2010 Gmc Yukon Xl 1500 Slt on 2040-cars

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'Killing a Duramax' Gale Banks YouTube series methodically tunes a diesel to death

Learning or perfecting a skill by watching YouTube videos is known as attending YouTube University. GM Authority picked up on one of the video site's more fascinating courses, hosted by Gale Banks; in a fair world, he should be referred to as Professor Banks when it comes to diesel engines and truck tuning. A few months after GM introduced the updated L5P 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V8 in the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD that ships with 454 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque, Banks decided he wanted to methodically tune the engine to death. The purpose of the resulting series, called "Killing a Duramax," is to push more power out of the engine in order to discover which parts break and when — or, as Banks puts it, force-feed the Duramax "until the crank hits the street and the heads hit the hood." With that knowledge, Banks can figure out all the weak points on his way to building what he calls a "Superturbo," that being a supercharged, twin-turbo race engine with more than 1,000 hp. What makes the series fascinating is Banks' knowledge, paired with the company's comprehensive iDash engine monitoring system that keeps tabs on a glut of parameters every step of the way. So for instance, you get Banks explaining the differences between inches of mercury and barometric pressure, how those are different from the water content of the air measured in grains, then showing those readouts on the iDash, then explaining in detail how they affect the air density in the Duramax system. The stock Borg-Warner variable turbo gets a lot of airtime — Banks accuses it of being "out to lunch" because he feels it's the weakest link on the engine. That turns into a turbo teardown and a deep explanation of performance pitfalls, such as when air pressure on the turbine begins to diverge from the boost pressure coming from the compressor. Banks says he can keep close tabs on where power's coming from, because the iDash monitors the horsepower contribution provided by the ambient air, the turbo, and the intercooler separately. The major changes so far are a stouter Precision 7675 turbo and TurboSmart wastegate (episode 5), a twin intake (episode 6), a custom liquid-cooled intercooler from a marine engine, a new GM oil cooler and synthetic oil (episode 10), and new injectors (episode 11).

Buick, GMC making OnStar Connected Services standard

The thing about the future is that so long as you're alive, you're going to get there whether you like it or not. Thanks to over-the-air connections essentially being a compulsory part of EV ownership and an increasingly important — and profitable — component of ICE ownership, it's easiest for automakers to install full-featured Internet connections in every vehicle. GM has taken the first step, a report in GM Authority saying that as of June 2, all Buick and GMC models are sold with the Onstar Connected Services plan good for three years. The OnStar site shows the Connected Vehicle tier that comes with a Wi-Fi hotspot costs $24.99 per month, which would be $900 minus a few pennies for three years. At the top end is OnStar Premium that runs about $1,800 for three years. Both include Connected Services features, yet GMA reports that depending on the vehicles, OnStar Connected Services will cost between $905 and $1,675. Only the GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 is excluded for now. GM confirmed the change to GM Authority, saying, "This offering provides our owners with a full suite of OnStar and Connected Services for three years, providing them with more time to enjoy services such as remote key fob, Wi-Fi data and OnStar safety services. By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it provides more customer value and a more seamless onboarding experience." Three trims of the GMC Sierra 1500 and two trims of the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL come in at the low end, OnStar adding $905 to their MSRPs. Almost every other vehicle gets hit with a $1,500 charge. The GMC Sierra HD Pro is the only model to charge $1,675 for it, which GMA breaks out as a "$1,500 3-year subscription and $175 OnStar & GMC Connected Services Capability." This brings up the question of the price differences; we can't tell if there's a difference in feature content between the price tiers, or why the Sierra HD gets the extra $175 fee. The automaker told GMA the upcharge will be folded into the MSRP. On the configurator for the Sierra 1500 SLE, for instance, the dialog box for three years of OnStar at $1,500 is automatically checked and can't be unchecked. The Buick configurators we tried don't mention OnStar.

The Hummer EV Edition 1 is sold out and it'll be years before other trims arrive

When the 2022 GMC Hummer EV was revealed, GMC noted that there would be lower trims available. The company has since provided a few more details on those lower trims, which is helpful to know now that the only trim on sale next year, the Edition 1, was sold out in a scant 10 minutes. However, it's going to be a long time before they're all available.  The entry-level GMC Hummer EV is the EV2. This is the model that will start at $79,995, and unlike the Edition 1, it gets just two motors, one for each end of the truck, each with electronically locking differentials. Output is down to 625 horsepower and a torque rating of 7,400 pound-feet. Note that this and all other reported torque numbers are after the torque multiplication by the single-speed transmissions, hence the extremely high numbers. The company hasn't given torque numbers at the motors, which would be more comparable to other electric cars. Range is also reduced to 250 miles, probably due to a smaller battery pack. Fast charging is also restricted to 400-volt charging, so it won't be as fast as the higher trim models. The removable roof panels, retractable rear window, MultiPro tailgate, Super Cruise and 35-inch tires are standard. This model only gets fixed steel suspension and two-wheel steering. The EV2 will be the last of the trim levels to go on sale, with a target of spring 2024. Yes, as in 3.5 years from now.  The next level is the EV2X, which will be available a year earlier in the spring of 2023. It gets the same powertrain as the EV2, but adds 800-volt fast charging and a 300-mile range. It also gets the adaptive air suspension and four-wheel steering, plus the associated party tricks of Crab Mode and Extract Mode. This model costs $89,995. The earliest Hummer EV that isn't an Edition 1 and therefore not yet sold out will be the EV3X, the entry-level three-motor model. It goes on sale in the fall of 2022 at a price of $99,995. It's not quite as potent as the Edition 1, though, with an output of 800 horsepower and 9,500 pound-feet of torque. It also lacks the "Watts to Freedom (WTF)" launch control feature. But it does get torque-vectoring with the dual rear motors, which can also lock their speeds to be equal like with the mechanical locking differential at the front. The EV3X's range is 300 miles like the EV2X.  As for the Edition 1, it started $112,595 before it was sold out. Customers are to expect them in fall 2021.