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If I had the the convertible, I would so open it all up, you got heated seats for the chill....it would be awesome!
Your lucky the dealer will cover half. Call GM and see if they will cover it on there customer satisfaction program.
I'm certainly no expert about that whistling sound, but I will relay a story about a dealership encounter I had. Last year, when I had my 07 G6 HTC in the shop for a defective battery, I got to talk with a tech who apparently knew his stuff. I asked him about the "weak spots" that plague G6's. My conversation dealt with exhaust noises too. I have the 3.9 engine and the exhaust seems a bit loud (in a sporty sort of way). He said that was normal and the only exhaust complaints dealt with the whistling sound. He said that he had replaced several exhaust systems, but since the replacement part was the same, the noise had a habit of returning after a while. I believe the noise comes from a drain hole, which is a common design in many exhaust systems. I wonder what would happen if that hole was just plugged up??? I know that if it ever happens to my car, I'll be experimenting with whatever it takes to silence it. Please let me know how you make out with your repair.Thank you. Steve
I commute 100 miles a day and find it to be a decent highway car with the top up. Less noise and rattles than my 03 Corolla. Doing the speed limit I consistently get a tad over 30 mpg. Wear and tear on paint, upholstery and controls has been as good or better than my other 4 vehicles.
Top down driving is a blast. Very pleased with the low level of wind and noise. Steep rake of the windshield makes you feel a little more cocooned. Frankly, I like the little bit of shake and rattle. A convertible should be more visceral, I don’t want it to be just a big sunroof.
My favorite feature is the adjustable pedals. I don’t know why they are not standard on every car. Every driver in my family from 5’ 2” to 6’ 3” has complemented the ability to find an enjoyable seating position. The front seats seem an oddity, though. People seem to either think they are the best or worst they have ever sat in.
I’ve hauled adults in the back seats for hours. No one has ever complained about the comfort (and I almost always ask) but they do have a hard time getting in and out of the seat with the top up. It’s just annoying with the top down. Except my teens like to jump over the side.
I really don’t understand the complaints about the trunk space. In all my miles, I have never had a time where I have needed to haul more than the trunk can hold with the top up. And I have completed several cross-country two person vacations with the top down and placing some items in the back seat.
The exhaust was replaced twice for the whistling noise. First under warranty at 25k, the second at 55k for customer satisfaction at the dealer where I bought it. No recurrence, but should it happen again, I’ll just replace it with a non-pontiac exhaust.
At 67k (mostly highway miles) I developed a vibration in the front and thought it might be a warped rotor. It turned out to be the original tires were delaminating, even though they still had good tread and appeared fine visually. Not the car’s fault, just a warning to others, if the front end starts vibrating, have them checked.
I’d buy it all over again, but I could be convinced to trade it for a Camaro or Corvette .
I said "O.K." what,,, he said "O.K.", I'll cover it... There is a God.
Thursday the Cadillac shop replaced the entire exhaust system at no charge...
As far as the car goes, I would buy another in a heart beat. We have over 30K on it and have done a couple of coast to coast trips (one all the way to Miami from NM) and it is a absolute pleasure to travel in. Got as high as 29MPG on that trip.
Go for it!
If rattles still persist, take the vehicle to your dealer, since the roof's 2nd or 3rd panel mechanisms may require adjustment.
I am from GM Customer Service. So has the dealership fixed your vehicle or is it still at the dealership? Please let me know how the repairs go. Thank you,
Mariah GM Customer Service
A day after taking delivery, I noticed that much of the insulation in the trunk was damp / wet, and I further discovered that there was about 0.5" of water in the spare tire wheel well. It was mid-January, and this did not bode well for my future enjoyment of this car! Back to the dealer it went that same day, who happens to have an excellent body shop.
They immediately performed a "water test" and quickly found the source of the leak. Body putty seals the gutter around the trunk lid, which directs water runoff from the roof and the trunk lid to the rear bumper. Either the body putty cracked, or it was installed improperly, which enabled water to enter the trunk near the middle of the right-side gutter through a nearly imperceptible 0.75" slit. It was quickly fixed with epoxy and repainted, and one would never know that a repair was made to the gutter. The trunk was ripped apart (including the insulation), everything was dried with heaters, and then reassembled.
If you only have periodic leaks, it may be dry or misaligned seals. Try some silicone spray first. If the trunk leak continues, especially in cold weather, a quality body shop should be able to diagnose and repair the problem.
I have about 69,000 kilometres on the car and have had the roof adjusted for rattles countless times and have had two major parts replacements. My favourite was when it sounded like ballbearings were rolling around in the headliner.
My lease comes out next February, but I originally bought an extra two years of warranty so I think I will try to strike a deal to keep it
Thing is I can't think of a car I would prefer to replace it. I love the convertible and I am not in the mood to pay $60 G for a bimmer version. Most alternatives back seats are two small.....maybe the Volvo?
About a month ago some clown tried to jimmy the window to get to the door lock. Made some hefty scratches in the roof. Roof and window held out long enough for the alarm to sound and the guy never got in. Insurance adjusters estimates $2250. Taking weeks for replacement glass to come from the US.....I wonder if they are handblowing it?
Bought the wind difflector and it is well worth the price tag. Probably gives and extra hour of comfortable driving each night/morning and two months extra before and after summer. For example I drove around with the top down during the Olympics...in February. No sweat.....I mean no chill. One benefit of the Olympics is they repaved a lot of the roads.................
I take the car to the local Pontiac enthusiast gatherings. It is not out of place with the GTOs, etc. (Google: Pontiac Show and Shine Vancouver)
See you around...rattle, rattle, prrrrr, prrrrr...............
I apologize that you are experiencing a concern with your vehicle. Has the dealer contacted the tech department? Thank you,
Mariah GM Customer Service
$895.......but with my warrenty i brought from and outside company iam covered just my $125 and iam done ...love my car but be prepared for ur saftey get the warrenty guys ok... by the way its a 4 hour job
1. Slight clunk in steering
2. Exhaust Whistle
3. Typical roof rattles
Service rep calls back:
1. Car is off warranty so any "investigation" of issues will be subject to inspection charges and if item is not covered by my extended GPP (6 year/120,000 KM) I will be charged for the inspection.
2. Steering clunk (a defective "half-shaft") is covered by extended warranty, will be fixed.
3. Never heard of the exhaust whistle issue. Exhaust not covered by extended warranty. Cost to replace $800+.
4. Roof rattles not covered by GPP (although this is a chronic problem that dealer had addressed, no charge, a number of times while under the factory warranty.) Inspection for rattles to be at my cost (by now they should know where all the rattles come from, ya think?).
I Say:
1. Exhaust whistle is a well established flaw that others are getting fixed no charge.
2. Roof rattles are chronic (from day one) and reoccuring and should be fixed
3. I am not paying for inspections, maybe I will call GM
Rep calls back:
1. Out of "good will" exhaust system will be replaced (from later discussions, it turns out they knew full well this was a common issue).
Result:
1. Exhaust replaced gratis, including shiny new exhaust tips, thanks.
2. Steering half shaft replaced gratis. However, I notice the steering now has more play than before, about an inch and a half movement before engaging right or left. Very annoying especially when driving in lanes of traffic. Immediately mention to dealer. First they say they don't notice it, but when presed, Assistant Service Manager says this is normal wear and tear and GM will not cover, besides any new part "will have the same problem sooner or later". (Nevermind it took 64,000 KM to suddenly show up the first time.) Estimated cost to replace "worn" part $2000. Very hard to prove the change has come as a result of the "repair". The steering play is much more annoying than the slight clunk that was fixed. More likely now this will become the lease company's problem next February.
Observations:
1.I was naive about one thing for the extended warranty. That any inspection to find a perceived problem would be my cost if issue is not covered. This seems like a blank check to the dealer. How can an owner limit the costs of the "inspection"? I imagine a great deal of inspection time could be spend chasing the sources of roof rattles.
2. Reading the warranty, under "parts not covered" I see it says "convertible or vinyl top". When I bought the extended warranty they said this did not include the HTC, but now I am worried that that was just lip service. Has anyone had trouble making claims for roof repairs under the GPP? The main reason I bought GPP was for concerns for the roof.
See ya around,
rattle rattle, wobble wobble, prrr prrr
This is a quick response to the last message posted. Here are all of my HTC issues I have had fixed by the dealer. It did take some trouble and lots of time but eventually the car was fixed.
1) Exhaust system: I fell victim to the exhaust system problem. I was told that the car was fine and I could drive it like it was. I said that is not the correct answer. I said please fix the car immediately. I was told it needed a whole new exhaust system. Car was fixed.
2) Top rattles: I have had the car in the dealer for about 3 weeks the first 2 years I owned the car (It's 4 years old next month). They could not figure out why the top was rattling. I had to print out the service repair bulletin's that was posted in this thread years ago to help them out. Car was fixed
3) Top completely snapped while on vacation. I was 400 miles from my house on vacation and the top "snapped" and would not go up or down. I was very scared I would not be able to get home since the car would not move while the top was broken. I forced the top on somehow and made it home. Car in shop another 2 weeks and was eventually fixed.
Now most of the issues above have happened while I was putting 60 miles a day on the car for 18 months. After the 18th month I changed jobs and only put 5 miles a day on the car (go to work on the subway). I wonder how much of my issues were due to the mileage I was putting on the car when I first got it?
My car is now 4 years old and so far I have not had any issues in 2 years. I am afraid if anything comes up now I am screwed. I do have the extended PP and I was told that the top is covered under the PP. I had to fight tooth and nail while the car was in warranty and now that it is covered under the PP I'm afraid i'll have issues if something comes up.
Kevin
Could be battery is weak but strong enough to start the car but not strong enough to move the roof.
My understanding is the Stabilitrac was not available on the 3900 but the traction control is. In winter, when I was fishtailing in heavy snow, the Stabilitrac warning light came on. It eventually went off and I have not seem it again. Maybe the car's blackbox was doing some wishful thinking?
Locally the retail prices being asked for the few used G6 HTC available are roughly equal to my remaining lease payments plus the guaranteed purchase option price. It would be a surprise that they actual estimated the residual value properly, considering the massive recession that we all went through nad the demise of the brand.
Taking the guaranteed purchase price and using it to buy down the lease payments on a new car may be an attractive alternative to buying the G6 at the end of the lease.....particularly if I can not trust that the GMPP will cover the roof.
However, I still do not see an alternative to the G6 HTC. The VW is cute but the backseat is so small. Most of the others are tubby looking and have small backseats. Only the bimmer has arguable better looking, but $$$$. The bigger backseat in the G6 is not only good for passengers, but is important in that the backseat is the alternate trunk.
My son bought a full set of drums, including the bass, and we carried it home in the G6 in one shot. First we put the roof down and loaded up the backseat. Then we put the roof up and filled the trunk.
See you around,
rattle rattle, wobble wobble, prrrr prrrr, rata..tat..tat.....
A dealer needs to replace the system, only away factory sells it. Replaced mine and it cost me $80 for resonator.
I will go to an exhaust shop this weekend
Thanks again
Any one else have this problem, or solution...?
Since I'm not there to hear the noise, nor am I an expert, but one of the things that can make a horrible sound is the little metal tab on disc brake pads called an audible sensor. This is merely a piece of metal added to one of the brake pads to make a noise when it comes in contact with the brake rotor. It is there to indicate that the brake pads are substantially worn. This noise will occur at just about anytime the rotor is turning, however, it sometimes goes away when the brakes are applied. It's worth looking into.
Don't misunderstand me; I prefer the Pontiac G6, but I think the Saab is worth consideration.
Can you tell me where you bought the optional wind deflector for the G6? :confuse: It gets cold in New York State and I'd like to buy one.
Bob
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
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The wind screen is a Pontiac dealer item. The price is $420, but once in a while, there is one for sale on Ebay. I made my own from aluminum tubing and ordinary window screening. It is contoured just like the GM one and it works great. The biggest annoyance WITHOUT the windscreen is the draft on the back of the neck of the driver and front passenger. With it, you can use the car as a convertible with heat coming through the dashboard vents in much cooler weather. It really makes a huge difference.
My G6 HTC has the light taupe leather interior. As with just about every G6 that I've seen, the driver's seat tends to wear the coloring off the outboard piping edge of the backrest. I've searched for touch-up dye everywhere to no avail. I decided to try something sneaky that worked out very well. I'll pass this tip along to anyone who wants to try it.
I removed the headrest and brought it to a Home Depot paint department to do a color match. I had them create the color in one of those sample size bottles of paint for under $3. The match was perfect. With a small hobby paint brush, I applied the color to the worn out edge of the piping. It looks brand new. I'll probably apply a coat of clear paint on it to seal it.
What's the worst that can happen? If it wears off, then I'll just redo it.
Although the G6's perforated leather is somewhat thin and not of the same quality of higher-level GM vehicles, many of the inevitable discoloration and cracking problems which occur with all leather interiors can be delayed with the application of a brand-name leather conditioning/cleaning cream every 3 - 6 months. I prefer Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner/Conditioner for my own G6 HTC light taupe leather seats, but other brands will deliver fine results, too.
Regarding touch-up colorants, a web-search will turn-up many low cost products which can be custom mixed at home to develop a good match. There are also some touch-up pens, which are available for various leather and leatherette (a.k.a. vinyl) colors for both domestic and foreign vehicles. A less common product for these sorts of problems , which I have used successfully in the past, is Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric Coating. It comes in many colors, but only in spray cans. (As always, just spray a bit in a cup, and use a fine artist's brush to apply it where the touch-up color is required.) This product is typically only found in specialty auto supply stores, including NAPA. Or, it can be easily purchased on-line.
After reading your suggestions of where to get leather touch-up dye, I still drew a blank. Duplicolor appears to have only generic colors (i.e. black, white, burgundy, tan, gray, etc.). As far as me creating the correct color from a kit, I doubt if I could get that accurate. If you ever run across the specific "light taupe" color for a General Motors car, please post the information.
By the way, my 2007 G6 has only 15,000 miles on it, so there is no wear on the seats other than that piping edge. I have used quality leather treatments on the seats as you also suggested.
Also found a "new" spray product at Lordco for treating door seals. Seems to have substantially cut down of the creaking and "popping" although it seemed to work with some delayed effect.
So evertything is working well and I have two years left on the extended warranty!
Any suggestions on cool aftermarket additions to the car?
Vroom, vroom, looking forward to summer!
Please keep us posted on any information from the dealership. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us directly.
Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service