GMC Yukon XL and Yukon XL Denali

nevilles · February 2003

Am looking at the 03 LT Suburban. What is the advantage of the 4.1 Rear Axle Ratio vs the usual 3.73?

Thanks,

Neville S.

lobsenza · February 2003

The 4.10 increases your towing capacity and improves your acceleration at the expense of gas mileage. I felt the 4.10 axle felt much more powerful than the 3.73 and I don't think the mileage penalty is great, so I recommend it.

nevilles · February 2003

Thanks for the axle info-- I figured it was related to towing but was not sure!

Neville S.

jgmilberg · February 2003

My 2001 Yukon XL has 45k on it still makes a little noise but not anywhere near as load as when it was new. As the system goes through the heat and cool process a number of times the metal "normalizes" and quiets down alot. I think that the noises are all from the heat shields now. Give it time it will settle down.

lobsenza · February 2003

I personally would get the 4.10 instead of the 3.73 even if I didn't tow. The vehicle is much more responsive with the 4.10. Drive both and see for yourself. I did and there is a difference.

jxyoung · February 2003

Got it last month and the wife says she will hurt anyone who trys to take it from her. Best riding vehicle I can remember riding in. We got the 10.4 inch LCD flipdown screen, DVD, TV tuner, VCP (all KEC brand) and 4 wireless headphones ($1600). Kids love it and will be hard to do without. Last week wife listened to cd while driving, had one daughter in passenger seat with headphone in rear audio listening to radio and another daughter with 3 freinds in back watching a movie. Best thing it was quiet. Imagine that four 8 year olds in a vehicle for 3 hours with peace! Dealer looked around and could not find any vehicles with factory DVD systems.

Too good of a deal to pass up. I got a 03 Sub LT with sticker of $42,000 for $33,000. After GM Supplier Discount and $2000 rebate and $2003 GM card rebate.

FYI
GM Supplier Discount is a little more expensive than the employee price. It is employee price plus 4%. Supposed to be slightly below dealer cost. This price (Employee and GM Supplier Discount)is set by GM, the dealer cannot jack with this.

helloneuman · February 2003

ANyone else with a 02 or 03 model know the tax law to determine if we qualify and if we do for how much of it (it is up to $2000)?

The data I have found is sketchy at best.

Thanks

woodpecka · February 2003

I ordered my 3/4 ton chevy suburban 4 weeks ago. I received a vin # Thursday.I just returned from the Chicago Auto Show, where a sales person told me all new suburbans are now made in Mexico. He also told me if your vin # begins with a three, the vehicle was made in Mexico.I have seen various info on this board,saying you do not want a truck made in Mexico. I am not going to take delivery of this truck. Any ideas on how to get my 500.00 bucks back.Dealer told me almost positive all 3/4 ton trucks are made in Janesville Wisconsin.

lobsenza · February 2003

I have not heard about any quality problems related to Mexico and I have been following this board for several years.....

dustyone · February 2003

"GM Supplier Discount is a little more expensive than the employee price. It is employee price plus 4%. Supposed to be slightly below dealer cost. This price (Employee and GM Supplier Discount)is set by GM, the dealer cannot jack with this."

Valid point except that the price is slightly lower than dealer invoice (NOT dealer cost). No one knows what the dealer pays with year end profit sharing, etc. One is not going to get one for less than dealer cost.. Correction for the record. Peace

dustyone · February 2003

All that I have heard says they are only made in Mexico. That is where my wifes came from. No quality issues at all. Would buy another just like it.

'01 2500HD, LT, all options except Sun roof and lift gate

jgmilberg · February 2003

I too have a 3/4 ton Yukon XL SLT/Autoride 4WD built in Mexico with 46K on the ticker I have had 0 problems with the build quality. Fit and finish was actually better than some of the US made units I test drove.

I got it pretty loaded too, only things I didn't get was the 8.1L, second row buckets, and 4.10:1 gear.

Love the truck wouldn't hesitate to get another one from Mexico!

donahues · February 2003

I have the E85 in my 02 Denali and took the whole $2k.

Look at both http://www.fueleconomy.gov and IRS Publication 535 page 48 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p535.pdf which gives explicit instructions on the amount of credit available. While fueleconomy.gov and Publication 535 state to take the deduction on line 32 of the 1040, that line is reserved for alamony on my form, so I took it on line 34 of my 1040 with the text "clean-fuel" and the amount of $2k. (This was applied correctly in TaxCut software).

resque84 · February 2003

I currently have a 2000 Yukon XL with autoride and the autotrac transfer case. I am ordering a 2003 Suburban LT and was wondering how the ride with Stabilitrak is ? I know it's all wheel drive but is it smooth? I have a friend with a Denali XL and his only has AWD and no 4-lo in the blizzard we just had, he got stuck in his driveway! The new model has AWD and 4-lo, but do you feel it? Thanks alot.How much over invoice are people paying ?I'm getting it for $300 over invoice on an ordered one and was wondering if it's a good deal ???

wantaburb · February 2003

Hello everyone.

My wife and I are looking for our family's first SUV. We've driven a few makes (Sequoia, Expedition, Acura, Honda...), and we've decided we like the Suburban best of all. We enjoyed the ride and the room, and also found it to be very comfortable. I also think the build quality and especially the engineering are better than the others, as GM seems to make this vehicle very functional rather than loading it with worthless accessories.

We now have the difficult part ahead....how to outfit the vehicle. Our experience is somewhat limited. We have only driven the 4WD 1500 with the "Premium" suspension, not with autoride (we thought the existing ride was very good) and we have not tried a 2500 yet either. I will also note that we live in a hilly, rural section of the northeast, complete with lots of snow.....so we will purchase a 4 wheel drive Suburban.

Basically, we have 3 major decisions.

1500 or 2500?
Does anyone have any experience with the ride of each of these as well as the performance of the the 5.3 vs the 6.0 liter engines? I'm concerned that we will be sacrificing ride quality for a heavier duty vehicle.

Autoride?
Sounds like a good thing in either the 1500 or 2500, but I have not been able to compare.

StabiliTrak vs locking rear differential
Since we are in an area that has its bouts of snow, I am somewhat more concerned about traction rather than sliding in a corner. My first inclination is to go with the locking rear differential. Any opinion?

Thanks for any help in the matter!

lobsenza · February 2003

Don't get the 2500 unless you need the towing power. I would recommedn the 5.3 with the 4.10 axle. This will increase your performance over the standard axle. I think auto ride improves the ride. It also has a better leveling mechanism. Be aware that the seats in the upper end models with the power lumbar feel different than those with the manual lumber, try both before deciding.

peterfromswede · February 2003

Hello my name is Peter, from stockholm sweden.
Here it´s very hard to find a 00-03 Yukon XL or Suburban. And the few that have been imported are redicoulusly expensive. So i might as well do all the work by myself (instead of letting a dealer make a fortune on me.)
My question is: I need help to find a searchengine where i can search for cars on the eastcoast in the US. I´ve been looking a bit at www.autotrader.com but i would appriaciate if any of you guys could recommend another one.
I have a contact in New Jersey that will take care of the shipping and so on, therefor i would like to find one in that aera.
The car i´m looking for is a Yukon XL Denali, say 2002-2004. Or should i go for just a Yukon XL or Suburban? What is really the differens exept for the exterior?

Thanks

Peter, stockholm

ryanbab · February 2003

try

http://www.gmbuypower.com

you can build you own vehicle, search for dealers in a certain area (by zip code) and even search dealers inventory and see their stickers

tidester · February 2003

If you're outside the U.S. you might look here for information and data related to zip codes since most pricing utilities require one.

tidester, host

jgmilberg · February 2003

Like said above if you don't need the towing power the 5.3 1500 will do fine. If you liked the premium suspension you will love Autoride. If you need the 2500 for towing get Autoride for ride quality. I have a 2500 with Autoride and it rides extremely smooth, a friend of mine got a 2500 w/o Autoride and his has a much harsher ride and he wishes he could go back and do it again. I have the locking differential and never had a problem in the snow, I have not driven a Stabilitrac equipped YXL so I can't comment on that one. If the system performs the way it is advertised it will help keep you out of a slide or spin out but will not help you out of a snow drift like a locking differential and 4 wheel drive.

lobbyist · February 2003

If you have kids, I would strongly recommend that you consider getting the built in DVD player. You also can hook in game consoles like Gamecube or X Box and they can play using the included wireless headphones. You can listen to the radio or a CD while they are watching and listening to the player simultaneously.

bberisford1 · February 2003

I'm on my sixth suburban, an '01 YXL K1500, built in Mexico. Previously I had a '99 Mexico built, and Janesville built '97, 94 and '89.

My Mexico built vehicles had fewer mechanical and body problems than my Janesville built units. When I buy again, I WANT a Mexico built vehicle.

BYW, I had occasion to drive past the Salio, Mexico plant. It is much more impressive looking (from the outside, anyway) than the GM van assembly plant near my home in Wentzville, MO.

Good luck !!

Barry

TMLTML · February 2003

There must be some un-announced factory to Texas dealer incentive plan in effect, because I just got a deal lower than invoice less 3% MSRP holdback.
It was a new 2003 Suburban 1500 2WD LS no other options <10 miles on odometer.
$37,320 MSRP

$32,756.88 Base Invoice with Delivery
-$1,120 Holdback (3% MSRP)
-$2,500 Factory Rebate
===========
$29,137.28 "Actual" Dealer Cost
- $212.28 Extra Discount
===========
$28,925.00 The first price quoted to me

jgmilberg · February 2003

Chalk it up to end of the month sales. Never buy at the beginning of the month, wait till the end, the dealers are more willing to deal to get the car/truck off the lot before having to pay interest on it.

yukonxldnyc · March 2003

Just picked it up on Monday. Never owned a GMC Yukon XL (or Chev Suburban) before. Traded in my '99 MB ML430, which was an excellent SUV, but I needed more room for kids.

Options: 2nd row captains' chairs (AL4), sunroof (CF5), multimedia sound system w/navigation system (UM8).

The factory nav system (included in the multimedia sound system UM8) is a MUST have, in my opinion. It is excellent. I had the factory nav system in the ML430 too. This is an option that I couldn't live without, and I waited until I could get it before placing my GMC order in January (it wasn't available until that time). I never had Onstar before, but I consider it to be a completely different safety and emergency system -- an adjunct to the on-board nav system.

The truck was built and delivered in about 7 weeks. Nobody at the dealership had ever seen the nav system before!

Price, including options and destination charge, was $48,675 (before $2,500 rebate). After rebate, price was $46,175. This seems to be about $124 less than the invoice less dealer holdback (3% of MSRP before dest. chg.). I shopped a number of dealers before finding this price.

So far, the truck seems fine, although there are some annoying noises in the instrument panel. Also, the accelerator pedal seems a bit flaccid (should have more resistance like the ML430). The 6 liter engine seems fine.

If anyone has had any recent problems with their 2003 Yukon XL's, I'd appreciate knowing.

werdna321 · March 2003

Everything you could think of went wrong on mine Email me and I'll give you the list!

circutmann · March 2003

Has anyone been successful in having the cold start engine knock problem on their 5.3 L engine corrected. I seem to remember a number of owners complaining about this problem in the past, & hearing that the dealer / GM saying this is normal, and called piston slap.

I have not seen any recent posts on this subject, and am wondering if it is no longer a problem, or if owners are getting some action. My 01 YXL 1500 4WD has started doing this on every cold start for the last month, w/ about 30,000 miles on the truck, & it lasts about 1-2 minutes idling, or about 45 seconds if driving. The outside temperature during the winter here in Upstate New York has been about 0 to 32 degrees on average.

I am wondering if this problem is as likely to occur during the warmer summer months or in warmer parts of the country on cold starts. The oil pressure comes up quickly to about 65 PSI., but it sounds like I am driving a diesel for the first minute.

I have changed the oil & filter every 3,000 - 4,000 miles. I have no oil consumption between changes, plenty of power, & fuel economy of 14-18 mpg. So far this is more of an annoyance, rather than a problem.

Any input from others as to what they have tried, or what the dealer has done would be welcome, as I want to get this corrected, or at least get this problem on record, in case of problems later. I did buy an extended warranty, but would prefer to get this corrected during the initial 3 years / 36,000 mile GM warranty. Thanks, Dave

tmadison · March 2003

I have 2002 suburban. Have had tire wear from the begining. Had alignment check at 10k. Was told it was off a bit. Roatated tires and continue to have wear inside and cupping. has been aligned twice since new and now at 30k miles. My old '92 Sub has over 250k on it with one rebuild. It is not wearing tires.
Where is the problem?

stever · March 2003

Your email is marked private in your profile, so no one can email you. Besides, it's fine just to spell it out here for everyone (this is a community after all, not a place to exchange email addresses). Thanks.

Steve, Host

snowdon1 · March 2003

I can not decide if the 6K is worth it for the Denali XL, we live in Southern California so the AWD is worthless, any advice?

jgmilberg · March 2003

I have a 2001 Yukon XL 2500 SLT, only had on problem out of the truck in 47,000 miles. I was wondering what type of problems you have had Werdna321. I have all the goodies with the exception of second row buckets and 8.1 L.

Yukonxldnyc-can you play DVD's in the nav head unit while in park? I know you can in the Cadillac, was wanting to know if you can in the YXL too. None of the dealers here have seen the system or have any idea what it can/can't do. The reason your gas pedal feels different is because it is drive by wire and not directly connected to the engine with a cable.

resque84 · March 2003

Did anyone get the Chevy custom vinyl floor mats for their trucks ? The regular carpeted mats neevr seem to work well with my kids.The mats look heavy duty on GM's website.Also what color is appropriate for a gray interior , the pewter or graphite?
Thanks

jgmilberg · March 2003

You can find some nice non-carpeted floor mats on http://www.stylinconcepts.com They carry a few different types of mats. Pewter and graphite are both gray. Pewter is light gray and the graphite dark gray.

looram · March 2003

Does anyone know when Chevy is going to update the exterior of the Suburban like they have done on the new Silverado?

openyd · March 2003

I have an 03 Sub Z71-love everything about the truck except for the braking. Seems like you really have to pounce on the brakes to get it to stop. Is this normal?

brittc · March 2003

I have a 2001 Suburban 2WD. At 33,000 the pinion bearing and seal was replaced by the dealer. At 40,000 a new GM transmission. At 52,000 replace the pinion seal. No one seems to know what the problem is. What could be causing the problem wiht the pinion seal? Has anyone had similar experiences?

SteveSatch · March 2003

I am having trouble finding cargo volume specs. I see it hold 45 cubic feet behind the third seat, and 134 cubic feet with second and third seat out. What I want to know is what are the numbers for second row in with third row folded flat and with thirs row out. Thanks for any help.
Steve

jbyrone · March 2003

I own a 2000 sub with 75000 miles approx. and
I take good care of my equipment - proper servicing etc. and still my transmission came to
a grinding halt just after the warranty was up.
even my mechanic cannot explain how this happened
because I dont even tow anything. I have rebuilt the transmission and wanted to know if anyone had bad experience with sub gm transmisions?

lobsenza · March 2003

Mine on my Denail went out at 17,000 miles. I suspect GM would have covered part of the rebuild if they were pushed.

dfwk2500 · March 2003

With respect to transmission failures, although the 80 series is different from those in the Denali and the 1500 Suburbans, our transmission was rebuilt last week as a result of apparently a serious problem I had discounted as a very rare annoyance cause by the computer.

Took the truck in for minor warranty work including the very infrequent problem with engine revs increasing when accelerating from a stop with a 1/2 second delay before transmission engages with a jolt. Most posts I've seen said it is simply a computer issue with an updated program to fix it. Since it happened recently I added it to the list of things to check expecting the computer programming upgrade. I got a transmission rebuild instead. Repair ticket states: "Test drove & found trans was slipping & had no codes. Removed trans & inspected & found low & reverse band & all clutches were burned & pump gears were worn. Had to totally recondition trans with overhaul kit & new band & clutches & installed new pump & torque converter & flushed cooler lines. Test drove & reseat pressure taps" Only had a problem on 6 or so occasions and had not noticed anything else unusual about the transmission, including its running temp. Dealer thinks this is a one in a million on the 80 series transmission.

BTW on the radio locking on its own, they say they finally found a fix -- a loose pin in the harness to the unit. I'll see if that really solved the problem, but it sure beats the "could not duplicate" response I had been getting.

boone6 · March 2003

I have a 2001 Yukon XL, 5.3L with 26000 miles. My CSK was first noticed this winter when the weather got cold enough for it to kick in. I had it in to the shop two weeks ago for that and some other warrenty work. The dealership cleaned the carbon build up off the pistons and told me the CSK was not a concern, but GM would be contacting me to offer an extended warrenty. They will be sending a 6 year/ 100k warrenty that covers everything on the engine in 4 - 6 weeks I am told.
The engine has been quiet since the carbon buildup was removed, but I am in Houston and the weather has been above 50 every morning since. It is supposed to get into the 30's this weekend so I will check on startup then to see if removing the carbon stopped the CSK. I have never had any other vehicle with this problem so I cannot believe it is normal.

circutmann · March 2003

Thanks for your reply. I also had my 2001 YXL 5.3L, into the dealer for this & other warranty work about the same time you did (like twins). My dealer also cleaned the carbon off the pistons, but the cold start knock remains.

GM says it is normal & will not do any damage. The mechanic said that mine was the loudest 5.3L knock he has seen (heard). The dealer said GM would probably offer a 6 year / 100K warranty, but I countered w/ a request for a Lifetime / Transferable Unlimited mileage warranty, if they are so sure. I told them that the value of my vehicle is significantly reduced w/ the knock, & that at 6 years or 100K, I would have a worthless piece of paper, an engine that still knocked, & would not be able to sell my vehicle privately in that condition. I would be forced to trade it at a dealer & let them deal w/ it.

The GM rep & dealer have now ordered special pistons & rods w/ tighter tolerances, that are designed to correct this problem. Replacing the short block would have been cheaper, but the same problem could re-occur, as it would be built to OEM specs.

The OEM engine is built w/ spec tolerances to maximize performance & fuel economy, but mine must have had a stack-up loose-loose tolerances, that most do not experience, since this problem appears to be quite limited.

Removing carbon seems to cure many, including yours, but did absolutely nothing to help mine.

Thanks again for your reply. .......The parts have arrived & mine goes under the knife (Wrench...Mr. GoodWrench) next week. I'll keep you posted. Dave

resque84 · March 2003

I ordered a 2003 Suburban LT about 3 weeks ago through my friend in the leasing business, the dealer told him 8-10 weeks delivery time,I got a call yesterday from my friend telling me it just rolled off the truck at the dealer.is this possible ??

boone6 · March 2003

I am not sure the carbon removal worked. It has been above 50 degrees since I had that done and that seems to be the critical temp. to hear the knock. Supposed to be in the 30's tomorrow morning so I will give it a test then.

markmueller · March 2003

I just purchased a 2003 Suburban and have an opportunity to have Permaplate installed with the warranty for $200.00. The dealer wanted $600.00. Is it a good product, does it work, and does it cause any harm? Any experience with this product will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Mark

pluto5 · March 2003

The vehicle order may have already been in the dealer que, which allows them to change color/options online up to a certain date, up to about 3 weeks before production so it is quite usual.

nt2500lt · March 2003

Hello from Australia folks, can you guys or girls give me some information please. I would like to know what are the biggest and widest tires (American spelling) tyres (Aussie spelling) that I can put on my 98 Sub LT. I would like to keep the standard rims and not have to raise the suspension at this stage. I would also prefer not to have to put up with the tyres scrubbing when I turn. :-) Any help would be appreciated.

Regards John

stakeout · March 2003

we have two '01 'burbans..both 4x4's .. mine is a Z71.. wife's is an LT.. BOTH.. have problems with tires wearing on the inside thread.. we've rotated them every 5K-7K miles.. have had both aligned... if they are off.. they are not off by much.. first they said it was the suspension and the 17" tires in my Z71 that is the cause..obiously not the case as my wife's truck does the same thing..on standard 16" tires..had to replace my Z71 original tires at my expense.. dealers and Chevy will not acknowledge an overall problem.. other mechanics and wheel alihgnment shops blame it on Chevy changing the tie rods to smaller sizes from the truck suspension that the '99 and earlier Subn's had..

all you have to do is walk thru some shopping mall parking lots and look at the Tahoe's and Subn's front inside tire wear.. they're all over the place.. most people are oblivious to it

the dealer knows the problems are there and hints at it.. but Chevy won't acknowledge the problem...

I've had a number of 4wd trucks over the years.. never have I had the alignment problems that these have...

we love their ride and are perfect for what we do.. we're retired.. do a bit of traveling .. love to fish so the trucks fit right in...

if only Chevy would get off their butts and wake up on this problem before we turn back the two on lease end.. then of course they'll have a recall or a service buletin will eventually turn up..too little too late.. I've searched all over.. can't find a Service bulletin on the tire wear problems that I could bring to the dealer's attention....

I guess they're going to wait until someone gets hurt in a crash like Ford did with their Firestone fiasco before they'll wake up... there is no way that a new 4x4 should require rotation of tires in 5k mile intervals these days.. a serious fault on GM-Chevy

ryanbab · March 2003

yes it is possible.

When i ordered my silverado i was told 10-16 wks maybe longer (wheels possibly on constraint) but it took less than a month to be delivered, I think it was like 27 or 28 days. It helped that it was built about 25 miles away from the dealer in Fort Wayne.

boone6 · April 2003

Well after starting the truck three mornings in a row in below 50 F weather I am happy, for now at least. Removing the carbon build up seems to have eliminated the CSK for now. Of course, I am sure it will come back when the carbon build up returns.

GMC Yukon XL and Yukon XL Denali

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