RonnyRaygun

As many of you probably know, topping off the L5P Duramax Coolant Reservoir/Overflow tank is not really as simple as it may appear. Even if you add coolant to the overflow compartment of the "bottle" the fluid does not always make its way to the pressurized part of the unit. There are a bunch of videos on the web to get the coolant into the pressurized area of the tank, but I found a little (if time-consuming) way to do so that is quite easy. Now why do we find ourselves in the position of needing to do this in the first place. In my case, coincidentally right after a battery replacement, I got the dreaded "Low Coolant" message on my Driver Information Center display. Upon inspection of the coolant tank I found that the system was indeed low. Not realizing that the reservoir has two compartments (one pressurized like an old-fashioned radiator top/side tank, and another non-pressurized "overflow" container) I simply added coolant to the most easily accessed left-hand threaded fill neck. After that, the message did not come up on the display for a few days and then it showed persistently. That necessitated a change in the whole "bottle" (as termed by the local dealership's service manager "We do 2 or 3 a week." - GM 84257137 Radiator Surge Tank - find it here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JBBDW9Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). But that's for another thread. That is because the integrated coolant level sensor failed and cannot be removed and changed-out - thanks GM. Even my wife's 2006 AMG cls55 even had a changeable one! Anyway, this topic is just for a simple way to get coolant into the system's pressurized tank on the unit. After watching an online video (sorry I can't remember the guy so I can't give him proper credit ) I learned that there is a vent tube molded in the tank that allows expanded hot fluid to flow into the overflow portion of the tank. Keep in mind that if you simply add coolant to through the left-hand threaded cap at the top of the tank, it may not get onto that pressurized part of it. OK, enough with the suspense - read on. You can add coolant to the tank by doing the following: 1. Get a large syringe - I used 100 ml ones after I took the pictures attached to this post ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0768FKX9Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). 2. Remove the left-hand threaded cap from the top of the overflow portion of the tank. 3. Remove the right-hand threaded pressurized cap from the lower side of the tank near the fender below the hood hinge. Yep, there is a out-of-view second cap tucked in down there that has only a tiny weep hole behind it. 4. Using the syringe, add coolant into the little vent hole in the top neck of the tank just under where the left-hand threaded goes. Push it in quickly so it flows in to the tube and doesn't back-flow into the overflow portion of the tank. Don't worry if it does back-flow, as you can just draw it out of there and put it into the tube. 5. Repeat the injection of the fluid into that little top tube until the coolant reaches the weep hole behind where the right-hand threaded cap goes on the lower part of the bottle. You may need to use a mirror or the camera on your smartphone to observe this level. Once the fluid starts to flow out of this little hole you are done putting fluid in the pressurized part of the tank. 6. Add or remove coolant from the overflow portion of the tank to set the level to the top of the indicator arrows molded into the tank. 7. Re-install the caps an tighten them appropriately. 8. Use your garden hose to rinse the area and the tray under the tank. Now some of you may quibble with this method as being time-consuming and tedious, but I have found that it works adequately for topping off the system when low or after installing a new tank (to fix the faulty sensor induced "Low Coolant" message). If you are changing the tank, be sure to re-check the level after a run/cool down cycle or two to ensure as much air is removed. When doing the change-out just be careful to keep as much fluid from getting out of the system. I used a piece of small oxygen-generator tubing I had laying around to siphon as much coolant out of the tank prior to removal - again time consuming but effective so be patient. That coolant was properly discarded because it had some flaky black stuff in it from several years of operation. Using this procedure does not require any fancy air purging devices as long as care is taken to minimize the introduction of air into the system. And, you will have that giant syringe for other non-sterile fluid aspiration/dispense projects in your shop. Happy motoring!

Hey Mike, I watched the video and was very impressed with the install. It is interesting to note that the spendy little AmpPro AP4-GM61 is specified for vehicles with the Bose system and they install it on the non-Bose anyway (as well as others in the comments). It is confusing to the consumer as to why the are spec'd that way but it sure seems to work. I did learn the correct door panel removal technique from the video though. I was originally removing them the old fashioned (not "old school") way along with the inner weather strip/sill at the top. It is nice to know that part can be safely separated because it is a pain to get back on if not done that way. The speaker mounts they use seem to be less stout than the OEMs that I used (and shallow so as to need the foam "tunnels"), but a professional is not going to want to take the time to do the modification I describe. They also add a ton of what appears to be sound deadening material to the inner door frame. My swap-out was kept as simple as possible with an eye toward simplicity and cost mitigation. Additionally, one of my videos shows how to get the speaker out without completely removing the door trim panel. This helps keep it simple and reduces the wear on the panel retention clips. While I did not post a video of the dash tweeter work I did, the pictures below show the use of the connector removed from the OEM speaker to make a harness. The Kicker 47KSC2704 units come with brackets that will drop right in to the original dash location - no drilling or cutting. They also come with proper capacitors to filter the signal going to them. The overriding goal is to not make irreversible changes to the vehicle so as to keep it as stock as possible. Although I plan on keeping the truck for a long time, someone down the road will appreciate my not hacking parts of it off to make room for non-stock equipment (Like some moron back in the 70's did to my '67 GTO pop-top to install Jensen 6x9s in the doors!) The ideas shared on this site are so helpful in keeping these trucks as nice as possible. To that end, I hope I am doing my part. Enjoy!

Also, good information for those looking to upgrade. Again, my use of the old speakers to make the brackets and connections keeps them off the shelf and out of the landfill. And, they are much more robust than anything I have seen in the aftermarket space. I suspect that GM spent a lot to engineer them. They have features like a mounting bolt bushing to prevent the plastic from being crushed and damaged during installation. That feature alone is desirable as it allows significant torque to keep the unit from coming loose and rattling - speakers do vibrate a bit. There is also a deflector molded in that is either for sound or to keep water that might get in the door from getting on the speaker. Last, they have that little metal clip that holds the assembly in the door before the bolt is installed - a small but convenient feature. I do agree that upgrading the amp will produce more and better sound. However, for me, after five decades of blasting rock and roll I have to limit the potential for me to damage my auditory sense. I even have to wear hearing protection (so far just cotton) when the wife and I go to see Sammy. But, for many out there installing more powerful equipment is understandable. Especially when you consider that many new amps are very reasonably priced. A about two years ago I installed an 1100 watt 5-channel amp in my daughter's 2003 MB ML500 for about $130. They have come up in price since then, but are not at what they were 10 or 15 years ago. The OEM fiber-optic connection between the CD changer and the head gave out and killed the hole system (stupid design). I put a new transducer on the board buried deep in the head - worked once for 20 seconds and messed up the traces on the board on the second try. I got her a cheap head with no CD for about $110 at Best Buy that had Bluetooth, Pandora, speakerphone, etc. The whole thing was done for about $250 and she loved it. So, I am not against doing an amp upgrade - I just can't trust myself with that power with these old ears.

Good find. When I was doing the work on my truck I did not find these connectors - only ones for earlier models were listed. The other part of my suggestion is to use the old speakers to make mounts for the new speakers - since the old ones will be either discarded or collect dust on the shelf. The Metra brackets I ordered were too shallow to engage the speakers with the door panels on re-installation. The OEM parts are much stronger and have design features that are not on the aftermarket parts (i.e. integrated deflector and mount clip). Thanks for looking at the post. Is that a Vizsla in your profile pic?

In these videos I show you how to install Kicker speakers in a 2018 Chevy Silverado 2500hd Crew Cab. I use the OEM speakers to make mounts for the replacements. This is great for a DIY dude or dudette, but probably too time consuming for a pro due to the time needed to perform the modifications. I did this for several reasons: 1. The original speakers failed. 2. I could not find the correct connectors to attach to the truck's wiring harness. 3. The aftermarket mounting brackets I could find were flimsy and had poor dimensional designs. You can find the videos here: Front: https://rumble.com/vgkdnl-2018-chevy-silverado-front-speaker-replacement.html Rear: https://rumble.com/vgkemv-2018-silverado-crew-cab-rear-speaker-replacement.html I also replaced the dashboard speakers using the connectors from the OEM ones. I did not make a video for those but have included some pictures here to give you an idea of how that was done. The Kickers work pretty good; they are not the fanciest, but are reasonably priced and able to handle all the power the original GM system can throw at them. Under normal listening volume levels they work perfectly. When blasting some Robin Trower or Sammy Hagar at full volume, you will get some distortion. But, well engineered music (e.g. Supertramp "Rudy", Pink Floyd "Any Colour You Like") can be played at full throttle with excellent results - I have to be careful with that! I hope this information helps.