Hello From California

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

LTSpenny

TYF Newbie
Joined
Jan 19, 2026
Posts
15
Reaction score
15
Hello, im new here. From California, just purchased a 2009 Suburban and a 2016 Tahoe this past month. Have lots of kids and one more on the way so family needed vehicle upgrades. Decided the trade off between buying used with parts needing to be replaced or worked on was a more economical choice than purchasing a brand new vehicle. Im a 20 year coast guard active duty member. Machinery Technician but currently do HVAC and handyman jobs. Used to work on large alcos and small boat hondas. Have plenty of certifications for those. New to the deep end of automotive repair (have done tear down and rebuilds but want more experience in automotive diagnostic) and whats currently my biggest headache “emissions” in CA.
My work has primarily been heres a part replace it and the how or why are we doing it getting barely any attention. Would love to learn more about automotive repair. Planning on getting a mid way vehicle scanner soon as i only have an amazon one. My hobbies include scale trains, model kits and anything my children are into. Ive struggled with rhumatoid arthritis these past few years leading me into depression due to how it has affected my hands but have been recently re energized by being able to work on my vehicles. Excited to learn more and help where and when i can.
 

Joseph Garcia

Elite Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Posts
10,520
Reaction score
15,263
Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the trucks, please.

Read this Forum daily, and you will learn more about these trucks than in any repair manual.

You mentioned 'scanner'. I recommend that you get yourself a quality bi-directional scanner (~$500, Autel for instance) to add to your tool box. Then, you will be able to read ALL trouble codes, along with a brief explanation/pointer to the source of your issue. You can test many of the truck's electronic functions with the scanner, in order to determine the source of an issue. You will also be able to reset/delete trouble codes, after taking corrective action. You will literally save thousands of dollars in diagnostic and repair costs over the life of your truck, and you will most likely recoup the cost of the scanner within 1 year.
 

Coveman

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2021
Posts
151
Reaction score
247
Welcome to the forum! Thank you for your service, several active vets on the site.

+1 on investing in a quality bi-directional scanner, they’re essential for troubleshooting and repair of these trucks. I’ve begun learning oscilloscope as well and there are several folks onboard that are really knowledgable about custom tunes. All great areas to learn up on!
 

Eighthtry

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2022
Posts
102
Reaction score
95
Hello, im new here. From California, just purchased a 2009 Suburban and a 2016 Tahoe this past month. Have lots of kids and one more on the way so family needed vehicle upgrades. Decided the trade off between buying used with parts needing to be replaced or worked on was a more economical choice than purchasing a brand new vehicle. Im a 20 year coast guard active duty member. Machinery Technician but currently do HVAC and handyman jobs. Used to work on large alcos and small boat hondas. Have plenty of certifications for those. New to the deep end of automotive repair (have done tear down and rebuilds but want more experience in automotive diagnostic) and whats currently my biggest headache “emissions” in CA.
My work has primarily been heres a part replace it and the how or why are we doing it getting barely any attention. Would love to learn more about automotive repair. Planning on getting a mid way vehicle scanner soon as i only have an amazon one. My hobbies include scale trains, model kits and anything my children are into. Ive struggled with rhumatoid arthritis these past few years leading me into depression due to how it has affected my hands but have been recently re energized by being able to work on my vehicles. Excited to learn more and help where and when i can.
I like your choices for driving. Newer trucks are too complicated.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
138,037
Posts
1,997,584
Members
102,974
Latest member
kikeap
Back
Top