What did you do with your truck/shop today

[RyanbabZ71]

What happened to the good ol' days? LOL

 

Yesterday morning I woke up to the passenger low beam out. I replaced both low beams rather than waiting for the driver side to go out. Found a video from 1A Auto on how to replace the bulbs.

 

I went from this:

 

To this just to replace the bulbs.

 

Once I was able to get the clips to pop out it was a piece of cake to do. Took me a little longer than it should have though. I read that there are 4 clips holding the grill on the 2011 Silverado. I discovered this truck has 6. I could not figure out why the grill just didn't pop off like in the video. I literally smacked my head when I figured it out. LOL Once the new bulbs were in it took less than 10 minutes to put back together. Wasn't too bad.

Wow I changed mine a few months ago I was able to remove the intake and replace the light. Took less than 15 mins

 

 

Ryan

[wehowardjr]

Once I got the grill off it too about 20 minutes total, including putting it all back together.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710T using Tapatalk

[Daryl LBZ]

I had a terrible experience with those ThermoQuiets. I had to STAND on the pedal when I had the car trailer loaded. Was ridiculous. Immediately noticed the high effort braking the day I installed them. Ran them for 11k miles or so, and threw them in the trash - weren't even worn to 50% yet. I just couldn't take it anymore. Might have got a defective set or something (screwed up the compound? Who knows).

 

I had ThermoQuiets on our Grand Marquis, and that thing would launch the passenger into the dash with a quick stab of the pedal. [emoji38] AWESOME stopping power with no effort at all. The total opposite of what I got with the truck. Go figure!

 

Seems dust is a byproduct of excellent stopping power. No dust means more effort at the pedal. Good power / low effort mean cleaning your wheels every 200 miles. Can't win!

I had a bad experience with the Wagner's on my truck as well, but I think my calipers affected it too because they were also junk. With the rebuilt ones, Centric pads, and the braided lines the truck stops on a dime, even with my loaded trailer behind me.

[Colossus]

I removed the intake (less than 5 min job) and changed the bulb out on mine as well? What's up with people taking the front end apart like that?

[LongrangeLauber]

I removed the intake (less than 5 min job) and changed the bulb out on mine as well? What's up with people taking the front end apart like that?

Access to the high beams blow, plus if you install HID's or LED's it makes it easier to have the assembly off the truck

[Jsdirt]

Nice work GM. SMH ...

 

 

 

 

Got a new addition to the toolbox. Now I can finally get into the magic box and actually have a prayer at troubleshooting these damn things.

 

Tested it out last night & found my truck had 17 body and communication codes! Had no clue! Must've been either when my truck was at the body shop, or when I killed my battery running the Viair compressors for a half hour, key off. Nearly every system in the truck failed, lol. Had BCM communication codes, door switch codes, TCM codes, etc., etc..

 

Thing is wireless, so you just plug a VCI unit into the DLC, and you're off and running. Also has a built-in TPMS antenna, so I saved $300 or so on a dedicated tool for that. VERY happy with this thing! It's like a handheld desktop computer.

 

Looks like I'm going to have to get Wi-Fi to make use of alot of it's features. A never ending wormhole of spending ...

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2016 by Jsdirt

[Brian Long]

Nice work GM. SMH ...

 

 

 

 

Got a new addition to the toolbox. Now I can finally get into the magic box and actually have a prayer at troubleshooting these damn things.

 

Tested it out last night & found my truck had 17 body and communication codes! Had no clue! Must've been either when my truck was at the body shop, or when I killed my battery running the Viair compressors for a half hour, key off. Nearly every system in the truck failed, lol. Had BCM communication codes, door switch codes, TCM codes, etc., etc..

 

Thing is wireless, so you just plug a VCI unit into the DLC, and you're off and running. Also has a built-in TPMS antenna, so I saved $300 or so on a dedicated tool for that. VERY happy with this thing! It's like a handheld desktop computer.

 

Looks like I'm going to have to get Wi-Fi to make use of alot of it's features. A never ending wormhole of spending ...

 

Which MaxiSys kit did you buy?

Edited August 31, 2016 by rpmdna

[wehowardjr]

What's up with people taking the front end apart like that?

 

Having a disability that prevents my hands from working like they used to is why I did it this way, I don't know about other people. It was so much easier to have everything out in the open so I could see what I was doing and know what I was touching. I have lost feeling in my hands so doing stuff like shoving my hands in behind the lights and feeling what I'm doing doesn't work for me. Did I have to pay a stealership to change them for me, no. Did it take me 5 minutes , no. Took me about 20. Not too bad for someone that was told I'd lose the use of my hands a few years ago.

[RyanbabZ71]

Sorry to hear about your issue I was just curious. In some cases I could see it being easier. My brothers Malibu you have to remove the front end. Dealer wanted $500 for a headlight change. I now know why especially in the middle of winter

 

I replaced a vent visor my son broke (daughter finally told on him) a few wks ago

 

 

 

Ryan

[SnakeEyeSS]

The dash trim and iDatalink Maestro cost more than the radio. The dash trim was $185. The Pioneer AVH-X3700BHS was $230 on Amazon. Then the Idatalink bits such as the Maestro Rr and the F01 T-harness brought the crutchfield bill to almost $300. Then my install labor. That was 5 hours of me getting gray hair. Came out a little ahead, took longer than i thought and at 104 degrees outside, my garage reminded me of a Florida summer. I will not be installing radios for anyone else for a long time

I still have my idatalink, I would have let it go for cheap.

[Jsdirt]

 

Which MaxiSys kit did you buy?

 

The 906TS.

 

I originally was going to get the 908 Pro, but I doubt flashing ECM's is going to be a big chunk of my work ... or even anything I want to get involved in (way too much can go sideways ... and handing money to manufacturers that rip us off is not high on my list). Tires on the other hand, have always been my bread and butter. Good to finally be able to turn annoying lights off for myself, and others.

[CadillacLuke24]

Took Clyde in for his first oil change during the two year included maintenance. Got in and out in 20 minutes.

 

They even threw in a complimentary door ding.

 

Very small, but I can see it.

 

I doubt the dealer will do anything other than play stupid, so I'll get it fixed by my PDR shop I trust. Then find a different dealer. If anyone has had good luck getting em to pony up, I'd like to hear your advice lol. Can't wait for it to expire so the cheapest method is me, not the idiots at the dealer.

[wehowardjr]

Took Clyde in for his first oil change during the two year included maintenance. Got in and out in 20 minutes.

 

You are one of the lucky few. I took mine in for it's first free oil change, and last. There were 3 people in the waiting room, an elderly couple and myself. Took them 2 hours to change my oil. Every fifteen minutes someone would say, ALMOST DONE! Noticing I was irritated they offered me 2 more free changes for the wait but told them to stick'em where the sun don't shine.

[Jsdirt]

Up here it's been a 3 hour process to get ANYTHING done at the dealer. I remember them giving me a loaner car (Impala) just to change the oil. They screwed something up, and I got a free oil change out of it. Was almost not worth the hassle.

 

I went with my ol' man to the dealer with his '09 2500HD Duramax when it was under warranty, after the turbo hose blew off as he tried to pass a car on a 2-lane highway. We were there 5 friggin hours ... and after all that, they forgot to install the o-ring!! The hose blew off on him again down in GA. At least the dealership down there was 3,000% more competent, and showed him where the o-ring went, and what it looked like.

 

Dealers! What a friggin joke. Thankfully GM closed the one where I bought mine. Incompetence was their middle name ...

[wehowardjr]

There's a GM dealer a couple miles south of the one I bought my truck from that's more than happy to take disgruntled customers away from that meathead dealership. Words from the mouth of a service advisor. LOL She said she worked with a couple of the advisors at a different place and didn't exactly praise their customer service ability. LMAO