2008 Tahoe Hybrid part out

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Toolin

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Hi,

I have a 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid that is not driveable due to collapsed lifters and a couple other issues, including that a deer decided to do some bodywork on the left front corner around the same time. I guess when it pours it rains.

I bought it in 2018 and got to drive it for all of 2 months before it ate itself. Insurance didn't cover, and dealer bill was more than I paid for it, so I took quite a loss on it. I'm looking to recover what I can and move on. Since it's not driveable I'm thinking of parting it out.

Any suggestions on which parts are practical to part out, and potential buyers? I'm thinking specifically of the HV battery which I assume is of more interest to resellers/reconditioners than to end customers, but open for ideas on other parts also.

I was able to keep the HV battery charged for about 18 mos after the lifter issue (the engine would start, but ran very rough), but for the last 6 months it's sat idle, and I don't know how that affects the HV battery and whether it's still of value to a reconditioner or not.

Thanks
 

BG1988

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Hi,

I have a 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid that is not driveable due to collapsed lifters and a couple other issues, including that a deer decided to do some bodywork on the left front corner around the same time. I guess when it pours it rains.

I bought it in 2018 and got to drive it for all of 2 months before it ate itself. Insurance didn't cover, and dealer bill was more than I paid for it, so I took quite a loss on it. I'm looking to recover what I can and move on. Since it's not driveable I'm thinking of parting it out.

Any suggestions on which parts are practical to part out, and potential buyers? I'm thinking specifically of the HV battery which I assume is of more interest to resellers/reconditioners than to end customers, but open for ideas on other parts also.

I was able to keep the HV battery charged for about 18 mos after the lifter issue (the engine would start, but ran very rough), but for the last 6 months it's sat idle, and I don't know how that affects the HV battery and whether it's still of value to a reconditioner or not.

Thanks
after 45 days on non use(i.e off for 45 days) most places void the warranty how old is the battery? might be interested.. if it's been replaced recently
i'd give you 700$ for the whole thing? is it even drive able ?
 
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Toolin

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The vehicle is a 2008. Not sure if the battery is original or a replacement, if that's what you're asking in terms of how old it is. I only bought the vehicle 2 years ago so I don't know it's full history. If there is a label I can look at for battery mfg date let me know where to look. Hopefully won't require removing the seat but if so I'll give it a go. Of course a reconditioned battery may or may not have the reconditioned date I suppose, so not sure if can go by a mfg label.

So as far as driveable, for a while after the lifter collapse yes you could drive it but off the line at low speeds it was rough and had very limited power.. as if it was running on 2 or 3 cylinders only. Once you got it up to speed it seemed like the rest of the cylinders kicked in and it was smoother. However eventually it would not start even when I charged the 12v battery externally. Not sure if that's because the HV battery level got too low or some other reason.

Also it's got a bit of a fuel line leak around mid-body but only when under pressure (so, not leaking while off). Between that and the engine roughness I wouldn't try driving farther than a few miles with it unless you had a friend following you. That is assuming you could get it started.

As for $700 for the battery (assuming it's new enough for you.. don't know yet) I could probably get $400-600 just for the wheels.. tires have only 2 months on them, and I can get maybe $500 for the removable 3rd row seat. So if you want the battery and are willing to uninstall it make me an offer just for the battery so I can part out the rest of the truck, or offer a bit more for the whole vehicle. I'd consider something reasonable for all of it just to avoid the hassle of parting it out.

By the way the vehicle location is near Rochester NY.

after 45 days on non use(i.e off for 45 days) most places void the warranty how old is the battery? might be interested.. if it's been replaced recently
i'd give you 700$ for the whole thing? is it even drive able ?
 
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swathdiver

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Hi,

I have a 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid that is not driveable due to collapsed lifters and a couple other issues, including that a deer decided to do some bodywork on the left front corner around the same time. I guess when it pours it rains.

I bought it in 2018 and got to drive it for all of 2 months before it ate itself. Insurance didn't cover, and dealer bill was more than I paid for it, so I took quite a loss on it. I'm looking to recover what I can and move on. Since it's not driveable I'm thinking of parting it out.

Any suggestions on which parts are practical to part out, and potential buyers? I'm thinking specifically of the HV battery which I assume is of more interest to resellers/reconditioners than to end customers, but open for ideas on other parts also.

I was able to keep the HV battery charged for about 18 mos after the lifter issue (the engine would start, but ran very rough), but for the last 6 months it's sat idle, and I don't know how that affects the HV battery and whether it's still of value to a reconditioner or not.

Thanks

Sorry to hear about your misfortunes with this truck Paul. Was it this forum guys or GM-Trucks where someone was looking into feasability of deleting the hybrid system from their truck? Paul's rig could put them back on the road. The hood, front clip, rear hatch and appliques surrounding it are specific to the Hybrid and are of interest to people looking to customize their vehicles. The transmission is worth money too. The 2nd row seats are lighter as the frames are of aluminum.

Is this a 2WD truck or a 4x4? Where is the truck located?
 
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Toolin

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Regarding interest in salvaging lightweight body elements: deer strike mentioned in original post slightly dented the hood (could probably be pounded out), crumpled front left fender ahead of wheel well, cracked grill and bumper, and destroyed left front headlamp. Rear hatch and appliques are fine. Rest of body is in good condition (a few small rust bubbles under paint in a few places near edge/seams in panels). Color: black.

Engine is salvageable for someone who can do a valve job (that's what the dealership said it needed), or possibly disable the active fuel management feature (not sure). I've read on line that deactivating AFM requires a different camshaft but not sure if that's accurate.

Truck is 4wd.

Hybrid Transmission itself I think is ok but hybrid aux trans pump, harness and module were called out by dealership as needing to be replaced. Frankly I was suspicious how all 3 of those could fail simultaneously (and furthermore didn't seem to negatively affect driveability) but that's what the dealer said, so in full transparency I'm repeating it here.

As mentioned above, fuel line leaks (fast drip) under driver door area when under pressure.

That's pretty much all that I know is wrong with it. But would be as-is of course.

When it ran, I loved driving it (for the whole 2 months I drove it prior to lifter issue). Very roomy, had plenty of power and yet got 20 MPG city. Looked tough with the low profile and the decals. If you're a mechanic maybe can be back and running. These were going for 12-14k around here 2 yrs ago.

Truck is located outside of Rochester NY.


Sorry to hear about your misfortunes with this truck Paul. Was it this forum guys or GM-Trucks where someone was looking into feasability of deleting the hybrid system from their truck? Paul's rig could put them back on the road. The hood, front clip, rear hatch and appliques surrounding it are specific to the Hybrid and are of interest to people looking to customize their vehicles. The transmission is worth money too. The 2nd row seats are lighter as the frames are of aluminum.

Is this a 2WD truck or a 4x4? Where is the truck located?
 

swathdiver

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The fuel line leak is probably causing the rough idle, not enough fuel pressure or volume while at idle speeds. Collapsed lifters if caught early enough is also a pretty straight forward repair and as long as the camshaft was not damaged, does not require removal of the engine to make it whole again.

There's some value in the front axle and transfer case, especially if yours is a 2-speed unit. They are a sought after upgrade depending on the model.
 
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Toolin

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That's certainly food for thought.. I never considered that the (very) rough engine could be due to low fuel pressure due to the fuel line leak. I just took the dealership's word that some lifters had collapsed. I'm pretty sure the dealer didn't inspect the lifters directly so maybe they just guessed wrong.

Makes me wonder if the truck could be mostly driveable with just a simple fuel line repair. Yeah, I know replacing fuel lines is probably not "simple" given they can run up and over the trans, etc. Dealership wanted $1900 for fuel line replacement. is it practical to run a bypass set of fuel lines from the tank to the engine, even if just to verify this might fix the rough running?

And regarding your comment that collapsed lifters can be (yes, depending) a straightforward repair.. the dealership here quoted me $4500 just for that part of the job.. enough for me to consider buying a complete replacement engine instead. Do you think they were trying to hoodwink me? Yes, shocking though it may seem that a dealership might overcharge...

The fuel line leak is probably causing the rough idle, not enough fuel pressure or volume while at idle speeds. Collapsed lifters if caught early enough is also a pretty straight forward repair and as long as the camshaft was not damaged, does not require removal of the engine to make it whole again.

There's some value in the front axle and transfer case, especially if yours is a 2-speed unit. They are a sought after upgrade depending on the model.
 

BG1988

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The vehicle is a 2008. Not sure if the battery is original or a replacement, if that's what you're asking in terms of how old it is. I only bought the vehicle 2 years ago so I don't know it's full history. If there is a label I can look at for battery mfg date let me know where to look. Hopefully won't require removing the seat but if so I'll give it a go. Of course a reconditioned battery may or may not have the reconditioned date I suppose, so not sure if can go by a mfg label.

So as far as driveable, for a while after the lifter collapse yes you could drive it but off the line at low speeds it was rough and had very limited power.. as if it was running on 2 or 3 cylinders only. Once you got it up to speed it seemed like the rest of the cylinders kicked in and it was smoother. However eventually it would not start even when I charged the 12v battery externally. Not sure if that's because the HV battery level got too low or some other reason.

Also it's got a bit of a fuel line leak around mid-body but only when under pressure (so, not leaking while off). Between that and the engine roughness I wouldn't try driving farther than a few miles with it unless you had a friend following you. That is assuming you could get it started.

As for $700 for the battery (assuming it's new enough for you.. don't know yet) I could probably get $400-600 just for the wheels.. tires have only 2 months on them, and I can get maybe $500 for the removable 3rd row seat. So if you want the battery and are willing to uninstall it make me an offer just for the battery so I can part out the rest of the truck, or offer a bit more for the whole vehicle. I'd consider something reasonable for all of it just to avoid the hassle of parting it out.

By the way the vehicle location is near Rochester NY.
yeah for 3,000 miles it will cost 3-5k to have it sent over plus it has body damage that is part of the issue
 

BG1988

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When it ran, I loved driving it (for the whole 2 months I drove it prior to lifter issue). Very roomy, had plenty of power and yet got 20 MPG city. Looked tough with the low profile and the decals. If you're a mechanic maybe can be back and running. These were going for 12-14k around here 2 yrs ago.

Truck is located outside of Rochester NY.
too bad the price dropped significantly covid19 exposed KBB and NADA "price fixing" scheme they had going

KBB and NADAblue book are in the car selling business and happen to also "value cars/trucks" too..
 
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