What did you do to your GMT today? [Part II]

[Blckshdw]

Put some miles and road time in. Took it to visit my sister, an hour away, check out some things, and pick up a microwave to match the set of appliance she gave me before. On the way home, decided to stop by Batteries Plus to have the battery checked, just because I was out. When I left my sister's place, the DIC reset to the regular odometer instead of the trip A that I leave it on.

Battery tested good, rated at 750 CCA, and tested at 830 CCA. They confirmed I'm still under warranty for the rest of the calendar year, so if there's a problem, stop in before 2023. Went to start the truck to head home... Click, and nothing. Key locked in the ignition. The battery has top and side posts, and she tested it using the top posts, so it's not like the cables were jiggled. Had them come back out and she wanted to test the alternator and starter. Turned the key a couple of times, and not even a click this time. While she was tinkering on the tester, I reached down to check the side terminals. Could ever so slightly turn each one by hand, gripping the extended sections where the accessories were connected. EXT starts right up.

Starter and alternator tested good as well, so that's peace of mind. That gets me back to the parasitic drain issue. Chatted with the lady for a bit more and headed home. Wondering if the looseness is what caused that funky drain on Thursday afternoon. The charging curve Saturday was very jagged, and not smooth like it normally is, so it would be nice if that's all that was. This week, will be OnStar off, and radio on. After comparing weekend behavior, I'll switch them and see how long the drain takes between the 2.

 

[BrianF]

Finally was above freezing and no nasty wind. I put the Trailblazer up on blocks and fought that fuel line connection. Had to tip the fuel tank down, grab the line with pliers and then she snapped together. Just enough room and you could see the line connect and the clip snap shut around the line. Better be fckn good now.

 

[aaserv]

Leaving tomorrow for a lil road trip. Only have about 2600mi on the oil but its been in there over a year so I wanted to change it. Lil darker than I had hoped it would be. Been using the ACDelco Gold label filters and after my oil filter adventure awhile back I thought sure I had 1 for the Envoy.....But no, I got a dozen for the van but none fit the Envoy. Run to AZ and all they have are STP,FRAM and blue Delcos.........Boy is ACDelco going downhill!!! Cheapest piece of shit oil filter Ive ever put on a car.. The top looks like its made of sheetmetal, the threads were horribly cut with shavings still hanging off of them. This thing is trash...I hope it survives the trip.
Watching a few videos lately the consensus seems to be that the walmart brand oil filters are just K&N w a different name and 1/3rd the price tag. Ill be finding out as soon as I get back. Ive got a good stock of Purolaters for the van but i used K&N for years before i started w Pur and Delco Gold. If the Walmart is what they say Ill grab a case of them for the Envoy.

O and the knock sensors screwed into the cyl heads are still working like a champ. Cant believe thats not the most viewed video on YT. Turns a half a day job into 1 that takes 20 mins ....Works for me

 

[northcreek]

Run to AZ and all they have are STP,FRAM and blue Delcos.........Boy is ACDelco going downhill!!! Cheapest piece of shit oil filter Ive ever put on a car..

I agree, just look at the box from the filter that I bought for my wife'e Nox, pretty much tells you all that you need to know about where the "Genuine AC" filters are coming from.

 

[Mooseman]

If you wanna see what filters actually look like inside, check this guy out on YT.

https://www.youtube.com/c/WhipCityWrencher/videos

 

[BrianF]

Alright gents, a term I use loosely. Today was warm so I needed to investigate why the lifgate won't lock, defogger dead and no wiper. As many have pointed out on this forum, check the wiring. Did the one day but not deep enough. Moved the rubber and sure as shit. Broken wire and a couple ready to go. Taped up the exposed ones and soldered up the other.

So the wiper works albeit as shitty as it ever did. The defogger worked and I could hear the locking servo working but wtf? It won't lock.

Ripped off the shitty panel, used some compressed air and knocked out so much dirt that the chunks could have taken out some errant child. Then doused in some lube but while the mechanism works a bit better , it still won't unlock. I think there is one peice of linkage frozen, which is the one that activates and deactivates the use of the hatch glass. I'm hoping the lube will free it up and will check tomorrow.

 

[BrianF]

Just saw a video and checked, the mech for the latch glass was froze. Broke it free and its now working. Still needs some use to loosen it more but she works.

 

[BrianF]

Did some power runs for a test and all good. Drove over 100km to Crimetown and the old girl is back alive! Also the rear lock loosened up and all is well in the world.

 

[aaserv]

I agree, just look at the box from the filter that I bought for my wife'e Nox, pretty much tells you all that you need to know about where the "Genuine AC" filters are coming from.
View attachment 103254

Thats it....same 1 I got. I have been using the black "professional" but being in a hurry i took what they had. I cant believe GM even lets them put their brand on the box. Id put a (God forgive me) FRAM on before Id ever buy another blue label delco..

 

[flyboy2610]

Stopped by the tire store on the way home from work this afternoon and made an appointment for Thursday, 3-24-22 to have 4 Hankook DynaPro AT2's put on the wife's 06 TB. Total cost, with checking the alignment, is going to be just under $900. That's not too bad. She's worth it!

 

[Mooseman]

Id put a (God forgive me) FRAM on before Id ever buy another blue label delco..

Never! What's worse? Cardboard or felt end caps. And not all ACDelco are created equal. The ACDelco for my truck have metal end caps and are half decent. Choices for my truck are rather limited and while under warranty, I don't want to void it just in case.

 

[northcreek]

And not all ACDelco are created equal. The ACDelco for my truck have metal end caps and are half decent.

Yeah but, so was the PF63 on my previous oil change, now I go to get an PF63 and it's a "ACDenso".

 

[aaserv]

Never! What's worse? Cardboard or felt end caps. And not all ACDelco are created equal.

They for sure are not created equal. Seriously ...ck out that new box design, when you go to the store take 1 out and look at it. It is without a doubt the cheapest, thinnest and poorly made oil filter Ive ever laid eyes on in my life. I noticed this when I got my new oil pressure sensor a few weeks ago. It seems that ACD is changing their standard "blue line' of parts to the cheapest Chinese knockoff parts they can find. I guess to be fair if the public is buying this junk from ebay, detroit axle, etc then they feel the need to have their own line to stay competitive. That's fine but I wont be buying anything else from them thats not labeled "GOLD" or better. Im seeing on Rock Auto a lot more parts that are labeled Genuine GM...They are in some cases double what you pay for the economy and daily driver parts but Im going with them when feasible.
Its just a shame that ACD feels like this is a good decision to go with a "junk" line of parts and still have the GM trademark on the packages. A lot of people will be fooled into thinking they are getting a high quality part when they will be getting far from it...

 

[Reprise]

Took my Sierra's driveshaft in yesterday to have it rebalanced.

Actually, I took the back half of it to the (recommended) shop... and then the guy told me he needed both halves. But since his house was only 15min away from me, I could drop the front half off there, and he'd give me back both pieces (which saved me two more trips of 30mi, so that was great).

Got them back this afternoon; he said the rear *was* out of balance (from when I had the u-joint mishap earlier). As soon as it stops raining, I'll get them out of the Accord's trunk and put them back in the truck.

Good news is that he said the center support (carrier) bearing and the 4-way u-joint in the front half of the driveshaft were just fine. I almost told him to just replace the front u-joint anyway, but since he said it was fine... I'll just wait till I start hearing that noise, and get some more practice with R&R'ing them. Oh, and the one in the back that I cracked the retainer lip on, putting a new u-joint in... didn't need a replacement end yoke welded in.

Told him once I got the truck back on the road, I'd stop by his shop (he also does CV joints, and his shop is the one my mechanic rec'd, if I ever had to have the rear CV axles replaced (for the QSteer)). So I'll have him take a look and see what he thinks about being able to rebuild them, if the time ever comes (watch the time 'come', now that I've mentioned it... )

So now it's time to get some new trailer tires... pull that thing out of storage... and GO SOMEWHERE!

 

[Mooseman]

And speaking of the devil, here's a comparison between an old and new ACDelco filter. And despite the Korean printing on the box, it's still made in the USA.

 

[aaserv]

Well I guess I learn something everyday. They built the outside cheaper but improved the inside. Same weight too which is weird because it feels so light and cheaply made in my hand. I guess the dense filter adds the weight. Looks like it will do the job . Ill leave mine on another week or 2 and put maybe 1000 miles on it then change it and just see what it looks like. I kinda like the 8 holes and the filter material but my confidence in the rest is still shaky...

 

[BrianF]

Its coming time for the old Trailblazer. Picked up oil, a filter and she's due for a greasing and tire rotation. I feel dirty though, first time in about 12 years she will have Mobil in it. Not a huge fan, not that Mobil isn't good oil but its not worth the premium they usually charge. But Cambodian Tire had a sale and rhe 0w30 was priced decent and carries the domestic vehicles specs. So I guess what can it hurt.

For all the haters, I picked up a Fram ultra. Have been using them for ages. Great beta ratios, metal end caps and wire backed media. They are solid.

I might even stage some photos of the work getting done.......

 

[azswiss]

Great beta ratios

Learned something new today, thanks!

 

[Mooseman]

For all the haters, I picked up a Fram ultra. Have been using them for ages. Great beta ratios, metal end caps and wire backed media. They are solid.

I also use the Fram Ultra synth filters. They are good filters with excellent filtration numbers. The latest version of them might not have wire backing anymore but some sort or plastic mesh. Still a good filter IMHO.

 

[northcreek]

Some might not remember but, the old Hippie magazine "Mother Earth" .... gave detailed instructions on how you could put a roll of toilet paper in your filter canister and save yourself a few bucks, better spent on Wacky Weed...

 

[Mooseman]

That is actually still a thing...

Frantz Filters | Advanced Oil Filtration Solutions

Established in 1953 by John Frantz, the Frantz Filter Company became a mainstay product and process for cleaning automotive oil worldwide.

www.frantzfilters.com

Not sure it's OEM approved though

 

[flyboy2610]

Some might not remember but, the old Hippie magazine "Mother Earth" .... gave detailed instructions on how you could put a roll of toilet paper in your filter canister and save yourself a few bucks, better spent on Wacky Weed...

Sounds like kind of a crappy thing to do to your truck.

 

[azswiss]

Only if you really give a sheet . . .

 

[northcreek]

That is actually still a thing...

Holy shit ! (keeping with the theme)

 

[TollKeeper]

Are you shittin on my parade?

Warn a brother next time, I need to get my boots on!

 

[Blckshdw]

Had a lot of road time with the EXT today. Offsite operations meeting for half the day took me across the county, an hour's drive away. Morning drive was relatively smooth with traffic. On the way back, much more traffic but on the front end of the bad evening rush hour mess.

After getting off the highway, and onto the side streets, the butt dyno told me the truck felt a tad sluggish, but it was still doing what I asked it to do. At a couple of lights, I thought I felt a gentle shake at idle or light throttle, similar to before replacing the motor mounts. Before I could start mumbling curses, it went away. Stopped at the pharmacy to pick up a script, and when shifting into reverse to back into a spot, got the low oil warning for a few seconds then everything came back. Then the motor started to shake, not bad, but enough to notice.

On the short drive home from there, engine light starts blinking. Not fast flashing like when I've had a bad miss, but a slow blink like a yellow traffic light. Never seen that before. Reached down to the Scangauge II and hit scan... No codes found. A few more blocks, light goes out, engine runs normal. Few more blocks, light is blinking again. Back into the garage, pop the hood and can definitely see movement with the motor. Gave it some time to rest, went back to mess with it again, and popped a P0305.

Why couldn't it have done that at the pharmacy, when there was an Autozone right there, could have picked up a spare coil and spark plug before coming home. I "think" I have another coil somewhere, after the engine bay cools off, if I can't find that, I'll swap 4 & 5 then see what happens.

In other news, got to test my change to the tranny cooler. Verdict, the added space between the radiator and aux cooler didn't help at all. Temps eventually matched the engine temp after an hour of driving and then hitting stop and go traffic.

 

[Blckshdw]

I "think" I have another coil somewhere, after the engine bay cools off, if I can't find that, I'll swap 4 & 5 then see what happens.

Let the high velocity fan cool down the engine bay. Did find 3 spare coils in a parts box. Turns out the offending cylinder is the same one I replaced back in 2010, with an aftermarket one from Autozone. The rest were still Delphi. Popped in a new (to me) Delphi, cleared the code and let it idle for a few minutes. Smooth as black ice.

 

[Blckshdw]

Washed the EXT again, got all the sap and bird bombs off. Since the weather was so nice this morning, vacuumed everything out, and wiped down all the door and dash surfaces. Nice and clean now. Also swapped out the driver's door check....

Quick before and after vid

 

[gmcman]

Replaced oil pressure sending unit and filter in the Yukon.

Was an adventure in figuring out the easiest method without removing the intake...good times.

 

[Reprise]

Since I had the Sierra's driveshaft out, I decided to go after the oil seal on the extension housing, and then decided to do the bushing inside the housing (and since the housing came off, put in a new o-ring that goes between the case / tailpiece.

It's done, but it was an experience, thanks to how the OEM bushing was installed.

I plan on writing up a thread / how-to, with a couple of pics. But gotta run out for a bit right now. Probably early part of next week before I get it constructed / posted.

 

[NJTB]

Washed the EXT again, got all the sap and bird bombs off. Since the weather was so nice this morning, vacuumed everything out, and wiped down all the door and dash surfaces. Nice and clean now. Also swapped out the driver's door check....

Quick before and after vid

What was the part you put in to stop the clicking noise?

 

[Blckshdw]

What was the part you put in to stop the clicking noise?

Dorman door check, PN 924-157.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJ1FMZC/?tag=gmtnation-20

 

[NJTB]

Thank you.

 

[TollKeeper]

Was supposed to get an oil change done, change oil light came on, and I never let it even get close to the OLM. But wife, kids, taxes, etc, got in the way. It's a half quart down, will either get to it next weekend, or sometime this week after work.

 

[Reprise]

Took the Sierra out for a post-repair eval.
Good news... I think she's road-worthy, now.
Bad news... I can't figure out why the radio is inop. The shop that had it unplugged the fuse I put in for the relay, as they were probably trying to kill the battery drain while they had it. That, I found easily (the unplugged 'add-a-fuse', not the drain).

I spent a good 30 minutes trying to track down why the radio had no power, including removing it from its housing, checking the wiring, etc. All the fuses are intact.
Since the radio provides my backup camera, I want to get that working again (it makes it a lot easier backing up to hitch the trailer, although I can do it by trial / error, too -- I just hate bouncing back and forth between the cab and the bumper a million times to line it up, etc.)

Not a GMT, but also looking up axle seals for the trailer (after 3yrs sitting, I figure a bearing repack is in order, since the factory is notorious for not putting much grease on them in the first place). The tires are going to be replaced, so it's the perfect time to do the bearing repack.
Then it'll be time for *me* to (re)pack... LOL

 

[Mooseman]

I spent a good 30 minutes trying to track down why the radio had no power, including removing it from its housing, checking the wiring, etc. All the fuses are intact.
Since the radio provides my backup camera, I want to get that working again (it makes it a lot easier backing up to hitch the trailer, although I can do it by trial / error, too -- I just hate bouncing back and forth between the cab and the bumper a million times to line it up, etc.

You have an interface on it, like a Metra? That could be the problem. I've had several Metras die on me but would stay on and no sound.

 

[Reprise]

You have an interface on it, like a Metra? That could be the problem. I've had several Metras die on me but would stay on and no sound.

Yep. But it's a simpler one, b/c I only wanted chime retention, and didn't care about the Bose amp or OnStar. It has an addn'l relay I spliced in-line, based on an older post from... GMTN, of all places. The end result was that I lost 'accessory' capability, but I was OK with the addn'l safety the relay was supposed to provide. Was working just fine before I took the truck in for the axle. I saw it wasn't working when I picked it up, but wasn't worried about it, then.

I'll disco the harness, etc., and bench it. I know (?) it'll end up being something simple (that'll take me a long time to figure out... lol).

Oh, yeah... and I got a battery disconnect switch from Amazon for side-terminal batteries (got two of them, actually). Turns out the bolt they supply for the battery is too short, and there's no nut for the cable bolt, either. So I'll make a trip to the hardware store in the next couple of days.

That won't fix the drain issue, but it'll be a decent workaround, until I do trace it (plus the disconnect ostensibly provides some anti-theft capability -- not that the GMT800s are hard to steal.) Mine doesn't even lock the steering column, so an old-school tow truck can pick up the rear wheels and just drive off with it -- the front axle will track right along, pretty as you please.

 

[TollKeeper]

Last night...

Oil Change - DONE! That was some DARK oil that come out that engine!

Might have to take some of my own advice, and run this!

BG Dynamic Engine Cleaner – BG Products, Inc.

www.bgprod.com

 

[smitty5150]

Did the ol "lancematic" drl killer w/quad beam on the new tb. Got some new lights cookin.

 

[Blckshdw]

Did the ol "lancematic" drl killer w/quad beam on the new tb. Got some new lights cookin.

At least we know your retrofits won't take nearly as long as mine do