GMC Yukon XL and Yukon XL Denali

03tahoe · June 2002

Great tip on GM Aid to the Handicap. Really appreciate your help and that of great guys like jgmilberg, ryanbob, dustyone, our hosts and several others. Please forgive me for not listing all the technical expert types, they don`t even have to be 100% correct all of the time, the main thing is that they TRY to help all on this site!

bill18163 · June 2002

I own a 2001 with the small engine and I get 17-17.5 on the highway with it. Don't know about in the city since I never checked it. It has a 4.11 rear end so if you could pick up one with a 3.73 rear end you might do a little better. I trade every two years and as far as I'm concerned the 4.11 is a better performer as far as power for get up and go,etc. I've owned the 3.73's and prefer the 4.11's. My 2003 this fall will have 4.11's!

dxccp140 · June 2002

I keep getting (every other week or so) a message on my in dash display to "service 4 wheel drive". I have a 1 ykxl...anyone else having this problem and should it need servicing this soon. I purchased in 11/01.

big_fish_22311 · June 2002

I am looking for advice on slecting the rear gear ratio on a new suburban. I am planning on purchasing a 2002 suburban 1500 LT 2wd and am trying to decide between the standard 3.74 rear axle and the optional 4.10. I would like to get the increased towing capacity of the 4.10 to cover unforseen furture towing needs (hoping for a bigger boat), but have been unable to get any specific information on the downside to the 4.1 gear ratio. Chevrolet could not provide any information on the impact on gas mileage, or highway and city performance. Dealers have given me seat of the pants responses ranging from a reduction in gas mileage from as low as 1/2 mpg to over 4 mpg with the 4.1. I have seen discussions on older discussion boards indicating that top end highway speed may be limited to 70 mph with a 4.1 on older suburban models. Any advice on making the choice would be much appreciated. Email responses directly to big_fish_22311@yahoo.com would also be welcome.

terryasullivan · June 2002

Going from 3.73 to 4.10 is a 10% INCREASE in engine rpm. In theory, your mileage should DECREASE accordingly.

lobsenza · June 2002

I found a big difference in power. The difference should be .5-1 MPG depending on your type of driving. There should be a bigger mileage difference with highway driving.

rtgclu · June 2002

Can someone refer me to website or link that provides the specific changes to the 03 XL? Also, any feel as to pricing (%increase over '02s)? Thanks.

officeroz · June 2002

Is there a list, or trouble shooting faq I can go to regarding power steering problems with my 99 Suburban?

dionnie · June 2002

Has anyone had any problems with Goodyear RF-A (Rotation Free) tires on a 97 Suburban?

jgmilberg · June 2002

I don't have a website, but I have pictures. email me if you want them

03tahoe · June 2002

or are they simply misleading. They claim unlimited earnings. They don`t add a note after that statement, that you CAN NOT use all of your earnings at the time of purchase IF your earnings are above a hidden maximum allowance amount. I say hidden because this is not stated with the unlimited earnings statement.

Found out that they also control your spending speed in another way. I decided to throw five thousand dollars in my GM credit card account.
I thought this would quickly pay my bill and allow my spending limit to return to the maximum credit. This prepayment resulted in the freezing of my account. Several companies received a DENIED notice upon attempting to charge my account. GM`s explanation = we have to wait about 6 days for your check to clear. That is exactly why I sent the check in 10 days BEFORE I accrued charges against this check.This is WEIRD! Even though a second before they posted my $5,000 prepayment, I had over $6,000 shown as "available credit". Again it is another form of credit that you can not use.My last several Card notices have shown "0" amount due due to my heavy purchases but larger $ amounts in prepayments. They sure slowed my purchases up by freezing my account until the prepayment check clears - I have never exceeded my available credit limit. Intend to ask my states attorney if this action is illegal. Will also look into the false or misleading advertisement area.
Will observe GM`s advertisement regarding the holding of price for year 2003 SUVs. If they remove items such as ABS from the same 2002 SUVs they sure as hell have NOT held the same price. THIS IS AN INSULT TO THE BUYING PUBLIC. Do they think you are that stupid!
Another note:
The 6-20-02 MAXIMUM ALLOTMENT amounts that you can use for the purchase of a 2003 SUV are:
For Tahoe or Yukon = $1,500.00
For Suburban or Yukon XL = $1,750.00
You can earn more but can`t use them all at once for the above purchases. Just wanted to see if you think that this is false advertising or simply misleading, or O.K.

ninersno1 · June 2002

I realize this is very subjective, but we are looking into the large SUV's and are struggling with how big is too big (or big enough). We really like the Yukon XL but with a family of 4 we are not sure we will need an SUV of that size so we are also looking at the Yukon/Tahoe. What are the downsides (other than more $) of the bigger vehicle? Do you find them difficult to park and maneuver? Any input is appreciated!

tuckpana · June 2002

I have a 2002 Yukon XL with 3000mi love it. Only problem so far is when it is cold or sat for a long period, You start it up and drive anywhere from 10 to 30 min on the highway and it starts getting rough. It begins mild and ends up being quite severe vibration. Loss of power even in the flats. Basically got to floor it to maintain speed. Then five minutes later it is gone and the motor is back to its chipper self. It acts like it is dropping cylinders or scattering the ignition. Feels like you have the sunroof open doing 90mph effect in your ears.

Has this happened to anyone? Could this be the crank sensor? Yukon was built April 02.

Warranty question Can I bring it to a Chevy dealer who does not sell GMC?

Thanks

lobsenza · June 2002

There are 2 types of GM card accounts. The first is the old style account (you can no longer get one of these). This account allows you to accumulate $500 max per year for 7 years and apply the total to any GM vehicle.

The new card does not limit what you can accumulate per year, but limits ythe amount you can apply to a given vehicle.

sonjaab · June 2002

Check out my post #2298

03tahoe · June 2002

I fully understand and agree with both of the above gentlemen. I do have the new card. My complaint is with, what I consider, false or at the least misleading advertising on the part of GM.
Have had fun with trying to squeeze the absolute maximum amount of earnings per month out of GM. Prepayments worked for a while, until they started freezing my card for 6 days at a time. It is interesting that when I want to throw GM $6,000.00 or $8,000.00 - before I make my next group of purchases - they have the need to freeze my account for about 6 days at a time. This is even when I don`t owe them one cent at that time. Seems like most credit card companies would love customers who pay BEFORE they incur a debt.
Have fun with life gang. I do.

jrosasmc · June 2002

Ask you Suburban owners a small question? Do you think that today's Suburbans are the living successors to yesterday's Caprice Estate/Roadmaster Estate full-size station wagons?

stever · June 2002

A Chevrolet / GMC Suburban History

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

03surburban03 · June 2002

Trying to find out the differences, if any, between a
'03 surburban w/ the 8.1L engine shipped to California vs. another state. I had a '99 w/ the 7.4L that I bought in Florida, it did not have a smog pump or any other california emission equipment. Looked at a '02 surburban the other day, in CA, and it appeared to have a smog pump, want to know if there is anything else, fuel mapping? cam? help!

Kirstie_H · June 2002

Do you drive a Chevrolet Suburban or the Dodge Dakota Quad Cab? If so, and if you're willing to talk with a major daily newspaper about your truck, please send your vehicle info and contact info including phone number by noon Eastern on Tuesday, July 2 to jfallon@edmunds.com. Thanks!

tuckpana · June 2002

Took it to the dealer and it took three tries to dupicate the problem yea.. The tech said never seen anything like it. No check engine light no code, He had a hand held monitor with him and it showed nothing. They have a call into GM Tech..
Waiting for them to brainstrom. Day three without my beast.

How long do I give them to figure this out?
Has anyone got a Demo to drive or a better vehicle than a Ford escort? that's what they gave me

tuckpana · June 2002

Update the dealer now is looking at the transmission. Has anyone had any transmisson problems similar.. at all? Any input would be great. Does anyone have the Area Reps phone numbers?

rjara · June 2002

I have a 2000 1500 Suburban with 65K miles. Every morning when I turn it on, I here a lifter or lifters making noise. After about 30 seconds or less it goes away. Is anyone experiencing this. I also started to hear a little knocking when I am in idle and I accelerate. Any feed back will be greatly appreciated.

traubgator · June 2002

I have a brand new 2002 suburban lt, 4wd.
there is a slight moisture buildup (slight dampness) under the 3rd row floor mats. the mats have no moisture on top, it is only underneath them. any thoughts on why this is occuring?

thanks

stacy · July 2002

Four of us now and 5 soon. Own DXL. Love it. In the beginning, especially for my husband, he was worried it was too big. Now no problem. The problem with the size and maneuvering, its just longer than the Tahoe. I usually park in a spot I feel is wide enough as that is my biggest worry - that someone will open their door onto mine. I love the extra room with the sub size. Even better, I find myself taking the 3rd row down all the time (I accomodate stroller,chairs for football practice, groceries, diaper change stuff, traveling stuff, you get the idea) I love the extra space, to me, that is one of the greatest things about this vehicle. Space and then, more space. As for gas mileage, I dont think the change is that great btwn the two. If you want to save money on gas you might consider a van or station wagon. Some vans, like the Ody will give you a nice amount of room in the back -I think more than the Tahoe (if you want to have that 3rd seat always in. Also, if your kids have any friends or you have inlaws or parents to take with you, its nice to have the extra room, everyone feels safer. Hope this helps.

ssmiles · July 2002

Proud owner of 2001 Z71 Suburban since April 30, 2001. Now have 19500 miles (lots of off-road trips too) and still not a single problem !! Lucky I guess :-) Avg 15-16 mpg overall. Goodyear tires doing just fine.

jsb1140 · July 2002

I have a 2000 Suburban 2500. When starting and stopping there is a klunking noise coming from the rear. The technician told me that this is normal and is caused by the drive shaft slipping in and out of the yoke on the transmission and that there is no fix for the problem. I have asked other owners and have not found anyone with the problem. I feel that if this is normal the GM has fundamental design flaw that should be addressed.
Anyone with the problem please contact me.
jimbrown@remax.net

tpken · July 2002

I figured it was related to the U joint or something in that area

funkcity · July 2002

Hi,

Do any of you know WHEN the 03 Subs and XLs will be available to spec and order??

Thanx in advance.

lovemygirls · July 2002

My 01 Yukon XL (built 8/01) had the same problem...the problem was a faulty switch.

jgmilberg · July 2002

You can order it now, but the actual price won't be available until sometime in late August. The dealer should be able to give you an approx. price either way.

jgmilberg · July 2002

There is a TSB on that, something about the seal on the bottom of the door, or on the sill.

misterg23 · July 2002

I have a 96 1500LT with 63,000 miles on it that has been nothing but a money pit since it hit 40,000 miles: blown intake manifold gasket, leaky power steering, bad fuel pressure regulator, bad transmission, bad A/C compressor, bad window motors, oil leaks and the last problem is the oil pressure gauge drops to 0 under hard braking. dealer replaced the oil sensor but it still does the same thing and they want me to replace the instrument cluster. Is anybody else out there having the same bad luck I am? I've dumped $4500 into this thing in the past 18 months on repairs, not counting maintenance and new tires. I'm starting to really hate this vehicle.

joe_jensen · July 2002

I have a 2001 Yukon XL and it recently developed a metalic squeek in the dash behind the radio. Sounds like it might be a dash mounting bracket or bolt. Anyone have experience tracking one down?...joe

jgmilberg · July 2002

Does it happen only over bumps? If it happens sitting still it could be the cooling fan on the back of the radio. I have heard a couple of noisy ones. The dealer just swapped the radio out for those that were bad. None mine, it was 2 different people I worked with. If you can't figure it out, have the dealer look at it, you are still under the bumper to bumper warranty, so you just have to let them have it for a few hours.

jgmilberg · July 2002

That sounds like you are low on oil, and when you brake hard it sloshes to the front of the pan away from the oil pump pick up. The pick up itself might have come off the pump. I don't know about now, but the pump's pick up tube is pressed in and on the older cars they did fall off. It was a racers trick to weld the thing into position so it wouldn't fall off. If some one had the oil pan off they could have re-positioned the pick up and it is too high in the pan. If memory serves it is supposed to be no more tha 1/4" and no less than 1/8" from the bottom of the pan.

03tahoe · July 2002

On Cliffs site someone listed the GM site below:

http://media.gm.com/division/2003 prodinfo/index.html

Seems to give a lot of info on most 2003 units.
****************************************************

Don`t quite understand this computer stuff.
For some reason the site here did NOT include all of the information I typed.
I also noticed that there seemed to be one space in Cliff`s site.
That space was between 2003 and prodinfo.
Can`t list his site here - against our site users agreement. Maybe someone with more knowledge can straighten out this sites address.
Would it make any difference if there was a back slash after "html" ?

I will delete after three days just to stop nice foke from trying to reach a site with improper info.

stever · July 2002

try makeashorterlink.com....

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

03tahoe · July 2002

Steve tried it but the new line generated took me to a different section of GM. I know I`m about as dumb as a rock, but this type of computer response blows my mind.

1. While on that other site if I click on the high lighted URL I get the good info at GM.

2. Typing the same information into makeashorter link does not take me to the same spot and can see no link to get the info.

3. If I start with a fresh browser screen and type the same info that is on C.W`s site I can NOT get to the correct GM site.

I give up since I also tried another URL that was listed on his site:

http://www.gm-trucks.com/ART 2003 prodinfo/index.html

On the other site the above two lines was all on one line and all was high lighted. On this URL there was one space before and after 2003.

After reading this feel free to remove my posts both here and on Tahoe. Don`t want others to waste time trying to reach GM thru my bad info. Can`t make this work.

tidester · July 2002

Did you try to copy and paste the original link for use with makeashorterlink.com? Even the slightest typo can produce strange results.

tidester
Host
SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories

stever · July 2002

Could be one of those weird scripts that builds the page on the fly or something too.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

funkcity · July 2002

Go to:

http://media.gm.com/division/chevrolet/

then select Trucks then Suburban.

2003 will then come up.

With LOTS of info.

Enjoy

03tahoe · July 2002

This is one of the two end points I mentioned, the second site I listed - under Tahoe here - gave a lot on the measurements of the trucks. Never did do a cut a paste for anything - will ask a friend to show me how to do this.

stakeout · July 2002

brought both '01 Subn's ( my Z71 and wife's LT 4wd's) to the local Chevy dealer to check on inside front tire wear.. never towed with either truck ... here's the results..

on my wife's LT.. the front tires were wearing and slightly cupping on the extreme inside tread both sides.. Truck tracked true and straight.. no problems pulling or drifting to either side.. dealer svc said all was ok.. that 4wd's needed extra care and tires should be rotated every second oil change to keep them correct...hmmmmmm????

on my Z71.. extreme front tire wear and cupping similiar to my wife's Subn but more so..truck tracked true and straight.. no pulling or drifting... I had them look at it the same day as the other one.. told me the same story.. all 4wd Subn's can go out of alignment so tires should be rotated every 2nd oil change.. yet they said both trucks didn't need an alignment . another strange hmmm...???......they rotated the tires on both trucks..

having had a number of 4wd trucks in the past including Explorers, Expeditions, and most recently a '99 Subn and having 'messed around' a bit with cars all my life , I've never run into this kind of b.s......

a few weeks ago after the above, I take a trip up north from NC to NY putting about 2000 miles on the newly rotated tires on my Z71... uh-oh.. the front tire wear is starting again... seems like Chevy has dropped the ball..

I just now returned from my local Front End alignment shop (not Chevy).. the tech said that the Subn front end is weaker and has smaller sized steering arms than previous models...that it had to be checked a couple of times a year... he adjusted the front end to toe-out from a toe-in situation that caused the wear..... gave me a computer digital sketch/printout of specs before/after.. also said there is no way that a vehicle like mine should be out of alignment and wear the tires the way it did in 16K miles...

I checked for service bulletins re: this problem.. couldn't find any... if anyone has experienced this problem or knows of a Chevy-service bulletin or has any other ideas, please advise..

thanx

hog_ron · July 2002

While I can't offer any ideas or comments on the tire wear, I can say my 01 LT has very similar wear and Dealer just says to rotate. But if the front end was right, the tire wear should be true on my 2WD. I am going to visit some front end folks to see if I can find someone who knows front ends to diagnose the root cause on this problem. I don't really like the way the vehicle tracks the highway at 70mph. I think it tends to act a bit unstable, and doesn't run real true like the Chevys I have owned in the past. I am on my 4th Chevy/GMC truck. Maybe I am a bit picky, but I wouldn't go to a Ford, cause they are worse.

stakeout · July 2002

funny thing.. I don't know anyone who rotates their tires on their Chevy/GMC or Ford trucks... pickups or SUV's every 6K miles ...usually around 10K for most people if they do it at all..

the Chevy dealer svc mgr said..' it's those big 4x4's that you have to rotate the tires every 6K miles'... I say hogwash.. Chevy must have a problem or they wouldn't be telling their dealer svc techs to be saying that..

and since yours is a 2wd.. hmmm?? I would say their problem is widespread...

as far as Chevy-Ford.. they are the same to me ( yipes.. did I say that) ... my wife and I usually go with the one that gives us the best deal when we are ready to get a new one..this last time we wound up with 2 'burbans..got them at invoice + $98 minus the $1K loyalty rebate minus the $1K dealer cash incentive.... leased both ..

both Chevy-Ford have their bad and good points.. they seem to even out though for us..the only Ford truck I've had problems with was to the front end of an old 2wd Explorer a number of years ago...they couldn't get it to align correctly after 12 tries... but Ford made good on it with a $4K credit toward any new Ford product... I was happy after driving it for two years of a three year lease.....and since all I really wanted was at the time a new set of tires to get me thru the rest of the lease....

sounds like I'm going to have to contact Chevy directly to go thru that b.s... it should be interesting to say the least..

pilko · July 2002

Stakeout, I hope you got mixed up when you stated the shop adjusted "to toe-out from a toe-in situation" this will create MORE wear on the INSIDE and LESS wear on the OUTSIDE. The following link provides a very basic description of various tire wear symptoms and causes.

http://www.metropark.com/safewaytire/tireware.html

Out of curiosity, what tires are on the two vehicles? I used to live in Britain and since moving to the US I have noticed that wheel balancing here does not seem to be done very well. Perhaps it is because of the lower speed expectations. The cupping problem you mention could be due to a balance problem.

Although I have no experience on truck tires, the balance problem seems worse on cheap brands of tire rather than premium brands such as Michelin. In my experience this is especially evident as the tire wears after a balance is performed.

cadean · July 2002

I've been putting this off long enough,and the main reason for that is i'm a one finger typer who doesn't even do that very well. But here goes. Our family owns a 2001 Z71 suburban that we purchased new in aug. of 2001. It's our "extra" vehicle that we use for family trips or whenever we need the extra room. It's also great for towing. It replaced our 89 deisel suburban that was not easy to part with.I guess that the ride in the new one is helping me get over it. It just turned 3900 mi. Because of "stakeouts" posts,i checked out the front tires. Both are severely scalloped on the inside. I probably would not have picked it up until i rotated the tires sometime between 5000 and 7500mi. I called the dealers service dept. and was told that because it was under 5000mi. it would be covered under warranty. My service is scheduled for 7-24. I'm going to insist on two new tires, but my cynical side says "yea right". The service mgr. did check for service bullitens, but says there are none. I have a friend who just purchased a 2002 chevy xcab 1500 in april. We checked out his tires this am and guess what! His only problem is he's over warranty. Anyway, thanks stakeout,i'll let you know how i make out.

stakeout · July 2002

oops..sorry 'bout that.. got it backwards... he corrected so it should eliminate the wearing on the inside..

my Z71 has the factory 'stock' tires.. Goodyear AT/S 265/70R 17" tires on it... my wife's LT subn has 265/70R 16" Firestones... I seemed to have 'caught' hers with less wear than on mine.. basically same situation.. same wear on the inside

the tires are NOT out of balance.. the truck runs 'true' with no drifting of any kind.. no shake or shimmy at any speed all the way up to 70+ mph cruise on the interstates.. I've had the tires checked..

the way I noticed it was a louder than normal noise .. these Goodyear All Terrain 'stock' tires are noisy to begin with ( knobby tread) compared to my wife's Firestone's

there's no doubt in my mind that Chevy/GM has a problem that they'll probably acknowledge in the future way beyond my getting rid of both trucks after our leases are up...

the way the svc mgr was talking ... all 4x4's need constant care .. not so in my experience.. no more than any other truck/ car with so-called normal everyday regular usage..we don't go off-roading or such nor do we tow at all.. I can guarantee that most of the suburbans out there are doing the same thing.. people just don't notice it..

butt I'll just 'bug' Chevy about it just 'because'.. have to be a thorn in their backside after this..

stakeout · July 2002

glad you caught it... let us know how you make out after the service appt.. also, see if anyone mentions that there's been a problem with them.. to me that's crazy.. having to get an alignment with less than 5000 miles on it... whether paying for it or not...

like I said in the previous post.. seems like my Z71 showed a lot more wear faster than my wife's LT 'burban did albeit the same type of wear on the inside.. .. maybe because of the 17" wheels and different suspension setup ..??? hmmm??

according to the tech at the Alignment shop, it'll have to be watched pretty closely .. and that to me is 'nutz'.. Chevy messed up and we're paying for it..

GMC Yukon XL and Yukon XL Denali

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