Possible new 1999 Suburban Owner

[great white]

http://www.hptuners.com/products/vcmsuite_vehicles.php

GM V8, V6 Vortec Trucks
Years Avail. Model Type Single Vehicle
Credits Year/Model
Credits (Per Year)
98-00 Chevy Silverado / GMC Sierra 5.0, 5.7, 7.4 2 6
98-00 Chevy Tahoe 5.7 2 6
98-00 Chevy Suburban / GMC Yukon 5.7, 7.4 2 6
98-00 Chevy Express / GMC Savana 5.0, 5.7, 7.4 2 6
99-00 Cadillac Escalade 5.7 2 6
98-00 Chevy S10 / GMC Sonoma 4.3 2 6
98-00 Chevy Blazer 4.3 2 6
98-00 Chevy Silverado / GMC Sierra 4.3 2 6
98-00 Chevy Astro / GMC Safari 4.3 2 6
98-00 Chevy Express / GMC Savana 4.3 2 6
98-00 GMC Jimmy / Oldsmobile Bravada 4.3 2 6

Ah, they must have added it since I last looked....which, admittedly, was several years ago.

 

[sewlow]

Patience......


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Ditto. I looked for my '98 for almost a year. Looked @ 15 trucks before I found it.
My parameters were; 1 or 2 owner. Low miles. Original paint. No rust. Decently maintained. RCSB fleetside. 2whldr. Stick or auto., didn't matter. '96-'98.
I stuck to those guidelines. Refused to deviate. Eventually I got what I wanted. Had to travel almost 100 miles to get it.
Being fussy as that, meant that the truck was that much closer to being modded, than if I bought one that needed to be brought up to *****, maintenance-wise. The truck was a pleasure to drive. Never caused any undo probs, until those damn Vortec intake manifold gaskets went south. That was the first thing I did to my '97, when I purchased it!
I knew what I wanted, & what I was going to do to it. Even had most of the suspension mod parts before I purchased!

My '97 is a different story. I was keeping my eyes open for a winter beater. The '97 fell into my lap! Offered to me by a friend of a friend. I really wasn't looking for another GMT400. But, it was in even better shape than the '98 when I bought it! It was 10 miles from my place! Bought it 2 hours after the first time I saw it! It was just too nice to walk away from!

 

[GMRedline]

Welcome from Michigan! Looks like you already got a few helpers in here.


Sent from what is likely a government flagged smartphone. Tyler/T-Unit

Welcome

Sent from ®obland!

Thanks!

 

[GMRedline]

Ah, they must have added it since I last looked....which, admittedly, was several years ago.

I have been tuning Supercharged Ecotecs (Cobalt SS & Saturn ION Redlines) since 2008. I don't think the last years of Vortec was available back then. I don't plan on doing too much to the Burb but it's nice to know that as I make mods I have the ability to take full advantage by adjusting the tune.

I bought the truck listed in the first post of the thread. So starting from the top...

- The tires were not as bad as I originally thought. I will probably still replace them because I just don't like running mismatched tires.
- AC does not work. If a recharge kit doesn't work, I wouldn't mess with it further.
- Rear Gate opens with the Key. Unlock button does not work on the FOB. I'll start with FOB and go from there.
- CEL was a P0161. I cleared it right away and it did not come back on. I am not sure what criteria for throwing that CEL but they were not met with my extended test drive.
- I did not get any clunking sound from the front while braking. But this time the ABS light was on. There are a lot of good threads on this forum that provide many options for fixes.
- Seat, who cares.
- Dings, who cares.
- The truck drove truer with all the tires probably inflated. But there was still a lot of play in the steering wheel. But I found a few good threads covering that topic too.
- Nothing is "rusted through". It's at the point where I can still stay in front of it. I probably do my best amateur fix on the rust and dents this summer.

I logged the truck with HPTs during the trip and everything looked normal besides the LTFTs got up to 20%. It's not real surprising to see from a factory MAF calibration designed for the frigid North and the Arizona Dessert.

I don't have plans to make big HP/TQ with this truck. I will probably just help it inhale and exhale easier, clean up the Maf, and see where it likes timing for towing and fuel economy.

 

[great white]

A common fault point in the GM AC system is the cycling switch. It's in the accumulator. You can pop the connector off and jump the contacts. If the switch is the compressor clutch should run. Don't run it too long on a jumper, only a few seconds. If the refrigerant is low and you force it to run you can damage the pistons in the compressor.

The 99 should have what is known as the "belly leaker" compressor (GM HT6) if it still has it's OEM compressor. They leak from the center joint in the housing. The untreated aluminum corrodes and ti sneaker it's way in to where the sealing surface is. If the pressure is low, this is likely where it came out. Unfortunately, the only fix for it is replacement with a new HT6 or one of the Sanden replacement units. More refrigerant will leak out in a couple hours in a belly leaker, even if you pour some of the sealing "goops" in it.

The tailgate pop could be the actuator or the wiring. The wiring tends to break inside the "accordion boot" from the fatigue of years of opening and closing.

Lots of stuff could be loose steering: tie rod end, steering box, rag joint, etc. Only way to know is to get in there and check.