Just got a 2011 Tahoe

[Brawny]

Hey, just bought a 2011 Tahoe that needs a little attention. Nothing big, some planned obsolescence parts such as knobs and covers. Thinking about an AFM disable, can't afford delete right now, or if I ever really want to go through all that trouble.
Anyway looking forward to learning all I can about this vehicle.
Thanks!

Edit: we got this for our expanding family, my wife will be driving it 99% of the time with 2 baby seats.

 

[1BADI5]

Welcome to the party

 

[OR VietVet]

Welcome to the forum from Oregon

 

[swathdiver]

Welcome from Florida. You can tune out AFM and make the transmission perform better and be more reliable. Keep the oil clean and the system will last a long long time. Get a Tech-2 so you can work on it.

What else is in your stable? Got any pics of it?

 

[Miami-Dade]

Welcome from Miami Beach!

 

[Brawny]

Welcome from Florida. You can tune out AFM and make the transmission perform better and be more reliable. Keep the oil clean and the system will last a long long time. Get a Tech-2 so you can work on it.

What else is in your stable? Got any pics of it?

Weather is horrible here in SC due to Fred, but I'll try to get some pics up in a few days. It has 164k on it so I'm wondering if I should just leave well enough alone.
I drive a Toyota Camry, but my toy and money pit is a 99 Jeep XJ Sport. I thought about selling it, but even the wife said to keep it for round about stuff, hunting, fishing, shooting, hauling, etc.

Any special tips on oil maintenance?

 

[swathdiver]

Weather is horrible here in SC due to Fred, but I'll try to get some pics up in a few days. It has 164k on it so I'm wondering if I should just leave well enough alone.
I drive a Toyota Camry, but my toy and money pit is a 99 Jeep XJ Sport. I thought about selling it, but even the wife said to keep it for round about stuff, hunting, fishing, shooting, hauling, etc.

Any special tips on oil maintenance?

It would be nice to know what kind of oil had been used in it previously. You see, synthetic oil has cleansing properties and when introduced to crankcases gunked up with crud, the new oil begins to break it down and clean it out. The problem is, that gunk is now flowing through small oil passages and clogs up the AFM screen under the oil pressure sensor at the back of the manifold and sometimes the AFM solenoids which leads to lifter failure. Yours was spec'd from the factory to run Dexos full synthetic oil so if records are not available, assume that is what was run and you should be good.

At 164K, hopefully the transmission has been serviced at least once and should be every 40K or so with nice clean fluids. If it's a 4x4, change the other fluids as well. We have seen them go to 410K with proper service and even that one was driven into the shop for overhaul!

This is about the mileage when things happen, transmission solenoids need rebuilding, the oil pump o-ring goes bad, suspension overhaul required, etc.

Mine is at 164K and runs like a top and we just rebuilt the front and most of the rear suspension.

Maintain your parking brake, if you don't, it'll quit working.

If the Tahoe is a 4x4, you'd be surprised that it too can go hunting, fishing, shooting and hauling! Is it a Z71 by chance?

 

[Brawny]

It would be nice to know what kind of oil had been used in it previously. You see, synthetic oil has cleansing properties and when introduced to crankcases gunked up with crud, the new oil begins to break it down and clean it out. The problem is, that gunk is now flowing through small oil passages and clogs up the AFM screen under the oil pressure sensor at the back of the manifold and sometimes the AFM solenoids which leads to lifter failure. Yours was spec'd from the factory to run Dexos full synthetic oil so if records are not available, assume that is what was run and you should be good.

At 164K, hopefully the transmission has been serviced at least once and should be every 40K or so with nice clean fluids. If it's a 4x4, change the other fluids as well. We have seen them go to 410K with proper service and even that one was driven into the shop for overhaul!

This is about the mileage when things happen, transmission solenoids need rebuilding, the oil pump o-ring goes bad, suspension overhaul required, etc.

Mine is at 164K and runs like a top and we just rebuilt the front and most of the rear suspension.

Maintain your parking brake, if you don't, it'll quit working.

If the Tahoe is a 4x4, you'd be surprised that it too can go hunting, fishing, shooting and hauling! Is it a Z71 by chance?

Oil info noted, thanks.

Nope, merely an LTZ, but I just noticed it had a locking diff. How is that different from a limited slip and Spartan Locker? Do I need to actuate it?

 

[swathdiver]

Oil info noted, thanks.

Nope, merely an LTZ, but I just noticed it had a locking diff. How is that different from a limited slip and Spartan Locker? Do I need to actuate it?

LTZ is a great trim level, nice and comfy! The G80 locker is actually a combination locker and limited slip. It's completely mechanical and automatic.

 

[iamdub]

Hey, just bought a 2011 Tahoe that needs a little attention. Nothing big, some planned obsolescence parts such as knobs and covers. Thinking about an AFM disable, can't afford delete right now, or if I ever really want to go through all that trouble.
Anyway looking forward to learning all I can about this vehicle.
Thanks!

Edit: we got this for our expanding family, my wife will be driving it 99% of the time with 2 baby seats.

Welcome to the cult!

First thing is to fully assess what you have: Verify the condition of the engine, trans and diff(s) and their fluids, the status of the wear items (brakes, hoses, belts, spark plugs, etc.). See if you can get any maintenance service and/or recall service history.

You can get a great idea of the oil maintenance history by popping off a rocker cover. The cleaner it is, the better it was maintained and with quality oils. If it's really dirty, you'll just have to clean it slowly over time. I think a 2011 should have the latest and greatest lifter and VLOM designs available for that generation. If so, you're off to a good start already, but you still need to know the condition before proceeding. If you're unsure, post up pics! I'll be the first to say "get a catch can".

My opinion is to disable AFM. Unless your wife drives it like the two baby seats are balanced on the roof, keeps it under 70MPH, and the majority of her trips are on completely flat roads with no headwinds or traffic for miles on end, the benefits of keeping it active are far outweighed by the risks. I'd recommend a custom tune to disable AFM and clean up the transmission's shift patterns. This will vastly improve the drivability and increase the transmission's life. This generation of AFM just isn't all that effective. Mine has a few mild mods producing about 100HP over stock and it gets the same or better fuel economy as it did with AFM, but is a lot more fun to drive.

 

[Brawny]

Welcome to the cult!

First thing is to fully assess what you have: Verify the condition of the engine, trans and diff(s) and their fluids, the status of the wear items (brakes, hoses, belts, spark plugs, etc.). See if you can get any maintenance service and/or recall service history.

You can get a great idea of the oil maintenance history by popping off a rocker cover. The cleaner it is, the better it was maintained and with quality oils. If it's really dirty, you'll just have to clean it slowly over time. I think a 2011 should have the latest and greatest lifter and VLOM designs available for that generation. If so, you're off to a good start already, but you still need to know the condition before proceeding. If you're unsure, post up pics! I'll be the first to say "get a catch can".

My opinion is to disable AFM. Unless your wife drives it like the two baby seats are balanced on the roof, keeps it under 70MPH, and the majority of her trips are on completely flat roads with no headwinds or traffic for miles on end, the benefits of keeping it active are far outweighed by the risks. I'd recommend a custom tune to disable AFM and clean up the transmission's shift patterns. This will vastly improve the drivability and increase the transmission's life. This generation of AFM just isn't all that effective. Mine has a few mild mods producing about 100HP over stock and it gets the same or better fuel economy as it did with AFM, but is a lot more fun to drive.

Thanks. Is there a particular tune that these engines like that would apply to my wife's driving (under 15mi round trip in town most days with maybe a 100 mi round trip on weekends with a 500 mi round trip twice a year for long weekend trips to the mountains)? Fuel economy over performance, but a boost in performance won't hurt. I don't really want to spend a lot of time testing different tunes because we don't have to time for that. If it were just me I'd try all kinds of stuff, but I've got to keep it simple right now.

 

[iamdub]

Thanks. Is there a particular tune that these engines like that would apply to my wife's driving (under 15mi round trip in town most days with maybe a 100 mi round trip on weekends with a 500 mi round trip twice a year for long weekend trips to the mountains)? Fuel economy over performance, but a boost in performance won't hurt. I don't really want to spend a lot of time testing different tunes because we don't have to time for that. If it were just me I'd try all kinds of stuff, but I've got to keep it simple right now.

Really, you don't even need a "performance" tune. The factory transmission and throttle tables leave a lot to be desired. Just having these cleaned up by a competent tuner will feel like a performance tune without messing with the fuel and timing tables. You can still run 87 octane, etc. In short, the factory trans tables are tuned to allow a lot of slip to make the shifts soft and comfy. Also, dependent upon driving conditions, the trans will do a lot of extra up- and downshifting that could be avoided. The trans, at times, may seem "confused" as to which gear it should be in. The throttle feels laggy (you pushing X% on the pedal doesn't necessarily equate to X% throttle opening) and the torque management is a little excessive. Making the shifts firmer and quicker reduces the slip, which reduces the wear and heat, which increases trans life. It makes the vehicle more responsive to when you press the pedal, making it feel like it has more power. You really have the same amount of power, it's just getting put to the rear wheels more efficiently.

The key is finding a tuner that is well-versed in this. This type of tune is not an uncommon need, but you gotta have a tuner that knows what they're doing. For the most part, the "canned" tunes from the handheld devices are a joke.

Ask here on the forum for any recommendations for a reputable tuner in your area, check FB, Goggle performance shops in your area, etc. Expect to pay $400+/ for a good tune. But, also know that the benefits, especially when they extend or can even save your trans are far worth it. You might find the improved drivability alone to be worth it.