Restoring/Upgrading 2011 Tahoe PPV

[CobraKing]

@techbiker Was the #8 spark plug simply not accessible with your tools? There are a few videos on Youtube with suggestions on how to tackle it. I need to replace the sparks on my truck and you have me worried about #8 now.

 

[techbiker]

@techbiker Was the #8 spark plug simply not accessible with your tools? There are a few videos on Youtube with suggestions on how to tackle it. I need to replace the sparks on my truck and you have me worried about #8 now.

Corrosion on my metal plug grounding lead covers (not sure about their correct name) made removal very difficult. I had to put a tremendous amount of force on the other wire leads to remove them. I could not get enough leverage on the 8th spark plug though. I debated pulling by the wire or using a plumber's wrench on the lead, however I didn't want to risk breaking the wire off.

If you can remove the old wire, installation should be pretty easy.

 

[CobraKing]

@techbiker Thanks for explaining. I'll be sure to make note of that when I do my work.

 

[techbiker]

Recently I replaced tires, got a recall filled, worked on the spotlight, and finally fixed the cracked windshield. Tonight I installed my DIC and new trim. I'm happy with the DIC functionality, however I am disappointed with the quality of the DIC trim.

The sections of my new plastic trim piece were apparently not lined up perfectly before getting welded together. The end result is the DIC portion is slightly higher than the rest of the trim. It's just off 1/8", however the difference is enough to be fairly obvious when installed. I guess I should just be happy the trim arrived in one piece and that the DIC works.

Going to fix the rear doors next!

 

[CobraKing]

@techbiker I agree that the trim piece is severely overpriced for the quality. The 'metallic brush' trim on mine has some type of peeling at the ends. If the truck didn't already have some other imperfections I would've sent it back.

 

[techbiker]

@techbiker I agree that the trim piece is severely overpriced for the quality. The 'metallic brush' trim on mine has some type of peeling at the ends. If the truck didn't already have some other imperfections I would've sent it back.

Same here. The first DIC trim I received was broken in the mail.

I don't mean to offend anyone, however the quality of interior materials is much better on my 1993 300zx. I don't need suede trim in my Tahoe, however GM could have spent a few cents more per plastic piece and improved durability substantially...

 

[CobraKing]

Same here. The first DIC trim I received was broken in the mail.

I don't mean to offend anyone, however the quality of interior materials is much better on my 1993 300zx. I don't need suede trim in my Tahoe, however GM could have spent a few cents more per plastic piece and improved durability substantially...

Another head scratcher is the black steering wheel inserts that 'peel' just by looking at it. How much money did they save by not including the 'metallic brush' parts right from the get go?

 

[techbiker]

Another head scratcher is the black steering wheel inserts that 'peel' just by looking at it. How much money did they save by not including the 'metallic brush' parts right from the get go?

Probably $.75 for the steering wheel? I doubt the dark, cheap wheel even helps with covert operations.

I don't understand why GM cheaps out on interiors so much when their drivetrains and chassis are generally competitive. GM was very late to the VVT game but at least AFM was fairly innovative.

 

[CobraKing]

It's possible our trucks were designed and manufactured by the 'old GM' hence the weak interiors. The interiors on the new trucks are really nice, even on the '15 PPVs.

Thankfully these parts aren't terribly expensive to source so it's more of an annoyance at our ends.

 

[2011SSVHOE]

It's possible our trucks were designed and manufactured by the 'old GM' hence the weak interiors. The interiors on the new trucks are really nice, even on the '15 PPVs.

The stock tanked and the US Govt bailed them out. But I can almost guarantee that it's the same bunch of engineers, unless they all retired. I would blame the cheapness on the accountants ( Hey Fred you gotta make it 10 cent s cheaper per unit, you know that money adds up!) That's where the poor quality comes from.
Just my 2 cents once again.