New addition to the fleet 2005 Tahoe. So questions...

Just got home with a new to me 2005 Tahoe. Has 148k miles, needs some maintenance and a thorough cleaning, has a few dents, but I got it for $4800 so there is a good bit of room in the budget to cover the needed work. Plan on making this the trip monster once I get it up to snuff. So, on to the questions...

• Where is the best place to get a factory service manual? PDF or CD is fine (should I just look on evilbay?) Or is Chilton or Haynes good enough?

• Where is the best place to get a new key fob/remote? Can it be programmed by me or do I need a dealer or locksmith?

• It has the autoride suspension, what does this do and what replacement dampers are available? Should I suck it up and go factory, are there compatible aftermarket dampers, or just use "normal" dampers and live with the notification on the dash?

• The display showing the selected gear is not visible. Is this a case of needs the entire panel replaced or just a bulb? If panel is there a fix or suck it up and buy a new one?

• Does this have Displacement on Demand? If so, should I be worried? Should I fix something before it leaves me stranded?

• What preventative maintenance does the hive recommend? I plan on doing all the fluids (coolant, brakes, front & rear differential, transfer case, transmission, engine oil), air filter. What else?

• Any good brand/model specific forums? To supplement the great info available here, of course!

Oh, and it's dark outside so I'll try to get pics up tomorrow.

I don't think the cylinder deactivation happened until the Gen 4 engine in the GMT900.

No DOD. You can program a fob. I'll mail you one if you need, have one left over from the alavanche. Tip: dollar tree has fob batteries in 2 packs for $1.

In reply to patgizz:

I'd love a cheapie fob. Registered with a yahoo account so PM's don't work. Email me at 914steve on the excite network if you would be so kind. Thanks for the tip on Dollar Tree, I might swing by there later today...

Ok, so I ordered a factory service manual on DVD off evilbay. Also ordered some maintenance parts from Rockauto (front wheel bearings, knock sensors & harness being the major ones).

Gonna spend some time later today working on cleanup...

In reply to secretariata:

i also have a powerstop front brake kit(drilled rotors/ceramic pads) and possibly some other leftovers that you can have well below retail if needed. i tend to buy maintenance parts ahead of time, and didn't get to put them on before i traded it in.

patgizz wrote: In reply to secretariata: i also have a powerstop front brake kit(drilled rotors/ceramic pads) and possibly some other leftovers that you can have well below retail if needed. i tend to buy maintenance parts ahead of time, and didn't get to put them on before i traded it in.

Pat,

Let me know what you want for the brake kit and what other items you have. I'm planning to keep this one for a while. 914steve "@" excite (dot) com.

So, more questions...

Who do you guys use for touch up paint? I need to get one of the pens and a spray can for this beast and one of our other cars.

If I need parts that aren't available from aftermarket suppliers is there a good discount online retailer for OEM parts?

Are OEM parts specifically preferred or better for any particular parts or categories? I believe some vehicles the OEM parts are preferred for ignition parts.

GM's don't seem to care on oe ignition parts to stay running but longetivity oe is better just may not be cheap unless you can tolerate used.

GM parts would seem to be oe only, are normally readily available in the aftermarket.

Gmpartsdirect.com or gmpartsnow.com are decent online dealers but communication sucks. I sat waiting a week plus on ordered parts with no email saying they had to wait for parts to come in from the supply chain.

i use rockauto to look up the part numbers and most of the time it's cheaper from amazon after shipping.

I have nothing to add other than I've been thinking of selling my 2002 Camry and buying a Tahoe. Mainly because it seems that my car get beaten to death when I'm not driving it, so I'm better off with something with real bumpers that will put up a fight in a parking lot.

I also never drive anymore, maybe 3,000 miles a year. I don't give a crap about gas mileage anymore. Might as well get something with a V8 that can tow my utility trailer with authority.

Ok, so I've been busy with life & stuff now back the the Roadho...Got the front wheel bearings, brake rotors & pads done along with some cleanup.

I have the knock sensors and associated harness in my possession. To replace these, the intake manifold has to come off. So, what other preventive maintenance should I plan while I'm in there? Vehicle has approximately 149k miles on it at this time.

patgizz wrote: No DOD. You can program a fob. I'll mail you one if you need, have one left over from the alavanche. Tip: dollar tree has fob batteries in 2 packs for $1.

If the OP does not take the Fob would it work on my 2003 GMC Sierra?

In reply to dean1484: If you can get Pat to respond, go ahead & take it. I haven't heard from him. Was interested in that and the brake kit. Already did the brakes as I'm road tripping this week in the Roadho...

So dragging this thread back from the dead.

When I replace the knock sensors and have the intake manifold off, what else should I consider as preventative maintenance? Should I go ahead and do the head gaskets with 149k miles?

My son has one, 285k miles, minimal maintenance. Had to taxi him around yesterday, SO had to drive it as her Lexus was in the shop. He thought that was very funny.

secretariata wrote: So dragging this thread back from the dead. When I replace the knock sensors and have the intake manifold off, what else should I consider as preventative maintenance? Should I go ahead and do the head gaskets with 149k miles?

I would never pull the heads if they don't need it.

Cam and a tune with some nice headers wakes these up dramatically. And doesn't hurt fuel economy while cruising if tuned/cammed properly. Throw a 2800-3000 stall converter at it and they get properly entertaining 0-60. I know, not what you are going to use it for, but I thought I'd put it out there...cams are easy and can be done without pulling the rad...

Pulling the intake for knock sensors was pretty easy. I don't think I did anything else "while I was in there." Replacement Autoride shocks are expensive. There are "standard conversion" kits that include a plug to keep the light off in the dash. Arnott maybe?

secretariata wrote: In reply to dean1484: If you can get Pat to respond, go ahead & take it. I haven't heard from him. Was interested in that and the brake kit. Already did the brakes as I'm road tripping this week in the Roadho...

Sorry, Life got insane and i never remembered this thread.

If any of you gmt400 guys need a fob, pm me in a couple weeks to ensure I'm recovered from the challenge and I'll mail it out