What did you do to your NNBS GMT900 Tahoe/Yukon Today?

[CHOO CHOO]

After searching and googling, the low oil light or low oil seems to be common with our models/years vehicles.




I drive about 14 miles a day, stop and go traffic. Usually have to add a qt after about 4k miles.

Mechanic has never found any issues so far, but I will have him check the next go round.

 

[CHOO CHOO]

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2...Vaw0aEPtU_sdQ2snkT8Lr0ANt&cshid=1555280566930

 

[R3cord303]

After searching and googling, the low oil light or low oil seems to be common with our models/years vehicles.


I drive about 14 miles a day, stop and go traffic. Usually have to add a qt after about 4k miles.

Mechanic has never found any issues so far, but I will have him check the next go round.

Is your vehicle part of the valve cover TSB?

 

[HiHoeSilver]

After searching and googling, the low oil light or low oil seems to be common with our models/years vehicles.




I drive about 14 miles a day, stop and go traffic. Usually have to add a qt after about 4k miles.

Mechanic has never found any issues so far, but I will have him check the next go round.

Not riding you by any means here, Phil, but my question stands. You say that you have to add a quart at 4k. How do you know this if you don't check the stick?

Is it just a "the light goes off" thing? To be straight, that's kinda like saying "I don't look at the gas gauge. When the low range light comes on I throw 2 gallons in there and I'm good."

 

[CHOO CHOO]

Not riding you by any means here, Phil, but my question stands. You say that you have to add a quart at 4k. How do you know this if you don't check the stick?

Is it just a "the light goes off" thing? To be straight, that's kinda like saying "I don't look at the gas gauge. When the low range light comes on I throw 2 gallons in there and I'm good."

The engine oil low light comes on and I put in a qt and it goes away.

And when you say the low range gas light comes on and you put two gallons in and it's good. Well, that's exactly it. That's how it works and what the light is for. You get low on gas and you fill your tank. It's a notification.

These vehicles are known for oil consumption, so I'm not sure what you are getting at.

 

[CHOO CHOO]

Is your vehicle part of the valve cover TSB?

I would assume so going by what year the Tahoe is, but never taken it to a dealership to see if it's actually covered. Would a regular mechanic do work on a tsb as well or just dealerships.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

The engine oil low light comes on and I put in a qt and it goes away.

And when you say the low range gas light comes on and you put two gallons in and it's good. Well, that's exactly it. That's how it works and what the light is for. You get low on gas and you fill your tank. It's a notification.

These vehicles are known for oil consumption, so I'm not sure what you are getting at.

I'm getting at the fact that your are more likely around 2 quarts low by the time that light comes on, and maybe you could even just put 1/2 qt in and get the light off. You'd still be driving around with 4.5 vs 6 qts in the engine.
Not necessarily the end of your truck, or even a big deal. Just that there's no way you can know without looking at the stick. That's what it's for.

 

[CHOO CHOO]

I'm getting at the fact that your are more likely around 2 quarts low by the time that light comes on, and maybe you could even just put 1/2 qt in and get the light off. You'd still be driving around with 4.5 vs 6 qts in the engine.
Not necessarily the end of your truck, or even a big deal. Just that there's no way you can know without looking at the stick. That's what it's for.

Fair enough. And in that retrospect, I completely understand. So here is my counter(even it maybe be reckless)

At what point is it going to start causing harm to the engine? I would assume that the alert is there to notify you of a potential/future problem. But if the engine is running at 4.5-5 qts, is that still considered safe? Will it cause harm? If so, why would GM not have the warning light come on sooner?

Either way, I think I will look into the tsb and seeing if blackbear can turn off my afm.

 

[iamdub]

I would assume so going by what year the Tahoe is, but never taken it to a dealership to see if it's actually covered. Would a regular mechanic do work on a tsb as well or just dealerships.

Doesn't matter if it's a TSB. It'll only be covered if it's a recall and even then there may be a time or mileage limitation which I'm sure you'd be well beyond anyway. A TSB is basically just the manufacturer saying "We officially recognize a problem and here's our recommended/approved course of action". Generally, a recall is issued only if it's a matter of safety being compromised.

Also, not to ride you about the oil thing, but just because it's common knowledge that these engines consume oil doesn't mean a low oil level should be shrugged off as if it's a "normal operation" thing. It's also common knowledge that filling your fuel tank with watered-down gasoline will cause engine issues. Would you dismiss it like "Eh, ALL engines run like shit with water in the tank" and keep on filling it with the watery gasoline? It's a design flaw and the word being so widespread means it's an issue that needs special attention. Simply monitoring the oil level is the first step. Going by the low oil light isn't a safe way of monitoring.

On the other hand, there's probably just enough oil in the sump that the pickup is still submerged at lower RPM. So, your short and leisurely drives are probably why you haven't had any issues with running it low on oil. Now, if you were in a situation where you had the engine at high RPM for a little while (quickly accelerating to merge or pass, etc.), then the sump might be sucked dry and you could possibly damage or destroy something.

 

[Rocket Man]

So you wouldn't buy a vehicle from me because I follow basic oil changing guidelines? That sounds kinda silly. 3-5k change your oil and filter. Unless you know something different, seems kinda silly. Because I am not a guru or enthusiast, you assume I'm a bad vehicle owner? I follow almost all basic guidelines and what the manual says to do.

And if you are buying a used vehicle, unless you get a certified dealership vehicle or someone who can prove with receipts what has been done and serviced you are taking a risk.

I'm not perfect and or that knowledgeable with vehicles tbh, but I follow the basic guidelines of the manual and what I know needs done. Have I made mistakes or missed something, of course. But everyone does. Hell, I am in love with your crewcab, but it still has issues. So does that make you a bad owner? Of course not.

Just because I don't check a dipstick doesn't mean i'm a bad owner. Come on man.....

Because you wait until the low oil light comes on to add oil. That’s causing damage whether you want to admit it or not. That’s only there as a last resort before you do serious damage. You’re probably running 2 quarts or more low on oil at that point. Oil maintenance is the single most important item to pay attention to, it’s the lifeblood of your engine. And remember, it’s you who started this by saying “who checks their oil with a dipstick anyway?” It’s common sense engine maintenance. And I don’t see why you would bring a totally custom bagged vehicle like my CC into this fray. I am meticulous on maintenance on all my vehicles, especially engine oil. I even check the levels and change the fluids in my transmissions, differentials and transfer cases. Dipsticks are there for a reason. The day they quit putting them in is the day they they aren’t needed, because engines won’t use oil for lubrication by then. So I don’t care if you disagree, nor if you check your oil but I won’t buy a vehicle from somebody who I know doesn’t because if you’re running it so low on oil for the light to come on, you’re most likely damaging your engine. These LS-based engines will run for 400-500,000 miles or more if they’re maintained right. But not if they’re run low on oil.