GMC Yukon and Yukon Denali Problems

fljoslin · December 2005

We have a 2006 With a strange odor when the sunroof is open only or any window is cracked 1/2 or less. Almost seems like an exhuast odor or ?? carbon monoxide something odd. Service guys say it must be other cars in traffic, they can't find any leaks. Sound similar or anyone else having this problem???
I find it difficult to believe that an exhaust odor is coming in from the sunroof. Do you get this odor when parked in a garage with the engine running. Do you smell it under the hood?

psdenali · December 2005

Bought new and now have a 20,000 mile denali with a semisatisfactory history. At new- had the front transfer/rear diff fluid checked- was low. Dealer stated they ship them that way.. Alighment off- aligned at prof alighment shop- not dealer. (apparently, dealer prep wasn't done even though paid for). Stabilitrac lite came on intermit- faulty steering wheel sensor. ( replaced but damaged the column cover- replaced finally). Intermediate shaft yoke clunk- replaced OK. Rain leaks on steering wheel when raining thru sunroof. Cause- left SR drain line plugged/kinked. Decided to leave it alone since dealers create more problems that fix especially with headliner R&R. Have had poor A/C cooling in summer(100+ degrees) dealer added aux elec fan, but in stop and go traffic won't cool down below 85 degrees at best. NO FIX for this (so much for professional grade) Headlights flicker/pulsate when on at night when taking turns on winding road- NO FIX (dealer aware of problem though). Muffler replaced for popping, Have a rear buzzing in rear compartment- Cause- Rear aspirator sensor bad (headliner round plastic grill that looks like a microphone) for A/C temp control- On order. (there is one in front above your head too). But the most annoying current problem is a CONSTANT WHINE THAT IS RPM RELATED. WHETHER IN NEUTRAL OR IN GEAR MOVING. Power steering pump replaced noise returned immediately the next day???? I have a feeling this is a bad tranny pump??? any fixes for this from any other member? The service dept mechanics at my local GMC/CAD dealer are a joke!!! You get a half-a..d repair that you have to return time and time again never being fixed right dirty,greasy, not clipped closed or found damaged and my service writer wants a perfect cust survey given him, and has complained to me when I've challenged a unsatisfactory repair as in NOT FIXED a repeated problem "A car is never as perfect as it is when it leaves the factory new".- that it really is true. Appreciate feedback on the rpm whine problem..thanx! Hope my post helps someone out their as this forum has helped me.

psdenali · December 2005

Did you ever get the rpm whining resolved? covered by warranty? Your buzzing was probably the rear aspirator in the headliner- I've had the same problem. Appreciate your feedback. thanx!

stcroixlife · December 2005

I have the same problem. Any suggestions? Thanks

hummin · December 2005

I have had similar problems. Maybe my solutions will help you. Adding axle and transfer case fluids stopped the whine, but never had whine in neutral however. Had same problem with A/C. After many attempts to fix A/C problem with no change, I accidently fixed it while doing regular maintenance. Clean the mass air flow sensor in your intake tube and also make sure filter is not clogged. A/C works perfect even at idle now. My major problem that hasn't been solved is Service Brake and ABS Brake idiot lights come on from time to time. Have been over system several times, no error codes, and everything works great. May have to replace sensors? Annoying. Hope this helps you.

03jagnali · December 2005

I have an 03 denali i am having the front differential noise between 55-65 mph how did your repairs turn out and did warranty cover the repairs you mentioned

03jagnali · December 2005

have you had any repairs made or major failures yet also does the above mentioned service bulletin correct any problems or complaints

itchy1 · January 2006

My 03' Denali went 34,500 miles without a single warranty claim. It's been the best GM car I've owned. Nonetheless, it has recently developed the sporadic "traction active" problem. Not only does the message pop up, but the engine management system jumps in and cutsoff the throttle for about three seconds. Luckily the problem was repeated several times by the dealer. They replaced the computer. Unfortunately, it is continuing to occur. I'm taking it back in next week. Does anyone have any guesses??

hiten · January 2006

for some reason my rear heater does not seem to work. Doesn't matter how long i keep it running it will still blow cold air. I even moved the temp. to max and fan to high..nothing. Had it running for 30 min and still cold air.
Anybody came across this issue?

hiten · January 2006

I have 2004 Denali and got the same issue.

b5545 · January 2006

Anyone have problems with the speedometer acting funny?
I have an 2003 Denali and now the speedometer starts at 50 mph and won't go below that. Also the check stabilizer light keeps coming on and off and the dealer says they can't find anything wrong.

psdenali · January 2006

Denali with 21,000mi back in to dealer (4th complaint) for 2nd power-steering pump replacement. The whine is heard in pass cabin at low rev's in idle and thru gears up to 30-40mph. IT IS THE PUMP. There is a bulletin GM#03-06-01-011 on repositioning the pump pulley outboard 1.0mm to align S-belt correctly. As far as drivetrain noise... Tranfer/diff cases were both low when the vehicle was new. Had them checked at 3000mi and a pint of fluid added to each. Dealer stated they are shipped low from factory. Your dealer prep fee should cover this when buying a car. (but we all know of the good lip service dealerships give..)say its done and down the road you have drivetrain noises a failure and they get you for big ticket replacement costs. My alignment was never done when new either. Went to alignment shop paid and bypassed the dealer to get it done right. GM/Ford wonder why they are on the brink of bankruptcy...HMMMM? They know why......Cutting Quality and Service for increased profits = stockholder GREEEEED!!!!!!

freezerdude · January 2006

Just had tires rotated, now the air ride is stuck in the inflated position. Rides like a battle wagon, any ideas what may be wrong?

galoggers · January 2006

Greetings from Ga!
I had this same problem so I took it in to the service dept. where I bought the car from. The service manager first tried to tell me that the the rear heat and A/C would not be the exact temp in the rear as in the front. I proceeded to tell him that if my children had to dress like eskimos just to ride in the back thae they could have the car back! So he finally got his little temp. gauge out and went to check it out. He told me that it needed a new actuator and that they would grease the assembly that opened and closed the vents. I hope this will be of some help to you.

03denali03 · January 2006

Hey can you tell me when it was idling rough did your MPG
go down any & did your engine light come on? Mine is idle low & sounds like it will stall but never does. I keep getting a code of Lean Banks. Thanks Bryan

hiten · January 2006

GA,
thank you for the reply. How much did they charge you to get this fixed? i am already over warranty.
Thanks again!
Hiten

spank · January 2006

My 2004 SLT went to the shop today for the same reason. The speedometer cluster has to be replaced to the tune of $385.00. I guess it is a very common problem which GM isn't addressing.

rvbgiants · January 2006

Just got the vehicle back from local Transmission shop. As soon as I told him that I had a GMC yukon he knew right away what the problem was. He installed a 4L60-E trans shift kit and it fixed the problem. I am not at all knowledgeable about tranny's but he said that the main problem is that the converter clutch valve is made out of aluminum and the housing it rides in is steel. Over time the valve wears and does not hold in the lock up position which is why I heard the clunking. The shift kit puts a steel one in it's place. Truck is running better then ever now.

tylcor · January 2006

check your owners manual for service times,should be 50k on trans service,your front and rear diffs should have synthic oil since its allwheel drive and dont need service unless they leak,,the ride control light could be anything,bad shock,bad computer,broken wire etc

galoggers · January 2006

My work was covered under warranty, sorry I don't know the price.

jaysone1 · January 2006

When I make a long left turn (half a circle), like an off-ramp from the freeway, my head lamps from my 03 Denali 'flickers'. It seems to me that there are electrical wires shorting or about to short. Is anyone experiencing this issue?

nflight · January 2006

I had the same situation on my '03. The junction block on the left side of the dash panel was loose. It took the dealer a couple of tries but they finally got it. Have your dealer check that junction block.

lesj · January 2006

Hello, All
I am new Denali Xl owner, my front passenger headlight went out. I checked under the hood to replace, and I dont know if this is a DIY or should I take it to the dealer. It looks like I have to remove the whole headlight assembly.
I hope not. (TIA) Thanks in Advance for any help you guys can provide.

jaysone1 · January 2006

nflight - I'll give it a shot and let you know how it went (next week). Thank you for your response.

tdoh · January 2006

Notwithstanding the possibility mentioned in post #378, supposedly there are issues with the stability ride control that might be causing the headlight flickering. How the ride control would affect the headlights--your guess is as good as mine, but someone suggested that it might be a grounding issue common to both components (ride control and headlights). That, and the fact that the flickering--when it does occur--is typically observed during sweeping turns would seem to lead some credence to the issue possibly being ride-control related.

tdoh · January 2006

Assuming that you just need to replace a burnt bulb--it is an easy DIY. Removal of the assembly is straight-forward--rotate and lift up/out the two L-shaped support rods holding the housing (one on each side of the headlight housing) in place, then just simply pull the housing forward/away from the opening.

hepps · January 2006

I have a 2003 Denali and took it to the dealer for a 50k mile checkup. They flushed the tranny. Now, the tranny is slipping in 3rd and 4th when not at full pressure. When at full pressure, it's fine.

Dealer tells me its either a full tranny replacement or seals ranging from $1200 to $2600 for repair. This is an 2003 with 58k miles.

With as many problems with the trannies on these vehicles, is anyone having any luck getting $$ from their dealers or GM???

Thanks in advance.

mellery · January 2006

Yes, I just brought my 03 in today the speedometer works when it wants. They told me that the cluster needed to be replaced.$575.00 maybe I should go to your dealer. How about those flickering headlights do you have that problem? When I asked the dealer about that they said they never heard about it. OK!! There must be 1000 postings on this site about the headlights. Why is GM going down the tubes?????

gmcowens3 · February 2006

I have a 2002 Yukon Denali XL and recently had to replace the Battery. After the replacement, the Heater in the front does not function. (Defrost etc.) The heater for the rear seats DOES work, so I'm assuming it has something to do with the Computerized climate control in the dash. I checked some fuses and all appeared good.

Any ideas?

Thanks

jboji · February 2006

I have a '02 Denali with 52,000 miles and I took it to my local dealer to get an oil change and they told me that the oil cooler lines were leaking. Has this happened to any other owners? BTY they wanted to charge me $500 to replace it, so I bought the part form the parts dept for $100 and will have someone else replace it.

obyone · February 2006

have never heard of oil cooler lines leaking on the Denali or any other GM suv.

tommy00 · February 2006

Hi all. I have a 99 yukon denali and love it:) but anyway... The brake lights and flashers dont work. my 3rd brake light on the roof works but the others dont. my turn signals and parking lights work fine. All the fuses and bulbs are good, and I put a new flasher in. Please help!

rubberman · February 2006

tommy00, I can not answer your question but I know someone in the same situation with a Grand Prix. The dealer told him he needed to replace the turn signal switch and it would be $450. I will be interested to see what kind of comments come from your question since I'm a little skeptical about the switch being the problem. Aside from that, $450???

pietrzak · February 2006

My ashtray door stays oped on the console, what in the proper way to remove the unit to try and repair, how does it come apart out of the console, how do you remove the trim piece, 2003 Denali

ssbmg · February 2006

I didn't notice the MPG going down with the rough idle. The engine would sometimes die when I was making turns and also at idle. It's coming back after another 40k miles since cleaning so I'm going to replace my air intake system. I've been using a K&N air filter ever since the car was new - I suspect that it is getting more and more porous and getting the throttle body dirty faster. I'm going to clean out the throttle again and then replace the current intake with an AEM cold air (bought at tirerack.com for $243). They claim +16 hp and also that their filter restricts more particles than anything else on the market. Hopefully this will solve my dirty air problem.

rod1313 · March 2006

I have an 02 Denali and have been having problems when the the engine is idling or at low rpms, < 500. It actually will drop to around 300 rpms when idling and their is a noticeable voltage drop on the gauge and the lights dim slightly. A couple of times it has died while I was turning into parking place during this low idle. I had the alternator checked and it checked out ok. I also replaced the battery and still have the problem. Has anyone had this problem and/or been able to nail down the problem?

ljackso1 · March 2006

Brake Clunking

I have and 2003 Yukon Denali XL and when I press on the brakes and vehicle starts to slow, I hear a clunk. It does not always happen but I especially notice it when stopping at slow speeds. It does not clunk immediately after I push on the brakes but more as the vehicle nears a stop.

I dont think it is ball joints or the abs system, anyone else have this issue are any thoughts on the matter?

Regards

caterman79 · March 2006

I have an 02 Denali, got it two months ago, went to drive it this morning and the ignition key will not turn at all.
After calling a couple of people and taking their advice, to turn the wheel and try turning the ket at the same time might work, still no go. The steering wheel is not locked,(problem), any sugestions.....????

tom_ssei · March 2006

I have an 01 with a very similar problem. I've replaced the alternator and today replaced the belt tensioner - but the problem still exists. Have you had better fortune with yours and what was the problem?

Tom Bastian

mking · March 2006

neutral saftey switch?

tom_ssei · March 2006

Having a very similar problem with my 01. Have you learned anything on how or what to repair - please share the knowledge!

Tom">

bgarv · March 2006

Same thing 2004 Tahoe. Dealer has replaced the muffler, Right front differential, checked a/c lines to the back of truck and door panels etc. The next thing is the Torque Converter Clutch. My condition is very repeatable. Only in 5th (overdrive), at 40-45mph, light acceleration, and up small incline. Once I get to this point I lightly press and let off the gas and it will make it over and over again. If it shift back to drive will not make the noise. Many road test have made me an expert. I think they are on the right track with the TCC. Check out the following post. My symptoms to a tee. http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/tsb/data/pi1014a.pdf
I will not in a week or 2 when the part comes in and is installed I will keep you posted.

ssbmg · March 2006

Read msg #282 on this post. I had the same problem and it returns every 30K miles or so. I really don't know what causes the problem but I do know that cleaning out the throttle body takes care of it - at least temporarily.

stldenali04 · March 2006

I have had this same problem w/ my 04 XL Denali except my finish was bubbling. My dealer re-coated the surface. No problems since with this, but loads of other problems which were covered by warranty. Transmission just went out yesterday with 43k miles on the car. So glad I spent close to 50k on this car!!!

stldenali04 · March 2006

same problem on my 04 DL Denali. Dealer replaced while under warranty. After talking to GM today regarding transmission failure at 43k miles, rep stated that the speedometer problem was a recall item. Never rec'd anything from GM regarding this.

tdoh · March 2006

What speedometer problem did you encounter? I have a speedo problem on my '04 DXL--speedo would start reading way slower than actual...and if I drop my speed down to say, actual 30-35 mph (I can tell 'cuz I can go into diagnostic mode on the factory nav and see the speed that the VSS is reading), the speedo needle will visibly drop below zero mph! Obviously I can't get this problem to repeat on cue, but it has happened on at least two completely separate occasions.

rod1313 · March 2006

I did the throttle body clean out, which was relatively simple and it has not hesitated or had a low idle in two days. I was pretty liberal with the about amount of carburetor cleaner I used and I also used a rag to get as much of the built up out as I could. Since then the RPMs have not idled below 600 and it hasn't hesitated any. Message #400 refers to #282 which gave me the idea, thanks "ssbmg". I also changed out the air filter as a preventative measure.

jimwrey · March 2006

The good news is the the low reading will stop.
The bad news is it will start to always read zero or just bounce around a little.

If it is like our '04 DXL it will just stop working.

We were told "It has happened to almost every DXL we have seen ..." cost estimated at about $400 and TEN DAYS to fix. remove, send off fix and replace.

Anyone have any informatin on if this is a recall or not?

Thanks,

Jim

mydenalixl04 · March 2006

i had just put some new 22inch rims on my 04 XL denali. after leaving the shop i notice tire pressure came on dashborad. how can i correct this problem.

tdoh · March 2006

I take it the $400 cost is what you'll have to shell out in order to get it fixed? If so, then if you're one of those folks who don't mind upgrading to "snazzier"-looking stuff--you might consider ordering an Escalade Platinum Gauge cluster; much nicer looking than the Denali cluster, plus it won't cost you the arm and leg that GM is charging you to repair or replace your messed-up one.

GMC Yukon and Yukon Denali Problems

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