Buick Rainier, Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy

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Comments

  • ross1962ross1962 Member Posts: 229
    You have a choice. You can wait until the 4.2 I6 is 8 years old and see how they hold up, or you can do what I did; buy one with a 100K warranty and plan on unloading it when the warranty is up.
    By the way, I also had a Blazer with the 4.3L Vortec V6. The only good thing I can say about that engine is it was powerful. Other that that, the injectors needed replacing frequently and it was the roughest engine I have ever experienced.
    The new 4.2L I6 is as smooth as silk and hauls [non-permissible content removed], especially on the open road. I just returned from the my second 1200 mile road trip in a month and my Trailblazer ran like a champ.
  • redline65redline65 Member Posts: 693
    I found this on the GMC web site:

    "Rear seat audio and air-conditioning controls and 3rd row seat temperature control"

    Does this imply there is a separate temperature control for the third row? I cannot find one.
  • psychoindianpsychoindian Member Posts: 2
    "I owe my allegiance to GM to my brother who was a GM engineer for over 25 years"

    Well, you brother did a damn good job. I love the engine, even more so since I went from a Jimmy with 197 HP to the Envoy with almost 100+ more hp.

    Soooooo soooo sooo smooth.

    PsychoIndian
  • cparisecparise Member Posts: 33
    My brother appreciates your thoughts from the beyond, I am sure. He spent all of his engineering life at GM and mostly at GM Powertrain. He lived in Flint and for quite a while spent lots of time in Mesa at the GM proving grounds. He was an engineer's engineer. He owned several Corvette's, a 27.5' US Yacht Sailboat(reverse transom with inboard Onan diesel), and at the time he passed away suddenly he was in the garage wrenching on his Honda Hurricane after a long day in the office.
    I too love my Envoy XL SLT, especially the engine, ride, and handling. Hope things stay that way.
    Chris
  • blackvett97blackvett97 Member Posts: 2
    Hypothetically speaking. If one wants to cut the odometer on the Trailblazer or reverse the mileage what steps are necessary. I realize that its a electronic system which keeps track of the mileage and it would require a little more work then a standard analog odometer.
  • kimodokimodo Member Posts: 44
    HA!!
    The most ironic thing. I went to drop off my TB at the dealer to get my right headlight replaced, and also had a problem with the driverside visor. IT was very loose and would vibrate when on driving. Anyhow, as I was on my way to work, I saw a white TB behind me, and low and behold, his right headlight was out. What a coinkidink. Shoot, there's gotta be something with the front headlight. Any others had to replace theirs?
  • redline65redline65 Member Posts: 693
    Did the radio antennae on the SLT used to be in the glass? Our new SLT has the traditional radio antennae. Doesn't bother me though, the embedded glass antennae in our Intrigue doesn't pick up radio stations very well.
  • 2002slt2002slt Member Posts: 228
    Yes, there were diversity antennas in the 2002 Envoy and Bravada. Mine works quite well. I guess for a cost savings measure, they decided to move it back onto the fender.
  • redline65redline65 Member Posts: 693
    What makes the Trailblazer more appealing than the Envoy? I was looking at the sales figures for both, and the TB has far outsold the Envoy.

    2002 YTD
    Trailblazer - 219,373
    Envoy - 96,976

    Aren't they essentially the same price and offer the same options? Do people prefer the TB styling over the Envoy? Or is the brand recognition driving Chevy's sales higher? Could it be high fleet sales for Chevy? Just curious.
  • citizenpaincitizenpain Member Posts: 2
    Anyone using Anco winter blades? Their book says I need a 30-20 and a 29-20 for the front left and right. Local stores only carry the 30-20s. Parts guy says the 30-20s will work on both sides. Anyone confirm?

    Thanks!
  • neoutdoorsmanneoutdoorsman Member Posts: 2
    anyone experiencing any unusual problems with the
    new 03 envoy xl? thinking of buying one within
    next 2 to 4 mos. neoutdoorsman
  • mfullmermfullmer Member Posts: 773
    An identically (well as close as you can get) equipped Trailblazer LTZ and Envoy SLT (both 4x4) differ in price by over $1,000.00. Plus, a similarly equipped base LS Trailblazer and a similarly equipped base SLE Envoy (both 4x2) are over $1,200 difference.

    What you have to remember is that there are three (Avis, Alamo, and Enterprise) large rental companies who purchase these vehicles for rentals. They purchase Trailblazers because they are cheaper. Thats one reason plus the fact that for the average person, you get the same vehicle for cheaper so more Trailblazers are sold.
  • 2002slt2002slt Member Posts: 228
    In the Chicago area, and probably most others, there are at least 3x more Chevy dealers than GMC. This may have something to do with the discrepancy in total vehicles sold.
  • twinrottstwinrotts Member Posts: 161
    The engineering discipline that created the 4.2L is obvious and overwhelming.. Many thanks to your brothet and his team.

    TB sales vs Envoy:
    I for one was going down the path of buying an Envoy and did end up with the TB
    Rear end eye appeal was one reason, price differential a second. Most significant for us however was leg room in the front passanger side.
    Sit in both of 02 vintage at least and you will find more leg room for the passengers left knee in the TB
  • twinrottstwinrotts Member Posts: 161
    The engineering discipline that created the 4.2L is obvious and overwhelming.. Many thanks to your brother and his team.

    TB sales vs Envoy:
    I for one was going down the path of buying an Envoy and did end up with the TB
    Rear end eye appeal was one reason, price differential a second. Most significant for us however was leg room in the front passanger side.
    Sit in both of 02 vintage at least and you will find more leg room for the passengers left knee in the TB
  • crj1crj1 Member Posts: 70
    I drive and Envoy SLT from my employer and my wife drives a TB LTZ for GM..Some differences are the dashboard design and trim on the Envoy is much nicer and even when you go with the cheapest Envoy possible you still get 17" wheels and tires, foglamps, trailer towing package, etc... so you do get something extra for the difference.
  • richardcoulsonrichardcoulson Member Posts: 88
    Not only are the Envoy's more money, the GMC dealers in my area don't want to deal. The GMC people wanted $300 over invoice and were jerks about it when I told them I could get a trailblazer for invoice. I bought my trailblazer for invoice.
  • crj1crj1 Member Posts: 70
    Where are you located?
  • st1100v4st1100v4 Member Posts: 96
    From Autoweek on the BMW 745i:

    "BMW's flagship goes like stink, but it gets some flack from owners"

    "While our reader-owners have only good things to say about the way the big Bimmer performs over the road, feedback to our AutoFile survey also contains a glut of negativity regarding non-driving aspects of the car."

    "Many owners' cars have been suffering from an overwhelming number of electrical problems, from faulty tire pressure monitor readings to clocks that run slow, to headrests that popped up on their own. Just about every letter submitted for our AutoFile survey mentioned a number of electrical gremlins. While some of them were quite funny, they all implied headaches."

    "Owners paid: $74,695 to $80,495."
  • bobbiesbobbies Member Posts: 34
    Hello folks.....has anyone purchased and tried the "Ding King" tool seen on TV? I have a couple dents on my vehicle and wonder if this thing works vs going to a body shop for fill and paint.

    Would appreciate your comments. One other item for '02 and '03 Bravada people. The protrusion behind the rear doors as you know gets blasted by road debris and soon paint is gone. Try the JC Whitney stone gard tape. It's 6" wide and can be cut to fit. Unfortunately it is black (my Bravada is black) but works great. If it starts to wear, remove and replace. Had mine on almost a year including Ohio winters and no sign of deterioration of the material. Thought I would pass it along.
  • ducatist4ducatist4 Member Posts: 28
    Well it happened. After 19000 great miles on our 2002 Bravada, someone rear ended us last night. He has traveling very fast. My pregnant wife and and I were fine, thanks to the receiver hitch on the Bravada.

    He was traveling so fast that the entire front end of his Caraven was destoyed, his air bags deployed, and the glass out of several windows in the rear of his minivan blew out.

    I have never been hit that hard from the rear. The Bravada got a ding on the tailgate door, and the rear bumper is only slightly crunched. The quarters look perfect, windows perfect, taillights untouched. The receiver hitch totally stopped what could have been a huge repair bill on ours, but distributed the bill to him instead.

    By the way, our Bravada was purchased in Feb 2001, and besides the recall initially, and some wind noise at the drivers window, we love it.
  • cparisecparise Member Posts: 33
    And, as you mentioned its the entire engineering team that deserves the credit. And we sometimes forget that its the suppliers too that can make or break a product after its designed. An oversight in QA, a mis-sourced part, using the wrong revision level of a part, can further add to problems.

    Just a comment on the Envoy VS. TB buyer decision, for me it was mostly a matter of looks: inside (where I am the most!) the smart styling of the dashboard in the Envoy and on the outside the sharp front-end and hood styling. The TB's certainly are very handsome and have good eye appeal too. Almost wish I could have one of both!

    PS. My accessorization is almost complete. I just added the GM mudflap accessories for each wheel. They are the all-black no logo ones and have a raised area on them that blends into the lower body moldings nicely. I have factory running boards too. I had the dealer install them for $96 parts and labor. They were put on perfectly by the technician and are on very securely to stay put. Just after purchasing I installed the GM bug/wind deflector for $50. Installation was a breeze and took all of 20 minutes. Next and probably my last accessory will be the new (coming for the XL) oversize rear window air deflector. I am especially looking forward to this accessory because I believe it will improve the asethics of the rear "view", which looks a little ungainly.
    Chris
  • baitisjbaitisj Member Posts: 24
    I'm curious if anyone knows the best junction to get a clean 12-volt feed in the rear end of the Triplets. I have an Envoy without the Bose sound package, but I did get the rear console audio option.

    I've been experimenting with a specially hacked line-out from the rear audio console. I'm feeding the line levels into an Audio Control EQ in the rear, and from there into an amp + subwoofer (both are temporarily getting +12 through the cigarette lighter!!!) It's been working great, and I will post details if there is enough interest in this forum as I'm ready to finalize everything.

    So I ask those who have had an amp added: Where are you getting your +12? Perhaps the Bose amp, although it doesn't exist in my vehicle, has a reasonable +12V over sixteen-gauge or better? I think there is a large power junction under the left rear seat near the rear body control module (BCM). Perhaps that's the best spot to try.

    The next challenge is to figure out a way of triggering the remote active either when key is turned to the 'On' position, or ideally, when the stock stereo is turned 'On.' Anyone have a good hint on this? Perhaps another line off of the BCM that changes state when the car is running?

    Thanks for help in advance!

    -Jeff
  • redline65redline65 Member Posts: 693
    ducatist4 - Glad to hear you, your wife, and your baby are all OK. Was the driver in the Caravan OK? Amazing that your Bravada suffered minor damage compared to the other vehicle. I guess the frame of the truck was able to absorb much of the impact. Is there any frame damage to your vehicle or have you had it looked at yet?
  • quickdtooquickdtoo Member Posts: 266
    Glad everyone is OK. Be sure to have the rear frame checked thoroughly, a friend had the same happen to him, thought the hitch saved everything. It did help but the rear frame was still damaged, very $$ costly hidden damage.

    Tim
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    It's good to know that everyone is okay, we were in a very similar situation on Oct. 22, 2001 in our 300M. Going through a town along a main highway, there are several lights. We were headed south and stopped at about the 3rd one for only about 10 seconds, heard some very loud squealing, and just as we turned around to look, there was a horrible crash, the back window exploded, and the grill of a Dodge Ram van was against the driver's side backseat headrest. The van was in the next lane over, but some old fart in a Volvo wagon was going so fast down the road (said to have been about 55mph in a 40mph zone) and through the light, he hit the van, pushed it sideways, hard enough to plant it against the backseat of our car. To top it off, our 300M's gas filler was on that side, and gas was spewing all over the place, so it just was not a good scene.

    Still, nearly a year and a half later, my mother has severe neck and back pain often, and our "wonderful" insurance company of the time and its "good hands" still have not settled everything they should have, and will be hearing from us soon....Make sure that your Bravada goes to a good shop, you're all checked out medically (often takes a day or two for things to set in), and that your insurance company doesn't consist of 100% morons!
  • ducatist4ducatist4 Member Posts: 28
    Thank you all for your concern. Everyone was okay, except I believe the older gentlemen driving the Caravan broke a rib. I suspect it was the airbag, as it was an earlier 1990s minivan, It probably had first generation airbags.

    My neck hurts, but not bad. I went to the body shop today, the best in our town, but they were closed. I hope the frame is not bent. Thanks again for your expressions of concern. Will keep the board up to date on the damage and costs of such an incident. Our insurance is state farm, they have been great in the past. Similar problem with my new 2001 Aurora in 12/2001. They treated us great than.
  • 2k_impala_ls2k_impala_ls Member Posts: 311
    We got socked with 23" of snow in Albany, NY on Christmas Day and I drove the TB to moms house anyway. The roads were not plowed yet and had atleast 10"+ on them. The TB went through with no problem. I came to a stop on a slight incline with the BMW SUV in front of me. He was sitting there spinning as I drove right by him. He should have bought a Chevy!!
  • tlaurotlauro Member Posts: 504
    hmmmmmmmmm...don't challenge the X off the line or in the twisties in snow. The only downside to it is the V-Rated tires. Other than that, they are one of the most controlled rides on the road.

    Their All Wheel Drive (AWD) maintains a 38%-front 62%-rear torque split and does quite well.

    They also have Dynamic Stability Control aka (DSC-X)specifically designed for the X5 and it's drivetrain. I've tried it in snow and it's flawless. Very difficult to cause any fishtails.

    BMW also has Dynamic Brake Control as many of the other performance imports. Suburu does on their very top end Wagon. Kinda like AWD only for brakes. Also part of the braking system is the Hill Control...like Toyota is pushing on the new 4-Runner. The system has individual brake control on all four wheels while on all types of road surfaces.

    I'm seriously looking at the new X5 for my wife after parting with her Benz. Especially since our first little one is due in June...she'll need the room.

    at 290hp and 340hp...they do run on dry roads too ;)
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    I am determined to find a way to permanently turn off the DRLs on my Trailblazer. Without starting a big debate on the whys and safety aspects of DRLs I simply do not like the darn things, and the fact that the DRL system runs the lo-beams at 80% of full brightness thus shortening the life of the $20+ each lamps, plus they are just plain hard to get to for replacement. Have to pull off the grill. Multiple plastic clips to un-do risking breaking a clip or two. What a pain. No wonder the Owner's Manual mentions nothing about headlamp replacement. Plus GM's corporate arrogance regarding having the dealer disable MY non-required by law DRLs on MY vehicle just makes me even more determined.

    Anyone interested in studying the schematic of the DRL system, email me and I will send it to you to look at. tblazed@ev1.net

    They are using a solid-state relay located on the underhood fuse block ( lo-beam "Headlight Driver Module") pulse-width modulated with a 80% duty-cycle at about 100 Hz. from the BCM to power the lo-beams at "reduced" brightness. No additional parts or manufacturing cost involved for this DRL system. All computer OS controlled.
  • jivarojivaro Member Posts: 13
    My 2002 Olds Bravada remote stopped working and I replaced the battery which did not help. I went to the dealer and he reprogrammed the remote and it worked fine. Now, my wife's remote does not work. I would like to reprogram her remote but really do not want to travel back to the dealer. Does anyone have the sequence of steps necessary to reprogram the remote? The technician that reprogrammed my remote had a sheet with the sequence necessary, but I cannot seem to find those steps anywhere on the internet. Perhaps someone might be able to help. Thank you.
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    Here you go...

    1- Close all the vehicle doors

    2- Insert the key into the ignition cylinder (do not turn on)

    3- Press and hold the door unlock switch

    4- While holding the door lock switch in the unlock position, cycle the
    ignition ON, OFF, ON, OFF.

    5- Release the door unlock switch. The doors will lock and unlock to confirm
    the program mode

    6- Press and hold the LOCK and unlock button simultaneously on one
    transmitter. After a delay of approx. 15 seconds, the doors will lock and
    unlock to confirm the programming of that transmitter.

    7- Repeat the previous step to program up to 4 transmitters.

    8- Turn the ignition switch to the run position in order to exit the keyless
    entry transmitter program mode.

    9- Operate the transmitter(s) functions to verify proper operation.
  • jivarojivaro Member Posts: 13
    Tblazed, Thank you very much. After a bit of playing around I got them both to work. I followed your directions and my wife's remote worked as driver1 and mine no longer worked. I finally realized that I had to reprogram BOTH at the same time, doing mine first (driver1) and then her remote (driver2) before ending the entire sequence...step 8 in your directions. Everything is fine now. You saved me a trip to the dealer. I printed those directions and will keep them with my manual. Thanks again.
  • gam2gam2 Member Posts: 316
    Tlauro:

    Only a V-8 X5 will outrun a triplet. Cornering depends a lot on tires and the Bimmers are strictly dry weather oriented. The optional 19"
    wheels and tires make for one harsh ride (I rode in one)! At $50,000 minimum to start, this vehicle is in a different class. Why not get a 5 series wagon and enjoy more interior room, better ride, and better fuel ecomony?

    As far as all that traction control BS, I don't want anything to do with it. More electronics and sensors to go bad in the future. Plus, when all the wheels are spinning, the computer basically shuts the vehicle down by applying the brakes to all wheels. I've seen it happen on Mercedes and that is probably what happened to the Bimmer in the snowstorm.

    Both are nice vehicles, but comparing them is like comparing apples and oranges.

    GAM
  • mookie14mookie14 Member Posts: 252
    can anyone verify the sound that comes from the engine. when im driving on the highway sounds like a rubbing sound or vibrating. also does it when im in cruise control. checked the tsb"s could not find it my 03 tblazer was made 11-21-02. so im wondering i took to the dealer so i hope like heck they do not give me the bull anyone????
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    That one slipped by - let's observe a little more decorum. This is supposed to be a family friendly site!

    tidester, host
  • dshepherd3dshepherd3 Member Posts: 194
    5 minute job here, just pop the black plastic covers off the rear of the lamps to acces the bulbs, no disassembly required.
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    Admittedly I have not personally tried that but have been told there is no way to get to them through those holes with those "covers" removed behind the lights, and the service manual states that the grill has to be removed. Guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, when one of my headlights prematurely burns out.
  • filmclipfilmclip Member Posts: 8
    With less than 2300 miles on this truck, I have given up. Between the problems with wacky gauges and a rear hatch that will not open all of the way I got rid of this "professional grade" lemon.
    Yesterday I parked the truck across from the dealership covered with yellow signs explaining my problems. This was after trying to work with the guys at the dealership. They have no idea when the newly designed part for the back hatch will become available. Instead of waiting for 60 days to fight for a buy-back or lemon-law case, I simply unloaded the truck at Carmax. I bought a 2003 Eddie Bauer Expedition. Bigger engine, more room, better ride and not a whole lot more $$$.
    I will try and get the cash I lost on the trade from my GMC dealer. When you buy a big truck and you have no way to use the 100 feet of rear storage, then the truck is worthless to me.
    Why does GMC sell trucks with defective parts versus replacing KNOWN defective parts BEFORE selling them to customers!? Why should a customer have to deal with this sort of nonsense? Isn't GM supposed to be an industrial giant!?
    Q: How many lemons can you buy for $34000.00?
    A: One..a GMC envoy!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Q: How many lemons can you buy for $34000.00?
    A: One..a GMC envoy!

    You could push that up to four or five if you go for the used and aged variety! ;-)

    tidester, host
  • mookie14mookie14 Member Posts: 252
    can anyone respond 9412??thanks.
  • jbhornerjbhorner Member Posts: 3
    I'm about six weeks into my ownership of a 2003 Envoy. I love the vehichle...much better quality than my 99 Jimmy. (Which still makes me cringe!)

    Anyway, the plates came from the DMV on Saturday. I put the back plate on (are there supposed to be screws for the bottom two holes). I then proceeded to put the front plate "on." But, alas, one does not put a plate _on_ the front of these vehicles. It appears that they just drop in.

    My issue is a concern of theft. It's one thing to have to undo a couple of screws holding the plate on. It another to merely have to walk by the front of the vehicle and just pull up on the plate and walk away with it. I'm in the Los Angeles / Orange County area, so anything can happen.

    Does anyone know if GM/GMC has a way of securing the front plate much more effectively than this method?

    Thanks!
    Joel
  • lawrencew1lawrencew1 Member Posts: 15
    The '03 does not come with the underhood and glovebox light. Does anybody have the wiring diagram or Know how to hook these up? I have the lights and would like to install.
  • redline65redline65 Member Posts: 693
    filmclip - Was there a part broken on your rear hatch that was preventing it from opening? How far would the hatch open? Are other Envoy XL owner's experiencing this?
  • filmclipfilmclip Member Posts: 8
    The part in question is the top plastic trim with the 3rd brake light. It pops out of place. I could only open the rear hatch door or rear window less than half way. Any further and it would have scratched the paint. According to the parts manager at my local dealership there is a service bulletin concerning this problem and a replacement part is being redesigned. GM has no idea when it will become available.
    My guess is that since there is a bulletin out on this, many Envoy owners have or will have this problem.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    can anyone respond 9412??thanks.

    I don't know the answer to your question but I'll point out the boards are fairly quiet on weekends.

    Can anyone help out mookie with his engine noise problem? Thanks!

    tidester, host
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    A friend added some stainless steel screws to his front license holder to secure the plate, for the very same concerns.

    I take my chances and do not have the plate or bracket on the front of my TB. I bought it in OK where the ft license plate is not required, so I certainly did not want to go drilling holes in my front fascia! One of the selectively-enforced laws here in Texas. At least 10% of the vehicles here have no front license plate even though they are required by "law". Had a Camaro for 15 years that I never put the front plate on and never had any problems with law enforcement... but I digress...
  • quickdtooquickdtoo Member Posts: 266
    Message 8740 and the use of a few caps in your message may be your answer.

    Tim

    gator36 Nov 15, 2002 9:35am
  • ficussficuss Member Posts: 541
    mookie2: It might help a little if you gave a better description of the sound your engine is making. Owners of tripletts have described sounds from dieseling to tapping to jet engine to resonating at speeds around 50 mph. Which is closest to your sound. Is the engine still cold? Are you sure it isn't comming from the speakers? Describe it a little better, you'll get plenty of replies.

    On changing out a headlight: I thought it was next to impossible to change a headlight on my 02 TB. There is no way my medium size hand would fit in the hole to properly replace the lamp. Removing the grill was easier than I would have thought. Removing the complete headlight assembly required retracting two clips. Changing the lamp was then no problem. Remember, don't touch the halogen bulb with your bare hands. It will cause premature burn out.

    Frank
  • bryancosbryancos Member Posts: 282
    I carefully drilled two holes in the BOTTOM of the front plate holder, being careful NOT to drill into the front bumper fascia. (there's just enough clearance if you use screws that are long enough to secure the license plate, but short enough to not hit the bumper) If theft is a concern, most autoparts stores sell anti theft (usually with hex or torx heads) screws that will work fine.

    Re: halogen bulb tip
    If you accidentally touch the glass portion or if it's unavoidable, just wipe them down w/ rubbing alcohol before replacing them or turning them on. It's the oils on your skin that can create hot spots and the burnout mentioned above. Removing the oil eliminates the problem.
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