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Chevrolet Uplander Bodywork & Exterior Questions

fscolesfscoles Member Posts: 9
How can I safely remove the '08 Uplander's headlamp housing to get to the headlamps and driving lamps? I've removed the recommended pin and screw, but the housings still won't budge loose, and I don't want to break them. Is one supposed to pull straight forward, which might damage the rubber perimeter gasket on the grill.

Comments

  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,054
    I try to be a good Chevy owner, but this is a pride-of-ownership thing.

    The gold bowtie emblem on the liftgate of my Uplander delaminated from the inside--looked pock-marked--and was replaced under warranty less than one year ago. While washing the van today, I noticed the replacement one is starting to do the same thing already.

    A month ago, I replaced the larger, front grille gold bowtie emblem because it looked to have large 'bubbles' on the inside edges of the emblem. I paid $38.50 for a new emblem and the dealer's body shop installed it for free.

    This is a metaphor...it's the very symbol of Chevy that is tarnishing!

    I can't help but notice my friend's six-year old Ford Escape's blue oval emblems look as good as new...and they've never been replaced, he says.

    I can also tell from looking at other very late-model Chevys, that this is not limited to the Uplander.

    I wish Chevy would think about extending the warranty on these emblems as a goodwill gesture, either via letters to customers, or Technical Service Bulletins. I mean, how much would it really cost, and it would show they share our pride-of-ownership.

    Bill
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • toomanyfumestoomanyfumes Member Posts: 1,019
    I just rented an '08 Uplander for 4 days, and the bowties front and back were bubbled and pockmarked.

    I too thought it was embarrassing for a new vehicle that the manufacturers symbol was tarnished.
    2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
  • uplanderbluesuplanderblues Member Posts: 2
    We've had ours replaced once already - and they are tarnished again. I told the dealer it is a symbol of the quality of the uplander we have.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,054
    Just this morning I looked at our local Chevy dealer's last brand-new Uplander, a gray 2008 LT with the chrome wheels. It looked nice (I always thought they were better-looking than other vans). To my astonishment, the gold grille bowtie has already delaminated from the inside. If I were the sales manager, I'd get that replaced right away. I'm sure they won't do a thing about it until the first customer complains, though (sigh).

    That's one of those first-impression things that can (and should) be promptly taken care of..at the dealership level, and also at the manufacturing level.

    Bill
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    The new Uplander I purchased recently had a rattle in the back cargo door. I took it in for service and it was supposedly fixed but is now even worse than original. I have an appointment to take it back in a couple days. I know of one other person locally with the same problem and his is not fixed either .

    Is this an ongoing thing with this model ? Does anyone here have some experience they can share about it ?

    W.Y.
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    Here is an update from a message I posted in another GM site and somebody thought it might be the door latch but it isn't.

    It is not the latch or catch that is causing the problem.
    The rattling noise is from the door liner on the inside of the door or something inside the door. . My friend that has the same problem and got his from a dealer in another city had his back three times and was finally told it is the rear windshiled wiper motor on the inside making the noise and that he would have to put up with it in the cold weather because it gets better in warmer weather. DUH ! !
    That seems totally unsatisfactory to me coming from a GM dealership and I am hoping that I can get some help here from ones that have experienced the same thing so I can pass it on to my local dealership when I take the van in on Wednesday.
    My friends is a 07 and mine is a brand new 08 .

    W.Y.
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    My gosh , no wonder this forum is dead.
    I got an email notification that there was a response to my inquirry buut I'll be darned if I can find the response when I come here.
    Maybe it was deleted ? .
    I have never seen a site with software as hard to navigate as this one. :mad:
    Don't know if anyone will be able to find this message but anyway, I got the problem fixed with the dealer after their third go at it. :D
    Rattle is finally gone .

    W.Y.
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    Sorry for my previous response.
    Karen informed me that a spammer got in the way of business and threw a monkey wrench into the works . Looks like all is well now.

    Here is an update on a repair that should have been fixed the first time.

    Thanks for the responses.
    They finally found it after the third try and billing GM three different times . I signed three claim forms each time they worked on it and I noticed that one was over two hours labor.
    I wonder if they charge GM the same $100.00 an hour labour rate as they charge out of warranty customers. .

    All that was causing the rattle was the cable inside the door that controls the latch. It had not been fastened to where it should have been and every time I closed the lift gate it would bang . . bang . . bang . . between the inside of the plastic door liner and the inside of the metal outer door. It also banged going over every bump .
    It was a no brainer to fix and if they had not done it right the third time I was prepared to fix it myself and contact GM and tell them the dealer couldn't fix it so they could put out a service bulletin for dealers to watch for that particular problem.
    W.Y.

    The dealer however is very nice to me now and even installed a bug/stone deflector acrross the front no charge because of me having to come back three times.
    Should have got the service manager the first time instead of a desk clerk.
  • curmudgeon2curmudgeon2 Member Posts: 3
    my Uplander is going into it's fourth year and i have endured the rattles in cold weather for that time...just serviced a failing rear window wiper (another issue and procedure I'd be happy to walk anyone throufg...works fine now)...while i had the inside door skin removed...i sought out the possible cause of noise ...a few cables taped in place for peace of mind but the real cause was the bizarre way they mounted the speakers...on a two point hinge with a clip on the opposite side to lower/swing down the speakers for service ...only one problem however ...they insulated the face of the speakers from the speaker grill(attached to the inside of the trim panel) but the whole unit is loose and can bang back against the door skin ...dropped the speakers ...put some 1/4 inch closed foam tape on the under lip and voila ...totally secure ...email me on the wiper ...you're all going to suffer this and rather than buying a $200 part and having a low tech install it for another 200 you can do all this in a coupla hours basically for the price of a tool (8 bucks)to pry open the trim buttons ...hint the motor is usually fine ...the shaft and shaft housing are the pits
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    Thanks for your informative message.
    I only have 10,000 km on mine so far and it has the three year bumper to bumper warranty . So far only the back door rattle which they fixed and left front signal light bulb . I went in to buy a bulb to change it myself and they insisted that they change it and told me to have a coffee on them while I waited. . They supplied parts and labor and all I had to do was sign the forms for them to collect 1/2 hour labor from GM.
    Great service. I have been used to doing minor things like that myself witth previous vehicles so their excellent service came as a surprise.
  • curmudgeon2curmudgeon2 Member Posts: 3
    dealerships are more than happy to do warranty service...money in the bank ...when mine was on warranty(i had the shorter warranty) they would ask me several times when i visited if there were any issues ...even fixed distorted weather stripping on the driver's side slider ...great stuff ....now i just don't feel like paying for stuff i can fix ...i finally gave up on their nimerous attempts to fix an "itching "noise on the passenger slider ...it was the moulding contacting the window ...drove me nuts on long trips...dollar store sponges cut up and wedged behind the moulding fix this .... time and every buck i save is used for something else in these times...
  • broncomd1broncomd1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi Curmudgeon2,

    Can you provide a little more information on how to fix the rear wiper?

    Thanks!
  • juntmljuntml Member Posts: 1
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    Sam
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    *****************Just this morning I looked at our local Chevy dealer's last brand-new Uplander, a gray 2008 LT with the chrome wheels. It looked nice (I always thought they were better-looking than other vans). To my astonishment, the gold grille bowtie has already delaminated from the inside. If I were the sales manager, I'd get that replaced right away. I'm sure they won't do a thing about it until the first customer complains, though (sigh).

    That's one of those first-impression things that can (and should) be promptly taken care of..at the dealership level, and also at the manufacturing level.********************

    I guess it's something we will just have to get used to. I bought my 2008 Uplander in November of last year. I noticed the front emblem looking real bad after just one week. They replaced it and said they are getting lots of them on all models.
    I am just going to keep getting bad ones replaced under my three year bumper to bumper warranty and if they have not corrected the problem by then I will just leave defective ones on and it will be a reflection of GM's quality after that and I will tell them so unless of course they want to keep installing free ones after my three year warranty has expired. . No Way I would pay $38.00 US for a defective part which would be about $47.50 in Canada with the exchange rate at what it is now.
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    This should be a new topic rather than putting it in with the door rattle topic
  • bigwhalebigwhale Member Posts: 2
    Sorry about that, but being a computer forum newbie I am unsure how to start a new
    topic. Any help would be appreciated.
  • fscolesfscoles Member Posts: 9
    I'm running a test with both Bowties on our 08 Uplander. In late Oct 08 both of them were replaced under warranty, but by Feb 09 the front one had delaminated, so the local dealer just handed the new one to me so I could first apply a thin bead of clear RTV silicone caulk using a hypo 18ga needle (it's difficult to get the sealant thru the smaller ga needles) around the open seam where weather and crap can get inside the emblem and cause the delamination. So far they're doing fine. I did it to the front one before installation so I wouldn't have to contortion upside down......what can we really expect....my new bowtie had a China sticker on it....and U.S. & Canadian taxpayers are supposed to bail GM out?....something's wrong with that picture. It's easy to get around the perimeter of the rear bowtie by opening the door.
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    Yes, you pull forward. Try wiggling the housing as you pull it forward, it seems to help.
  • fscolesfscoles Member Posts: 9
    Any amount of wiggling on this one would have ripped off or torn the rubber gasket on the grill plastic edge because the spacing is so close on both sides, so I got the advice of a local body man. He had me first remove two adjacent black plastic fasteners that hold the grill in place (they are reusable) so the edge of the grill can be moved out of the way (about 1/4 inch) of the headlamp as it is pulled out. I also applied some silicone grease to the metal ball at the outer edge (backside) of the housing so it will remove easier next time.
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    The clearances must be a bit tighter on the Uplander than my Saturn Relay. I will admit that the fit was snug, however with a bit of wiggling the headlight housing did come out. If it's any consolation, it's easier the second time.
  • chevyjaxchevyjax Member Posts: 12
    I thought it was just something that happened to me, know I know that this has happened to other people as well. It is still under warranty :(:( , wonder if I can get mine fixed as well!
  • richardostrandrichardostrand Member Posts: 1
    I was told by a Chevy technician that this is simply a defect that the company doesn't want to remedy--and it is a common problem (Little things like this is what Chevys affordable). He suggested that I seal the gap between the outside plate and the inside emblem with some sort of sealer to keep water and soap from getting in.
    I'm thinking maybe exterior silicone might do the trick, but remember that you cannot simple wipe off the excess with your finger, as you do with caulking. A handyman friend of mine suggested dipping one's finger in mineral oil before wiping off the excess.
    Even if you screw up the plate a little, it doesn't really matter, because eventually it's going to fail.
  • fscolesfscoles Member Posts: 9
    About ten months ago I applied a thin bead of clear RTV silicone caulk into the crevice using an 18gauge needle on a regular small volume syringe..18 gauge because a 20 gauge or smaller diameter was too small to get the caulk thru. There was no mess to clean up. It seems to still be working. My replacement bowtie a year ago from the local Chevy dealer had a "China" sticker on it.
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    My Uplander is a 2008 and will be one year old next month.
    It has been a wonderful vehicle . Great mileage and very reliable with 22,000 km on it already
    I had a few anoyances in the first month or so like a rattle in the back door and replaced the bowtie emblem once . I have not tried to seal mine but getting to the end of the three year bumper to bumper warranty I will seal the next one if and when I need to..
    Oh yes, the glove compartment door latch broke and like anything else they replaced it no charge . That little latch is worth $87.00 plus taxes plus labor :surprise: on vehicles out of warranty so handle it gently especially when you get to the out of warranty point. :)
  • beringersdberingersd Member Posts: 1
    I too have the same problem. does anyone know where I can buy one of these off a website or something? or does it have to come from the dealer?
    thanks
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    I am on my third one in 14 month including the original. Believe it or not the dealer said the price on them is $98.00 plus tax plus installation. How much do you want to bet the dealer gets them for less than $10.00

    They claim the newer ones are of better quality from a new supplier . I don't believe you can get them anywhere but from a GM dealership.

    Other than this it has been a fantastic vehicle and I now have well over 30,000 km on it since buying it new a year ago last November (14 months)
  • fscolesfscoles Member Posts: 9
    It's been about 2 yrs since I had applied the clear RTV silicone caulk around our two bowties, using the 18ga hypo needle I mentioned previously, and both of them are still fine with no signs of delamination. We're N of Syracuse where the winters are brutal with road salt, freeze-thaw cycles, etc. Each spring I've checked the caulk bead and touched it up a bit. I think that our two Chevy bowties are about the only two in this upstate NY county that aren't delaminated. GM should tell their Chinese-contracted mfgr how to make a good emblem, I think.
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    Sounds Good .
    My third (or is it fourth) bowtie emblem is holding up good . Dealer told me they now have a new supplier for it with much improved quality control.

    On another note, I don't know if it was here or on another site but there was an easy do it yourself way of setting the computer to read all four tire pressures .
    I have the sensors in one set of wheels and not in the other set (summer and winter wheels) . If someone can post the procedure I will print it out.
    Dealer charges $50.00 to do that. When I put new tires on the one set of rims I will be installing sensors in them so I have will have them in both sets.

    Does anyone know of an after market price for those sensors ? Dealer wants $45.00 each which adds up on top of the price of new tires. Those 17" tires cost a LOT more than the more common 15" ones.
  • jeffzmanjeffzman Member Posts: 1
    Hey, my rear wiper went out on my 2005 Uplander. Can you email those instructions? My mechanic is telling me $200 like you said. Thanks.
  • streetmedikstreetmedik Member Posts: 1
    :confuse: How do I remove the bowtie from my 2007 Uplander? :confuse:
  • 442dude442dude Member Posts: 373
    Sledge hammer?

    Sorry... :blush:

    I've never removed mine but I'm pretty sure they're glued on... you may want to try working a very fine filament line (fishing line) back down behind it to break the glue - Once you've worked your way all the way to the bottom it should fall off.
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    Got rid of my Uplander a week ago. Dealt on a Honda.
    Too may issues developing . They recently spent over $2000.00 on a couple little modules and 4 hours to replace and it still isn't fixed . Of course it was warranty but I was concerned about things like this after warranty runs out.
    4 bowties was peanuts compared to other things that satared happening after 40K km.
    Had 44K km when I dealt it on a Honda CR-V which has WAY better mileage and is reported to be one of the most reliable vehichles on the road with highest resale value.
  • druffdruff Member Posts: 1
    Hi there,
    I would be very interested if you could let me know how you corrected the problem with your wiper. I have a 2007 Uplander and am now having the same issue. Let me know if you have any suggestions on how to fix it.
    thank you
    Dale
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    edited December 2010
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    This site keeps dumping my message every time I try to reply
  • royboy331royboy331 Member Posts: 2
    Our rear windshield wiper on our 2005 Uplander recently stopped working & we need assistance! My mechanic told us we needed to replace the motor, which we did & it still didn't work. Then, he said that it must be the switch, so we replaced the switch & it still didn't work! We're now at a loss of words & money at this point. My mechanic is now stating that it must be a wiring issue & he can't seem to pin point the problem. He's verified that the fuse is fine - so basically we're stuck unless we agree to pay him more money to 'look into' the wiring issue. Has anyone else experienced this and if so, would you mind sharing your solution? Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    royboy331 ,
    What is the name of the dealer you have been working with?
    Christina
    GM Customer Service
  • royboy331royboy331 Member Posts: 2
    We're not dealing directly with a dealer. We personally know a mechanic who owns his his own shop that we deal with.
  • williamyoungwilliamyoung Member Posts: 21
    edited January 2011
    Early in this thread I was saying about the good service from GM with them fixing the door rattle after three times, Guess what . It came back with avengence and they said it is a summer/winter thing and live with it.
    But that was the very tip of the iceberg with that 2008 vehicle .
    Started making a hell of a noise on left hand turns . They said there were a couple modules that had to be replaced . Removed just about everything on top of the engine to get down to where they were. Took a whole day . They billed GM two thousand dollars for that. A month later the same problem came back so like the back door rattle I lived with it.
    The glove box handle broke and came off in my hand . Cheap little piece of plastic held on with two screws. $100.00 for the part and $50.00 to replace it in five mintes . Warranty again.
    Heater control knob broke off just by looking at it crossways I guess . Tiny pastic shaft inside it . Another warranty bill to GM.
    I change my own oil and always WAY sooner than what they recommended. Last time I changed it I noticed oil was leaking from the engine seals . That was the last straw . I didn't even tell the dealer about that . I dealt it off on a Honda CR-V . What a huge difference in quality.
    The guy that bought my used van with less than 50K km on it can spend his time in the repair shop. I wasted enough time doing that . :mad:.

    There is no way I was going to keep that Uplander past it's warranty or it would have cost me a fortune .
  • bmhinnovationsbmhinnovations Member Posts: 1
    I just took mine off and painted it black, i have always thought that the gold was a bit ostentatious, now it looks great and the gold can do all the pealing it wants behind the paint.
  • drjpb3drjpb3 Member Posts: 1
    try another motor my first one worked one day and the next one lasted a month. I gave up and rain xed it.
  • justanrnjustanrn Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2006 Uplander ,I purchased new in June 2007. I was totally in love with the vehicle that i took it off the showroom floor. This year it has something wrong every month. There is only 42,000 miles on the car.
    This car is falling apart, every month its something new. I have to pick and choose what is important to fix. Be cause of course it brakes down right when the warranty ends.
    Rear Winshield Wiper not working, not sure if motor or fuse. I was told the fuse was fine, but the rear power outlet went out to. Is it electrical? what is going to be the cost.
  • billybob69billybob69 Member Posts: 1
    Please tell me the wiper fix you mention. Thanks
  • curmudgeon2curmudgeon2 Member Posts: 3
    take the motor out and take it apart ....the shaft goes through a white metal housing to the outside ...the white metal corrodes and deposits an ever thicker layer of white crude on the shaft and eeventually the motor cannot overcome this and stope ...usually the motor is fine ...there is a small bronze sleeve bearing on the shaft but mine broke first time out (lose it )...filled the shaft housing with grease...everyday stuff ....put it back together as before and remount ....note ...make a mark on the gear cam and an offsetting mark on the shaft cam so that you can get them back together in the right spot ...otherwise the wiper overshoots the window a bit ....i have done this twice in the last 4 years on my 2005 ...and oxccasionally with the lift gate up i stand on a ladder and squirt liquid wrench down the shaft from the outside ...i have not had the wiper fail since i have been doing this ...
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