GMC Yukon / Yukon Denali

cdnrx

I checked all vents. Nothing was blocked. The whistling is louder when the glove box is open so it has to be in the plumbing in behind. I brought it to the dealer and would't you know it the dam noise stopped. 5 minutes after I left, there it was again. Can anyone tell me how fresh air gets into the vehicle. I'm thinking its an improper seal at the door that lets fresh air into the vehicle. I remember reading posts about cold air problems in the passenger footwell some time ago. Maybe it's the filter at the intake to the DVAC system. Is there a HEPPA filter in the Denali.

ccpd400

There are some standard definitions for auto noises. These can be found in most service manuals, chilton guides etc. In general a howl sounds just like it sounds(pun intended)If you were to make the sound yourself. The hardest thing for the repair people are descriptions of sounds clunk vs. ping etc but common sense usually prevails. Have even seen some descriptions in owners manuals. I'll try to find a list and post it.

ccpd400

My definition of loud is if I have to turn up the radio because of the noise.

obyone

couldn't find a howl...did find a cowl though.

orwoody

Not on my Denali, but on a previous vehicle I had a funny whistling and the level directly correlated to the fan speed. After some poking around I found a piece of plastic hung up in one of the vent pipes... a section of plastic flash or something that wasn't removed/found before or during the install. I was several inches inside vent pipe, I spied it using a flashlight and looking down the vents. Pulled it out and no more whistle.

dxl1

2002 DXL - Howling noise. You bet, right there in the front diff. Just had mine replaced today after a couple of aborted attempts with lesser solutions. It is much quieter now. I agree that turning up the radio is the size of the noise. Normal radio volume lets that irritating noise right in. Man am I glad ... should be putting in close to 1000 miles in the next week and I would rather have Chinese water torture than that howling noise. Of course, going full throttle or no throttle it was nice and quiet ... my kind of drive!

denali856

How many miles before you began to notice the howl? Did it get progressively worse or just show up one day? Thanks.

matrixxx

Has anyone done any interior modifications to their Yukon or Denali? I want to install a handsfree kit for my Nokia phone and was wondering (1) if there was a way to tap into the microphone/speaker already in place for Onstar? (2) Anyone know places that sell brackets to hold the kit? (3) Has anyone added headrest monitors to the new DVD entertainment package on the 2003? (4) Any advice?

Thanks,

Keith

lobsenza

I would not tap into the microphone for OnStar. Too much potential ofr a problem. I mounted a second microphone on the windshield in the upper left corner (looking out). The reason I picked this location was that it was farthest from the phone which was mounted to the right of the center console. The further apart the 2 are, the less likely they are to get interference.

pilko

My 2 month old 2003 DXL had a dead battery this morning. Everything was okay two days earlier when I last used the vehicle. Dealer made a software change to a body control module. I guess I'll have to see if it makes any difference. Charging voltage has always been 14+.

hrhauser, did you finally get your dead battery fixed, if so how? Thanks.

larry91

I went to my local Cingular dealer and they furnished and installed the complete hands free kit with an auxillary antenna attached to the windshield. This is the second vehicle i have had this arrangement with and it's great. Cost was about $260.00
Good Luck

hrhauser

Yes I think it is finally fixed, after 27 days at the dealer, three days away from the lemon law in Texas, the GM zone rep said it was a steering wheel sensor for the stablitrack, it would wake up the body control module and in about 5-7 hours latter dead battery, a soft ware was changed, but the dealer ship in Brownsville Texas is the worst I have been to for service, had to show them how to check current draw on the battery, the tech was going to place his Fluke digital volt meter acroos the + and - terminals in the current mode, should have let the guy do it, but felt sorry for the Fluke meter. So far We a happy with the Denali, 16.5 mpg at 80 mph, some whines and groans, but will have wait till I get back to Tulsa to have a 'qualfied dealer' check it out, Just a thought, remember your ONSTAR is useless with a dead battery, so alway carry a cell phone when driving a 2003 Denali.

dxl1

The noise kind of came up over time as I remember it. I think it was around 8,000 miles. Any thing above 35mph when you are "maintaining" speed (light power) and it is real obvious. When you let off the gas it goes away. On acceleration you can't hear it as well, but it is there. Dealer started with the steering pump (TSB is out on this problem), second visit tightened up a drive coupling, third visit ordered some drive train part (big backorder on it in Detroit too 300+ behind) and then came around to the differential. (I started them there on the first visit for the issue but they went the other way and got to the differential through elimination ...) I put in about 350 miles yesterday. Ahhhh, peace and quiet.

dxl1

Anyone know if you can hack the Onstar phone? Seems like we paid a pretty penny to have the unit and can't "remove" the Onstar service while still keeping the phone part of the unit active for our personal use and a subscription with a local cellular carrier.

lobsenza

is analog only and most cell service today is digital...

dxl1

Fairly good point on the analog ... but it seems to work for them and the service is available. Just thinking as I am wrestling with the OnStar phone and the "regular" mobile phone like others above. It just seems that we should have a little more control over a piece of HW we bought. Thanks for the insight on the analog only stuff!

avolvofan

I am a bit confused - are you having to carry a separate cellular phone to make calls with? In the S.F. bay area OnStar has a service called Personal Calling that works like a pre-paid cellular service. You press the white dot button and when OnStar replies with "Ready", you say "Dial" and then read off the number and the call is placed for you. The cost of the Personal Calling service is $17.00 (actually $16.95) per month. I thought that the personal calling service was available nation-wide. I have used the service throughout California (including some areas where digital service (on my company-mandated cellular phone)) was not available.

denali856

Do you think the front diffs are an issue in this truck? It seems like I am beginning to hear a low-pitched hum/whine between 35-45 mph too, but...I can't be sure it wasn't always there. It's still pretty low--I can't hear it at all if the stereo's on--and I'm just not sure it's not me being paranoid--seems like I didn't hear it at all until I read something about someone (not you, I don't think) having a diff problem, and then I began to notice it.

I guess if it's a diff it'll get gradually louder and eventually there won't be any doubt, right?

lobsenza

It is available in many places, but it wasn't available in Austin in January 2002 when I last checked. I thought the rates were expensive for what you got. In addition, I am not fond of voice dialing...

dxl1

The sound will certainly be irritating when it is at its worst. I don't think it set in with me for until the howling was there for a little while. (At first I was thinking I was crazy ...) As I noted in the earlier posts, it will be there while maintaining speed just about anywhere above 35. If you can hear a howling/whining sound that goes away when you let off the gas it probably is the problem, especially if you can hear it over the radio. I don't play the radio real loud (unless the Stones are playing) and I could readily hear it over the radio at my normal volume. You have to hope its not a big or ongoing issue since that would be bad, bad news. Noisy power steering, jumping wipers ... pain in the neck, easily fixable. But the front diff? Nobody likes a drive train problem that could turn into a repeat scenario. Holy cow!

dxl1

It is available, but expensive. 300 minutes for about $100. You can get all of those other cellular providers (AT&T, Sprint, Cingular, Alltel, etc.) to put you in a 300 minute plan with 3,000 minutes nights and weekends for a lot less than that ($40/mo for you and me ... and you have to believe that they get a volume discount, right?). In the IT world this is called a "managed service", they are providing the dial tone, hardware, setup/config, troubleshooting, dancing elephants, etc. But I don't see where the stock calling plan/phone service needs to be a managed service ... of course they see why it needs to be that way because they need it for the base OnStar stuff to work and they can put a premium on the service and have an ongoing revenue stream with a solid margin. (Marketing 101, except they forgot the part where I will probably drop them now as the minutes either expire or are used up.) I'm not going to pay them that kind of premium any more. Of course, even if you don't pay them for any of the OnStar services they may have to keep the system alive. Otherwise, they couldn't use OnStar to repo the vehicle when you don't make the payments. (did you see that in the GMAC financing paperwork?)

I agree that the voice dialing has its problems. I enunciate (nice word, eh?) fairly well and still have trouble getting the thing to pay attention to longer numbers. I end up working around it by going into "store" mode where it is planning on only numbers and doesn't think it heard the "dial" command all the time. Once stored the common numbers are pretty handy in voice mode.

csi35

I hope neither of you have the same problem with the front differential I experienced. At approximately 4000 miles my front axle disintegrated while doing 65. There was no "howling" prior. Just a sudden downshift and then it went. Gm had the parts shipped back to Detroit for examination. Other than that no other problem.

orwoody

I thought readers here might find this interesting. It's an article on Consumer Reports who many people consider the gospel on auto reliability reporting.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=4733&sid=192&n=156

avolvofan

There are a number of criticisms that have been raised about Consumer Reports over the years. Some have been on point, others not. The basic bottomline however, is that Consumer Reports has the only significant database (regardless of how flawed it might be) outside of the auto manufacturers. If the auto manufacturers had a web site that consumers could go to that published each dealer's consumer satisfaction index, percentage warranty repairs by model and malfunction, etc., there would be no need for Consumer Reports. Unfortunately the information that I listed is guarded only slightly less than new product designs by the manufacturers. Therefore, Consumer Reports will continue to be a resource that is used by consumers to arrive at a buying decision.

avolvofan

As with any technology, there are good points and bad points. As soon as a technology gets released, it proceeds down an obsolescence path as competitors respond with their own innovations. Voice dialing is a response to the movement to ban cellular phones while driving. There probably will be a second version of voice dialing at some point. Pricing is another matter. OnStar does not seem to feel the same competitive pressure that generic providers such as Cingular and AT&T Wireless have. However, the competitive situation may change, since other manufacturers are planning to provide similar options. In an extreme situation, it is possible to disable OnStar by removing the fuses that are on the OnStar power circuit. If you go the route of disconnection, you then lose the ability for OnStar to provide the remote unlock, emergency notification, remote diagnostic, etc. services.

lcarter

I am considering a 03 Denali. Here is the dilemma. No low range. I know all the technical aspects and have been 4 wheeling for years. I appreciate the Denali styling and 6.0 L V-8.

So,could someone comment on off road experience? I do not plan on "mudding", mostly hill climbing/mountain trails and beach driving. Any experience in the sand? Thanks for your comments.

jkpsaras

The Denali is not intended for rough off roading. It has highway tires - not mudding treads, the front bumper doesn't have good clearance for steep approaches, and it doesn't have a low gear. It's great on wet grassy fields, sand, and snow.

obyone

and is depreciated enough to take 4 wheeling.

lobsenza

I have an 01 DXL. I have pulled a boat out of a lake on a standard dirt lake shore bank and did not spin a tire at all. I am not sure about more hard core off road experiences, but it works very well on a boat launch.

orwoody

I would take 1690 recommendation and buy a used Yukon/Tahoe with 4 Low if you are going to want to get into any serious sand or off road. I've had my 2001 Denali on gravel, dirt, some logging roads but no serious off road. It doesn't have the clearance with the front fascia. I put on some more aggressive tires and it does very well in snow, gravel, muddy roads. Most of the beach/sand drivers out here(Oregon coast) put lift kits and large balloon tires on their rigs for serious soft sand. The beach patrol use much wider tires on their trucks.

lcarter

Does anyone know of some good dog barriers (besides WeatherTech)? For example, my 2000 LR Discovery has a factory dog guard suspended from the ceiling and is pretty trick (no post to the ceiling and carpet) and is easy to install and remove.

Thanks in advance

scottinssmd

Purchased used in June. I took it in for power steering pump and had them rectify the On Star battery drain recall. I had lo-jack installed immediately.The battery went dead end of November. I replaced with a new Interstate battery. Went out yesterday and it was dead.

Any recommendations as to what is drawing a charge to drain the battery?

The vehicle is driven at least every other day for local trips. Could the alarm LED and lo-jack be enough to draw a new battery down within a month?

Thanks for your replies.

obyone

Did they replace the OnStar unit or perform a software upgrade? On my '00 the software upgrade proved to be ineffective. The problem was resolved only after replacing the OnStar unit.

lcarter

Any input for dualing out a 6.0 L V-8? Pros, cons, good after market do-it-yourself kits?

obyone

torque and gain in the high end. Gas mileage, HP, and torque gains advertised will more than likely not be realized. Another thing to consider is in cab resonance at highway speeds. This seems to vary from individual to individual as there seems to be different levels of tolerance.

jkpsaras

I also had the dead battery problem, which was resovled only after replacing the OnStar system. Took them 2 weeks to fix. This was a 2001 model.

erinsquared

I too am interested in using a Denali occasionally off-road (no boulder climbing). When looking at the front fascias of the Denali vs. the 4x4 Yukon, the front and rear overhangs look similar, but the painted fascias of the D are more susceptible to visible damage vs. the flat grey of Y. I think 3M makes a clear film that can be applied to these surfaces to offer some measure of scratch protection. Despite the obvious loss of a low range (useful for steep climbs, descents, and pulling someone else out of the muck), I think most of the other deficits of the D can be overcome. The Y skid plate package can be added and the D running boards can be removed before a weekend off-road.

lobsenza

I have it and it definitely offers a higher level of protection.

orwoody

I had a 3M film package installed right after I bought my D in 2001. It has been very effective in protecting the front end from scrapes and scratches. My package included covering the light lens also and having had some gravel/rocks kicked up into them, it has protected them well. The film is practically invisible and has not discolored, hazed or crazed in almost two years so far.

erinsquared

I wish I had done this on my other cars that spend most of their time on high speed interstates. The fronts are quite chipped up from road debris.

Anyone know how difficult/expensive it would be to swap out the standard Denali transfer case with one that has a low gear while retaining the AWD system?

willardh3

Has anyone had issues of extended cranking before the engine fires? My 01 DXL has recently taken as long as 10+ seconds, I hate to crank it that long. The vehicle is going in next week, anything I can have some insight on?

csi35

When I first got the vehicle it started in 1/2 sec. After a year later when they put in a new battery it took 5 or 6 sec to start. Problem was battery not fully charged. Problem solved after fully charging battery.

willardh3

Thanks for the input, the vehicle has had plenty of extended highway miles recently, I would think the battery ought to be fully charged. FYI--The service rep. over the phone mentioned maybe it's not getting enough fuel...I have not tested the theory of giving it gas during the cranking.

obyone

should not be a requirement in starting your vehicle and extended freeway driving while good for charging a battery has no bearing on a failing alternator or battery.

orwoody

I know the Hummer 2(H2) uses the 6L motor with a 4L65-E auto tranny. It has full time 4WD with the transfer case having 5 settings. Since it's a GM product using same motor, and possibly the same 4 speed tranny, perhaps the H2 transfer case may bolt in? There may be some fit issues between the Denali and H2.
Just an idea I would start with the 4WD mechanic at your GMC dealer and see what they can tell you.

erinsquared

Good point about H2 transfer case. GM has been forward about admitting it raided the parts bin when designing the H2 in record time. It would be nice to have some of the off-road capability of the H2 in a package that I feel is a little more livable day-to-day and not so 'over-the-top' (just my opinion). This could make for an interesting project

tnsherrie

Hello all! I purchased a 1999 Yukon Denali recently and noticed that the temperature controls lighting does not work which makes it impossible to see the knobs at night. All functions work great except for the backlighting on it. Could anyone tell me if there may be bulbs that need replacing to light it up or will I have to purchase a whole new temp unit? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch!
TN Denali Lover!!!

jjdavidson

I just bought a 2003 Denali in December in order to get the long term 0% financing. I wanted the GPS but it was not out yet. Does anyone know if I could buy the system through GM parts and have it installed?

csi35

Suggest you consider a Streetpilot III deluxe by Garmin.. It will do the job and is portable.

circutmann

If your battery is fully charged, I believe you very likely have a fuel pressure regulator problem on the fuel rail. The regulator on these trucks is suppose to regulate & hold the fuel pressure at about 50 psi. I believe yours is leaking down the pressure back to the tank after the engine is shut off. When you go to start next time, the injectors do not have any fuel until the fuel pump builds the pressure up again, hence the extended crank time.
As a quick test, try turning the key to "on" without cranking the engine, the dash message & indicator lights will come "on". You may be able to hear the electric pump in the fuel tank running. After 15-20 seconds, the fuel pressure to the injectors should up to about 50 psi. Turn the key the rest of the way to crank the engine, & I suspect the engine will start quickly. If you have a pressure gauge, you could also check the fuel rail pressure, before starting to verify holding pressure.
This type of problem is not that uncommon, & should be covered by the bumper to bumper, & emisssions warranties. Give this a try & write back. Good luck! Dave.