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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).

2021 GMC Yukon Denali adds another extra-luxe accessories bundle

For the 2018 GMC Yukon Denali, GMC added a Denali Ultimate Package that combined every option already available with some 22-inch Midnight Silver rims. In 2020, GMC expanded build options for the Terrain with a Denali Premium Package, lumping together a couple of a la carte packages as an exclusive mix of features. The 2020 Yukon Denali configurator includes a lightweight Denali Premium Package, too, but for 2021 GM Authority reports the top-tier choices will expand to include an entry-level Denali Deluxe Package along with the Denali Premium and Ultimate options. The Deluxe Package checks the boxes for the Advanced Technology Package, Advanced Security Package, and the Rear Seat Media System. The long list of tech roped in with that trio includes adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, rear camera mirror and washer, interior movement sensors, glass break sensors, dual 12.6-inch rear seat-mounted screens, two HDMI ports, and wireless projection capability. The exterior showpiece is a quartet of 22-inch bright machined aluminum wheels with premium paint, affixed with wheel locks. Go with those rims and the Denali Deluxe Package costs $5,750, opting for a different set of wheels can drop the price to $3,775. On top of that, choosing the right combination of options to go with the Deluxe Package can lower the price another $500. The Denali Premium Package includes almost everything above, only omitting the Rear Seat Media Package. In place of the screens for back-seaters, the bundle installs a powered panoramic sunroof and power-retractable assist steps with perimeter lighting. Purchased with the 22-inch wheels, this assortment runs $7,000, or $5,025 with a different set of wheels. Here again, the right combination of additional packages can save $500. The Denali Ultimate Package combines everything in the bundles above, plus the Max Trailering Package that gets GMC's ProGrade Trailering System and high-capacity engine cooling. The price is $10,460 on a rear-wheel drive Yukon Denali, $11,255 on the four-wheel drive models. Choosing a different wheel only saves $1,000 in this case, and there's no extra discount available. The 2021 Yukon is expected to enter production next month at GM's Arlington Plant in Texas, Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Hacker jury rigs Amazon Echo into voice-controlled remote start

A lot of automakers have smartphone apps to start, lock, or unlock a connected car. Some automakers will even let you do that with a smartwatch. Then, there's YouTube user Jryanishere, who decided to use Amazon's chatty Echo voice-controlled, internet-connected information thingy. Yes, we said thingy, because we aren't really sure how else to describe the Echo. While the Echo system has received a hearty ad campaign – featuring Alec Baldwin asking Amazon's virtual assistant, Alexa, questions and ordering socks – we think this might be the first really useful thing we've seen it do. Using a MacBook, a Raspberry Pi, an Echo, an OBDLink plug-in, and his 4G LTE-equipped GMC, Jryanishere has basically made a voice-controlled remote-start system. Now, like so many voice-controlled things, this strikes us more of an extravagance than something that's functionally worthwhile. After all, the remote start on the a GMC keyfob isn't exactly rocket science. You can check out the Echo in action up top. Jryanishere gives a pretty thorough breakdown of how the setup works in the video above, but if you're at all into this sort of technological mischief, you'll want to watch (and check out the hilariously detailed blog explaining the job). Related Video: