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GMC Yukon, Yukon Denali, XL Electrical Problems

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Comments

  • nhuskerfannhuskerfan Member Posts: 1
    I noticed last night while driving that my headlights would get brighter and the voltage meter would increase above 15 volts. The lights would dim and the volt meter would drop back to 14 volts. Also, the microphone located in the headliner has started to make a "feedback" noise. What could be causing this. I just replaced the battery twice. The first was an AC Delco from the dealer and the new one is an Interstate.
  • 5sus5sus Member Posts: 1
    I have read many posts on similar issues, here is mine. We purchased this 2010 Yukon used in March 2011 with about 18K miles. This summer the battery went dead while the back was open while loading the vehicle after a camping trip. I have since shut off the dome lights when loading/unloading to eliminate the issue. Twice this past month, it was dark so I left the engine running and had the lights on. The first time it worked and I was able to start the vehicle in the morning. This past weekend, it was dead and had to be jumped for a while to start the engine. There are no chargers plugged in to create a drain. There is no issue when I am not loading/unloading. I had the battery checked today and it is fine. However, the drain test (high beams, high heater fan, 2000 rpm) showed an issue. The voltage meter showed the volts from unloaded to loaded was fine. Can the battery cables be easily changed or does it require a professional?
  • mommashawnamommashawna Member Posts: 1
    Out of the blue, the driver seat in the Denali quit moving forward and backwards, but everything else is working. With all the other issues I have read on this forum with the heated seats, could this have caused the problem? I can't find anything that is disconnected or anything of that nature. The car is very clean and nothing is in the way. Only thing different is running the heated seats because it has been really cold...HELP??? :cry:
  • zyvxn1zyvxn1 Member Posts: 3
    I thought I'd follow up on my previous posts --

    The issue of the radio staying on in my truck has been identified. You can actually pull the key out before it is turned all the way off. I was told to make sure I've turned it all the way before removing the key. There are some parts that can be replaced to eliminate this issue, but if I simply turn the key farther, it is supposed to be okay. ($300+ to fix versus turning key farther).

    On the electrical issues with seat warmer and its lights going on and off -- I had the unit in the seat replaced (yes, over $800). It's been a couple weeks and it looks like the problem is coming back, so that might have been a poorly spent $800.....
  • oldllamaoldllama Member Posts: 4
    Hi, The best thing to check in my opinion is the big plug for the seat located under the seat and best to reach it from the back.
    it has a common problem with one or more wires getting hot and and losing connection. Most common is the big black wire that is likely ground for more than one thing. Unplug the harness and check each wire to make sure it is seated tightly in the plug. If you can get the seat to move all the way forward and up it makes it real easy to get to.
    This is where you should start. I know how frusterating these things can be.
    Hope this is helpful.
  • wailer286wailer286 Member Posts: 1
    my truck cut off when i try to start then after a few minutes the power comes back on this has been going on for 2 weeks on and off now i can't lock or unlock using the keyless entry when i try the remote start it works and sometimes it doesn't CAN SOMEONE HELP
  • cogmcownercogmcowner Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2014

    2011 Yukon Denali XL. Battery goes dead after door is open for a short period of time or a dome light is on for a short period of time. Had battery, alternator and starter tested - all fine.

    Was loyal Toyota guy but needed a bigger vehicle and no model from Toyota fits the bill. Starting to regret going with GMC ...

    Would a new battery with higher cold cranking amps help? Seems way too fast for a battery to get drained.

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    Can't imagine a mere door or dome light drawing that much amperage out of a battery. You should test the battery drain with everything off and shut down. It really shouldn't read more than 50-100 milliamps, although some techs say up to 400 milliamps is tolerable. If you don't have a large amp drain at "rest", then I would suspect your battery, yes. I don't think any battery that is more than factory spec is required unless you are running extra equipment.

  • pcolajewlpcolajewl Member Posts: 1
    edited January 2014

    Hello....I am new to the forum. I own a 2004 Yukon Denali....well im paying on it. I am going through allot of electrical issues. All of the dash light are completely out. It would only flicker at first but has progressively gottn worse. The battery went from dying after a full day to now if I dont crank it every 4to6 hours I will be guaranteed to need a jump. I have had battery, starter and alternator all checked and all are good. I still bought a new battery praying that was the issue. After having the new battery a week all the issues came right back. I am a working mother of 4 kids from age 10-18 I work overnights which is rough enough but now add the fact that I havent sleept more than 4 hours at one time in over a month because of fear of my truck not starting when I awake. I dont have allot of money....I was in an accident which totalled my last car and i only have my gmc. I luv the truck but not its problems, trading it in is not an option because id be upside down and my credit bites. I have had all my fuses checked.....I cant afford going to an electrician and anytime I try taking my truck anywhere the car guys allways try to get over on me. I feel so defeated right now and im trying to not let my kids feel or see what im going through....I dont know what to do or where to go to get this fixed. If anyone has any advice, do tell. I reside in Pensacola Florida. :(

  • touchbk721touchbk721 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Denali xl. The electrical system in this vehicle needs to be recalled from the factory. I have had problems since I hit 40,000 miles. I now have 98,000 miles and I have taken it to the dealer at least 6 times. I had, or so they said, I had to replace the computer to the tune of $1,000.
    My speedometer, radio, locks, mirrors work, then they don't work. When my speedometer does work, I'f I stop quick, or go into passing gear, the speedometer goes wacky and stops working. The radio will change stations, or turn off. Why is there not a RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAME PROBLEM. EACH DEALER FEEDS ME [non-permissible content removed], TELLING ME THEY DON'T KNOW WHY IT DOES IT, OR TELLME THEY HAVE TO SEE IT DO IT WHILE THEY HAVE IT. [non-permissible content removed] GM.. YOU NEED TO STAND BEHIND WHAT YOU SELL. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES AND IT IS 11 YEARS OLD. I HAVE HAD MORE PROBLEMS WITH THIS, the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased, THAN ALL OTHER VEHICLE'S COMBINED.
    GMC!!! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO????
  • cogmcownercogmcowner Member Posts: 2

    Brought my 2011 Yukon Denali into the dealer after having to jump start it twice this month (one time needed to call a garage to get it jumped).

    Their advice? Purchase a new battery from them (over $50 more than high quality batter from Autozone). I have had the battery, starter and alternator tested at another shop - all tested fine.

    I asked the dealer about a "battery drain test" and they said they really couldn't do anything without a new battery.

    Just wanted to update as I can see A LOT of people have the same issue.

    Off to buy a new battery ...

    @MrShift@Edmunds said:
    Can't imagine a mere door or dome light drawing that much amperage out of a battery. You should test the battery drain with everything off and shut down. It really shouldn't read more than 50-100 milliamps, although some techs say up to 400 milliamps is tolerable. If you don't have a large amp drain at "rest", then I would suspect your battery, yes. I don't think any battery that is more than factory spec is required unless you are running extra equipment.

  • denali10019denali10019 Member Posts: 1

    Have a 2009 Denali XL with many of the same issues identified here EXCEPT doors locking and unlocking and the rear window thing. Been fighting the gremlins for almost 3 years. Originally I though I had it narrowed down to a broken battery post in the battery when I seemed to be able to wiggle the posts and got everything to work. New battery seemed to fix everything for about 6 months then things started "happening" again. Cruise drops, Navi/radio goes out, dash goes out, occasionally won't crank, etc. Then I was finally able to MAKE the cabin power issues happen pretty consistently by stressing the electrical system by running 2 window motors up against the stop points at the same time. Also had fluttering head lights which sure acted like a bad ground. Removed, cleaned and reinstalled every ground we could find with dielectric grease. Again it seemed to be the "fix" for about 6 months. Recently gremlins have returned. I have not been able to tie together temp, rain, usage,turn signals, rough roads, or any other factors to failure. I have seen fluctuations in voltage from 14.2 down to 13.5 (approx) but never low enough to indicate alternator "dropping out" but just to be sure it was not due to occasional alternator failure I unhoooked alternator charge wire to put max stress on battery....no failure, all systems ok. I am in the marine business and am very familiar with trying to locate this type of issue but this one has me baffled. Fortunately we do not have all of the electronics a modern vehicle of this type has. One thing I did not do was check the resistance in the ground wires so I am replacing those as well as the BCM. I plan to make sure the dealer gives me back the old BCM and wires as I will take a close look at the circuit board and check resistance in the wires. I just don't have the time to pull it, check things, put it back in and possible get nowhere. Love my Denali but the gremlins have been tiresome. Parts are ordered and I will try to post results when completed and tested for a couple weeks. BTW - my dealer did get me a significant "policy" price reduction since I had multiple logged complaints and service requests on this issue. Dealer has been great on this and a couple other issues with the vehicle.

  • flkeysffflkeysff Member Posts: 1

    Hello, I have some of the same problems many people hear have had and I have some new ones. I have owned my 2007 GMC Yukon XL for about 3 years and over that time I too have had the battery die after a few minutes of having the rear hatch open. I have replaced the battery with one from the local Napa autoparts and that has at least for now allowed me to keep my hatch open for more that 30 minutes and still start the truck. I have had the rear defroster tab just fall off the window, I took that back to the dealer for a repair and they told me after three attempts to fix it they could not make it stick. So I now have no rear defroster! They just tucked the wire into the roof and told me if I really wanted it fixed to break the window and have my insurance replace it. My power door locks do work but I have found them working on there own without pressing any buttons on the key fob. They just start locking and unlocking by themselves. They will eventually stop after about a minute or so. I have put on a turn signal to make a turn and had the turn signal stop working and then all of a sudden start up again. And then just the other night at 4am my alarm started sounding for no reason, As I got out to the car it stopped. I looked around and started to head back in the house and it started up again. And just today I stopped at the gas station and went to push in on the fuel door and it did not pop out so I had to pry the door open to allow me to gain access to the fuel tank ( the button that pushes the door out is stuck in and I can not get it out) and then after that I get home open the rear hatch to take some items out the the car and as the hatch closes the button falls out of the door to open the rear hatch glass. I also forgot to mention that my dash has cracked over by the passenger airbag. This is almost as big of a complaint as the electrical problems.
    Now I have heard of things breaking over time and can accept most problems but this is totally unacceptable that a vehicle less that 10 yrs old be falling apart like this. Where is the GM quality we used to have? I cannot believe that with all of these issues so many of us are having with this vehicle that a class action has not been brought up. GM needs to recall so many things that are manufacture defects and still they do nothing.

  • d3kd3k Member Posts: 3
    edited June 2014

    I would love to know if the cause of these problems has been found....

    We have a 2007 Yukon Denali XL with the following:

    At low speeds - the car goes into neutral or starting from a stop jumps into a high gear and won't shift. We've had the transmission valve replaced last year for a different issue as there was a stuck solenoid, and this time it's been determined it is NOT the transmission but an electrical issue.

    • The computer was replaced 3 years ago for a completely different reason (unnecessarily)
    • Electrical mirrors move on their own
    • Parking assist works intermittantly on/off
    • Doors will suddenly lock when you exit the vehicle. At one point I got out of the driver's side door with my purse and keys on the seat to get my 3 small children out of the car and the door locked as soon as I shut my door. So all 3 kids were locked in the car in their carseats. It continues to lock on it's own randomly even when the keys are hanging on the hook in the house.
    • Remote start quit working (it's set to on in the controls)
    • Cruise control will somtimes turn on/off or suddenly stop working
    • Display / controls randomly black out (very infrequent issue)
    • Stabiltrak sometimes turns on with error messages

    Prior issues repaired:

    • Rear door suddenly closing (while under it - it actually trapped our dog trying to jump out and pinned his neck) and nearly broke my arm.
    • AC/Heater issues - blowing hot/cold on the wrong settings

    In addition to the electrical issues we have very high oil consumption like others have mentioned and had to recently replace the battery because even a dome light on after a few minutes would cause the battery to die. We also have an issue with defective wheels which are apparently causing our tires to constantly lose air.

    Any fixes?? Our local dealership says they've never heard of these being a problem but from the forum it appears this is a well known issue. Thanks!

  • sickofitallsickofitall Member Posts: 1

    I have a 2011 GMC Yukon Denali. About two months ago I started noticing that the car was acting abnormally. The biggest thing was that when I parked the vehicle and turned off the ignition, all power was cut to the vehicle. Normally, when you turn the key off in a GMC vehicle, the navigation system and radio stay on until the door is opened. At that point the overhead lights turn on. In this case, turning the key off killed all vehicle power. No lights, stereo, even the locks wouldn't work. After a while I was able to determine that, by jiggling the negative battery cable, I was able to get power back to the vehicle, indicated by the overhead lights coming on.

    Here's the real kicker. I took it to the local GMC dealer here in Bossier City, LA, and they were unable to isolate the problem. I actually took it in three or four times. No joy. They never could find a problem. I talked the problem over with one of the men who worked there, and he seemed to believe it was something known as a gang ground, that was located under the dashboard. Another significant problem I had with this vehicle after buying it was a huge crack on the driver's side of the dashboard, which the warranty company refused to fix (despite being addressed specifically in the terms of the warranty). This lead me to believe that there may be a connection between the cracked dash and the gang grounds underneath it.

    Anyway, I changed out the negative battery cable. The first change I noticed was that the batter gauge was reading consistently in the vertical position. Prior to changing it out the gauge would fluctuate between the 10 o'clock position and the two o'clock position.

  • plcigarplcigar Member Posts: 1


    I think the problem may be solved! My 2008 denali started to have the same issues...instrument panel would go dead for a second, radio would die or go black for a few seconds, my remote start would not work, it would die completely for hours on end. Made 3 or 4 trips to dealership over the span of @8 weeks..1st remedy was to repair an electrical wire that was rubbing up against the transmission and to get a new battery...needed one anyway. Worked fine for a week, same problems persisted...2nd remedy was to replace the negative battery cable because it had a short in it. Worked fine for a bit then the same issues began again within a few weeks..but this time it lost power while driving, still ran but no acceleration and locked up when I hit the brakes, the locks went up and down very fast over and over. After a few minutes I pulled back out into traffic, drove home and got the dealership to start me a tow, on their dime.
    This time I spoke with the tech who advised that the positive battery cable was bad also. He explained that there are two cables running through there and they create a short. This can really only be detected when the car is dead, which mine was this time. The dealership replaced the positive cable for free and was very apologetic that this was the third or fourth time in for the same issue.

    SO LONG STORY SHORT....replace BOTH battery cables and check whatever runs near the transmission as that may be chaffed. It has worked flawlessly so far.
  • regancreganc Member Posts: 2
    Very Similar Electrical Issues
    We have a 2012 Yukon Denali with ~ 40K miles. Occasionally, the vehicle's electric power system just cuts out. Normally this occurs after the vehicle is turned off, but has occurred at speed.

    When the issue occurs when parked, all of the electric power is off: No dome light, no display, no door lock/unlock, no radio, and no starting. It is most noticeable when turning the vehicle off, at that point, the radio and convenience lights are all off. After some period of time (with no intervention), everything works normally.

    When driving, the most obvious indication is that the Radio/DVD/Navigation system restarts. Occasionally the electric power steps will extend and retract (one side at a time). In one occurrence, the vehicle lost engine power for a moment.

    It is currently at the dealership, but they have not been able to reproduce the issue.

    Questions:
    1. With the number of write-ups of these symptoms, is there GM / GMC guidance on this issue?
    2. Does anyone have suggestions on how to help reproduce the issue?
    3. Without the ability to reproduce, is there any proactive service (replace negative battery cable, positive battery cables, battery, BCM, ...) to perform to mitigate the risk of electrical failure.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    We're sorry to hear about these issues with your Yukon Denali, reganc. Please keep us posted on your dealership visit. If you'd like for us to follow up with your dealership for further information please let us know. With all inquiries please send your VIN, full contact information and dealership name.

    Amber N.
    GM Customer Care
  • iliveinvegasiliveinvegas Member Posts: 2
    Headed to the dealership this morning. Purchased a 2011 lease return in August. Electrical seems to be the issue, have had it at the dealership at least 4 times. Bought the warranty since it was a CPO vehicle, thankfully. Radio screen goes blank, GMC logo appears, looks like the system is rebooting itself. Have had a message that says engine is hot, AC turned off, e ven though the AC was not on, the temp gauge was flat at 160 when the vehicle normally running temp is 210. This weekend while driving the car went thru the motions. Dash lit up like a Christmas tree, radio had blue screen of death then GMC Logo, this time power to drive train seemed to go away and since I was in traffic this has me concerned for mine and my families safety. If this car is a computer car, why is there no memory of these incidents somewhere. I keep getting told, that it doesn's show anything wrong when I take it in. Because of this weekends incident they say they need to replace the negative battery cable since its WAY to hot to the touch. Will up date when I get back this afternoon.
  • boobietrapp07boobietrapp07 Member Posts: 2
    edited December 2014
    wailer286 said:

    my truck cut off when i try to start then after a few minutes the power comes back on this has been going on for 2 weeks on and off now i can't lock or unlock using the keyless entry when i try the remote start it works and sometimes it doesn't CAN SOMEONE HELP

    I am dealing with the same issue with my 2008 Yukon Denali XL. I have been to three different GMC dealership and because the problem doesn't happen while I am at the dealership they are telling me everything is fine. EVERYTHING ISN'T FINE BECAUSE THE POWER KEEPS GOING OUT IN MY VEHICLE! The power has also gone out while I have been driving. I pulled to the side of the road and wait a few minutes and the issue goes away. I have installed a new Optima battery and I still get the electrical issue. Also from time to time the rear door does not open.

    If you get an successful fix please email it to me at [Email removed]. I like my vehicle, when it is running.
  • boobietrapp07boobietrapp07 Member Posts: 2
    edited December 2014

    Headed to the dealership this morning. Purchased a 2011 lease return in August. Electrical seems to be the issue, have had it at the dealership at least 4 times. Bought the warranty since it was a CPO vehicle, thankfully. Radio screen goes blank, GMC logo appears, looks like the system is rebooting itself. Have had a message that says engine is hot, AC turned off, even though the AC was not on, the temp gauge was flat at 160 when the vehicle normally running temp is 210. This weekend while driving the car went thru the motions. Dash lit up like a Christmas tree, radio had blue screen of death then GMC Logo, this time power to drive train seemed to go away and since I was in traffic this has me concerned for mine and my families safety. If this car is a computer car, why is there no memory of these incidents somewhere. I keep getting told, that it doesn's show anything wrong when I take it in. Because of this weekends incident they say they need to replace the negative battery cable since its WAY to hot to the touch. Will up date when I get back this afternoon.

    Again, I am dealing with the same issue with my 2008 Yukon Denali XL. I have been to three different GMC dealership and because the problem doesn't happen while I am at the dealership they are telling me everything is fine. EVERYTHING ISN'T FINE BECAUSE THE POWER KEEPS GOING OUT IN MY VEHICLE! The power has also gone out while I have been driving. I pulled to the side of the road and wait a few minutes and the issue goes away. I have installed a new Optima battery and I still get the electrical issue. Also from time to time the rear door does not open. I have experienced all the systems you expressed. I have a friend who has a 2010 Tahoe and he tole me he is experiencing the same problem. He told me that he also has not been able to get the dealership to find or fix the problem. I believe the electrical issues is warranted a recall that GM is not addressing to avoid having to do all the fixes. I am starting to miss my 2003 Sequoia that my current Denali was bought to replace.

    I commented on another post asking them to please email me at [Email removed] if they get a successful fix. If the dealership solves the problem for you could you do the same. I like my vehicle, when it is running.
  • iliveinvegasiliveinvegas Member Posts: 2

    "Will up date when I get back this afternoon."

    They replaced the negative/ground battery cable as was expected, to my surprise when I picked it up they had also replaced the ECM because of an "internal" problem. Guess we will see how it goes.

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well whenever multiple faults/lights appear randomly, one always has to suspect an ECM problem or its wiring harness.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hi boobietrapp07,

    I'm so sorry that your local dealerships have been unable to diagnose these electrical concerns. When was the last time that you experienced this? We're happy to discuss this in greater detail. Please send us your info via email to socialmedia@gm.com.

    Kind regards,

    Jonathan A.
    GM Customer Care
  • kyledkyled Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    Just purchased an 08 Yukon Denali XL, picked it up last week,drove fine, until this morning, wife calls me freaking out, door locks started to go up and down, radio/nav would shut off and turn back on intermittently, and worst of all, there was no ability to accelerate, luckily she was only down the street, and the car was able to idle back home safely. Called the dealer to have them come tow the car back and get it fixed, but this is definitely not a good way to start. This vehicle was certified preowned, not sure how these things are not caught, but very disappointing overall. I do hope it can be fixed, as after reading all of these posts, it seems there may be a solution but not definitive.
  • wsewellwsewell Member Posts: 1
    My husband and I recently purchased a used 2008 GMC Yukon Xl Denali AWD, We started having the flash problems, where dash lights and radio would flicker. So we replaced the battery cables which fixed that problem. However now the car thinks the hood is open and sprays windshield wiper fluid. Any ideas on a cause
  • olbillolbill Member Posts: 1
    2007 Yukon XL Denali - left turn signal on, brakes applied, after 2 or so seconds blinker flashes rapidly. Right turn signal appears normal. Dealer wants $1000 to POSSIBLY fix. Help! Thanks in advance, Olbill.
  • gmdoorlocksgmdoorlocks Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2008 Yukon XL Denali and have had 3 auto door locks replaced, I have 32000 miles on it and it is parked in an A/C-Heated garage when not in use. Now they want 450.00 to fix another door lock. The heated seat stayed on and burned my back. I couldn't turn it off and they want me to pay for half of the repair. I was parked the other day and started it, put it in reverse and waited for the back up camera to show up, let my foot off of the brake and it went forward into a concrete parking post. Lucky it was there as there was a lady and little girl between my truck and the wall. Of course the post made a dent and cracked the paint on the crummy plastic bumper, but when I put it back into drive and then reverse, it went back the second time. At the corner I signaled left and the wipers went on, this could happen with all of the stuff they have to jam into that control however when I checked it the wiper switch was off. I could only get the wipers off by turning the switch on and then I could signal. Think there are problems there? Of course GM won't think so. They still think the auto door locks are good!!!
  • flynt001flynt001 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 Denali XL. I drove it today to the auto parts store and replaced the battery. Now there is no power leaving the battery to the truck. All I did was swap out batteries. Any ideas as to what might have happened?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    maybe you blew a fusible link? Does your truck have a "main fuse"?
  • corvetteguy3corvetteguy3 Member Posts: 1
    The battery on our 2002 GMC Yukon Denali is being drained by something electrical causing me to jump the battery after sitting overnight. I also had a service ride control indicator (took the car to a mechanic - who changed it out) . Fixed that indicator bur the car still drains the battery overnight. Does anyone know of anyway that I could use a meter to identify the short. The only thing that I can think of to find the problem is to remove a fuse for each system until I identify the problem.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That is the basic method but first you need to get a volt/ohm meter to hook up to the battery so that you know a) the amount of drain in amps or milliamps and b) when you've pulled the correct fuse.

    A draw of any more than say 50 milliamps is unacceptable.

    To be really thorough about it, you should, prior to testing, have your battery load-tested and your charging system checked. Any battery over 5 years old is suspect and if your volt/ohm meter doesn't show much of a current draw, you know the problem is not a drain but perhaps a weak battery, weak alternator, or your driving habits (that is, short trips in cold weather, things like that).

  • gmax34ggmax34g Member Posts: 1
    HELP 2013 Yukon XL. Got a Tire Pressure Monitor light then remote start, heated seat, and key fob all quit working. It's not under warranty. Had a mechanic check and no power is going to any of these features. Anyone have similar issues and how was it fixed?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    So your mechanic didn't proceed with the diagnosis after that?
  • amarillojillamarillojill Member Posts: 1
    We purchased a 2011 GMC Yukon. Everything was fine for a couple weeks and Christine started acting up. I was in the church parking lot when the locks start going up and down, the lights on the dashboard start coming on and the car starts accelerating on its own and cutting out. The radio shut off and the heater reset. The gauges went up and down. It was scary! We spent $88 diagnostic fee to be told that the Yukon is in great shape! Nothing is wrong with it. I truly think he didn't believe me. We went to another mechanic and specifically asked to have the negative battery cable replaced because when the car goes completely dead (oh yeah, that happens too!) if you move the negative cable, it will start back up. This mechanic told us the battery was good, the cables were good and the alternator was good. He cleaned the cable and tightened things up and we were good for about 3 weeks. Christine is back and yes, I am back to popping the hood and wiggling the negative battery cable-so frustrating! I'm so sick of people saying nothing is wrong with my possessed vehicle. 
  • jay1955jay1955 Member Posts: 1
    I am getting strange symbols on the dic when the vehicle is off and when running the gauges aren't accurate  any ideas 
  • pamhankspamhanks Member Posts: 1
    I have had my 2008 Yukon Denali for about 5 months and was thrilled I finally got to get my dream car !!! Well this is becoming a night mare !!!!!! And it keeps having problems til this last Friday I was driving and it was like the engine was trying to go into another higher gear but stayed at speed I was going, the check engine light was on so I went straight home and was crazy the oil was 2 qts low ,put in oil started truck and backing down driveway the check engine light went off and all was great I drove the truck all week end no problems my son had a doctor appointment Monday morning all was fine driving there as we pulled out of the parking ramp the door locks started going up and down as were driving ALL the dash gauges are going bonkers !!!! THE CHECK ENGINE light was back on along with the traction control and it was reading check engine , check traction control and check stabilink I continued to drive to the gas station andI check the oil as before and it was reading bone dry !!!!! So I got oil and added 2 quarts rechecked and was fine but all the check engine light traction control etc still on I sat for a bit and decided to try to drive to next gas station towards home well it acted up the whole way there and I decided I was going to park it and call for a ride until my husband could go check it and before I did something way worse to my truck !!!! By this time my son is crying he has gotten so scared by the locks just going up and down rit was like the truck was possed !!!! By the time my mom got there to get us about 20 minutes I'd say I turned truck to the alt and everything was off and I started truck was running perfect again !!!!!!! So my mom said would follow me home the truck drove perfect all the way til about 1/2 block from my house and the locks started again the engine was acting weird the gauges were all going crazy again !!!!!!! But it was safe at home !! We had bought a towing and extra coverage on my truck when we got it I was not sure what it covered exactly so I called to find out and we did have coverage to have it towed in to have it checked I'd say it was a good 3 hours before the flatbed tow truck got here my husband went out to back out to street and low and behold the truck was fine again BUT by he time he got to the end of the driveway The locks started going crazy, the gauges going crazy the check engine light etc. well when it got to Mauer GMC repair garage it was still doing it they couldn't start checking and working on it til noonish the next day which was Tuesday and it was still being crazy and they started their 30 some point check and went for 2 plus hours and were only half way and had gotten NOTHING NO CODES and needed to ok for possibly up to another 2 hours at $70.00 per hour !!! So I was in already $140.00 we'll by the time they started again they only got about another hour in and STILL NOTHING !!!!!! They were going to continue on Wednesday morning when the came back in the morning well Wednesday morning they got in Truck to pull into their garage and LOW AND BEHOLD IT WAS RUNNING PERFECT AGAIN !!!! they took it out and drove it about 30 plus miles and still Perfect !!! So they called and wanted to keep it another nite to see if it was going happen again on Thursday and they drove it again another 30 plus miles and still running PERFECT !!!!! So I asked him if this was your wife's car and you had a child with kidney problems and have to have a vechile in case of emergency at anytime plus have a 14 month old baby WHAT WOULD YOU DO ??? He said well I'd leave here at least til Friday to see if us driving it can get it to do it again because we seen what you told us was going on there WAS OR IS SOMETHING WRONG !!!! So it's still at the GMC SHOP in hopes theycan get it to do it again because we CAN NOT finish the diagnostic testing when it's running perfect !!! I keep reading ALOT of people having this types of problems some the same some with a few more or less things going crazy but NOBODY HAS A ""WHAT IS CAUSING IT OR WHAT TO DO TO FIX IT !!!!!"" Except maybe change the Negitive battery cable or battery cable grounding wire and Yes I told this to the mechanic and he said they already checked it and was fine. Also I did not mention that way befor this happen my front passenger door lock slowly just quit working by remote or the door buttons and I'd say a week before all this the driver door lock was starting to act up but went back to being fine and also the last week or so I was getting a message the the back up warning deal was turned off and I DID NOT turn it off so I don't know if that had something to do with it or was a warning and I have to let the mechanic know this also just in case it does have something to do with it !! But PLEASE IF ANYONE HAS AN IDEA OF A FIX OR WHAT TO DO !!!!! This is my Truck I have wanted FOREVER !!!!! And finally got to buy one I LOVE MY TRUCK I WANT IT FIXED !!!! My poor husband is having a heart attack he or we STILL OWE A LITTLE OVER $15,000.00 for this truck !!!!!!! This is the most we or he has ever paid for a vechile !!!!!!! It took a lot t of convincing for him to finally let me get my dream truck !!!! So PLEASE IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS OF WHATS WRONG OR HOW TO REPAIR THIS !!! I can't believe GMC has not had a recall and I gave read ALOT of post with problems related to or VERY similar to this ! I did also see a email address for someone at GM and going to contact her Well Thank you in Advance for any help !!! Pam H







  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No one can diagnose this kind of problem on the internet. The only solution is for a highly qualified technician to have all his test equipment ready to hook up WHILE the problem is occurring. All the car's various modules and sensors will have to be checked one by one.

    If your local shop can't handle it, then check on this website:

    http://www.iatn.net/

    Look under "repair shops".

    These people are the best of the best. Hopefully, there is one somewhere in your area. Good luck with it.
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