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2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali - Won't start some mornings - Battery see


Big Tom

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My Yukon is having issues and it's annoying my wife dearly.

 

It's a '07 Denali with 6.2L, we have some pretty harsh winters here in central Canada and it's got a bad habbit some mornings of just not starting. You get in, lights all come on, everything seems to have tonnes of juice vehicle was plugged in etc, and try the key nothing. Sometimes like today it fires up zero issues, wife drives it all around town doing errands then she'll stop in at one store, come out a few minutes later and won't start. So it was running/charging all day... then for no reason won't start.

 

 

To me, it's like the computer isn't engaging the starter. You hook up a charger or boost from someone and within seconds of hookup POOF it starts zero problems.

 

 

Do these trucks have some stupid voltage sensing that won't allow the starter to engage unless it sees a specific voltage? Because that's what it seems like to me it's doing, the voltage isn't quite "good" enough and it won't even try. You hook up a charger or boost and the voltage rises up enough it allows the starter to engage and away it goes.

 

It did this with the old battery it had when we bought it, so I swapped the battery and this is the first winter and it started doing it again.

 

 

I'm out of town of course and my wife is furious it won't start again this morning, so I told her to goto the store and buy twin 1000CCA batteries and this weekend I'm going to wire dual batteries in it and extra ground cables. If it doesn't cure the problem or at least stick a huge bandaid over the problem I might pawn this truck off cause when it's -45C out and your truck doesn't start, it's not worth keeping.

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There's a high probability of that being caused by the infamous GM ignition switch issue. I've had this happen with my Silverado on a handful of occasions over the years. Since I first heard of the problem, I have been using the remote start exclusively - even if I'm sitting in the truck. Will buy me some time before the inevitable, I figure.

 

EDIT just to add ....

 

I've run the battery down several times using the radio, and the truck will still attempt to start - you'll get the solenoid click / buzz. According to the owner's manual, there's supposed to be some lockout that protects the battery from that kind of rundown - supposed to kill the radio before that happens.

 

I have yet to see this feature work ...

 

Battery will be 8 years old in a few months, so I think I'll start shopping for a new one.

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My Yukon is having issues and it's annoying my wife dearly.

 

It's a '07 Denali with 6.2L, we have some pretty harsh winters here in central Canada and it's got a bad habbit some mornings of just not starting. You get in, lights all come on, everything seems to have tonnes of juice vehicle was plugged in etc, and try the key nothing. Sometimes like today it fires up zero issues, wife drives it all around town doing errands then she'll stop in at one store, come out a few minutes later and won't start. So it was running/charging all day... then for no reason won't start.

 

 

To me, it's like the computer isn't engaging the starter. You hook up a charger or boost from someone and within seconds of hookup POOF it starts zero problems.

 

 

Do these trucks have some stupid voltage sensing that won't allow the starter to engage unless it sees a specific voltage? Because that's what it seems like to me it's doing, the voltage isn't quite "good" enough and it won't even try. You hook up a charger or boost and the voltage rises up enough it allows the starter to engage and away it goes.

 

It did this with the old battery it had when we bought it, so I swapped the battery and this is the first winter and it started doing it again.

 

 

I'm out of town of course and my wife is furious it won't start again this morning, so I told her to goto the store and buy twin 1000CCA batteries and this weekend I'm going to wire dual batteries in it and extra ground cables. If it doesn't cure the problem or at least stick a huge bandaid over the problem I might pawn this truck off cause when it's -45C out and your truck doesn't start, it's not worth keeping.

 

When you say "I swapped the battery" does that mean you replaced the battery with a new one, or that you took the battery from a different vehicle and swapped it with the one from your truck?

 

Chances are pretty good that you have a bad connection on the battery cables. Remove and clean all battery cable connections. Both ends. I can't tell by your post if you know that there is more to dual batteries than just connecting them together in parallel.

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There's a high probability of that being caused by the infamous GM ignition switch issue. I've had this happen with my Silverado on a handful of occasions over the years. Since I first heard of the problem, I have been using the remote start exclusively - even if I'm sitting in the truck. Will buy me some time before the inevitable, I figure.

 

We use the factory remote start all the the time, sometimes it won't start with command start or the key... does the same thing.

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When you say "I swapped the battery" does that mean you replaced the battery with a new one, or that you took the battery from a different vehicle and swapped it with the one from your truck?

 

Chances are pretty good that you have a bad connection on the battery cables. Remove and clean all battery cable connections. Both ends. I can't tell by your post if you know that there is more to dual batteries than just connecting them together in parallel.

 

 

Swapped with a known good battery only 1 year old. The battery I removed was a 2yr old Napa GOLD and sat in the shop all year, did a load test on it a couple days ago (going to use it for a hunting trail camera) and still load tests good after sitting a year without being charged. So the new/old battery both seem/test like good batteries.

 

I've cleaned the positive post once when I first bought the truck due to a bit of corrosion, did the baking soda trick and cleaned it up good and put it all back together. Checked the other day still looks good/clean

 

 

So enlighten me what more there is to running dual batteries in this truck. I bought (2) new batteries with top & side posts, factory uses the top posts, got connectors for side posts, going to run both positive/ground off the side posts from one battery to the other, then on the second battery off the top posts run another ground to both the frame and engine block, then might even run a second positive to the alternator. I have a few spools of 4ga wiring from my car audio days so unless I can hunt down some of my old 1/0 wire that's what I intend to use. I debated a battery isolator since I know about differences in internal resistances of batteries can prematurely wreck them... but for the price of a couple batteries every few years meh... don't care I'll go the easy way.

 

There is room in the truck for a 2nd battery, and we have a couple parts trucks/cars out here on the farm so I can swipe a battery tray from one of them and get it installed so the battery will be secure.

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Why not have it checked out before throwing parts at it or " pawning it off" ? Probably somthing simple.

 

Because it's pissing me off. I work on the road alot, and this is my family truck for my wife and 3 kids... a truck that should and is capable of starting but for unknown reason is refusing to start I don't want nothing to do with it. Nothing worse than being 400 miles away and getting the call they are stuck in the middle of no where cause the truck won't start and it's -45 out

 

 

Took it in once, stealership was unable to "simulate" the problem, so here's a bill for shop time for us to try starting it in the morning and it worked just fine.

 

Why pay a bunch of money to have it "checked out" when instead you can take that money and throw parts at it?

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Swapped with a known good battery only 1 year old. The battery I removed was a 2yr old Napa GOLD and sat in the shop all year, did a load test on it a couple days ago (going to use it for a hunting trail camera) and still load tests good after sitting a year without being charged. So the new/old battery both seem/test like good batteries.

 

I've cleaned the positive post once when I first bought the truck due to a bit of corrosion, did the baking soda trick and cleaned it up good and put it all back together. Checked the other day still looks good/clean

 

 

So enlighten me what more there is to running dual batteries in this truck. I bought (2) new batteries with top & side posts, factory uses the top posts, got connectors for side posts, going to run both positive/ground off the side posts from one battery to the other, then on the second battery off the top posts run another ground to both the frame and engine block, then might even run a second positive to the alternator. I have a few spools of 4ga wiring from my car audio days so unless I can hunt down some of my old 1/0 wire that's what I intend to use. I debated a battery isolator since I know about differences in internal resistances of batteries can prematurely wreck them... but for the price of a couple batteries every few years meh... don't care I'll go the easy way.

 

There is room in the truck for a 2nd battery, and we have a couple parts trucks/cars out here on the farm so I can swipe a battery tray from one of them and get it installed so the battery will be secure.

 

Don't assume the battery connection is clean because you don't see any corrosion when looking at the cable. Remove the cables from the battery, use one of those t-shaped tools that are designed to clean both the cable terminal and the post on the battery. I have seen many instances where the cable terminals looked nearly like new, no corrosion at all. Take the cable off, and you will see that the surfaces on the post and inside the terminal are dull looking, and are covered in "tarnish" where they meet. That will stop a car from cranking over. Occasionally even a boost will not crank the engine due to that corrosion. Also, keep in mind there two ends to those cables as well. Plus the connection between the starter and the block, and any ground cables that run between engine and chassis, and chassis to frame, and body to frame.

 

If this only happens in extreme cold, then you likely have a connection that is just tight enough to make the connection when warm, but is not tight enough when extremely cold. Once a connection starts to go bad, it will go bad exponentially. When the truck has the no start issue, and the dome lights are on, and you try to start the engine, does the dome light go out as soon as they key hits the Start position?

 

The problem with not worrying about the damage to the batteries is there is no formula that will predict when the failure will take place. Could be a couple of years, could be a couple of months.

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Don't assume the battery connection is clean because you don't see any corrosion when looking at the cable. Remove the cables from the battery, use one of those t-shaped tools that are designed to clean both the cable terminal and the post on the battery. I have seen many instances where the cable terminals looked nearly like new, no corrosion at all. Take the cable off, and you will see that the surfaces on the post and inside the terminal are dull looking, and are covered in "tarnish" where they meet. That will stop a car from cranking over. Occasionally even a boost will not crank the engine due to that corrosion. Also, keep in mind there two ends to those cables as well. Plus the connection between the starter and the block, and any ground cables that run between engine and chassis, and chassis to frame, and body to frame.

 

If this only happens in extreme cold, then you likely have a connection that is just tight enough to make the connection when warm, but is not tight enough when extremely cold. Once a connection starts to go bad, it will go bad exponentially. When the truck has the no start issue, and the dome lights are on, and you try to start the engine, does the dome light go out as soon as they key hits the Start position?

 

The problem with not worrying about the damage to the batteries is there is no formula that will predict when the failure will take place. Could be a couple of years, could be a couple of months.

 

 

I have kept a good eye on the battery posts and yes I have the cleaning tool that cleans the posts and inside of the connectors, but I haven't torn down the ground/alternator/frame connections to check for corrosion there. I'm out at the farm this weekend anyway so I'll see if I can free up the hoist in the shop to get it up in the air and rip it all apart.

 

It happens it seems more often in extreme cold, but the last few days it's been -10 maybe -15 and it's done it. And the fact she drove around all morning then seriously shut it down for maybe a couple minutes then it wouldn't start again really makes me think bad connection or some sort of sensor that the computer isn't allowing the starter to even attempt. It's not like the good old days where even if the battery was near death it would still try and slowly wind the motor over, this one you can hear a click but the motor won't budge. Hook up the boosters or charger even at low amperage (ie 2A or 10A setting on the charger) and a minute or so later it fires up zero troubles. The fact the charger is on it for so short of a time to me means it's a voltage problem not a current problem because there is no way the charger put out enough power to wind the motor over, it's the battery still doing the work. And the fact it winds over so easily again to me at least the battery is good.. it's something afterwards. Not a good enough ground perhaps... loose connection perhaps... something is restricting the starter from engaging. Maybe a bad connection is providing the computer a bad voltage reading and won't crank it over?

 

When you try winding it over the headlights go out, DVD player and all that stuff stops, but that's the same if I recall as in the summer months as well. I know this because the kids always get mad when I start the truck cause it shuts off their movie :)

 

 

The batteries, being both twins and new, I'm not worried too much about it at least in the near future. We have semi's and combines and tractors and swathers at the farm with commonly 3 sometimes 4 batteries all simply ran in parallel and we'll still get 5+ years out of them. Pretty much all semi's have 4+ batteries in them all installed in parallel, and you don't often hear of them failing within months.

 

The problem as well with an isolator is I don't get the benefit of dual battery and piles of power for starting, I'd need either a starting relay which when the ignition is on shorts the 2 together bypassing the isolator, or else install a selector switch and manually when it doesn't start switch it for dual battery for starting which is kinof a pain in itself. If I go the dual battery route, including checking all connections and making a pile of new ones and the problem goes away throughout this winter, maybe in the summer months I'll look into rigging it up a bit better

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..........

 

 

Pretty much all semi's have 4+ batteries in them all installed in parallel, and you don't often hear of them failing within months.

 

....

That's because GM didn't built them .... :lol:

 

I feel your pain brother. I bought a new truck (in '07) because I wanted at least one vehicle that I wouldn't have to work on. Well, that bit me in the ass. Not only did I have to work on it, but the dealer did 100x under warranty .... and we all know how convenient that is. :sick:

 

LAST new vehicle purchase EVER. Next vehicle I buy, I will build.

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Well, kindof interesting.

 

Wife drove the truck out to the farm about 2hr drive on the highway so should be good and charged. Stayed out overnight at like -25C and started no problem in the morning. I took the truck to the other farm about 12 miles away with the heated shop with a hoist, removed the battery terminals and there was a minor amount of corrosion, like very minimal BUT some. I removed both battery terminals, and also the ground going to the block, cleaned it all up within an inch of it's life, was going to install the new batteries my wife picked up before she left the city and oh look, the nice guys at the battery depot gave her twin 550CCA batteries!

 

Nice. I might put something like that into my car... but not a 6.2L...

 

so no dual batteries at this point in time. I'm hoping the cleaning the connections really really good will make the difference but only time will tell. I checked the wires going to the alternator, didn't have enough time to remove/inspect but I did try wiggling them and they are solid as a rock so at least not loose.

 

 

Anyway button it up, close the hood, goto start it and it won't start!?!?!?

Been sitting in the heated shop, battery hardly even connected to it since I had it ripped apart to clean... and it won't start. Hook up the charger, turn it on and walk around the truck and POOF starts like a hot damn.

 

mother f'er...

 

 

SOOOO... maybe by some act of God I've got 2 goofy batteries back to back... as soon as I get to the city I'm getting the proper big boy one and replacing it... won't run dual batteries yet because I don't want to work outside in the cold running new power wires so I'm just hoping clean connections and a new battery will eliviate this problem.

 

If not I'll toss my wife the keys to my '93 GMC 1500 that's been sitting outside behind the garage unstarted for probably 4 months. At least I have confidence that old throttle body injected 5.7L with 380K on it will start at least...

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Yeah that's the sad reality of today.

 

I just went and looked at a 92 K3500 dually today for a neighbor. It was a total pile - all rotted out with mickey rigged body work in a POOR attempt to hide rot .... plus they painted over the hoses and everything in the engine compartment ... :lol: On our way back, we saw several trucks from the 60's to 80's, all with loads in the back or business signs on the doors, and all solid and in great shape. People are realizing the value of the older vehicles. It's making it damn near impossible to find the good ones left out there - everyone is holding on to them. Can't blame them one bit!

 

I sold my '94 K1500 with 266k miles on it. Never let me down once ... except the one tow home due to a hub bearing that puked all the big rollers out on my way to work. If that truck had a Dana 60 front & a manual tranny, it would be good to a million miles I'd bet.

 

I don't know whether to be pissed at GM engineers, GM corporate, or the EPA for all this hit-or-miss reliability B/S we have to deal with today .... :(

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On 11/15/2014 at 7:53 PM, Big Tom said:

Well, kindof interesting.

 

Wife drove the truck out to the farm about 2hr drive on the highway so should be good and charged. Stayed out overnight at like -25C and started no problem in the morning. I took the truck to the other farm about 12 miles away with the heated shop with a hoist, removed the battery terminals and there was a minor amount of corrosion, like very minimal BUT some. I removed both battery terminals, and also the ground going to the block, cleaned it all up within an inch of it's life, was going to install the new batteries my wife picked up before she left the city and oh look, the nice guys at the battery depot gave her twin 550CCA batteries!

 

Nice. I might put something like that into my car... but not a 6.2L...

 

so no dual batteries at this point in time. I'm hoping the cleaning the connections really really good will make the difference but only time will tell. I checked the wires going to the alternator, didn't have enough time to remove/inspect but I did try wiggling them and they are solid as a rock so at least not loose.

 

 

Anyway button it up, close the hood, goto start it and it won't start!?!?!?

Been sitting in the heated shop, battery hardly even connected to it since I had it ripped apart to clean... and it won't start. Hook up the charger, turn it on and walk around the truck and POOF starts like a hot damn.

 

mother f'er...

 

 

SOOOO... maybe by some act of God I've got 2 goofy batteries back to back... as soon as I get to the city I'm getting the proper big boy one and replacing it... won't run dual batteries yet because I don't want to work outside in the cold running new power wires so I'm just hoping clean connections and a new battery will eliviate this problem.

 

If not I'll toss my wife the keys to my '93 GMC 1500 that's been sitting outside behind the garage unstarted for probably 4 months. At least I have confidence that old throttle body injected 5.7L with 380K on it will start at least...

I'm having the exact same problem as the original poster. I've replaced 2 starters, 2 batteries, cleaned grounds and positive cables, and still have an intermittent no start... Closest I've come to figuring this issue out is that the voltage on the battery during the most recent failed was only 12.08 volts... Throw a battery pack on it and a few seconds later it starts. So maybe these starters have a fail safe in them that prevents them from spinning over if voltage is too low? I can hear the solenoid click when I crank it over, so it's engaging the starter... I'm thinking of installing a trickle charger on it at this point that we can plug in every night, but that's just bs... And won't help when it fails while out and about. Could it be the alternator isn't charging the battery enough?

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