Maybe selling the Denali for an Escalade

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swathdiver

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Thanks. Yes I’ve always had compliments on it. Biggest issue is rust. It’s getting ready to explode in rust. I’ve had virtually every panel repainted at least once. That and I’m to the point I just want something newer. Not 100% yet but maybe an Audi Q7, Durango R/T, or newer Denali/Escalade

Grab up a K2 then. The 2021s will be out soon so the K2s will be heavily discounted if you're looking at new ones anyway.
 
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Ponchonutty

Ponchonutty

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Grab up a K2 then. The 2021s will be out soon so the K2s will be heavily discounted if you're looking at new ones anyway.
I doubt I’m staying with GM. I’ve witnessed what they make their dealerships do towards customers. They are worse than Ford! I’m an expeditor and I’ve seen it all from all domestic automakers but GM is really pulling some crap. I bought my wife a 17 Colorado some time ago and the issues this thing has is unacceptable. The worse is the transmission. GM has no fix for it and it’s the same tranny in all rear wheel drive vehicles and all are having similar issues.
 

swathdiver

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I doubt I’m staying with GM. I’ve witnessed what they make their dealerships do towards customers. They are worse than Ford! I’m an expeditor and I’ve seen it all from all domestic automakers but GM is really pulling some crap. I bought my wife a 17 Colorado some time ago and the issues this thing has is unacceptable. The worse is the transmission. GM has no fix for it and it’s the same tranny in all rear wheel drive vehicles and all are having similar issues.

They all strive to maximize profits and minimize costs. As for the transmission, which one are you referring to? GM is running 3 of them in these SUVs. The troublesome one that I know of is the 8-speed.
 
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Ponchonutty

Ponchonutty

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They all strive to maximize profits and minimize costs. As for the transmission, which one are you referring to? GM is running 3 of them in these SUVs. The troublesome one that I know of is the 8-speed.
Yup the 8speed, the same one my Colorado has. Sucks because I really like the truck but doubt it will last as long as the 2001 Silverado it replaced. Besides, if I am to throw down the amount of cash it will take to buy even a 3 year old Yukon, I can buy a GL550, Audi Q7, or even a Volvo XC90 which all appear to have superb fit and finish compared to GM
 

swathdiver

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Yup the 8speed, the same one my Colorado has. Sucks because I really like the truck but doubt it will last as long as the 2001 Silverado it replaced. Besides, if I am to throw down the amount of cash it will take to buy even a 3 year old Yukon, I can buy a GL550, Audi Q7, or even a Volvo XC90 which all appear to have superb fit and finish compared to GM

I seem to remember GM having a process to iron out the bugs in the 8-speed. First was a fluid change along with all computer updates and then a new torque converter. While a larger percentage of those transmissions seem to have this problem, there are far more running problem free. You could always stick with 2018 Denalis as they came with the 10-speed and are a far better value than all of those other ones. Heck, think those others will even last twenty years?
 
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Ponchonutty

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I seem to remember GM having a process to iron out the bugs in the 8-speed. First was a fluid change along with all computer updates and then a new torque converter. While a larger percentage of those transmissions seem to have this problem, there are far more running problem free. You could always stick with 2018 Denalis as they came with the 10-speed and are a far better value than all of those other ones. Heck, think those others will even last twenty years?
Yup my truck has had 2 fluid changes and a new torque converter installed last year and just had another fluid change with ecu update. So far it seems better but still don’t like how it hunts and stutters at times. I guess there’s a place doing custom tunes that can fix it but man, almost $40k and I have to go aftermarket to get things right only to have GM more than likely cancel any warranty I have left.
 

swathdiver

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Yup my truck has had 2 fluid changes and a new torque converter installed last year and just had another fluid change with ecu update. So far it seems better but still don’t like how it hunts and stutters at times. I guess there’s a place doing custom tunes that can fix it but man, almost $40k and I have to go aftermarket to get things right only to have GM more than likely cancel any warranty I have left.

I hear ya but I would not put up with that stuff and worry about the warranty. A good tuner won't leave any traces behind. Does BlackBear tune those things now?
 
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Ponchonutty

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I hear ya but I would not put up with that stuff and worry about the warranty. A good tuner won't leave any traces behind. Does BlackBear tune those things now?
Black bear I think will do the diesels but not gassers. Actually anytime the computer is flashed, even by GM it puts one on the “counter” so any time you go back for warranty they can see the difference. Anything flashed via warranty will be noted in your vehicle’s file. So the old days of flashing the ecu for a custom tune then going back to stock for warranty purposes and acting like you didn’t do anything are gone. Heck, my Colorado has leveling kit on there and I saw in my notes that “doesn’t appear to be factory authorized leveling kit.” So, ANYTHING due to suspension or 4wd issues I am sure they will deny warranty claim from here on out.
 

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Black bear I think will do the diesels but not gassers. Actually anytime the computer is flashed, even by GM it puts one on the “counter” so any time you go back for warranty they can see the difference. Anything flashed via warranty will be noted in your vehicle’s file. So the old days of flashing the ecu for a custom tune then going back to stock for warranty purposes and acting like you didn’t do anything are gone. Heck, my Colorado has leveling kit on there and I saw in my notes that “doesn’t appear to be factory authorized leveling kit.” So, ANYTHING due to suspension or 4wd issues I am sure they will deny warranty claim from here on out.

BlackBear says that their tune and AutoCal leaves no trace behind. They do indeed tune gassers, Justin tuned my truck in person. $3-5K isn't nothing so don't misunderstand me, but putting up with poor service (equipment and repair people) to keep a warranty would not deter me from making it right. In fact, I think by getting it to run right, you'll prolong its life! Murphy's Law says the darn thing will blow up the day after your warranty expires!

I had the transmission repaired under warranty in one of our minivans... 1 mile before the warranty expired! They tried to say they couldn't replicate the problem, so we threw the mechanic into the van and replicated the issue before the mile was up! We were lucky, but most folks are not. Well, that trans went again 80k miles later too.

I'm just throwing BBs name out there, don't even know if he's figured out how to make those 8-speeds run right but I reckon he has more freedom than the engineers who have to adhere to stupid standards.
 
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Ponchonutty

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BlackBear says that their tune and AutoCal leaves no trace behind. They do indeed tune gassers, Justin tuned my truck in person. $3-5K isn't nothing so don't misunderstand me, but putting up with poor service (equipment and repair people) to keep a warranty would not deter me from making it right. In fact, I think by getting it to run right, you'll prolong its life! Murphy's Law says the darn thing will blow up the day after your warranty expires!

I had the transmission repaired under warranty in one of our minivans... 1 mile before the warranty expired! They tried to say they couldn't replicate the problem, so we threw the mechanic into the van and replicated the issue before the mile was up! We were lucky, but most folks are not. Well, that trans went again 80k miles later too.

I'm just throwing BBs name out there, don't even know if he's figured out how to make those 8-speeds run right but I reckon he has more freedom than the engineers who have to adhere to stupid standards.

I hear ya. I think one of the reasons besides frequent service my Denali has done so well was because I did a Diablo box tune 160k miles ago. It's done very well with it and glad I did it. I did similar to my Camaro SS although I did an EFI live style on it to tailor it a little better. Black Bear apparently doesn't have anything for the Colorado as of yet. It appears Trifecta is the only one. There's plenty of choices for the 15-16 gassers but nothing hardly for the 17+. The engine is completely different along with an 8 speed versus the 6 speed tranny the previous years had. I do plan to have it tuned shortly though. I think the tranny is finally right compared to what it was like. One thing I've noticed is the tranny temp is crazy low. In my Denali after driving a while the tranny temp is usually 180 even in cold weather. In the Colorado it has never gotten that high unless in the dead of summer. I think the fluid isn't getting warm enough to burn off moisture. Reading the TSBs on these tranny issues, they are mostly concentrated in the southern states where high humidity is prevalent
 
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