2008 Hybrid Talk

[Gruson]

Very SWEET. I wanted black/black as well, but wife convinced we on red/tan. Those look like Caddy wheels/tires (what size?). And how do you find the hybrid performance is affected by them (if any)? Is that a chrome tip also?

Im looking to add tow hooks as well but hesitant to try. I compared front end pics of hybrid & regular and openings look slightly altered. Not sure.

Thanks for the comments.

I had to get black on black.

The wheels are 18" Escalade wheels with plain center caps. They were takeoffs from someone who bought 22s when they bought their Escalade so I got them dirt cheap, $600, with new tires as well. No chrome tip...yet.

So far, performance is the exact same, I get around 20.5MPG average.

I will let you know if that changes though. Drives about the same too.

 

[GM Fan]

No rear end shots? I want to see the LED tails.

 

[ofd4546]

Don't know about the 2008s, but the 2009 Yukon Hybrid comes stock with P265/65R-18 tires. The non-hybrid still has P265/70R-17 shoes. Maybe the different profile makes the wheel well openings look different. I also see an option for a spare tire and wheel for $995 on the 2009 Yukon Hybrid.

Must be the way they look as they are almost exactly the same height.

 

[nc6600]

Best lookin' Hybrid i have seen.

 

[Ed Blown Vert]

No rear end shots? I want to see the LED tails.

Here you go

 

[Nnaboy]

Not fair yall got LED tails and 3rd brake light from factory and I spent $500 for both to upgrade!:thumbsup:

 

[07Hynali]

Here you go

:thumbsup:

 

[JaxDan]

I just brought a '09 Blue Granite hybrid with sunroof, but no DVD. I really wanted to get the headrest DVD anyway, but the dealer said they were not allowed to install them on the hybrids. Is this because they won't fit the hybrids or is it because it would draw to much current while running on batteries only?

 

[stevetut]

nice sounds like a sharp color. what interior? you can find the factory headrest dvd kits on ebay.

 

[JaxDan]

It has the light grey (titanium) interior. I really like the OEM Invision DVD headrests, but all the GM accessory web pages (PN # 19159842) specifically for say "Not For Use on Hybrid Models." As far ebay, they only say Tahoe, not hybrid specifically. Which makes me wonder why can't this be installed.

 

[rdstrattan]

12 volt accessory battery will wear out - caution!

When your hybrid approaches 5 years age, check condition, or better yet replace your 12 volt accessory battery. If it is 5 years old, its time for it to fail and it will cause strange problems that the fancy on-board diagnostic codes won't figure out and tell you about.

Recently my '08 Tahoe Hybrid wouldn't start one morning. Just threw up error messages - Stabilizer, Hybrid, ABS, etc. Finally after many tries with different messages every time I noticed the navigation screen fading and the solution hit me. I had one of the very early Prius and the same thing happened at about 5 years age. The 12 volt accessory battery was going bad.

Replaced the accessory battery and all is well.

Bob Strattan, Tulsa OK
'08 Tahoe 2-Mode Hybrid
'10 Ford Fusion Hybrid
'97 Solectria Force EV
'01 Toyota Prius cadaver
'93 Chevy Suburban 250K miles
'90 Ford Tarus SHO 250K miles
'73 Jensen Healey
'30 Chevrolet AD Universal 4dr original
'46 Chevrolet DP pick-up in restoration

 

[amtronic1]

I believe 5 years is pretty good battery life.

 

[ecc-10fan]

Looking at a couple of black/black GMC Yukon Hybrids both 08 (different dealerships) anything I should look for?

 

[AFD85]

looking to Buy

HI all,
I am looking at Buying a 08 Tahoe Hybrid with 67,500 looking for updated pros and cons. I know the cost of the hybrid Battery, and the warranty 8yr/ 100,000 but is anyone have any real issues not the speculated ones. please comment away

 

[rdstrattan]

I don't know of any hybrid related issues to expect - just the usual Tahoe problems. I bought my '08 Tahoe hybrid in spring of '11 with about the same mileage (70,000) and I am near the 100,000 mile mark now (fall '14) and have had no hybrid issues - works great. I typically get 20 to 21 mpg city or road when not towing. I frequently tow a 18 foot tandem axle flat bed trailer with a 1930 Chevrolet on board and get about 14 mpg if I keep the speed under 70 mph.

My only maintenance besides oil changes has been a front wheel hub (bad wheel bearing - you don't just replace bearings any more - damn you GM), set of tires and the accessory battery (see my earlier post). Right front electric door lock doesn't work - apparently frequent Tahoe problem.

My opinion on the high voltage battery is that it can be expected to be a lifetime battery, That is my experience with a first generation 2001 Prius, my 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Tahoe hybrid, and everyone else i know driving hybrids. I'm a retired professor of electrical engineering and have advised students in designing and building 4 generations of hybrids for national competitions over a 25 year period. There are many ways to kill batteries, but the major manufacturers have done an excellent job of designing the batteries and usage profiles to make them last.

I hope you decide to get the Tahoe hybrid and enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine :happy160:. I hate it that they have quit making them. I think the power split hybrid is the only way to allow an automatic transmission to exist in a motor vehicle.