Want to take my 2010 Yukon XL Denali with 180,000 miles for a family trip from Michigan To Florida - Can you help me make this a success!

[iamdub]

The only thing I would add to @iamdub 's excellent comments is to wear latex gloves when you do the oil change and keep plenty of rags handy. You don't want that used oil soaking into your skin. It's full of nasties, including a few known carcinogens.

Nah, fo real, gloves are a great idea. To expand on that, I would recommend the 9 mil Nitrile gloves from Harbor Freight. They're really tough.

 

[iamdub]

Wow! Thank you for all of this! I'm going to give it a go in the morning.

As far as the radio is concerned, I tried to dig into it a little more so I could describe it better.

There is no issue when just playing the radio - it's only the aux port.

When I put the cable into the front aux port but not in my phone yet, there is a constant ticking that starts. The sound doesn't change at all when I'm moving it around in the port. When I plug in my phone, then it gets much quieter - almost to the point where I don't hear any noise. When I start driving, the sound increases with a higher pitched sound that corresponds with the transmission shifting.

I'm going to pull the radio tomorrow as well to see if I can find anything.

Yeah, it really sounds like the issue is internal to the HU. Still, check the harness to make sure nothing is loose or cut. Tug-test the wires in the connectors.

 

[bobby2175]

Being that it only does it with the aux port (or is it also with the radio and/or CD player?) leads me to believe it's a fault within the HU. Could be as simple as a loose solder joint on that circuit. Simple, but not easy as you'd have to open up the HU and, even then, know how to trace and test electronic circuits. With the aux cable plugged in, does the sound change if you press on the plug end to move it in any direction or twist it in the jack or even slightly pull it in or push it out?




I've done so many that the tips and tricks are all automatic so I don't think of 'em. A few general tips that first come to mind:

Remove the oil fill cap and rest it on the spout to still keep it covered, but not sealed. I don't know how much difference it makes, but, my thoughts are that it lets air in so the oil drains out better.

Flatten out a cardboard box to put under the drain pan, favoring the right (passenger) side to protect the concrete until you're a pro.

I think one of the biggest issues is removing the old filter. So many shops overtighten them. There are numerous tricks with YouTube vids on removing them. Some involve attaining a better grip and leverage on the filter and some involve crushing and/or stabbing it with tools to have a handle. Obviously, you would try the non-piercing methods first to avoid the mess. Once you have it loose and begin to spin it off, oil will quickly begin to flow down the body. Some people hammer a nail through the bottom center of the filter to let it drain before they remove it. If you try this, have a really sharp nail and be in a position to hit it hard with a hammer. If not, you'll just cave in the center of the filter before you poke through. Once I crack mine loose and drain it, I grab it with my hand and forearm in two or three plastic grocery bags, each inside the other. These act like a loose glove while I twist it off. I hold it through the plastic bags and slide them up to capture the filter in the bags and tie it off. The filter and any oil is contained on the inside.

I start by pre-filling the filter. I flip it over inside the box to hold it upright, fill it and let it soak in while I remove the old filter, drain the old oil, remove the wheels (I rotate tires every oil change), etc. and come back to it to top it off and repeat as necessary. Between top-offs, I close the box lid to keep dust in the air from contaminating the oil since I dust off my brakes while I have the wheels off. I fill the filter until the oil floods the top and covers the smaller holes surrounding the large center hole, but remains inside the gasket. Then I use a small blunt punch to press the seal all around through those small holes to let the oil drain into there to soak the filter media from the outside in. When I'm done, the filter is completely saturated and full up to the bottom of the threads. I'm not on a time schedule, so why not take the time? Right before installing, I dip the pad of my finger in the oil in the filter and smear a light coat onto the gasket.

After you remove the old filter, oil will drip from those holes for a long time. My drain pan is big enough to catch that oil plus the oil draining out of the engine. If yours isn't, just drain and replace the filter first then drain the engine or vice versa.

Position the drain pan farther to the right than you might think it needs, but keep the edge of the pan still directly under the drain cuz it does drip there. When the oil first comes out, it's gonna reach about 12" from the drain hole, depending on how high you have the front raised. As it drains, it'll lose pressure and gradually reduce its distance. Slide the drain pan to follow it. I let mine drain and drip while I do all the other stuff.

After you crack the plug loose, keep inward pressure on it the entire time as you unscrew it. This will minimize the oil spraying all over your hand while you're backing out the plug. You want it backed out to the point you feel the starting point of the threads click against each other as you turn it counterclockwise with the inward pressure. At that point, the only thing holding the plug in place is you pushing inward on it, so you can yank your hand to quickly snap the plug out and away from the oil pan and the following stream of oil. I reach over the sway bar to grab and remove the plug so my hand is already above and to the side of the drain hole. The way this part gets messy is by someone not keeping inward pressure or it still has half a thread or so of engagement. So, when they try to quickly remove the plug, it snags and oil is spraying all around as they frantically try to grab the plug again to turn it that one last half turn or so. Then they drop it in the drain pan and their hands sling oil everywhere.

I keep a case of the Super Tech brake parts cleaner on hand at all times. It's cheap and works great for quickly cleaning the spilled oil off the oil filter boss, oil pan and sway bar. Wear safety goggles, keep your mouth shut and be mindful of where and what you're spraying to avoid splashback.




There should be actual instructions on this. Something like "turn until gasket makes contact then another half or full turn". I just go by feel. I use K&N filters which have a 1" nut welded to the bottom so I turn it with that instead of trying to grip the side of the filter.




I've always used 6 quarts. I have about 5.5 in the jug after filling the filter. 6 always puts it right on the line.

When putting the drain plug back in, is there a specific torque spec? I saw 18 ft-lbs in another thread. Sound right?

 

[iamdub]

When putting the drain plug back in, is there a specific torque spec? I saw 18 ft-lbs in another thread. Sound right?

Yes. 18 ft-lbs is the factory spec.

 

[petethepug]

Whoa, I’ll have to pull my spare and see what’s going on. It looks like they hit a 15” high curb in that last shot.

The age of the tire is really important. It’s not protected in the trunk like a passenger car. The fact that the tire may be 15 years old, bent rim strike and rust getting into the rims bead seat potentially corrupting the seal is a great excuse to source same size a pull off spare from a newer model GM truck.

The surface rust on the hoist is typical. You can spray it with WD-40 or similar a few times and then wipe it off. The permanent cure is coating it with waterproof marine grease after the install. You’ll have to keep a rag in the rear storage compartment marked “marine grease” plus a pair of good gloves, magnetic base led flashlight with an articulating neck stowed for down the road would be good. I carry a 99¢ bag made to put the dirty spare in and orange hand wipes too. If you’ve got a light colored interior, dirty tires don’t mix.

Nice work paying it forward.

 

[bobby2175]

Whoa, I’ll have to pull my spare and see what’s going on. It looks like they hit a 15” high curb in that last shot.

The age of the tire is really important. It’s not protected in the trunk like a passenger car. The fact that the tire may be 15 years old, bent rim strike and rust getting into the rims bead seat potentially corrupting the seal is a great excuse to source same size a pull off spare from a newer model GM truck.

The surface rust on the hoist is typical. You can spray it with WD-40 or similar a few times and then wipe it off. The permanent cure is coating it with waterproof marine grease after the install. You’ll have to keep a rag in the rear storage compartment marked “marine grease” plus a pair of good gloves, magnetic base led flashlight with an articulating neck stowed for down the road would be good. I carry a 99¢ bag made to put the dirty spare in and orange hand wipes too. If you’ve got a light colored interior, dirty tires don’t mix.

Nice work paying it forward.

It's really interesting. It sure looks like the wheel got hit, but when I was inspecting it after I took it off, it actually did not look like there was any impact and it was manufactured this way...which I would not have expected.

I'm actually having it sand blasted and powder coated now and going to pop a tire on it and see if it is able to hold pressure. Will report back after I get it together - maybe around Thanksgiving.

I'm actually thinking about just replacing the spare hoist - I had some trouble getting the tire down. I probably should have removed it and had that sandblasted and powder coated as well.

I'm definitely going to replace the tire.

 

[Doubeleive]

Huh. My GMT800 doesn't have an underhood light yet has the hood ground.

hit your local junkyard, you will need the light/mounting clip and harness, the place to mount it is still there on the hood

OEM TAHOE 2000 UNDER THE HOOD LIGHT UNDER HOOD LAMP FITS MANY MODEL NEW | eBay

Model: Tahoe. Year: 2000. TESTED OEM Part is in good visual and working condition. Part May have light marks or scratches - wear of use. The item in the pictures is the exact/original item you will receive!

www.ebay.com

 

[Doubeleive]

Interesting. I know they reduced lighting in the GMT900 (underhood, reflectors in the doors, etc.). Maybe they started weaning us off of them halfway through the GMT800 production years.

lol, indeed they did
my 00 had everything I think except a glove box light

 

[Doubeleive]

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Nah, fo real, gloves are a great idea. To expand on that, I would recommend the 9 mil Nitrile gloves from Harbor Freight. They're really tough.

gloves don't really work for me unless i change them a lot because my hands sweat too much, some regular breathable gloves seem to work ok

 

[bobby2175]

I take my transmissions to a local lube shop that does a proper fluid exchange (not a flush, per se). Valvoline lube shops do it this way also. It's less hassle, cleaner, and I know it's a complete replacement with fresh fluid. Never had a problem in years of doing this with probably 10 different cars and trucks. It's worth doing it, in my opinion.

On the engine mounts, yes and no. They're a solid mount vs the fluid-filled original mounts, so they last forever but they also transmit slightly more engine vibration to the frame. I have the Hummer mounts on my 2012 with the more aggressive cam and I can feel it at idle whereas I couldn't before I changed the mounts. It's not annoying to me but it is noticeable. My wife can tell the difference so she prefers to drive our '07, which is all stock and smooth like butter.

So, I had my wife hit the gas with the brakes on and the engine hardly moved. Is it even possible that that mount hasn't failed yet? I'm pretty easy on the truck - mostly highway driving and no towing. But with everything I've read about them, it just seems not possible that it's still good.

Is this a pedal to the floor type of thing to make sure I can fully evaluate it? She was saying she went halfway down on the gas.