07 Tahoe LT what to watch out for

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treehan77

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A friend is looking at a 2007 Tahoe LT w/125k tomorrow. I read the sticky, but honestly, not much real information in that. I have a 2005, is there anything we should look for or watch out for on the ‘07? I guess it has AFM, is there any tests or anything for that? What are other common issues? Besides cracked dash lol thanks to all
 

wsteele

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Probably the biggest thing to look at is the status of the components contained in the AFM oil consumption TSB. The 07 came with a driver’s side valve cover that had a defective design. It also came without an AFM oil pressure relief valve deflector, such that oil from that valve could reach the under side of a few cylinders.

These two factors can lead to excessive oil consumption and literally gum up the rings in a few cylinders that creates a downward spiral of oil consumption.

If they have records that the oil consumption TSB has been accomplished, then maybe not much of an issue. If no such records exist, some pretty detailed pre-purchase inspections would be a good idea.

To give you some scope of the potential problem background, I have owned my 07 since new. At about 90K miles, I had been noting an ever increasing oil consumption pattern. At about 95K miles I developed a low idle miss. Number 7 spark plug had some horrific fouling when I pulled it.

I took it to my local dealer and they determined I needed the AFM oil consumption TSB done. They performed it and determined I needed new pistons and rings. GM NA stepped up with the parts and my dealer chipped in with at cost labor and they replaced the pistons and rings (along with a bunch of other bits and pieces). The dealer said I was lucky as over 100K I would have been on my own. As it was, with all the diagnostic work, extra bits in the pistons/ring swap and labor, it was almost $2K. The engine has run like a top for over 30K with no appreciable oil consumption.

Knowing the status of this stuff is really important.
 
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treehan77

treehan77

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Thanks, that is what I’m afraid of. I’m sure it’d be at least twice the 2 grand you had to spend to take care of it now
 
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treehan77

treehan77

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Can you tell me if GM corrected these issues after 07? If so, what years already have the updated valve cover and pressure relief valve deflector
 

wsteele

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Thanks, that is what I’m afraid of. I’m sure it’d be at least twice the 2 grand you had to spend to take care of it now
Mine was a worst case scenario situation, lots of towing out west (mountains), so fairly high rpm operations, etc. But if you don’t have fairly detailed intel on the history of the truck, it can get ugly.

For some reason I am drawing a blank on the MY that had the updated valve cover and AFM deflector, but mid ‘11 sounds right. Along the way GM upgraded the VLOM and lifters so the later MY NBBS are more reliable in the AFM area as well. I think ‘13 is the ultimate MY for this series.
 

iamdub

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X2 with what @wsteele said.

I always wanna say the updated rocker cover was mid-2010, but that might be inaccurate. Not sure about the updated VLOM.

125K is very good mileage, especially for an '07. First order of business is to see if there are any documents pertaining to the maintenance- dealer service or recall or TSB work performed, etc. This would help to verify the mileage and history. Look for leaks, etc., just as you would with any used car. Next, listen to it with a cold start, if possible. Have someone start it while you listen for lifter ticking. An exhaust leak from broken manifold bolt(s) is really common and sounds like a lifter tick. But, the ticking from a drained lifter at startup usually subsides quickly as soon as oil pressure builds. Speaking of, watch the oil pressure gauge after startup. Infrequent oil changes, and, even worse, with crap oil, is the main killer of the AFM system. Look under the cap for buildup, check the dipstick, see if it has an oil filter from a quick lube place, etc. Listen for other sounds as it warms up and as you hold the brake and shift into each gear. On the drive, keep the radio off and A/C blower turned down so you can listen for other noises.

If it checks out and he gets it, he should pop off a rocker cover to see how the insides of the engine look. This will indicate the maintenance and care it received and what, if any de-sludging measures need to take place. I'd recommend disabling AFM to kick that can further down the road. It can be done for about $60. He'll never see the miniscule MPG loss, if any. Even better, if he has the cash, get a full tune by a reputable and competent tuner. This will disable AFM, improve response and drivability and help to prolong the trans life if the tuner honestly knows what they're doing. A Blackbear tune would ensure this, but you might know of a local tuner that can do just as well.

There are a ton of smaller items that are common issues or complaints, but those can be easily remedied after purchase.
 

2Cool2Fool

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A friend is looking at a 2007 Tahoe LT w/125k tomorrow. I read the sticky, but honestly, not much real information in that. I have a 2005, is there anything we should look for or watch out for on the ‘07? I guess it has AFM, is there any tests or anything for that? What are other common issues? Besides cracked dash lol thanks to all
There a few items that will have to be dealt with sooner rather than later:

1. Broken exhaust manifold bolts. Everybody has at least one - and most have 2-4.
2. Motor mounts - by 125k most drivers side motor mounts are shot and need to be replaced - passenger side by 200K for sure.
3. Shocks and Struts - if you want to keep the air-ride components, parts are expensive. It's easy to replace those with passive components.
4. Cracked plastic dashboard - everybody has one. I fixed mine with epoxy and double-edge tape. A replacement dashboard is expensive.
5. Various front and rear end suspension parts (bushings, end links, etc.) They start to rattle when they need replacement.
6. Spare tire hoist - it was a terrible piece of GM engineering. They all need to be replaced sooner or later. Better to do it BEFORE you have a flat on the road.
6. AFM - there is a $200 work around with the Ranger AFM eliminator - but if you need the actual parts swap out for AFM - it will involve at least a partial engine tear-down.

Plus all of the other normal wear & tear items like tires, brakes (including pads, rotors and calipers), filters, spark plugs.

A 125K Tahoe/Yukon is less than half-way through it's useful life (presuming it's not rusted to s**t), and parts are readily available and relatively inexpensive.
 
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treehan77

treehan77

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Thanks. Already found the end link bushing don’t um exist, buddy hasn’t had time to get it over here for inspection underneath yet. Dash actually is in good shape. 125 or so k on this LT model
 

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