New Member + Bought 2019 Yukon SLE

[NT Automotive]

Hi All,

New member. Not new to forums or cars. Happy to be here and hope to meet new friends + learn as much as possible.

My experience with GM models is limited but overall good. Mostly the 2nd gen model tahoes. After many Toyota's, Ford's, Jeeps etc. The family and I decided on a Yukon. We are loving all the space, comfort, practicality, looks and even the CD player haha. True.

We bought our 2019 Yukon SLE last week. Its exactly what we wanted minus no 4WD which is fine with us at this stage after owning many 4x4 models.

Our Yukon is a nce pepperdust exterior color on light color interior. See pics. Will take more later. Has cloth seats which we also wanted bc of desert living and wife has psoriasis (dry skin). Its perfect for us. Easy to drive too.

Odometer just under 25K miles and overall vehicle in good condition. All buttons, lights, stereo etc. work. Priced below book value. Always a southern california car. 1 owner. Clean carfax. New tires and battery. Test drove it. Ran and braked good. Very happy.

However. Unfortunately. After driving it all week getting my bearings on the "new" vehicle I noticed the engine sounds like it has lifter tick at low revs from the interior when driving around town (sounds like my late dad's 80s F350 V8 Ford did in the early 2000s) and the sound is a bit more pronounced under heavy throttle. Additionally, when stopped at a red light the engine OR trans (not sure) shudders just a little. Its fine for 5-10 seconds then tiny shudder and so on. Pretty sure shudder is engine related via lifter issue is my guess.

Apart from the shudder and lifter tick, no other noises, no lights on dash, no smoke, no knocks, and runs good. Nevertheless I'm concerned for the engine lifespan and decided since its still under warranty to drop it off at my local dealer this week.

My last 5 cars had great engines, zero issues. Feeling kinda dumb for not doing more homework on 2019s but I knew it had an active powertrain warranty, low miles etc. so I took the plunge.

Im curious to know:

1. Is 2019 is a decent model year? Its pre covid but still newer tech and solid build quality. Minus no more onstar it seems to be all there.

2. What do you guys think is wrong with my engine (lifters, plugs, fuel injectors, worn motor mount, bent push rod, combination etc)?

3. Do you think the dealer will honor the warranty repair bc there is indeed problem(s) with the powertrain? Im concerned if no diagnostic codes thrown the dealer wont touch it. Then again I dont see how no codes would be thrown given current issues.

4. How long should it take to fix 1-2 weeks, 1-2 months or 1-2 years lol? Latter funny not funny.

5. Is it ok to run premium fuel and full synthetic oil if the weight is correct?

Looking forward to getting the engine fixed, servicing a few other items like trans and rear end + give it a detail. Plus add a couple accessories and make some new pals on here. Maybe become a vendor on here too this year (more on that later). The ultimate goal will be to take the fam on a much needed roadtrip in our Yukon. Can't wait so long as it runs solid and ill do anything I can muster to make it right.

Thanks in advance for any support!!

 

[OR VietVet]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[NT Automotive]

Welcome to the forum.

Thank You

 

[adventurenali92]

Welcome from Big Bear Lake, Southern California! Looks like you got a nice rig! They’re excellent road trip rigs. I’ve owned my 2006 Yukon xl Denali for 8 years now and it’s been on many long drives. From socal to mammoth lakes in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains pretty regularly, in fact I’m on that exact trip right now, snowboarding at mammoth mountain resort. Mammoth is a sister resort to my home resort and my pass works here so I snowbaord here often and do several training camps a season as in a certified nantionally certified snowboard instructor. Little over 600 miles yesterday. On the truck yesterday. I do Socal up to Layton Utah every year in February to go snowboarding and see friends that live up there. Towing a boat to lake Mojave and the Colorado river. They’re crazy capable and comfortable rides for trips. I helped a close friend pick up a 2018 Denali xl Friday. We drove from socal up to Henderson Nevada to buy and I helped her do a thorough test drive and check out for her. She commented when we got home about how comfy it was to be in it for three hours to drive home from Henderson. Lol.

From what I’ve learned over the years lifter tick is pretty common on LS engines, though at lot of times broken mounting studs on the exhaust manifolds can create what sounds like lifter tick. I wouldn’t think that would be an issue on a 2019 but hard to say. hard to know what’s causing the noise without a bi-directional scan tool hooked up and seeing live engine data. Hopefully your dealer will be able to diagnose the issue if the lifter tick is something serious. Good luck with the fox! Let us know what the dealer comes up with and hopefully your Yukon brings you many fun memories on road trips!

 

[Miami-Dade]

Welcome from Miami&NYC!

 

[NT Automotive]

Welcome from Big Bear Lake, Southern California! Looks like you got a nice rig! They’re excellent road trip rigs. I’ve owned my 2006 Yukon xl Denali for 8 years now and it’s been on many long drives. From socal to mammoth lakes in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains pretty regularly, in fact I’m on that exact trip right now, snowboarding at mammoth mountain resort. Mammoth is a sister resort to my home resort and my pass works here so I snowbaord here often and do several training camps a season as in a certified nantionally certified snowboard instructor. Little over 600 miles yesterday. On the truck yesterday. I do Socal up to Layton Utah every year in February to go snowboarding and see friends that live up there. Towing a boat to lake Mojave and the Colorado river. They’re crazy capable and comfortable rides for trips. I helped a close friend pick up a 2018 Denali xl Friday. We drove from socal up to Henderson Nevada to buy and I helped her do a thorough test drive and check out for her. She commented when we got home about how comfy it was to be in it for three hours to drive home from Henderson. Lol.

From what I’ve learned over the years lifter tick is pretty common on LS engines, though at lot of times broken mounting studs on the exhaust manifolds can create what sounds like lifter tick. I wouldn’t think that would be an issue on a 2019 but hard to say. hard to know what’s causing the noise without a bi-directional scan tool hooked up and seeing live engine data. Hopefully your dealer will be able to diagnose the issue if the lifter tick is something serious. Good luck with the fox! Let us know what the dealer comes up with and hopefully your Yukon brings you many fun memories on road trips!

Thanks so much for the nice and thorough response. We are not far from one another as I'm in the palm springs area. Cool. I also used to do a lot of snowboarding many years ago in Colorado. We had a cabin way up in the san juan forest. Lots of time at wolf creek slopes. My first snowboard was one of the first made in 80s. It was plastic and the brand was "Mogul" lol. Christmas gift from santa. Eventually I upgraded all my gear and now have a few boards. But I hung up my gear about 15 years ago. Now everyone wants me to ski again. No thanks ha ha. If ever in my area or vice versus lets hangout.

I really appreciate your input on my potential engine issue causes and diagnostic solutions. I felt a bit silly after I bought it with engine issues because of all my years in cars and car biz + my wife used to be a service tech and a service writer for Ford. Getting old I guess. Plus after research lifter tick misfires appear common whether from poor maintenance or hard driving which in a weird way is a relief. Regardless, as long as dealer can fix it under warranty then its no big deal. We will take much better care of engine than the last owner so it lasts long time. I hope lol. Just inconvenient waiting for repair to finish which hoping not too long.

I will keep everyone posted on status and also let yall know if I need anymore help to get it fixed quickly.

 

[RST Dana]

Welcome
5.3 does love premium fuel, although not normally required (no tune installed)
6.2 will require the good juice or you and it won’t be happy long

 

[NT Automotive]

Welcome
5.3 does love premium fuel, although not normally required (no tune installed)
6.2 will require the good juice or you and it won’t be happy long

Ok Thanks! I usually only run premium fuel and just wanted to check. I know its more expensive and at times taxing to keep up with at the pump but saves money in the long run. Ever since switching to premium fuel in the 1990s ALL of my engines never gave me any issues + ran better. My transmissions/rear ends diff story in my younger days haha.

Thanks again for your feedback on fuel marriage with the 5.3

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

 

[adventurenali92]

Thanks so much for the nice and thorough response. We are not far from one another as I'm in the palm springs area. Cool. I also used to do a lot of snowboarding many years ago in Colorado. We had a cabin way up in the san juan forest. Lots of time at wolf creek slopes. My first snowboard was one of the first made in 80s. It was plastic and the brand was "Mogul" lol. Christmas gift from santa. Eventually I upgraded all my gear and now have a few boards. But I hung up my gear about 15 years ago. Now everyone wants me to ski again. No thanks ha ha. If ever in my area or vice versus lets hangout.

I really appreciate your input on my potential engine issue causes and diagnostic solutions. I felt a bit silly after I bought it with engine issues because of all my years in cars and car biz + my wife used to be a service tech and a service writer for Ford. Getting old I guess. Plus after research lifter tick misfires appear common whether from poor maintenance or hard driving which in a weird way is a relief. Regardless, as long as dealer can fix it under warranty then its no big deal. We will take much better care of engine than the last owner so it lasts long time. I hope lol. Just inconvenient waiting for repair to finish which hoping not too long.

I will keep everyone posted on status and also let yall know if I need anymore help to get it fixed quickly.

Yeah man we’re definitely close by! I have a handful of long time detail clients in Palm desert so I’m there a couple times a month! Plus some friends too that I spend time with. Let me know if you ever need Anna ski or board bear or summit!

 

[mrathell]

Take a look at the engine on both sides where the exhaust manifold attaches to the engine block. There are 4 exhaust ports on each side that the exhaust manifold connects to exhaust the fumes through the exhaust system (catalytic converter, exhaust pipes & mufflers). At each of those 8 mounting points (4 on each side of motor) where the exhaust manifold attaches to the engine, look to see if you have an missing/broken bolts and/or black soot around that port.

I attached a photo and circled in red where to look.

Visually sometimes the bolt is still there but its actually broken further down.

If any bolts are loose, missing or broken or if black soot is present around any of the ports, that could be the source of your ticking sounds.

If it is the case, there are much cheaper and easier ways to fix it rather than removing the exhaust manifolds to remove the broken studs.

 

[NT Automotive]

Take a look at the engine on both sides where the exhaust manifold attaches to the engine block. There are 4 exhaust ports on each side that the exhaust manifold connects to exhaust the fumes through the exhaust system (catalytic converter, exhaust pipes & mufflers). At each of those 8 mounting points (4 on each side of motor) where the exhaust manifold attaches to the engine, look to see if you have an missing/broken bolts and/or black soot around that port.

I attached a photo and circled in red where to look.

Visually sometimes the bolt is still there but its actually broken further down.

If any bolts are loose, missing or broken or if black soot is present around any of the ports, that could be the source of your ticking sounds.

If it is the case, there are much cheaper and easier ways to fix it rather than removing the exhaust manifolds to remove the broken studs.

Okay. Thank you. I will note this important info with my dealer when I take it in on Wednesday.

I snapped a pic of the RPM today when at a stop light in Drive gear. See attached. Its like 480rpm. Seems low but maybe its normal. When in neutral its 500+rpm. What is the normal RPM once engine has warmed up in Neutral AND Drive?

Ps-I WILL also personally take a look at the exhaust manifold myself too and report back..

 

[NT Automotive]

I did a quick visual inspection on the manifold both sides. Passenger side tough to see but looked ok. So did driver side. I wasn't able to look on the bottom side.

I did note and circle in attached pic what looked and felt like cracks in the manifold on both sides above bolts but these appear to be designed that way, is that correct?

 

[markni12301]

I did a quick visual inspection on the manifold both sides. Passenger side tough to see but looked ok. So did driver side. I wasn't able to look on the bottom side.

I did note and circle in attached pic what looked and felt like cracks in the manifold on both sides above bolts but these appear to be designed that way, is that correct?

Confirmed same on all the ones I can see on my 2015 Yukon Denali 6.2.
Appears to be designed that way.

 

[NT Automotive]

Confirmed same on all the ones I can see on my 2015 Yukon Denali 6.2.
Appears to be designed that way.

Okay. Thank You

 

[OR VietVet]

They are like expansion joints in concrete. The metal expands and contracts and the little spaces allow for that....IMO.

 

[NT Automotive]

They are like expansion joints in concrete. The metal expands and contracts and the little spaces allow for that....IMO.

That is what I was thinking. It kind of reminded me of multiple sets of headers (OEM & aftermarket) I had on my 2000 RT Durango 5.9 V8.

 

[Geotrash]

Hi All,

New member. Not new to forums or cars. Happy to be here and hope to meet new friends + learn as much as possible.

My experience with GM models is limited but overall good. Mostly the 2nd gen model tahoes. After many Toyota's, Ford's, Jeeps etc. The family and I decided on a Yukon. We are loving all the space, comfort, practicality, looks and even the CD player haha. True.

We bought our 2019 Yukon SLE last week. Its exactly what we wanted minus no 4WD which is fine with us at this stage after owning many 4x4 models.

Our Yukon is a nce pepperdust exterior color on light color interior. See pics. Will take more later. Has cloth seats which we also wanted bc of desert living and wife has psoriasis (dry skin). Its perfect for us. Easy to drive too.

Odometer just under 25K miles and overall vehicle in good condition. All buttons, lights, stereo etc. work. Priced below book value. Always a southern california car. 1 owner. Clean carfax. New tires and battery. Test drove it. Ran and braked good. Very happy.

However. Unfortunately. After driving it all week getting my bearings on the "new" vehicle I noticed the engine sounds like it has lifter tick at low revs from the interior when driving around town (sounds like my late dad's 80s F350 V8 Ford did in the early 2000s) and the sound is a bit more pronounced under heavy throttle. Additionally, when stopped at a red light the engine OR trans (not sure) shudders just a little. Its fine for 5-10 seconds then tiny shudder and so on. Pretty sure shudder is engine related via lifter issue is my guess.

Apart from the shudder and lifter tick, no other noises, no lights on dash, no smoke, no knocks, and runs good. Nevertheless I'm concerned for the engine lifespan and decided since its still under warranty to drop it off at my local dealer this week.

My last 5 cars had great engines, zero issues. Feeling kinda dumb for not doing more homework on 2019s but I knew it had an active powertrain warranty, low miles etc. so I took the plunge.

Im curious to know:

1. Is 2019 is a decent model year? Its pre covid but still newer tech and solid build quality. Minus no more onstar it seems to be all there.

2. What do you guys think is wrong with my engine (lifters, plugs, fuel injectors, worn motor mount, bent push rod, combination etc)?

3. Do you think the dealer will honor the warranty repair bc there is indeed problem(s) with the powertrain? Im concerned if no diagnostic codes thrown the dealer wont touch it. Then again I dont see how no codes would be thrown given current issues.

4. How long should it take to fix 1-2 weeks, 1-2 months or 1-2 years lol? Latter funny not funny.

5. Is it ok to run premium fuel and full synthetic oil if the weight is correct?

Looking forward to getting the engine fixed, servicing a few other items like trans and rear end + give it a detail. Plus add a couple accessories and make some new pals on here. Maybe become a vendor on here too this year (more on that later). The ultimate goal will be to take the fam on a much needed roadtrip in our Yukon. Can't wait so long as it runs solid and ill do anything I can muster to make it right.

Thanks in advance for any support!!

Welcome back to the family.

Your engine is direct injected so the fuel injectors make an audible ticking noise as the engine runs. One thing you can do is take a video of the engine running from above, beside and beneath (wherever the noise is loudest) upload it to YouTube with public permissions, and link it back here. We can give it a listen and let you know what we think.

As others have said, a mild lifter tick isn't necessarily cause for concern on that engine, but a loud one would be.

 

[NT Automotive]

Welcome back to the family.

Your engine is direct injected so the fuel injectors make an audible ticking noise as the engine runs. One thing you can do is take a video of the engine running from above, beside and beneath (wherever the noise is loudest) upload it to YouTube with public permissions, and link it back here. We can give it a listen and let you know what we think.

As others have said, a mild lifter tick isn't necessarily cause for concern on that engine, but a loud one would be.

Thanks. Much appreciated. When idle no lifter tick. Under light throttle its not loud but also not quiet. If its normal I might need to upgrade exhaust with some drone which I'd prefer to avoid. Honestly the tiny intermittent shudder when stop at a light is a bigger question mark. Is it trans related, related to potential lifter issue or worn out motor mounts. I will have educated answers late tomorrow or Thursday latest and will share here. Hoping for the best and if so I can service a few other things. Just got all new tires today. New battery last week. Getting there one project at a time. Tomorrow its engine time

 

[Geotrash]

Thanks. Much appreciated. When idle no lifter tick. Under light throttle its not loud but also not quiet. If its normal I might need to upgrade exhaust with some drone which I'd prefer to avoid. Honestly the tiny intermittent shudder when stop at a light is a bigger question mark. Is it trans related, related to potential lifter issue or worn out motor mounts. I will have educated answers late tomorrow or Thursday latest and will share here. Hoping for the best and if so I can service a few other things. Just got all new tires today. New battery last week. Getting there one project at a time. Tomorrow its engine time

I should have mentioned that. The occasional stumble at idle is the nature of the beast with these. Both of my 6.2's have always done it and my 5.3 did it before them.

And if you're not hearing the knock at idle, I question that it's a lifter at all. Could well be something else entirely. Lifters usually always make noise at idle if at all. One thing that is very common with these engines is piston slap when the engine isn't yet warmed up, under acceleration.