2020 Yukon SLT - Maintenance Interval Question

[2Luckysat]

Hi All,
New to the group and thank you for having me. I am the original owner of a 2020 Yukon-4WD with a 5.3 and 6speed Transmission with 3.42 gears. It now has 55K miles, I haven't changed much out yet (other than oil every 7500 miles, air filter at 30K, cabin Filter 30K and Tires 50K) its used as a daily driver with some occasional towing with a 6500 lb boat and trailer package. I love the truck because it suits my needs and I hope to keep it for the long haul. That said I'm getting different conflicting stories from the dealer and owners manual on service intervals for:

1. Transmutation Fluid
2. Transfer case
3. Front & Rear Gear oil
4. Drain Radiator Coolant
5. Spark Plugs & wires
6. Brake Fluid Flush
7. Air Filter
8. Cabin Filter

I want to properly take care of the truck but dealer keeps pushing services, seems overpriced and more attracted to my wallet than my ex-wife Lol... I am willing to pay to take care of the truck but would like too budget ahead of time for when these services are actually needed. Any help or input from guys that know these trucks better than me would be greatly appreciated.

 

[15burban]

If you don't know how or want to do some of the things yourself I'd look for a good local shop/mechanic to do the work. Should be a lot cheaper then a dealership.

If they've never been done I would highly recommend getting the trans, transfer case, front, and rear end fluid changed. Transmission especially. The cleaner/newer the transmission fluid the better.

I'm not sure what your owners manual says but the coolant, plugs, and wires should be good til 100k if not longer. Brake fluid I'd go by what the manual says. There's people that never change their's. I usually do mine every 50k-60k unless I need to replace a line or caliper then I flush it then.

 

[Doubeleive]

Hi All,
New to the group and thank you for having me. I am the original owner of a 2020 Yukon-4WD with a 5.3 and 6speed Transmission with 3.42 gears. It now has 55K miles, I haven't changed much out yet (other than oil every 7500 miles, air filter at 30K, cabin Filter 30K and Tires 50K) its used as a daily driver with some occasional towing with a 6500 lb boat and trailer package. I love the truck because it suits my needs and I hope to keep it for the long haul. That said I'm getting different conflicting stories from the dealer and owners manual on service intervals for:

1. Transmutation Fluid
2. Transfer case
3. Front & Rear Gear oil
4. Drain Radiator Coolant
5. Spark Plugs & wires
6. Brake Fluid Flush
7. Air Filter
8. Cabin Filter

I want to properly take care of the truck but dealer keeps pushing services, seems overpriced and more attracted to my wallet than my ex-wife Lol... I am willing to pay to take care of the truck but would like too budget ahead of time for when these services are actually needed. Any help or input from guys that know these trucks better than me would be greatly appreciated.

There is no set parameter. Just get them done as you can

 

[2Luckysat]

If you don't know how or want to do some of the things yourself I'd look for a good local shop/mechanic to do the work. Should be a lot cheaper then a dealership.

If they've never been done I would highly recommend getting the trans, transfer case, front, and rear end fluid changed. Transmission especially. The cleaner/newer the transmission fluid the better.

I'm not sure what your owners manual says but the coolant, plugs, and wires should be good til 100k if not longer. Brake fluid I'd go by what the manual says. There's people that never change their's. I usually do mine every 50k-60k unless I need to replace a line or caliper then I flush it then.

Perfect and thanks for the advice 15 Burban. I called today and they are doing the tranny fluid and filter for me now, I'll budget for the transfer case & front and rear end next...

 

[shock]

Perfect and thanks for the advice 15 Burban. I called today and they are doing the tranny fluid and filter for me now, I'll budget for the transfer case & front and rear end next...

That's the correct priority. And I hope you're not paying a dealer to replace the cabin and engine air filters. Those are simple DIY tasks with a couple basic tools and 15 minutes.

 

[2Luckysat]

That's the correct priority. And I hope you're not paying a dealer to replace the cabin and engine air filters. Those are simple DIY tasks with a couple basic tools and 15 minutes.

Yes those ones thankfully I've been doing on my own, grabbed them on Amazon and saved the part numbers for next time. The guy at the dealer tells you it's time for a new cabin filter every time I see him. Probably wacks you for a couple of hundred for those as well Lol...

 

[Marky Dissod]

... getting different conflicting stories from the dealer and owners manual on service intervals for:

1. Transmutation Fluid (?)
2. Transfer case
3. Front & Rear Gear oil
4. Drain Radiator Coolant
5. Spark Plugs & wires
6. Brake Fluid Flush
7. Air Filter
8. Cabin Filter

For how long are you planning to keep this vehicle?
The longer you plan to keep it, the more you should apply some kind of skew / offset to the 'recommended' service intervals.
As an example, I change antifreeze every two years.

 

[2Luckysat]

I like this one it does everything I want it to do, so hoping to run the truck for a minimum 10yrs 180k miles.

 

[Marky Dissod]

I'd change oil & filter closer to 3750 miles vs 7500 miles, even if it never tows again.
Remember, your engine is equipped with Cylinder Confusion.
Those two mode lifters don't like dirty oil.
Also, find out which oil filter is longer, and use that one instead of the shorter one.

Since I failed to notice that you tow with it 'occasionally' ...
Ever heard of the severe service maintenance schedule? Yea, use that - at least I would.

If you're lucky enough to have an ATF temp gauge, every time your ATF reaches or exceeds 230F, just change out the ATF, along with the ATF filter.

I'll never change my air filter based on mileage. I hold it up to sunlight.
When it protects my eyes from looking at the sun through it too well, time for a new one.

I change all the brake fluid whenever I replace calipers or brake lines.

The one I don't change 'regularly': power steering fluid.
Whenever I buy a used car, I change the power steering fluid before either the next summer or next winter comes ... then every two years after that.

 

[RoadTrip]

As Marky said, change that oil more often!

Never forget, the maintenace schedule was written by a company who hopes to sell you your next vehicle, hopefully sooner, rather than later.

At the very least, they hope to gain your service business when it breaks.

 

[15burban]

Kind of funny to me that they are making oils to go longer and longer between intervals but thanks to the epa and all this cylinder deactivation garbage we are going backwards (somewhat) to shorter oil change intervals. I change mine every 5k in our 5.3 suburban and 6.4 (ram). Both have 4 popper mode. My work beater with 261k miles (pontiac with a 2.2) I've run mobil 1 extended performance at 10k oci and it purrs like a kitten and has never had any oil related problems in the 210k (12 years) I've had it.

 

[2Luckysat]

I'd change oil & filter closer to 3750 miles vs 7500 miles, even if it never tows again.
Remember, your engine is equipped with Cylinder Confusion.
Those two mode lifters don't like dirty oil.
Also, find out which oil filter is longer, and use that one instead of the shorter one.

Since I failed to notice that you tow with it 'occasionally' ...
Ever heard of the severe service maintenance schedule? Yea, use that - at least I would.

If you're lucky enough to have an ATF temp gauge, every time your ATF reaches or exceeds 230F, just change out the ATF, along with the ATF filter.

I'll never change my air filter based on mileage. I hold it up to sunlight.
When it protects my eyes from looking at the sun through it too well, time for a new one.

I change all the brake fluid whenever I replace calipers or brake lines.

The one I don't change 'regularly': power steering fluid.
Whenever I buy a used car, I change the power steering fluid before either the next summer or next winter comes ... then every two years after that.

Thanks Mark been reading up on the 5.3 L83 with AFM (didn't realize I had it)... Sounds like the lifters are the weak spot and 7500 is to long for oil changes

 

[B-train]

All good info this far. I tend to go by multiples of 5. 5k for oil, 5k for tire rotate, air filter whenever it looks needed - usually 25k or so. Trans service if all highway driving 50k, if hilly/stop and go/trailering then I do 40k. Transfer case, same as trans. Diffentials: rear every 60-70k or so, front every 30-40k (awd denali ones tend to get dirty quicker).


I'm bad at the power steering and brake fluid things, but have made a point to be more proactive on those as needed.

 

[Marky Dissod]

If you are lucky enough to find a way to electronically disable Cylinder Confusion, it'd be a wise investment.
The confused lifters will still retain their underlying physical weaknesses, but at least they'll avoid having their weaknesses aggravated.

 

[2Luckysat]

As Marky said, change that oil more often!

Never forget, the maintenace schedule was written by a company who hopes to sell you your next vehicle, hopefully sooner, rather than later.

At the very least, they hope to gain your service business when it breaks.

Well said Road-trip! Figures don't lie but liars figure

 

[Seamus]

5K synthetic oil changes with a quality Wix filter from Napa.
Transmission filter/fluid AC Delco every 40K
differentials and transfer case every 30-40K
Brake fluid evry 2 yrs

This will keep you going far into the future.


Oh I forgot to add, NO quick change oil places. Bulk oil, and too much incompetence, and scams. Don't just feel good about paying for maintenance....make sure the correct fluids and filters are actually what's going into and on your car!! This is an entire other issue with shady shops and low level workers.

 

[Ohannon7]

Yes those ones thankfully I've been doing on my own, grabbed them on Amazon and saved the part numbers for next time. The guy at the dealer tells you it's time for a new cabin filter every time I see him. Probably wacks you for a couple of hundred for those as well Lol...

I don't think they look at the filter bc I replaced mine and took it in to dealership the next day and they recommended an in cabin filter change lol.

 

[2Luckysat]

I don't think they look at the filter bc I replaced mine and took it in to dealership the next day and they recommended an in cabin filter change lol.

Unreal, I've been told the service advisors get paid more when they bill us more... Like Ronald Regan said "Trust But Verify" Lol