Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I purchased a 2005 Chevy Equinox in July 2004. It was a great vehicle to start out, but they i quickly found problems with it. The main one being with the heating system. After only a few thousand miles on it, I was browsing the Equinox forums, and discovered that many drivers had issues with their coolant. So, i decided to check mine, and it looked literally like chocolate syrup! needless to say, i contacted dealer about it, and they said that "GM" hadnt issued any service bulletins about it, so dont worry about it. After a few months of studying the forums though, i found that it was a coolant hose problem; they were manufactured overseas somewhere, and they didnt use the proper preperation to treat the hoses, and it was reacting w/ the dexcool coolant. After many calls to my dealer, they finally contacted the right people and replaced my hoses (all 7 of them!) to fix the problem. Of course, i traded that vehicle in June 2005 for my GXP though, and i've never looked back!
Forums like this are a great way to share information with actual owners, and keep the dealerships out of the loop. They are only as good as what GM lets them be.
You believe what a sales dweeb told you?
- Ray
Astonished . .
For anyone who might care, I found that when listening to a CD, if you want to fast forward or reverse the song you are listening to you can press and HOLD the up or down button on the left side of the steering.
No complaints about my GXP!!
another test one could try would be to remove the fuse for the interior lights and/or the onstar to see if that has any effect on the hissing as well.
i would tend to believe it has something to do w/ the chime that plays when you leave the key in the ignition and open the door. doesnt that sound get produced thru the speakers as well? if so, isnt there a setting in the manual to turn this chime off? that could be another possibly of what is causing it.
Nope!
Where did you get the "PONTIAC" lens logo for the third brake light??
-Bill
i dont think that it is as big of a deal as some people have made it to be, unless they can hear theirs while sitting in their seat. i fiddled w/ mine on friday, and found that it must have to do with the keyless entry system. if i sat there w/ my ear by the speaker and the door opened, i heard it, but after 30 seconds or so, it stopped. then, if i hit the unlock or lock button on my key FOB, the hiss would come back, and the "ding ding" sound also plays thru the speaker. if i had to guess, it sounds like this "ding ding" sound is just played extraordinarily loud, and when that sound isnt being played, all that can be heard is the "hissing". im pretty sure the manual gives instructions on how to alter the sound level of that entry "dinging". im not sure what mine is set to, but its plenty loud enough for me. maybe some of these other people have theirs set louder and can hear the hiss more than me.
one thing to check is to see if the "ding" sound can be turned OFF thru the programming set up in the manual. ill bet that would fix the hissing. On the downside though, there would be no entry/door lock alert noises either.
If GM did know about the hissing problem, maybe they didnt think it was that big of a deal to go and totally redesign the entire speaker/keyless entry system to fix it. Maybe there werent enough complaints received for them to actually worry about it. My GXP is a 2005, and the only way I can hear it hissing is if i put my ear right next to the speaker in the door, otherwise I dont hear it. I havent checked this on the 2006 model, so im not sure if its the same or not. Have you tried adjusting the volume of the door chime? Im pretty sure there is a way to set that in the manual. Maybe that will help with your hissing sound.
I know how you feel about dealing with GM service, Chats1. I did enough of that when I had my Equinox. I wasnt directing that comment at you either, I was merely stating that it seems lately that subject keeps coming up over and over. I would rather read about good experiences and helpful tips about the GXP than read about complaints on GM's service dept. Its much better to be able to read about someone else's success in solving a potential problem, or sharing valuable information on here.
Also, when I commented about parents buying their kids cars, I wasnt implying that it is totally wrong for every situation. Its just that there are some kids out there that are not deserving of an expensive gift like that, and are already spoiled enough. They should be made to go out and get a job and learn to earn their money, instead of having everything handed to them. But, there are also a lot of other kids that actually do receive a gift like that. They are the ones that are hard working and deserve such a reward. There is nothing wrong with that at all.
There is always good and bad about someone's comments. They shouldnt always be taken as totally one-sided.
Im sorry if I have offended anyone in this forum.
You're not at all upsetting me with your comments. That's what this forum is all about. Speak your mind!! I appreciate all the help I get and want to know of anyone's difficulties to see if I might be or could be experiencing the same problems. So far, this car has been wonderful except for the humming/hissing. I'll say no more. Actually, I didn't even know I had this problem, until someone raised it on this forum. I sent a comment back and said I don't have the humming/hissing in my car. I got a response back saying "Yes, you do. Listen to your side door speakers and mirror." I did, and he was right. So, see, I didn't even realize I had the problem. This forum told me I did. So you shouldn't criticize me for all my complaining. This forum brought it all on!! That's why the service manager told me to stay off this site!! Have a good weekend. Have to get some work done. Hopefully, I'll be able to cut out early. Thanks for your comments. I appreciate everyone's comments and help. I'm not sensitive and don't take offense. Chats1
As for Onstar monitoring your car, i just dont believe that. Especially if you dont purchase their monthly plan. How could they afford to constantly monitor EVERY vehicle produced with onstar at any given time, even if people arent paying for it? True, if you turn the system on to call their service center, they can track you. And yes, if the car gets stolen, they can trace the locator in your system, but i highly doubt they would be monitoring that signal every second of the day for millions of cars that have Onstar installed in them. Besides, if it IS Onstar that is causing the problem, what does having the door be open or shut have to do with them? Onstar operates whether the door is open or shut. Doesnt the hissing sound stop once the doors are shut? (or the keyless entry dinging sound stops? hint hint, lol)
Just recently I noticed that there seems to be a rattle coming from inside the drivers side door. It just started recently and isn't very loud but it is annoying since your ear is like right there.
Anyone have any ideas? :confuse:
THANX
Frank
GXP4Me
Now, I had a inch and a half long and half inch wide piece of sheet metal in my rear tire. When I got home the other night I heard this loud hissing. Computer came on halfway to the gas station telling me to check pressure. I already knew. I went straight to the Amoco station and they didn't think it could be plugged. They plugged it and it held. They told me to come back the next night for them to check the air. No air leakage at all so the plug is holding. They suggested buying four new rims and four new tires to have on hand!!! I said no, but was thinking, what are you nuts?? That could be an easy $4,000. I did call Bridgestone though and they didn't have the right size of our tires in their computer. They had for the rears REO50, not REO50A. The guy said they would have to track the tire down and it would take 2-5 days. He also said it must be awful in the snow; I said the car performed this past winter superbly in the snow. He was surprised. I said I do not want winter tires. He said I would never put winter tires on that car anyway. I just am writing this for everyone's info, if you're interested. Chats1
"I did call Bridgestone though and they didn't have the right size of our tires in their computer. They had for the rears REO50, not REO50A. "
Not sure if these two are related or separate problems.
pckeenan, is it a whining noise or a hissing noise?
I have had a few sensors go bad and have replaced them no problem.
Over the last few months my car has been making these thumping or clunking noise in the front. I happens when put it into gear an move forwards, backwards, and turning the steering wheel while doing both of these. It also sometimes happens when I am braking. Haven't taken anywhere yet since I don't what is wrong with it. There is nothing wrong with the car that I know of except for the noise.
If anyone has any ideas what it is, it would be a lot of help.
I have an 05 GP. Everything is great except for one thing.
At 1000 RPM I can hear a vibration from what appears to be right in front of the glovebox. Does anybody know what this could be?
It only happens when holding steady at 1000 RPM?
Thanks in advance!
Kevin
Bulletin No.: 01-02-32-001J
Date: June 08, 2007
TECHNICAL
Subject:
Clunk Felt/Noise Heard From Steering Column, Steering Gear and/or Front Of Vehicle During Turning Maneuver and/or Steering Wheel Rotation (Lubricate or Replace Intermediate Shaft As Appropriate)
Models:
2001-2004 Buick Regal
2005-2007 Buick Allure (Canada Only), LaCrosse
1997-2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
2000-2007 Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo
1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
1997-2005 Pontiac Sunfire
2004-2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
Supercede:
This bulletin is being revised to include I-shaft part number (P/N 25829293) for the 2000-2005 Monte Carlo. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 01-02-32-0011 (Section 02 - Steering).
Condition
Some customers may comment on a clunk type noise coming from the front of the vehicle while driving during a turning maneuver. This condition may also be felt through the steering wheel when the vehicle is stationary and the wheel is rotated from steering stop to steering stop. Some vehicles may only exhibit the noise once for every 360°of wheel rotation. On all other vehicles, this clunk noise will be noticed during low speed acceleration or deceleration, typically in light turns of the steering wheel.
Cause
This condition may be caused by inadequate lubrication of the steering intermediate shaft which results in a slip stick condition possibly resulting in the clunk noise.
Diagnostic Tip
This condition is commonly misdiagnosed as originating in the steering gear and has resulted in the replacement of numerous steering gears without correcting the concern.
Engineering Investigation shows that numerous steering gears have been misdiagnosed and replaced. The investigations shows that if the technician incorrectly diagnoses the steering gear as the cause of the noise and/or clunk during replacement of the steering gear, the technician may cycle the I-shaft, distributing the original grease in the I-shaft. This distribution of the original I-shaft grease may temporarily eliminate the I-shaft clunk so that the technician believes the noise and/or clunk is corrected with the steering gear replacement and returns the vehicle to the customer. After the customer drives the vehicles for several miles and dissipates the original grease, the noise may return.
Attempt to duplicate the customer's concern and isolate the I-shaft by following the procedure below:
Locate a large area (parking lot) where the vehicle can be turned in a tight circle.
Turn the steering wheel to the right and/or left all the way to the steering lock, then off the steering lock a 1/4 turn. Drive the vehicle approximately 5 km/h (3 mph) in a circle, preferably over rough pavement or seams on the road surface. If a clunk is felt in the steering wheel, the MOST likely cause is the I-shaft - not the steering gear. Continue with the correction.
Correction
Due to the design of the new I-shaft, it is not possible to lubricate/grease the I-shaft.
Replace the existing steering intermediate shaft using the service procedure found in Service Information. The remaining vehicles listed below will still need to have the current I-shafts re-lubricated. New I-shafts will be released later in 2007 for some of the remaining vehicles.
Remove the intermediate steering shaft from the vehicle and lubricate the shaft with a Steering Column Shaft Lubrication Kit, P/N 26098237. Follow the service procedure listed below.
Remove the steering intermediate shaft from the vehicle. Refer to Intermediate Steering Shaft Replacement in the appropriate Service Manual.
Fully extend the intermediate shaft by pulling the two shafts apart.
Apply the grease supplied in the Steering Column Shaft Lubrication Kit in the aluminum end of the yoke opening. Direct the syringe tip as deep as possible into the yoke and dispense the full content of the syringe.
Install the rubber stop plug from the Steering Column Shaft Lubrication kit into the yoke opening.
Secure the rubber plug by swinging the upper yoke 90°. One ear of the yoke should press the rubber plug in.
Make sure the intermediate shaft is being pressed over the ears of the solid shaft.
Use a hard surface to ease the collapse of the intermediate shaft. It is best to use a pumping action when collapsing the shaft. Collapse the shaft as far as possible.
Remove the rubber stopper plug from the yoke end of the shaft.
Slowly extend the intermediate shaft apart.
Inspect the intermediate shaft for a minimum of 5 mm (0.2 in) (a) of grease on the shaft splines.
Repeat Steps 4-9 if less than 5 mm (0.2 in) of grease is on the shaft splines.
Before installing the intermediate shaft in the vehicle, make sure to stroke and extend the intermediate shaft at least 15 TIMES to completely lubricate the internal surface of the slip joint.
Reinstall the intermediate shaft into the vehicle. Refer to Intermediate Steering Shaft Replacement in the appropriate Service Manual.
k
I also get a "service variable effort steering" message displayed.
I took it to the dealership, and they told me it was due to worn front wheel/hub bearings. After replacing both, the problem did not go away.
I then took it to Gerald's Tires to get an all wheel alignment, and the mechanic said that it could be a problem with the intermediate shaft in the steering column.
Did the dealership charge you for the replacement....was there a warranty issued for this problem.....?