So after owning my Yukon for one year, it was time to renew my registration and get an annual motor vehicle inspection.
I surprisingly failed for the following reasons:
- HID Aftermarket Low Beam Bulbs
- Right Turn Signal Activates Hazard Lights
- Excessive Play in the Front End
Apparently HID lights that are not OEM have been illegal in Massachusetts for the past three years. So I had to go get a pair of incandescent bulbs and "install them for a re-inspection". The HID lights were in the Yukon when I bought it last year. The dealer I purchased it from handled the registration and inspection, so the inspection station either missed the lights, or looked the other way for the dealer.
I replaced the turn signal flasher relay under the dash with a GM replacement module that is an updated/upgraded unit since this seemed to be a common failure point in '03-'06 models. It seems to have solved the problem.
I tracked the excessive play to a set of worn Pitman and Idler Arms. While I was in there I also replaced the Idler Bracket since it was out and one less tapered joint I had to break, and it didn't look like any of them had ever been greased. After installing them I cleaned out all the grease points on the front end, and greased all the joints until the boots puffed back up. After that I took it for an alignment where they corrected the toe. Overall the job went well, but my arms and neck are going to be sore for a few days after wrestling the old ones out.
If anyone is interested these are the parts I ordered from Amazon. They all worked well, had great fitment, and seemed better quality than the parts I removed.
I also took the opportunity to buy a nice cordless magnetic swivel LED work light. I don't know why I waited so long to get one. I can't imagine doing the steering work without it.
