks like there’s still a lot of life left in it. Congrats on the purchase and stick around - lots of good folks here to help you get through the repairs and upgrades.

One thing I do recommend is running premium fuel in it. Lots of 6.2s out there would still be on the road if their owners had stayed with premium. Check out the YouTube channel called I do Cars sometime for lots of examples of 6.2s with cracked pistons and worse from cheap gas.

 

[m1dn]

Bought similar one in September as something id like to learn on while doing majority of repairs myself, have a 2nd car being brand new to make sure I’m never stranded.

However the 6.2, comfort and size of XL Denali is so superb to even new cars that i just can’t stop driving it as my daily and even my wife started saying we should take Yukon whenever we go for longer trips lol.
( My 2nd car is Kia Telluride )

I also quickly learned that parts are not too expensive on it and there are plenty of used engines and parts around.
Working on that truck/engine is pure satisfaction, everything is fairly accessible and doable ( looking at you, blue badge.. )

It might end up being money pit, but you might end up loving it and won’t mind throwing money at it lol.

 

[petethepug]

Nice job on that truck for $2.2k. The injectors should have been replaced at 100k as general maint. That will smooth the idle. I’ve heard good feedback on Duralast Gold and the price is right. You’ve got one of the longest lasting platforms and motor that is not strained to power it.

Invest in a Tech2 or similar to have full access to many pleasant conversations with your truck. Add in a 09 OnStar module to give you factory BT controlled through the steering wheel. It’ll be the best $50-$75 factory upgrade you can get.

We sold our 08 YXL Denali for $12.5k almost 3 Yr ago w/ 130k. They’re sought after and reliable. Consider changing out the carbon filled Evap canister ($95) ASAP as they leak carbon pellets into the lines and pump creating a completely avoidable $1.5k repair to go through, clean and replace items.

Enjoy the ride