2001 GMC Yukon XL (SLT) transmission

[Highbeam]

Thanks for this good information. If I understand it correctly the safest maintenance I can do is drop the pan and change the filter and however much fluid this changes out. If in fact there is a drain plug it seems like draining it 2 or 3 times would be a good idea.

I have noticed the last few months in the cold weather there is some tappet noise until it warms up. Does this indicate they should be adjusted, or maybe something worse?

That's not tappet noise, it's called Cold Start Knock, and is very common on the 6.0 vortec and less so on the 5.3 vortec in your yukon. It is normal and supposedly is no reason for concern. They say it is caused by the pistons rattling around in the cylinders and since these modern pistons have very short skirts, they rock around a good bit when cold.

A little extra time warming up makes me feel better about driving with that CSK.

You'll get about 5 quarts of the 18 quarts when you just dump the trans pan. Change the filter, and be ready to do some cursing when you need to remove the silly little seal that seals the filter neck into the transmission. It is sort of pressed in there and you need to pry it out. Drive the new seal in with a deep socket.

 

[Alan L.]

Update on the Yukon. Because NTB is 5 minutes from my office (easy to get someone to come get me and take me back) I took it there.

Wow, drives like new!

2 new Michelin LTX tires $450
4 new Monroe Reflex shocks installed $522
2 surpentine belts installed $215
Power Steering flush and "recondition" $115
Front end alignment $79 They said ball joints looked fine (hard to believe)
Air filter $24
Oil/filter change $19
Brake inspection - they say 7mm of pad left and no problems noted - hard to believe as there has been NO work on the brakes in the 155K miles
Maybe I'm leaving something out - total with tax about $1400.

Still plan to drain the trans, change out the distributor cap and wires, replace spark plugs (never been tuned up at all), flush injectors. And whatever is causing the check engine light to be on for the last 100K miles. But won't get any of this done til after we drive 9 hours to Kenner, LA next week. My wife had surgery with a specialist out there last month and this is a followup visit. Got on an airplane at DFW on Tuesday and it was not a fun experience. Some "fumes" or smoke in the cabin and they turned her around and set her down back at DFW. No thanks, we'll be driving......

One problem though, the factory radio will only get one channel. Fortunately its 103.3 ESPN FM although I can get a weak signal on some AM channels in Dallas. Seems like maybe an antenna problem but I can't figure out where it is or how to get to it. Figured maybe the cable got unplugged somehow.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

'99 Sub here and plenty of problems. I change oil and such regularly. When mine had about 120,000 I had to replace everything on the serpentine belt in about a 10K mile span. steering pump, AC, alternator, pulleys and tensioner. Front end components. Rear end had bearing failure. Front brake calipers. Did a fuel pump at 150K. Now at 155K and the tranny broke on me about 1/2 mile from house. (At the same time my Impala tranny was in the shop getting replaced?) What gives? Anyway, I bought a warranted junk yard tranny and did it myself for around $700 total.

I have so much invested in it, I can't afford to get rid of it. Besides, it ain't worth too much on the blue book.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

BTW, my subs tranny broke the "sun" ring or gear.

 

[carpenter383]

BTW, my subs tranny broke the "sun" ring or gear.

That would be the "sunshell" This is a typical problem on a 4l60e even though the 700r4 didn't have sunshell probs. GM must have went to a lower quality steel or something:confused2: A 700r4 sunshell will drop right in a 4l60e btw.
Either the splines strip where the sunshell meshes with the sungear or the sunshell just breaks at the splines, you loose 2nd 4th and reverse. There is a heavy duty replacment called "the beast" sunshell that won't break.
Every trans has it's "quirks" take the e40d eating converters and/or puking fluid out the front seal for example

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Yes, they do very little welding on it to join the ring to the gear. The high performance model has a full weld and machined down to a nice fillet. Much stronger than stock.

 

[deepNdirt]

Hello Alan L.,
My elderly mother has this same Tahoe with 5.3 engine 2wd. while visiting with her yesterday she ask that I look at her A/C and perhaps ad some freon because it was not cooling...... I checked all fuses and trouble shoot the system and did in fact fin the problem, But before I tell you what I found, I would like to ask you if you have ever had problems with you A/C compressor ?
Thanks

 

[bdeboer]

I had a solenoid go out under the dash on an '02 suburban causing the A/C to quit. The charge etc. was fine, had to take it two different places to find someone who understood the circuit.

 

[Alan L.]

No problems with the A/C at all. It is the SLT package with climate control for front and back, and works great.

We made a round trip drive to New Orleans (from north Texas) this week and the old Yukon drove like new. Very comfortable. Good thing the a/c was working, it was hot and VERY humid. The condensate looked like some kind of water leak.

 

[Soundguy]

i have a 2000 and have had a blower control go out before.. but otherwise the ac has been good. also has the front/rear CC.

soundguy

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Hello Alan L.,
My elderly mother has this same Tahoe with 5.3 engine 2wd. while visiting with her yesterday she ask that I look at her A/C and perhaps ad some freon because it was not cooling...... I checked all fuses and trouble shoot the system and did in fact fin the problem, But before I tell you what I found, I would like to ask you if you have ever had problems with you A/C compressor ?
Thanks

So, what did you find?

 

[Alan L.]

Update on my 2001 GMC Yukon XL. Here we are 2 years later and the truck is still doing great. In August 2010 I went ahead with the other work I mentioned - plugs, wires, etc. Haven't done anything else to. So far we have traveled from north Texas down to Marfa/Fort Davis, TX (about 9 hours each way). Then last week we drove to Galveston county TX on the coast and then from there to Kenner, LA (about 7 hours), then back home the next day (9 hours). We have also taken vacations to northern New Mexico the last two years. We have had no problems whatsoever with the truck, which now has 190,000 miles.

Now I am getting more nervous. I don't mind keeping it til it breaks, but I worry about the tranny or something going out on one of our road trips and being stranded. Heck, even if the a/c went out, as hot as it is here that would be near disaster. I need to be talked off the ledge here to avoid replacing this vehicle. Its still very comfortable and drives great. Two years ago a new on was about $45K, now it more like $50K. Even though there is just the 2 of us we have 4 grandchildren and the room is very handy when we take them places. We took 3 of them on the New Mexico vacation last summer while their parents were in ******, and it held all 5 of us and lots of "stuff" very comfortably. Downsizing would probably rule out these kinds of long trips with them.

 

[Bilko]

Like I tried to tell my father, you can make a lot of repairs every month for the price of what a monthly payment would be on 50,000... I bought the wife's car used with 33,000 miles for 11,000.00 it now has 250,000 miles with no problems other then a leaking intake manifold gasket which is a known problem. I don't fault people for buying new but I could never spend that kind of money on a vehicle. Maybe I am just cheap but I can think of many things to do with the money.

 

[jinman]

Now I am getting more nervous. I don't mind keeping it til it breaks, but I worry about the tranny or something going out on one of our road trips and being stranded. Heck, even if the a/c went out, as hot as it is here that would be near disaster. I need to be talked off the ledge here to avoid replacing this vehicle. Its still very comfortable and drives great.

Alan, there are a few things that you need to be sure of and the rest is just being over-anxious. I find that older cars fail mostly due to belts, hoses, idler pulleys, brakes, and batteries. If a hose fails and the engine overheats, that's a different story, but it started because of a fault hose. Even if air conditioning fails, it normally warns you long before it fails completely. That's true of engine and transmission problems too. They give you time to get somewhere and get a rental car if needed. If you have new belts and hoses, a good fan clutch (if the fan is not electric) and serpentine belt idler. You probably won't have a sudden failure. Make sure the brakes are serviced and your battery is serviced. Even if you have an alternator go out, you can go a long way on just the battery if you shut off blower fans and don't need headlights. I also don't think I ever had a starter just fail instantly. It always warned me. Figure out what you need in a pinch and carry the appropriate "emergency parts kit" if needed. When you think about the cost of a new vehicle, you could buy a rebuilt alternator, starter, belts, idler pulley, and several hoses for that emergency kit. Pack all that stuff in a box. It won't take up too much space and will be available in case you get caught in Podunk on a Sunday afternoon. Become a member of AAA if you are really worried. There are very few places you can't find help or a rental car.

My old Dodge pickup has 370k miles on it, and I'd feel fine with taking it on a long trip if it weren't for diesel prices. A couple of years ago, I had the transmission filter changed and they found a cross-threaded bolt in the pan letting oil leak. It was fixed and I haven't added fluid since. They replaced a pulley and the tension idler plus serpentine belt at the same time. Additionally, the rubber diesel fuel return line was leaking and fixed. While they were at it, I had them check/adjust the valves and put new valve cover gaskets on since I had a seeping oil leak from one cover. All of that was done and they found a leaking vacuum hose in the process. My cost was a bit over $800. Except for oil changes, fuel, and a set of wipers, I have not spent a nickel on that truck since. I did put two new batteries in it just before having the repairs done. I've found that if I let the truck sit for too long, the blower motor for the AC overheats and it shuts off. That happened to me once this spring when Ron Hall was visiting, but it has not happened since. It automatically reset when it cooled. My ol' truck will never win any beauty contests, but it's been paid for over 10 years. I feel like it's part of the family.

 

[Soundguy]

i've got a 2000 yukon xl. had it since new.

It drinks a quart of oil per 1000m, has a buggy push button 4wd system.. and plastic parts on it are junk. it's engine ALWAYS starts and I've never had a bit of a problem with the tranny.

been thru an alt and a coupel bolt on parts..2 sets of pwer windows.. and a radio ( electroncs parts on it ar junk apparrently ) but other than an oil hungry engine and a few ECU modules over the years.. she does start and run. mine has 189K on it as of today.

I'm not going to repalce mine untill it has engine or trans problems. I don;t miss a chance to down GM after ownign this vehicle.. or talking down about it's parts and faults. however.. in all fairness I must say again.. -0- engine or trans issues. not counting hte oil drinking. it's done that since new and gm has maintained that is perfectly normal for that 5.3 to drink oil at that rate

Update on my 2001 GMC Yukon XL. Here we are 2 years later and the truck is still doing great. In August 2010 I went ahead with the other work I mentioned - plugs, wires, etc. Haven't done anything else to. So far we have traveled from north Texas down to Marfa/Fort Davis, TX (about 9 hours each way). Then last week we drove to Galveston county TX on the coast and then from there to Kenner, LA (about 7 hours), then back home the next day (9 hours). We have also taken vacations to northern New Mexico the last two years. We have had no problems whatsoever with the truck, which now has 190,000 miles.

Now I am getting more nervous. I don't mind keeping it til it breaks, but I worry about the tranny or something going out on one of our road trips and being stranded. Heck, even if the a/c went out, as hot as it is here that would be near disaster. I need to be talked off the ledge here to avoid replacing this vehicle. Its still very comfortable and drives great. Two years ago a new on was about $45K, now it more like $50K. Even though there is just the 2 of us we have 4 grandchildren and the room is very handy when we take them places. We took 3 of them on the New Mexico vacation last summer while their parents were in ******, and it held all 5 of us and lots of "stuff" very comfortably. Downsizing would probably rule out these kinds of long trips with them.

 

[Alan L.]

I hadn't thought about the idler pulleys and such. I did have the belts changed a couple of years ago. Probably should get the hoses changed out although they appear fine. When we were headed to Houston last weekend I heard a deep rumble and worried that it was either the rear end of U-joints. Turned out to be the road surface though. I wonder if U-joints should be changed out as preventative maintenance. I also worry about wheel bearings, but replacing them is very expensive just to prevent a problem that might not happen. I guess there is no preventative maintenance on the climate control system. The transmission feels totally solid right now, no slipping, shifts perfectly. The only tranny failures I've had with other vehicles it was sudden failure, usually not while in the middle of a going from one place to another but rather I would fire it up, put it in gear and it woudn't go. Or it wouldn't shift gears.

I have triple A which would be good unless I am in cell heck between Clayton and Springer, NM. Nobody there but antelope.

 

[Alan L.]

i've got a 2000 yukon xl. had it since new.

It drinks a quart of oil per 1000m, has a buggy push button 4wd system.. and plastic parts on it are junk. it's engine ALWAYS starts and I've never had a bit of a problem with the tranny.

been thru an alt and a coupel bolt on parts..2 sets of pwer windows.. and a radio ( electroncs parts on it ar junk apparrently ) but other than an oil hungry engine and a few ECU modules over the years.. she does start and run. mine has 189K on it as of today.

I'm not going to repalce mine untill it has engine or trans problems. I don;t miss a chance to down GM after ownign this vehicle.. or talking down about it's parts and faults. however.. in all fairness I must say again.. -0- engine or trans issues. not counting hte oil drinking. it's done that since new and gm has maintained that is perfectly normal for that 5.3 to drink oil at that rate

Our 2001 5.3 doesn't use a drop of oil between changes. But a quart every 1000 not the end of the world, at least it always has clean oil in it. Have you tried any Lucas or other additives to see if those might help?

I have never used synthetic oil - I wonder if its time to do that with the 190K miles we have now?

 

[Soundguy]

i just switched to syn on mine last oil change.. will let it go another oil change so i have all old dino flushed out. will then see what I get.

I check bearings when I do brakes. you can check u joints while doing brakes too.. check for clunk / clunk play in em.

the 1qt/1km is more of an annoyance than an issue.. that's why i don't considder it to have engine problems. and yeah.. it does keep fresh oil in it... if it burnt any more I'd simply change the filter every 3 months.. and keep her topped off..

 

[Alan L.]

Just checking on potential repair of the transmissions. The figures I am seeing are $3500-$3900!! Wow. Nothing wrong with it right now that I know of.

The wife and I happened by a GMC dealer saturday and test drove a new one, although it was on 2WD. That new feel of course but frankly not that much difference in the way it drove. Also considerably more plastic on the interior than the old one, this with full leather. Pretty stiff ride compared to the old one, could be the 20 inch tires making it stiffer - I'd probably go with 17 inch tires.

However these things are so expensive I don't know how anyone feels comfortable making the purchase. Heck, even the smaller Acadia 2WD has a sticker of $45K. I just can't go there.

 

[Soundguy]

if my 00 gmc comes up needing a 4000$ repair.. that will be my sign to get a different vehicle..