General vehicle thread

[Irving]

You sure thought your hybrid was the cats pajamas at the time.

[CS1983]

So what's the opinion on best years for the Chevy Suburban say.... 2005-2015?

[Jer]

You sure thought your hybrid was the cats pajamas at the time.

Based on what was available 12 years ago.

[Martinjmpr]

So what's the opinion on best years for the Chevy Suburban say.... 2005-2015?

05-06 IMO. These were the last 2 years of the older GMT-800 body style. This is what I drive (mine is a 2004.) Currently have 181,000 miles and running strong.

2007 - 2008: These are a real crapshoot. Some are great, many are not. These are the first two years of the GMT-900 body style. They are also the first years for AFM (Active Fuel Management) which is the system that shuts down 4 cylinders when cruising for better MPG. This caused a LOT of problems in the otherwise very robust 5.3 V8. Excess oil consumption was common and sometimes the whole engine needed to be replaced. If you look on the used market you can see there is a "dip" in asking prices for early GMT-900 1/2 ton trucks for this very reason.

I *THINK* (no experience though) that most of the AFM issues were worked out by 2009. 2009 also saw the introduction of the 6L60 6 speed tranny. This allows for lower final drive ratios while still having enough power.

The GMT-900 body style ran through 2014. 2015 saw the introduction of the current body style which is often referred to as the K2XX body style.

One thing to consider: If you are looking for 4wd (which I presume you are), on all of the 2007+ Suburban/Tahoes, the standard 4wd system had a single speed transfer case (IOW the only positions on the T-case dial are 2hi, 4hi, 4auto and N.) There is no low range. You only got low range if you ordered the towing or Z71 packages. By contrast, all GMT800 and earlier Suburban/Tahoes with 4wd had the 2 speed transfer case with low range.

Then there is the question of whether you are looking for a 1500 (1/2 ton) or 2500 (3/4 ton.) 2500's are not common and starting in 2007 they are much, much less common than 1500's. I would guess you can probably find 1 2500 for every 25 1500's on the used market. The 2500's came with a different engine (either the 6.0 or the 8.1) and a much beefier transmission (the 4L80.) Expect to pay premium dollar for a 2500 in ANY condition. They are like unicorns. I think they stopped making 2500's altogether after about 2011.

Another note: Don't forget the GMC Yukon XL. The Yukon XL is the same thing as the Suburban - unless it's a Denali model. Denali's had the 6.0 V8 instead of the 5.3 in the Chevy, and AWD with a single speed, non-lockable transfer case instead of the 2 speed case in the Chevy models. This is true of both GMT800 and GMT900 trucks (I think some of the GMT900's might have gotten the 6.2 V8.) The Denali model is basically the same thing as a Cadillac Escalade.

Non-Denali Yukons and Yukon XLs are identical to the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban (respectively) with the 5.3 V8 and 4l60 transmission with a 2 speed transfer case.

Depending on your budget, I would consider a GMT 800 over a 900 just to avoid problems with the AFM. There are a few well known failure points in the GMT800. The 4L60 transmission is probably the weakest link. That's the bad news. The good news is that a rebuild is only about $2k and most transmission shops are very familiar with them. If you get a GMT800 I'd just budget for the trans rebuild, it should be a one-time thing.

The 5.3 V8 is pretty bulletproof. The electric T-case will sometimes fail but it can be fixed in your driveway with a new encoder motor for about $200 (compare with my previous Toyota 4runner, if the electric T-case goes out on that it's $2500 minimum because they have to pull the t-case and open it up to fix it.)

Other known issues include instrument panel stepper motors that go out and make your gauges go haywire. When that happened to mine I just sent it off to be rebuilt, even better they installed a transmission temperature gauge and put in green LED lights, total cost was about $300.

Overall I'm very happy with my 'burb. I plan on keeping it until I turn 60 (3 more years) and I have no doubt that it will make it to 220,000 miles without any more serious issues.

EDIT: I should add that the Suburban is very easy to work on and there is a ton of institutional knowledge on the intertoobz. For example, back in November I started getting a CEL. I have a Scangauge so I ran the code and it turned out to be an 02 sensor upstream from the catalytic converter. I found a YouTube video showing me how to change it out. Part was $45 (with a $20 rebate) and installation literally took less than 20 minutes in my garage. I also put in a dual battery system which is super easy because Chevies have a dedicated space a 2nd battery, so it was a simple matter of ordering the shelf and then connecting the cables. That lets me run a 12v refrigerator while we are camping without fear of running the main battery down.

I also did a basic lift in my driveway a couple of years ago. With the T-bar suspension, lifting is as easy as jacking it up, removing the old keys and putting in new ones, then adjusting to desired ride height. In the rear I just put in new springs and also put in shocks all around (Bilstein 5100s.) Again there are YouTube vidz to show how to do all this stuff.

[ray1970]

Why do people still assume a certain type of person owns EV cars? Are you really that worried about what others think of you?

Don?t get too wound up. Perhaps my post was meant to be taken in jest.

Honestly, my main reason for having zero interest in an electric vehicle at this time is the range.

While it isn?t something I do regularly, I do occasionally make trips back to the Houston area and like to drive straight there without stops (other than for fuel or the occasional bathroom break).

Once there is an electric vehicle that will go over a thousand miles without needing a charge and it?s priced comparable to similar internal combustion vehicles maybe I?ll test drive one.

Until that day I?ll continue to support big oil and keep destroying the environment.

[Erni]

Martinjpr great summary. One nagging thing on my 05 is the bulbs in the switches, AC and the radio are going out.
I also heard the trans can be rebuilt into the stronger version by swapping out the sun gear when doing the clutches etc.

Im at 100k and the front suspension will need some love, but if uou are handy Moog offers an almost complete kit for $500. Will do it if I decide to stick with it, car ADD is a thing though.

BTW, would love to see the lift you did. Got pics?

[CS1983]

05-06 IMO. These were the last 2 years of the older GMT-800 body style. This is what I drive (mine is a 2004.) Currently have 181,000 miles and running strong.

2007 - 2008: These are a real crapshoot. Some are great, many are not. These are the first two years of the GMT-900 body style. They are also the first years for AFM (Active Fuel Management) which is the system that shuts down 4 cylinders when cruising for better MPG. This caused a LOT of problems in the otherwise very robust 5.3 V8. Excess oil consumption was common and sometimes the whole engine needed to be replaced. If you look on the used market you can see there is a "dip" in asking prices for early GMT-900 1/2 ton trucks for this very reason.

I *THINK* (no experience though) that most of the AFM issues were worked out by 2009. 2009 also saw the introduction of the 6L60 6 speed tranny. This allows for lower final drive ratios while still having enough power.

The GMT-900 body style ran through 2014. 2015 saw the introduction of the current body style which is often referred to as the K2XX body style.

One thing to consider: If you are looking for 4wd (which I presume you are), on all of the 2007+ Suburban/Tahoes, the standard 4wd system had a single speed transfer case (IOW the only positions on the T-case dial are 2hi, 4hi, 4auto and N.) There is no low range. You only got low range if you ordered the towing or Z71 packages. By contrast, all GMT800 and earlier Suburban/Tahoes with 4wd had the 2 speed transfer case with low range.

Then there is the question of whether you are looking for a 1500 (1/2 ton) or 2500 (3/4 ton.) 2500's are not common and starting in 2007 they are much, much less common than 1500's. I would guess you can probably find 1 2500 for every 25 1500's on the used market. The 2500's came with a different engine (either the 6.0 or the 8.1) and a much beefier transmission (the 4L80.) Expect to pay premium dollar for a 2500 in ANY condition. They are like unicorns. I think they stopped making 2500's altogether after about 2011.

Another note: Don't forget the GMC Yukon XL. The Yukon XL is the same thing as the Suburban - unless it's a Denali model. Denali's had the 6.0 V8 instead of the 5.3 in the Chevy, and AWD with a single speed, non-lockable transfer case instead of the 2 speed case in the Chevy models. This is true of both GMT800 and GMT900 trucks (I think some of the GMT900's might have gotten the 6.2 V8.) The Denali model is basically the same thing as a Cadillac Escalade.

Non-Denali Yukons and Yukon XLs are identical to the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban (respectively) with the 5.3 V8 and 4l60 transmission with a 2 speed transfer case.

Depending on your budget, I would consider a GMT 800 over a 900 just to avoid problems with the AFM. There are a few well known failure points in the GMT800. The 4L60 transmission is probably the weakest link. That's the bad news. The good news is that a rebuild is only about $2k and most transmission shops are very familiar with them. If you get a GMT800 I'd just budget for the trans rebuild, it should be a one-time thing.

The 5.3 V8 is pretty bulletproof. The electric T-case will sometimes fail but it can be fixed in your driveway with a new encoder motor for about $200 (compare with my previous Toyota 4runner, if the electric T-case goes out on that it's $2500 minimum because they have to pull the t-case and open it up to fix it.)

Other known issues include instrument panel stepper motors that go out and make your gauges go haywire. When that happened to mine I just sent it off to be rebuilt, even better they installed a transmission temperature gauge and put in green LED lights, total cost was about $300.

Overall I'm very happy with my 'burb. I plan on keeping it until I turn 60 (3 more years) and I have no doubt that it will make it to 220,000 miles without any more serious issues.

EDIT: I should add that the Suburban is very easy to work on and there is a ton of institutional knowledge on the intertoobz. For example, back in November I started getting a CEL. I have a Scangauge so I ran the code and it turned out to be an 02 sensor upstream from the catalytic converter. I found a YouTube video showing me how to change it out. Part was $45 (with a $20 rebate) and installation literally took less than 20 minutes in my garage. I also put in a dual battery system which is super easy because Chevies have a dedicated space a 2nd battery, so it was a simple matter of ordering the shelf and then connecting the cables. That lets me run a 12v refrigerator while we are camping without fear of running the main battery down.

I also did a basic lift in my driveway a couple of years ago. With the T-bar suspension, lifting is as easy as jacking it up, removing the old keys and putting in new ones, then adjusting to desired ride height. In the rear I just put in new springs and also put in shocks all around (Bilstein 5100s.) Again there are YouTube vidz to show how to do all this stuff.

Woo! firehose. I love it. Thanks!

[Martinjmpr]

Martinjpr great summary. One nagging thing on my 05 is the bulbs in the switches, AC and the radio are going out.
I also heard the trans can be rebuilt into the stronger version by swapping out the sun gear when doing the clutches etc.

Im at 100k and the front suspension will need some love, but if uou are handy Moog offers an almost complete kit for $500. Will do it if I decide to stick with it, car ADD is a thing though.

BTW, would love to see the lift you did. Got pics?

This is how she sits now. Tires are 33's (285/75/16.) I have a set of 2" lift spacers for the rear springs I'm thinking of putting on since it still sags a bit too much for my taste.

Suburban small.jpg

Mine came with every option I wanted (which was almost all of them) and none of the ones I didn't (sunroof, 2nd row captains chairs and DVD player.) It has the towing package, leather seats, G80 rear locker, rear AC and heat, premium sound (although I replaced the head unit with one that has Bluetooth) etc. It does have some rust on the frame courtesy of it spending its first 8 years on Wisconsin.

If you get one, the absolutely FIRST thing you need to do is make sure you can get the spare tire down. Most of the GMT800's used an unholy contraption called a "secondary latch" that will often rust shut and 100% prevent you from removing your spare. Even if you cut the cable holding the spare in, it still won't come down. I had to take an angle grinder and grind off one of the sides of the "bell" holding the spare in place and then catch it as it fell. I replaced it with a spare tire hoist that has no "secondary latch."

The good news is that I discovered this on a sunny day in my driveway, and not in the middle of a blizzard by the side of the road at night. But be warned!

[Jer]

Don?t get too wound up. Perhaps my post was meant to be taken in jest.

Honestly, my main reason for having zero interest in an electric vehicle at this time is the range.

While it isn?t something I do regularly, I do occasionally make trips back to the Houston area and like to drive straight there without stops (other than for fuel or the occasional bathroom break).

Once there is an electric vehicle that will go over a thousand miles without needing a charge and it?s priced comparable to similar internal combustion vehicles maybe I?ll test drive one.

Until that day I?ll continue to support big oil and keep destroying the environment.

Who says I'm wound up? I hear this a lot and I don't tend to meet any of the qualities that most assume drive EVs.

As far as your needs go, if you drive over 13 hours nonstop then an EV isn't for you. Period. You need some sort of Mad Max Suburban with 7 gas tanks that can tote around 100 gallons of fuel to make that run and it's going to be three generations from now before it's something that would meet those very, very unique needs. Especially if you're going to base your entire driving experience on that one, random need should it ever come up again.

What do you drive that goes over 1,000 miles w/o stopping? How do you not have any bio needs in over 13 hours of driving at an average speed of 75mph of no stops? Also, how do you avoid blot clots from sitting for over 3 hours straight w/o moving? So many questions.

[Bailey Guns]

I doubt an EV will ever work for us, though I wouldn't mind having one if it did.

I'm very happy with the fuel efficiency of my diesels. On the other hand, diesels aren't for everyone, either, especially in cars (as evidenced by slow sales). Probably a lot of reasons for that.

The DEF message finally came on in my F250 at about 8700 miles. Now I know how long a tank will last.