2014 Yukon XL Denali - Pre-Purchase Inspection (AWD System)

[JayShopper]

2014 Yukon XL Denali, just had a pre-purchase inspection done. 130k miles. Fluids need to be exchanged, as I expected would be the case. They also listed spark plug replacement, power steering pump replacement, oil pan gasket replacement....but the worst line item is for:

"Remove & Replace AWD Main Bearings" and this item, including the Engine Crankshaft Seal Kit ($78), is $4500. Is that a legitimate cost for this service? The other items seemed high, but were not nearly as surprising as this one. The inspection noted "Oil Pan leaking. Rear main seal leaking, oil running down flywheel. Recommend replacing rear main seal, oil pan gasket and oil cooler line gasket that mounts to oil pan" but I don't see anything that says "bearings" The inspection also notes the rear shocks, but I don't see those listed in the actual jobs they bid out to me, unless that's what is included in the AWD main bearings?

This shop comes highly rated so I somewhat trust their information but just trying to understand.

 

[j91z28d1]

the oil pan gasket, rear main seal and the oil cooler line seal are all good things to change. common problems, but while the pan is off make sure they change the oil pump. o'ring with the correct one. that's a common sense failure and 2 min job with the pan off. nightmare job requiring every to come back apart later for a 2$ part.

the awd stuff, I have no clue. hopefully guys with awd will chime in. I've haven't seen any posts talking about awd main bearing

 

[wjburken]

2014 Yukon XL Denali, just had a pre-purchase inspection done. 130k miles. Fluids need to be exchanged, as I expected would be the case. They also listed spark plug replacement, power steering pump replacement, oil pan gasket replacement....but the worst line item is for:

"Remove & Replace AWD Main Bearings" and this item, including the Engine Crankshaft Seal Kit ($78), is $4500. Is that a legitimate cost for this service? The other items seemed high, but were not nearly as surprising as this one. The inspection noted "Oil Pan leaking. Rear main seal leaking, oil running down flywheel. Recommend replacing rear main seal, oil pan gasket and oil cooler line gasket that mounts to oil pan" but I don't see anything that says "bearings" The inspection also notes the rear shocks, but I don't see those listed in the actual jobs they bid out to me, unless that's what is included in the AWD main bearings?

This shop comes highly rated so I somewhat trust their information but just trying to understand.

Welcome to the forum from Iowa.

Can you post a picture of the list you received?

That’s a rather long list. Replacing the rear main seal, if it in fact is leaking, requires the transmission to be removed, which also requires the transfer case and front and rear drive shafts. This is a lot of labor for a $40 part, but it is what it is. Replacing the front crankshaft seal requires a lot less work, but still takes some time,

Oil pan gasket and cooler line gaskets are rather easy. If you have them pull the pan to replace the pan gasket, have them replace to o-ring on the pick up tube as well.

Rear shocks are a wear item and at 130K, are due to be replaced if they are original.

Before I bought a vehicle needing $4500 worth of work, I’d get a second opinion unless you can do the euro yourself and save a bunch on labor.

I am not familiar with AWD bearings and I’m on my 3rd AWD Denali of this generation. You might ask them to explain this one a little better. It could be wheel bearings, front differential issues, etc.

Others might be able to shed some more light than I have.

 

[Doubeleive]

Ya awd main bearings is nonsense, they must be referring to something else and making it sound important enough to get a bite you need a better break down of the repairs

 

[Doubeleive]

Another thing, good quality work is always a good thing but sometimes that comes with some "upsell" and higher cost, throwing around "awd main bearings" is not a commonly used term, so of course ask questions.

 

[petethepug]

Whoever did the pre inspection did a great job for you. Replace AWD bearings sounds terribly great (for you). A 100k AWD major service is about a grand. Typically that’s when you would replace motor mounts, oil pan gasket & previously mentioned $2 oil pump O ring.

If you really want to do well on the purchase of the truck negotiate the rear main seal, lack to 100k major service and oil pan gasket. Hang some doubt on the trans too. The win come if you can negotiate a service contract (S/C) in on the deal.

In ‘14 our 1 owner 08 YXL Denali had 140K miles and a similar history. We bought a S/C a year after owning it for $3.8k. It paid for the price of the $20k truck + a few thousand more.

Verify your S/C will cover the z55 struts and rear air bags, trans, motor mounts, radiator, motor and the AFM plus the steering rack. You will bank on the deal.

It’s a rare find and the S/C will CYA in this economy with labor prices so crazy. Your gonna love that truck.

 

[JayShopper]

Thank you for all the replies, I appreciate the feedback. We had already purchased the car and had two days to return it. We drove it some more and decided not to return it and will take care of the issues going forward. I'm going to take it to another mechanic I've been to for my other car and see what he says. Below are the red items in the findings, and I'll post again to show the quoted items/prices.

 

[JayShopper]

Here were the quoted items....I still can't tell what the "bearings" part of the quote has anything to do with? Even if the rear main seal is a lot of work for a small part it doesn't sound like it's $4k worth of labor??

The spark plugs weren't actually pulled and looked at, the report said the wire style is known for breaking during removal so they didn't remove them but still did recommend replacing.

Also you can see they noted the brake fluid needing to be exchanged but that didn't make it's way to the quoted jobs (same with the rear shocks)

 

[wjburken]

Here were the quoted items....I still can't tell what the "bearings" part of the quote has anything to do with? Even if the rear main seal is a lot of work for a small part it doesn't sound like it's $4k worth of labor??

The spark plugs weren't actually pulled and looked at, the report said the wire style is known for breaking during removal so they didn't remove them but still did recommend replacing.

Also you can see they noted the brake fluid needing to be exchanged but that didn't make it's way to the quoted jobs.

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View attachment 424511

Looks to me the AWD main bearings comment is referring to replacing the front crank shaft seal and the rear main seal. Between pulling the transmission, transfer case for the rear main seal and then the crank pulley and all the stuff necessary to get to the front cranks seal, it will take some time. I’m not familiar with standard time for those items or the shops hourly rate, but $4500? Even at $200/hr, that’s 22.5 hrs which seems a little high.

I would not be surprised if the rear main was leaking, but I’d make sure it’s not something else higher up like the oil pressure sensor or a valve cover gasket.

The rest of your list, minus the oil pan gasket, is pretty much stuff that should be done anytime you buy a used vehicle.

The oil pan does require that the front differential be dropped as well as the steering rack loosened.

As I mentioned earlier, the rear shocks are a wear item.

 

[JayShopper]

Thanks, none of it was all that surprising other than the $4500 labor item. I think their other price seem fairly high as well but at least make some sense.

 

[Doubeleive]

WOW that's a lot of mark up
the "bearings" may very well be meaning the rear main seal, but still you can get that done elsewhere for under $1k
oil pan is not so bad
plugs/wires is marked up
transmission service at that price should include a new filter, rather than just exchange of fluid
power steering flush is marked up
rear shocks you can diy for around $600 w/arnott z55, plus you get $50 core credit each oem shock core returned so around $500

 

[j91z28d1]

800$ to do plugs and wires.

I need a side gig lol.


most of that inspection is crap.

as said, all looks like normal stuff.

 

[j91z28d1]

looking at this again.

remove and replace AWD: was how they listed everything. they just left off the :

I think they are talking about the engine main bearings. the one thing that will never fail on your ls without catastrophic engine failure.

that inspection isn't worth the paperwork it was printed on. Just do the regular fluid changes that are past do. put back some money for a oil pan gasket when it starts dripping.

do the rear shocks. there's a youtube video of a 18 year old kid doing them with like 4 wrenches and a jack.

Crumple that paper up and throw it away

 

[petethepug]

The pre inspection report (PIR) gives the buyer leverage. Just like a dealer gives new customers “safety inspections” in exchange for a laundry list of potential mechanical failures to create urgency and fear, the PIR is the equivalent for the customer to say GTFO of here with that selling price.

Even if the PIR is slanted, difficult to interpret and some of it is potentially true, that benefits the buyer immensely. It the dealer that’s going to want to crumble up the PIR, not the buyer. The PIR was done well on the buyers behalf this round.

 

[petethepug]

Ahhhrg! I posted before I saw all your updates and reports.

Glad you kept it. We took our 09 Escalade Platinum to a diesel truck Indi shop for the trans service. Our trucks are light weights compared to what they wrench on so they enjoy pulling the trans to access the rear main and don’t overcharge.

When the trans is out for the rear main seal it’s a mechanics dream for 90% of the heavy line work that normally requires other parts moved or removed.

 

[MWD_CTSV]

Thanks, none of it was all that surprising other than the $4500 labor item. I think their other price seem fairly high as well but at least make some sense.

I agree with @wjburken, they are making a note that it is AWD, because it adds to the complexity of replacing the main bearings. I suspect the oil pressure is low enough (possibly a bad pressure sensor), or maybe a failing pickup o-ring, that they would think it needs new bearings. I think it is highly unlikely that the main bearings are bad, but essentially you have to take off everything on the front of the engine and behind it and beneath it just to get the crank out. Of course now that I think about it, it would probably be much faster to pull the engine out. So the labor is probably minimum $3000, and the bearings are another $100. If you need to resurface the crank that is another $300. It adds up quick. But realistically the odds of bad bearings is pretty low, and the only way you can really know they are bad is to remove the oil pan and inspect them, so it seems a little ridiculous to quote something like that.

 

[MWD_CTSV]

Definitely recommend replacing all the fluids. The flywheel looks pretty dry to me. The inspection hole is wet because oil leaks drip down the outside of the bell housing to that low spot. Either from the oil cooler gasket or the oil pressure switch or both.