Buick Rainier, Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy

hillfla

Has anyone else had a problem with their Homelink not erasing old codes like it is supposed to? I followed the manual for erasing the buttons when I moved garages at my apartment building, then I reprogrammed the same Homelink button with the new code. It worked great for about a month but now when I push it, it opens my new garage and my old garage that is a few doors down. I tried erasing and starting again but it did the same thing so I ended up moving my new garage code to another Homelink button. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and has a solution.

Also - still looking for any feedback/assistance to my posting a couple of days ago (#11206).

Thanks!

aldan93

OK here is my summary of things fixed:

Vibration:
changed springs
and drive shaft

after 6 visits and 15 days, vibration gone

License plate fell off (front):
Dealer fixed and replaced

Left driver side window would not go down:

fixed it self

OK the latest and greatest:
Head snapping shift from 1st to 2nd

Dealer fixed in 6 days, replace a valve pressure gizmo on tranny.

shifts without spilling coffee, smooth as silk wow!!!!

UMMMM???

Oh, the check engine light came on:

fixed, gas cap was loose, but I did check it, it was cocked at an angle.

I know I forgetting other visits, and repairs, But heck its running fine AVG MPG 18.6 HIGH/CITY, not bad. Truck is running great, fixed some stuff myself, like front bumper wasn't snapped on all the way, and an annoying vibration near the passenger overhead console was making an annoying noise, punched it with my fist, fixed.

Running great, knock on wood!!!!!

labrecque

Has anyone had this issue: When you stop at a light after driving a few miles and you have the brakes on you feel / here a clunk and the truck sort of moves. Any ideas?

pepper50

Has anyone had this issue: When you stop at a light after driving a few miles and you have the brakes on you feel / here a clunk and the truck sort of moves. Any ideas?

I've heard something, but it wasn't as pronounced as a "clunk", mine was more like a single "click" that would occur again in about a minute. It sounded like it was coming from inside the dash and toward the left. At first I thought it was the windshield expanding in the sun or the plastic of the dash. But it does it pretty consistently. Sometimes, even driving down the road at highway speed I have heard it, sometimes every 3-4 miles. But if I forget about it, I don't tend to notice it. So in my case, it isn't always related to having the brakes applied, but in many cases I have heard it while stopped at a light. But I have never noticed the "surge" you describe, so it may not be the same thing. I don't know what it is. I had my tires rotated and axle seals checked (supposedly) recently, but I didn't mention this "click" to them. It hasn't really annoyed me, just made me curious.

johntr

I have heard this on very rare occasions & it always for me soon after I start the vehicle and wait +/- two minutes. It doesn't happen very frequently, but I would like to know what it is. When it occurs my vehicle is in park, so the surge is not experienced.

seiford

Pepper50: YES!

I think what you are describing is what I have been experiencing for a few months now. When stopped at a light (tranny in Drive, foot on brake) there will be what I describe as a 'shutter' that feels like an engine miss. It's intermittant.

Mine has been at the shop numerous times for this issue. The GM TAC told them to replace the spark plugs with a different flavor... but that didn't fix it. And the new '03 Envoy they gave me as a loaner for the day had the same problem!

I escalated it to the GM Customer Assistance folks and they assured me that the GM TAC group is aware of the problem and that it affects numerous vehicles. They are working on a fix but did not have any idea on timeframe. In the meantime I'm keeping a written log of the occurrences to see if I can assist them in troubleshooting the issue.

About 90% of the time I can get the truck to stutter at a stop light 1 mile from my house (after a cold start), but then intermittantly after that. For the past 2 days I have tried running with the Automatic Climate Control off and so far no stutters.

Have you seen any pattern to the stutters/surges? Do you live near any AM radio stations? (wondering about interference).

(2003 Envoy SLT, 3.73 gears, autoleveling, locking diff).

previousamigo

Had the TB(4X4, 11/01, LS, 3.73)in the shop a few weeks ago to fix a few issues under warranty and finally noticed GM is using new baffles in the front quarter panels. They tightened and glued the old rubber baffle on the drivers side but on the passenger side there is a completely new styrofoam baffle. It looks like a black styrofoam cup. As long as it stays there, it looks like it will keep out much more wind noise. I wonder, is this what they are using in the '03's or Rainier?

I also had the smelly AC problem. Now I noticed that every so often I hear the HVAC fan turn on when the engine is off to dry out any moisture. It seems like this turns on whether or not the AC is used. Will this drain the battery prematurely?

envoy_xl_in_pa

A while back, I remember a string of posts about an air bag light issue. The light would come on and stay on, but if you restart the vehicle, it went away. Well, it happened to my wife yesterday, and she called OnStar (they are good for something). They diagnosed it as a code U1088 from the VIU module. The OnStar rep told her that the code meant that if she got into an accident, and the airbag deployed, OnStar would not be notified (thereby defeating one of OnStar's only good features). Apparently, that module controls the communication between the vehicle and OnStar. However, he was able to communicate to the truck to figure out the issue. He logged it in their system, because sure enough, when she restarted the truck, the light went out. She called them back, and they could no longer read the code from the engine. So, the fact that OnStar logged the issue in their computer (which the tech told my wife the dealer can reference) should help eliminate the "we can't reproduce the error" excuse at the shop. I'll let you know what I find out. Can't get in for a few weeks though - too busy at work.

tblazed

"OnStar diagnosed a code U1088 from the VIU module...that module controls the communication between the vehicle and OnStar."

Likely was not the cause why my airbag light stayed on once, since my TB-LS doesn't have OnStar. Happened one time, over a year ago, and restarting the engine (rebooting the system) cleared it out.

kram18

I have a '03 4x4 3.42 TrailBlazer LS and I have noticed that when accelerating after a complete stop (like a stop sign or traffic light) there is a clunk sounds like its comming from the rear of the car like the car moves foreword and something stays at rest until it hits something and makes the clunk. It sounds kind of like there is a bowling ball in my cargo area and when I start accelerating it rolls back and hits the gate, except that there is nothing inside my cargo area...... Other than that my '03 has been a real gem so far (only 3,200 miles thus far).

kram18

Anyone here installed a Jet PCU Upgrade in their 4.2l I6 Triplet? I saw one product on this page http://www.autotrucktoys.com/stores/showdetl.cfm?&DID=26&- Product_ID=5072&CATID=183 and was wondering if any has any stories good or bad about chipping their triplet.

stever

Somewhere around here there were a few Jet posts, but I can't find them now. You may want to look around this discussion:

New Performance computer chips: Any good ?

and there's some chip boards in the archives, like Chip Upgrades.. worth it?.

Steve, Host

sportbikenut

Two Questions:
#1 - Anyone figured out how to reset the system after an oil chg. to make the "change oil" light go out?
The method stated in the manual does not work and I've repeated it several times.
#2 - What after market oil is specified for the transfer case? Manual states a GM specific name and the auto parts stores have no listing.
Comments / suggestions about changing Diff. & transfer case oils? Thanks.

tblazed

#9237 of 11246 GM Oil Life System™ -- resetting bulletin by tblazed Dec 17, 2002 (10:09 am)

Here's the exact text from the service bulletin how to do it, and how it is supposed to work.

Info - GM Oil Life System - Resetting #02-00-90-001
GM Oil Life System™ -- Resetting
2002 Chevrolet and GMC S/T Utility Models (TrailBlazer, Envoy),2002 Oldsmobile Bravada

These vehicles have an oil life monitor. The GM Oil Life System™ will show when to change the engine oil and oil filter. The GM Oil Life System™ must be reset after changing the engine oil and oil filter.

Resetting Procedure
The current Owner's Manual contains the following reset procedure:

Turn the ignition to RUN with the engine off.
Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three times within five seconds. If the CHANGE ENG OIL light flashes for five seconds, the system is reset. If the light does not flash, repeat the procedure.
However, it has been found that after completing the reset procedure, the CHANGE ENG OIL light does not flash as stated in the vehicle Owner's Manual.

If the CHANGE ENG OIL light goes out after the reset procedure and does not return after the next ignition cycle, then the system has been reset.

If the vehicle is equipped with a Driver Information Center (DIC), then reset confirmation can also be done by verifying that the Engine Oil Life percentage value has reset to 100%.

Use the above information to prevent the inadvertent replacement of the instrument cluster if there are comments that the oil life reset feature does not work

lurker01

I have had this happening since day one. It always happens when the truck is cold, I drive a short ways and stop at a light. It actualy feels like the guy behind me tapped me when stopping. There is a clunk sound and a feeling of something moving under the truck. I have concluded that it is the transmission doing a hard shift from 2nd to first. The reason I think this is because:
I only drive a short ways out of the parking lot at work to the first light, enough to get it into 2nd but no more.
The truck is cold.
I am stopped for a while (sometime >1 min.) before the clunk happens.
It makes sense to me that the transmission would stay in 2nd at a stop when cold.
Shifting from 2nd to 1st could be rough when not moving or when the fluid in the torque converter is cold.
The computer realizes after a while that it needs to downshift because I have been stopped so long.

I once reported this to my service manager, but they said it was normal.

Please let us know if someone finds a defect that is causing this! Otherwise, I will try not to worry about it.

25k miles and otherwise running good (02 Envoy SLT)

seiford

Thanks for the info lurker01.

Your experience sounds similar to ours. But ours has been getting worse and is driving me crazy.

I agree that it may be transmission related. But when my Envoy does the "clunk" (usually after stopped for over 30 seconds), I can stay stopped there and it sometimes will do it again.. or a 3rd time even.

And it's not something loose inside or outside the vehicle banging around. I wish I could reproduce the shutter/clunk at will so I could be outside the vehicle to witness it with the hood open.

I'm baffled. And as I said, GM admits they have widespread reports of this problem and they are working on a fix. I'll be calling every 2 weeks to kindly remind them.

What build date is yours?

(2003 Envoy SLT, build date 12/02, 3.73 gears). The new Envoy loaner that had the issue had a build date of 3/03.

tblazed

"I have noticed that when accelerating after a complete stop (like a stop sign or traffic light) there is a clunk..."

That's different than the noise others are hearing while stopped. Don't know but suggest checking the spare tire and make sure it's solidly pulled up against the bottom, check under the back seat and make sure the jack and all its pieces are secured, look in the rear floor compartment and in the rear storage compartment for something loose, and when all else fails take it to the dealer. From your description should be obvious. Maybe something loose in the suspension? Whatever, it shouldn't do that.

------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------

js237

I have a Envoy for 2 years and love it. But on Monday night my wife's 2002 Escalade was stolen right out of our driveway. We had the car at a valet that night and suspect that somehow they were the culprits. We parked the car a 9:30PM on Monday and when my wife went to work on Tuesday morning at 6:30AM she discovered the car missing. We immediately called Onstar. First they wouldn't start tracking the car until they had a police report number. At 7:00AM I gave them the police report number. At 7:30 we got a call from Onstar and they were not having any success tracking the car. It is now Thursday and Onstar can not get a signal. If you have a alarm tracking system, it might be best not to advertise it. Onstar is doing us all a disservice by being so well known. I called the dealer and they said Onstar tracking has a separate battery and is placed somewhere on the frame of the car. These were obviously professionals, no broken glass, etc. My hope is that our insurance treats us fairly. My wife is upset, and wants to replace the car. I just feel we are sitting ducks. We live in the Los Angeles area. Onstar should reimburse us for something as I feel they are giving us a false sense of security and the thieves the heads up on which car has a tracking system. If the thieves know the car has Onstar they will learn how to disarm it. I hope GM learns from this and re designs the system.

scottc454

It's the theives' fault, not OnStar's.
There is nothing false about their advertising at all. Somebody disabled the system. No technology is going to completely stop the professionals.

Yes it's unfortunate, but OnStar owes you nothing.

envoyowner

Definitely, I have experienced the exact same thing with my 02 Envoy SLT. Same scenario and I have also thought "whoa, did that person just tap my bumper". Like you, just happens, that I've noticed, within the first mile or so at the first extended stop. Have not mentioned this to the dealer....maybe I should?

macman246

I had something similar. Within the first mile when stopped at a traffic light with a less than warmed up engine, the idle would mysteriously drop. Sometimes it would completely stall, other times it would recover and shudder or surge. No clunking though. It did this most often with a cold engine, but also when fully warmed up but not as frequently. Also, when stepping on the gas from a stop, the idle would drop then surge.

Made six trips to the dealer over 6 months for reprogramming, new PCM, throttle body, lift gate module, ignition switch replacements, and I still stalled out. We even had the vehicle data recorder installed, but that drained the battery overnight.

So 3 weeks ago GM completed the repurchase of my '02 Envoy SLT 2WD (build 6/01) with only 17K miles.

rye78

I too have the clunk sound coming from my 02 TB LS 4x4. I learned how to make it happen. I accelerate at a decent rate then apply the brakes normally until the truck gets down to about 5mph. then I let off of the brake and hit the gas normal as if I was accelerating from a stop light. The clunk comes as soon as I hit the gas after braking.
I owned a 99 Jeep grand Cherokee prior to this and it had the same exact problem. IT IS THE DRIVE SHAFT! I believe it is the same in the TB. The Jeep dealer told me it was the drive shaft moving front to back. When you brake it moves towards the engine. Then when you give it gas, it slides in the spline and moves back causing clunk sound. I am almost positive that this is the problem with the TB.
Mine will be going in soon to get looked at. Jeep had two ways of fixing it. Grease up the drive shaft spline really good. or replace the drive shaft and assembly on it. I prefer the later of the two.

js237

A gesture of goodwill would be to absorb my deductible of $250. Do you understand my point? If the thieves know that Onstar is on board, it is not as "safe" as if you used a system in secret. Next time I will not depend on Onstar. And dependability is the issue. Having a system that is as well know as Onstar is not a deterrent.

ficuss

Tell that to customers of ADT please. They are my competition and I would love for people to think they are not a real deterrent. How about if Onstar refunds you a prorated portion of your yearly fee and you find another nationwide GPS auto locating service. Onstar and other similar companies are not primary or secondary insurers. Perhaps your car was taken to a location out of range of cellular service. It may be in a steel shed being used as a chop shop, who knows. Be thankful it wasn't taken with your family member inside during a carjacking.

Frank

aldan93

you need a $2.99 pair of wire snips, to clip a wire, make sure the the head is small enough to fit in the frame, thats about it, just go to a dealer and look for your selfs. Even ask the dealer, where it is he'll tell ya. HE HE HE. Rocket science folks!

jr45

Looks like js237 was victimized by someone knowlegable enough to disable the Onstar system. It would be difficult (and expensive) to design a tracking system secure enough to thwart even a knowlegable amateur thief who has done his homework. I'm not aware of any claim by Onstar that the system can't be disabled. At best you're going to catch thieving kids and joy riders. Still, I don't understand why Onstar would refuse to track the vehicle -- after they have been directed to do so by the owner -- until provided with a police "report number." After all, the trick is to find the vehicle before the thief has had time to disable the system. Besides, a police report is officially made when you call the police, not when the paperwork is done and you're given a report number.

ficuss

aldan93, the wire you clip may lock the doors and disable the power windows and ignition, just as the system calls the police and gives them the last position the GPS registered. Not ALL engineers think the same. Then you can demand a refund from the tool store that sold you the wire snips. After you get out of jail of course. HE HE HE

Frank

crosley4

The current OnStar and theft discussion brings to my mind the Lo-Jack locating system.

has any one had the Lo-Jack system installed in their current or former vehicle?

zueslewis

then every thief in town knows you have OnStar, or LoJack or some system.

Really good car thieves know alarm systems like you know where your t-shirts are in your underwear drawer.

I realize you feel pistoff and everything else, but OnStar isn't at fault, and you had an opportunity to install a piggy-back alarm system and didn't.

Blame the thief, or yourself, but GM doesn't owe you anything.

js237

The method of Onstar advertising is backfiring. As technology advance so do the thieves ability to combat it. You are right, if there is a next time, I will put a system that at least the bad guys don't know it's on the car. Onstar is to well known and useless on high profile cars. It would be a gesture of good will if Onstar adsorbed my deductible. I know I'm dreaming, but it would be good business.

dnunn

Hi everyone,

I have an 02 Oldsmobile Bravada AWD and I was just collecting ideas on what other people thought about the Whipple Supercharger for the Vortec 4200. ( http://www.whipplesuperchargers.com/product.asp?ProdID=1169 )

Obviously, that's a lot of money to pay for about 380hp total, but how would it perform? Would Oldsmobile's SmartTrak system defeat any performance boost achieved from the supercharger by braking the tires after spinning? Consequently, is there any way to disable SmartTrak?

I'm just brainstorming engine modifications to make on my Bravada (already ordered the K&N air filter), and the supercharger looked to be the biggest improvement I could make on it. I am only looking around for things to add as of right now, my mind's not set (so criticisms of the supercharger idea is welcome).

It's one of the older '02s, so it probably has a few acceleration-increasing PCM updates, but I haven't checked yet. I love all the power I have in it now, but I'd really like to stand out from the rest. Thanks for your advice.

zueslewis

"Legal Precedent" - that's why Cadillac wouldn't consider reimbursing you.

dlare

Hey all,

Yesterday my washers stopped working (intermittently) as well as the regular steady speed on the wipers. I called the dealer at around 12:30p to see if I could schedule an appointment. He asked if I could bring it over sometime that afternoon. I finished the work I was doing and drove right over, arriving at the service dept about 1 hour after I called. He told me it would be less than an hour to check it out. 45 minutes later, I was out the door with a new wiper motor assembly installed.

Amazing service I thought. At first I figured they were just having a slow day, but there were cars and customers coming in and out the entire time I was waiting, The other time I had the TB in for service (the PCM re-program), the same great service.

Dean

benson10

Just took a 2003 Trailblazer EXT for an overnite test drive. Liked the styling and concept, but was bitterly disappointed by design flaws: front seats offer ZERO lateral support, controls are quirky, confusing, non-intuitive (e.g. headlight switch, cruise control, heat/AC), No support or arm-rest for right arm, objectionable wind noise from outside mirror, too-small fuel tank (18.7 gal.)in LS model, downshifts even on moderate upgrades. Do GM designers ever drive their products?

tblazed

All one would have to do is drive into a garage, in-between some buildings, or other area that would shield the GPS receiver's antenna. Anyone that has used a handheld GPS receiver soon realizes you need an almost clear line of sight to the sky for the thing to pick up the satellite signals. Leaves on trees will shield the receiver enough to keep it from getting a lock on position.

gator36

I am a owner of Lojack on two of my vehicles.
When Lojack is inatalled, the installer hasd many places they can locate the cigarette pack sized transciever. The only thing they need is a power source to keep the internal batteries charged. Unless you are there when they uinstall the unit, you will not know where it is placed. Most importantly, Lojack does not put stickers on your vehicle to advertise it's presence.
  On another note... Was it that the stolen vehicle was in the L.A. area? If so it would be easy to disable any recovery system in this area.
There are car theft rings in the L.A. area that will steal a vehicle and drive it directly to the
Docks at Long Beach or San Pedro and load it driectly into a Cargo Container. Once inside there is a slim to no chance of getting a signal into or out of the container. Least not enough to receive satelite GPS info or make and erceive a call from the onstar center.
On another note. Within one and a half hours you can be in Mexico, out of cell phone range....

tblazed

Owned my 11-01 built TB-LS since Jan '02. Been back exactly 2 times to the dealer- one "fuel filter clip" recall and one PCM reprogramming to correct some of the cold naturedness and slow down-shifting that was going on with the earlier version PCM program. Much better now. The seats in mine are very comfortable especially as they have become more "contoured" to my behind. The headlights are automatic- no problem there. The cruise control works exactly like every other GM cruise control I've used. My TB came with arm rests both on the door and on the console. They line up with my elbows just fine. The manual HVAC controls are great I think - give almost infinite variation between the floor and dash outlets and temperature, and the A/C cools quite well in Texas heat. The shifty business of the torque converter and overdrive when I first bought it ceased after the adaptive learning in the computer self-adjusted after driving it for a few days. Wind noise is almost non-existent unless I am driving into a very strong head- or crosswind at 70 MPH then it is still very minimal compared to other vehicles I've been in. No squeaks or rattles. Ride quality like a Caddy or Lincoln, fit and finish on mine anyway was at least a 9.5 out of 10. Fuel tank size, yes it would be nice if it had the newer 22 gallon tank being used since about August '02 production, but I still only have to fill up every week or two so that really is not an issue with someone that drives less than 300 miles a week. Excellent power especially on the highway. Can just about blow anything away from a stop. Getting about 15.4 city/22.3 highway MPG. I am very satisfied with my TrailBlazer. I would absolutely buy mine again.

archie34

"Haven't had the problem but can't help but ask.. did you take it back to the dealer? Don't know your state's rules but can your dealer do the safety inspection? 14K miles for suspension wear enough to detect at inspection is not right"

The dealer does not do safety inspections at this location but I always have the safety inspections done at an independent location. The TB is scheduled to be repaired at the dealers on Monday (5/19). They did not seem to be overly surprised when I called to schedule the repair.

tblazed

Was there any play or looseness in the steering that you had noticed? Is it possible that maybe it was damaged from a big pothole or bumping a curb too hard? Just curious. If it had 114,000 miles on it then I would expect wear, but 14K?? Keep us posted what the dealer says.

scottc454

Liked the styling and concept, but was bitterly disappointed by design flaws: front seats offer ZERO lateral support,

I thought the same thing about the seats but realized it makes total sense. If you're cornering fast enough to require lateral support, you're going too fast for an SUV.

sportbikenut

Saw some old posts that indicated that the specifed GM Auto-Trak II fluid is identical to Dextron III fluid, other than color.
Has anyone out there changed the fluid yet (not topped off) and what did you use????
Thanks.

tblazed

" If you're cornering fast enough to require lateral support, you're going too fast for an SUV. "

Yup that's same the conclusion I came to especially with the timing of the triplets hitting the market and all the SUV rollover concern. And, the cushions really do get more comfortable as they settle in.

timmyj

That is one of the reasons I got rid of my Envoy, was lack of lateral support. No matter how slow I took a corner I would still move from side to side. I had the Envoy for seven months, never could get accustomed to it and the seats never "contoured" to me. The Yukon I now drive has side bolsters and they are even adjustable. The seats are much more comfortable.

gam2

I'd be real careful with a supercharger. I don't know if the driveline is up to the task. It may be, but GM certainly won't warranty any problems.

Inconsistency is a problem with GM. If you get a good one, your OK, but a bad one (like my Bravada)
is really bad. My Envoy is better than worse. The problem is that these inconsistencies come out in a test drive, and people base their judgement (rightly so) on that drive. If it sucks, they are NOT going to go look for one that is better. My Envoy still has a lot of wind noise, even after I fixed the problem around the door pillars. I can see where that alone could stop someone from buying it.

GAM

tblazed

Didn't realize the GMC had the same seats. I bet with leather it is a lot worse too. They could have done a little better in the seat side-bolster dep't. Seems when I was looking the Bravada had the best seats of the 3. I did find an upholsery shop that would take the seat covers off and trim off some of the cushion foam to sit down a little lower into the seat, but I never pursued that. Guess with my cloth seats and break-in time I have gotten used to it.

molocono

This dealer is offering rebates AND discounts upwards of $7000 on Chevrolets. I am planning on buying a Trailblazer LS. Is this a good deal? Is this discount applied to the MSRP or to the negotiated price?

archie34

That is the surprising part. It is the LEFT outer tie rod end (not a curb or pot hole issue). I had not noticed it driving but when the inspection station jacked it up to show me, I could grab the tire and move it in/out by close to 1/4 inch. The inspection station (my usual out of warranty repair facility)was not trying to make a sale as they immediately told me to take it to the dealer. This same facility had done the 2002 safety inspection. They re inspected the rest of the suspension components looking for out of spec. conditions.

timmyj

I did have leather seats in my Envoy. The seats in my '93 Chevy Astro work van are more comfortable than the Envoy's!

twinrotts

Was not having any real issue other than what appeared to be a delayed shift from 1-2 with the engine cold.
Had the recal done when in for the last oil change and I'm thrilled with the results.
The delayed shift is gone, engine is at least as responsive as it was before, but what is most impressive is the remarkable increase in fuel economy.
Over approx 12K miles of ownership, I found the economy to be about 18 mpg combined. I am now getting a bit over 20.
I have the EXT with 3.42 gears and enough options to put the truck over 5100 lbs. I even have an additioal 100# of WAAG hardware front and back.
It amazes me that if a recal can do that that GM wouldn't encourage their customers to have it done. You would think they could get so good press and look a bit "GREEN"

aldan93

To totally disable onstar, just park it in a garage, no gps signal, your right, and return the $2.99 pliers. ONSTAR can we help you? "Yes someone keeps calling in and reporting my truck is stolen." "Please ignore this call." HE HE