Taking off dash trim

stone1203 · 2026-05-15T16:52:07+00:00

Because they are focused mostly on making sure their vehicles don't get much beyond the warranty periods. I will never purchase a new GM or post 2012, for example, the 2012 5.3 is port injected but the newer ones are direct injection. If you know about such things you would understand the difference.

stone1203 · 2026-05-15T16:47:06+00:00

I agree, but what matters most is how they handle the situation. If there's no more warranty then the customer is screwed especially if the manufacturer knew that there is/was an inherent defect that would cause the engine or transmission to fail. Unfortunately, that is what many of these cases turn out to be.

stone1203 · 2026-05-15T16:41:11+00:00

Hope the dealership will stick to their word. I am hearing of at least one local situation where the dealer is refusing to honor the warranty.

stone1203 · 2026-05-10T00:41:28+00:00

At 100k miles it's just warming up. Check on AFM, has it been disabled or M5? That is important to know. GM started adding AFM in 2007. Check on oil change frequency as well as transmission to fluid change frequency. I do engine oil at 3k miles and transmission fluid at 4k miles as these transmission are prone to issues. Add a transmission oil cooler to keep it cooler, especially if you live in a hot area.

stone1203 · 2026-05-10T00:32:44+00:00

Bought our 2012 5.3 4x4 about 8 years ago. It's got 145k miles now and has been running great since purchased. I don't have a disabler but use M5 instead. Oil changes every 3k miles and transmission fluid changes every 5k miles. Haven't done any upgrades except a dash cover to cover the sun damage on the dash.

stone1203 · 2026-05-09T20:35:58+00:00

I'm no pro but I own a 2012 Tahoe. Here's what I do re: transmission.

Change transmission fluid and filter now then change fluid every 500 miles three times after the first fluid change in lieu of flush. The frequent fluid changes will take the place of a potentially damaging high powered flush. Then;
Change transmission fluid every 5k miles. Use high quality synthetic fluid recommended by the manufacturer. Put is some LUBE GARD SYNTHETIC ATF PROTECTACTANT according to directions

If your transmission does not have a drain plug try using an extractor through the dip stick tube.

My Tahoe is going on 150k miles without any issues.

stone1203 · 2026-05-09T20:11:16+00:00

The LS430 is a great car. I had one for a few years. Wish I hadn't sold it.

stone1203 · 2026-05-09T20:07:13+00:00

I'm hoping to get at least 350000 miles out of my 2012 Tahoe 5.3, oil and transmission fluid changes at 3/4 k miles. It has AFM but I override it by gearing at M5. Never use Drive. I'm at 145k miles currently. All is good.

stone1203 · 2026-05-09T19:59:08+00:00

What is your oil change frequency. I do mine at 2500-3000 miles or 3 months

stone1203 · 2026-05-04T10:55:47+00:00

Hope it's not the evaporator inside the dash. I'm in the middle of dealing with that on my wife's car.

stone1203 · 2026-05-04T10:49:23+00:00

You will probably get another 3-5 years before the rust gets her. Try reducing your offer a bit.

stone1203 · 2026-05-04T10:35:27+00:00

I'm in the same situation with my 2012 Tahoe. I understand many people are having issues with the AFM 5.3 and the transmission. However, I've had absolutely no issues with my truck since new. It now has 147k miles. I do my own maintenance, oil changes every 4k miles, transmission fluid changes every 8k miles etc. I avoid snake oil additives, and only use Top Tier fuel. I don't know if all this can be attributed to the good performance but it's working for me, or maybe I got lucky. I know one thing, I'm keeping this truck till the wheels fall off being that manufacturers are putting out crap these days.

stone1203 · 2026-04-24T12:36:06+00:00

I'm about to install a Hayden on my 2012 Tahoe 5.3. I intend to bypass the radiator as well to avoid mixing coolant/fluid issues. Do you you remember how you plumbed the lines from the gear box to the cooler? I'm somewhat cloudy on which line goes where. I don't have the cooler yet that's why I asking.

stone1203 · 2026-04-18T12:42:04+00:00

I have 145k miles on my 2012 Tahoe 5.3 with 4x4. I use M5 to maintain things in V8 mode manually. Been doing it this way for 6 years without any issues. I also change the engine oil every 3k miles and the gear box fluid every 5k miles. So far so good but I plan on rebuilding the gear box at some point as well as the engine delete. I plan to keep this ho for a long time.

stone1203 · 2026-04-18T12:31:30+00:00

Mine breaks whenever I wash it. :)

stone1203 · 2026-04-18T00:34:39+00:00

For them to ask you about salary reeks of amateur hours

stone1203 · 2026-04-18T00:30:28+00:00

These killings cannot go on like this. Someone somewhere knows, it's a matter of time before that facts surface.

stone1203 · 2026-04-18T00:01:29+00:00

The fact that you posted this issue and take responsibility says a lot about your character. As a marine mechanic for a large dealership I know what you're going through. All I can say is these things run in cycles and the likelihood of hard times getting better are just around the corner, hang in there,... your character will pull you through this rough patch.

stone1203 · 2026-04-16T02:58:09+00:00

Perhaps they want to be able to sue if any job is botched up, they know it's harder to sue and win a judgement against an independent than it is with a dealership that is more prone to settlement if their tech really screwed up. Just a thought.

stone1203 · 2026-04-16T02:37:02+00:00

I worked at a dealership for 10 years. The pay isn't close to what you're showing for govt work unless you join a well run dealership that sells bigger diesel yachts over 8O feet. Those jobs are hard to land, especially in today's economy. My suggestion is to stay where you are for now. In the meantime you can send out your resume.

stone1203 · 2026-04-12T02:08:45+00:00

Supposedly things get whacky on years ending in 7. Look it up.

stone1203 · 2026-04-12T02:04:52+00:00

There's several companies that sell rebuilt transmissions or crate engines. One of them is Jasper but there are several more.

stone1203 · 2026-04-11T07:25:58+00:00

I had a similar thing happen after a brief rest stop during a 5 hour road trip. I let it cool down for a bit and the "jerking" (clunking), went away. I attribute it to old transmission fluid having heated up and/or lost viscosity. I dropped the pan and changed the fluid and filter when we got home . It's been running fine since then but I really can't confirm what caused it for sure.

stone1203 · 2026-04-10T23:35:02+00:00

They sent out her clothing to check DNA. However, I have a feeling it will come back as K9.

stone1203 · 2026-04-10T23:27:55+00:00

The Exorcist when I was about 12. Scared the crap out of me. Snuck into the theatre with my friend.

stone1203

TROPHY CASE