‘07 Denali XL, should I invest?

[Onlyone]

Looks to be in pretty good shape. It will clean up well. Take some pics when you get it cleaned.

 

[RyanXL]

Welcome to the forum from Colorado!

Thank you. I'm hoping to learn a lot here.

 

[RyanXL]

I don't think we have enough information to make that call for you and what I would want to know to answer it would likely feel intrusive for me to ask, such as financial situation, how much you paid, etc. But here's how I would think about it if I were in your shoes.

You can buy a dry country '07 with 200K in good mechanical condition for less than $10K if you're willing to go to someplace like Arizona, Nevada or New Mexico and drive it home. Probably closer to $8500. So there's that. I paid $10K for my 2007 with 196K on it at the time, almost 4 years ago now. No rust whatsoever and it's still pristine underneath.

Rust on the body tells me that you will soon have other costs to deal with, like brake lines, a rusted fuel pump mounting plate that leaks fumes, rear air shocks and compressor, etc etc. You will likely have to do a bunch of other things to get it into shape if they haven't been done, such as coolant tees at the firewall, transmission torque converter to prevent transmission failure if it hasn't already been done, front diff mounting brackets, motor mounts, etc etc, ad nauseam. If you do all of this work yourself, you're probably looking at $3-5K in parts alone spread over a few years to get it taken care of, but then you will still have rust coming back.

Net/net, I personally wouldn't be willing to invest my time and money in a vehicle that is already showing significant signs of cancer. But if I literally had no other option and it's all I had with no money to buy something different, I would slowly grind through all of the repairs on a schedule over the next few years, setting aside a budget of $1-2K in parts per year until I was finished. It can absolutely be done, but there are better paths to getting to a reliable, clean '07 in my opinion.

Thank you for your feedback. I will keep an eye out for the items you mentioned.

 

[RyanXL]

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

Thank you. I'm going to look into the items you suggested, mostly the evap canister.

 

[pwol1962]

Thank you. I'm going to look into the items you suggested, mostly the evap canister.

I would recommend installing new heater hoses and the plastic fittings at the firewall. Those can be a frequent failure on higher mileage vehicles. Our 07 Tahoe with 145K miles burst the hose at the firewall just as we were returning home, spewing coolant. If this would have happened in Dallas traffic it would require a tow. I was able to purchase both GM hoses and fittings from Rock Auto for about $100.

 

[petethepug]

Good call on the heater hoses. We got lucky on our 09 Escalade when the hose broke at the firewall, it was at the parking lot at work. To get it going that day the only supplier was the dealer. All local parts houses were out.

Both hoses, clamps, all the little bits, coolant and labor was &410.!’ That was from an Indi shop. Definitely order these hoses ahead of time from R/A or similar to save a boat load as well as having them in hand in case the burst 6pm Fri on a 3/4 day holiday weekend.

Oh, one more thing you’ve only got a min or two when these go. When the coolant is gone, the dash lights up from overheating. Your choice is drive to get to safely or turn off your motor and lose power steering and brakes. The later is like having no steering or brakes.

 

[RyanXL]

Okay Everyone.

I'd like to thank everyone for their suggestions and advice so far. I took it all in and with my own thoughts I have decided to put the work in and hold on to the Yukon. I'm going to see how well it goes and try and enjoy the comfortable seating and the 6.2.

From here the questions or issues I may have I will try to put in their correct forums. I think the truck is worth breathing some more life into and hopefully learning a bunch along the way.

Thanks so much and I'll see you all in the forums!

 

[Geotrash]

Okay Everyone.

I'd like to thank everyone for their suggestions and advice so far. I took it all in and with my own thoughts I have decided to put the work in and hold on to the Yukon. I'm going to see how well it goes and try and enjoy the comfortable seating and the 6.2.

From here the questions or issues I may have I will try to put in their correct forums. I think the truck is worth breathing some more life into and hopefully learning a bunch along the way.

Thanks so much and I'll see you all in the forums!

A great decision! And I’m sure you will find plenty of us are ready to help you as you go.

 

[steiny93]

some advice on a high mileage vehicle
don't proactively replace parts, wait for them to fail or be worn beyond use then replace

proactively changing parts in a high mileage vehicle is never ending

maintain the safety items; but don't go much further, never-ending cost awaits

 

[t_bergman]

some advice on a high mileage vehicle
don't proactively replace parts, wait for them to fail or be worn beyond use then replace

proactively changing parts in a high mileage vehicle is never ending

maintain the safety items; but don't go much further, never-ending cost awaits

Many parts on these vehicles will last well into the 300ks as well.

Rubber and other items which you don't have physical documentation for I would start replacing however you never know what condition hoses and belts are in when the truck has been in the desert.