Buick Rainier, Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy

tblazed

What I've done in the past is use a small vacuum hand pump ("Mityvac"), run some plastic tubing down thru the trans dipstick tube and pull out as much old trans oil as I could get out, maybe 6-7 qts. Put in new oil, drive it a day, do the same again one more time, then when ready to pull the pan off and change the filter, suck out the oil again to reduce the spillage and mess. After doing that, there will only be a small percentage of the old oil left in the trans. That which remains in the convertor will be well diluted with fresh oil. Of course this works best if you do this before the old trans oil turns color, gets burned, contaminated or deteriorates.

elvis23

Hi - I'm new here. I've had a 2003 Envoy SLT for about a year now. I'm pretty happy with it, now that I've had a lot of the little fixes done. Plus I put Vent Visors on, and that cleared up the wind noise problem. Now, for my issue. Last week, I had passengers in the back seat for the first time, and they couldn't get a/c to come out of the rear vents. It was just "vent" air. It could get a little cool, but it was just the "vent" - no a/c at all. On Friday, I had it in for an oil change, and asked the advisor about it, and he told me there is no a/c in the back. Is this true, or was he just trying to avoid a warranty repair. The back vent (back of armrest) seems pretty useless without a/c. Maybe I just don't have the controls in front set right. I always leave it on "auto".

medolark

My rear heating/cooling vents have air. In fact the manual sez the temperature setting for rear seat is same as passenger side. I have a 2002 SLT. Maybe this is another thing that got deleted on the 2003's. Check the manual.

n7don

'03 Envoy - rear HVAC outlet appears to derive it's source from the front center outlets. With the rear on hi blower there's a noticeable reduction in airflow from the center outlets. If you have this option, there's a 3 speed fan control that must be on to get any airflow plus the temperature will be determine by your HVAC setting. It is not a separate unit.

rjt2

Thanks for the reply...I checked 4 different parts places ( autozone,advanced auto,etc and I still can;t find the pf58 maybe they don't make them anymore.......I will try and find a pf61 somewhere.......anyone else know about these filters.......

mharry

Probably supposed to put this over in mods, but I'm not sure anybody goes over there. Can you remove the trailer hitch or not? It seems almost to be a part of the bumper system, don't want to get rear ended and be liable for disabling a safety feature or whatever.
 Does any body know of a direct source of the engine noise over 4500 rpm? Intake, resonator, whole engine in general? Not that concerned, I had the exhaust resonator cut off the second day I owned it, just curious. Or would one of you guys sit under the hood while I floor it up and down the road?

quickdtoo

If you can't find the PF61, a PF59 works fine.

2k_impala_ls

I always used AC filters until one came apart inside. no leaks or engine problem but I switched to FRAM tough guards. They have better filter material than the cheap AC's. just my 2 cents

quickdtoo

I won't recommend any Fram filter after their poor performance record although the tough guard does get better marks than other frams. AC Delco is still my first choce.

 http://minimopar.net/oilfilters.html

quickdtoo

They look cool but as far as light output and safety, especially in rain/fog, they're dangerous.

http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/bulbs/blue/bad/bad.html

ylab

The biggest issue I notice is that they don't appear to be DOT approved! Which makes the illegal for on-road driving in all 50 states. In addition, did anybody notice the wattage ratings?....their 9006 (low beam) is 80 watts, I wouldn't want to chance them melting the wiring harness on my Envoy or even the composite lens material. (Normal low beams are around 55 watts)

If you want the HID look with whiter (slightly blue tint) there are one or two Xenon & Krypton gas bulbs on the market which have DOT approval and run at the standard 55 watts. (Which whould save the wiring harness and lens assemblies, as well as avoid tickets).

Ray

mckeet1

'04 TB transmission is making a constant whirring/whining sound above 20mph (at all temps and conditions). Drops below 20mph and it stops. Downshift to 2nd gear at 20-30mph also makes it stop. Back to the dealer twice now. They are perplexed, telling me everything is up to spec, and to drive a few thousand miles and hopefully it will go away. This is driving me crazy....am I alone here?

stever

Giveaway Time (Forbes)

Steve, Host

jcwg2

Any one been down this road yet? I have noticed a water leak at the LH 1/4 glass sill and L/R corner cargo area. After a heavy rain water will start to puddle in the LH 1/4 glass sill area and running down LR trim panel onto the cargo carpeting puddling L/R. My 02 Trailblazer has been at the Dealer several times for repairs without success, In addition the dealer also inlisted the help of a glass co. and a sealing co. again without success. Any one been down this road and can point us in the right direction of a possible source?

ylab

Haven't had a leak problem with my Envoy, but I have with prior vehicles and I'll tell you this: The source of the water isn't always where it seems to be. If they've pulled an re-sealed those two pieces of glass several times, I'm willing to bet the leak isn't actually at the glass seal.

You'd be surprised at just how well a water leak can travel along the inside of a rail, door frame or anything else. My sister's Taurus kept having a wet rear foot well and the source of the water was the FRONT windshield! I'm willing to bet you have a leak at along one of the cargo rails, the seam above the window, the rear hatch or something like that and the water is running along the roof supports and then down.

Ray

ducati11

We really love our 2002 Olds Bravada, and have loved the vehicle even through the control arm recall, etc. But we are planning on trading this in for a new 2003 Denali. What is a fair trade in price? Kelly blue book would put our bravada at $14500-$15500, wow that is low. Edmunds says around $17500-18500. We do want to just trade it in, not sell. Any suggestions would be helpful.

jac27

My experience with other vehicles is that you would be fortunate to get the lowest of the Kelly figures. I went to 4 dealers with my 2000 300M, and the highest trade-in I was offered was about 3k LOWER than the lowest wholesale in the books. I finally found a small-town dealer that gave me wholesale because he did not check with other dealers to see what they were getting. The Olds might not be any better because of their dropping the nameplate. I also have a 2002 Bravada, and am resigned to driving it until it isn't worth anything because I don't think I can get a reasonable trade-in. I wish you the best, and would recommend that you try to find a buyer who falls in love with it.

gam2

Low mileage Bravada'a are going for the very low 20's around here. Expect the dealer to offer 3-5K less. How many miles? There is a '03 Envoy SLE w/7000 miles going for $22K just down the block. GM is offering such big rebates and deals that resale really sucks. Sorry, but Edmunds and Kelly are probably right.

GAM

twinrotts

I am toying with purchasing a back-up warning system for my TB EXT. I am never exactly sure when I am running out of room when backing into a parking spot. To make things more critical, I have the WAAG rear bumper guard and would not want to gently tap anything with this.
I have been lucky to date, but like to add some additional protection
Have been researching these a bit and can not find a good comparison between the differt units>
Anyone have knowledge or experience with these

discofever

twinrotts may I suggest instead of a back-up warning system a back-up camera with monitor. It works so well you'll ask yourself why you didn't get one sooner.

Traditional back-up warning system alert you of an obstacle ex. car, child, toy, etc. You still need to get out of the car to inspect and see what there may be and check clearances. You'll find in a back-up camera and monitor, that you can see everything behind you as you back-up without having to get out of your car... Makes backing up a breeze especially when backing out of parking spaces and there is a car waiting right behind you to take your space and allowing you no room to back out properly.

tblazed

A friend that recently bought a new Ford Excursion has the factory audible backup warning device. VERY nice. The faster it beeps the closer you are. Have seen similar add-on devices for sale in the $50-100 range. Simply connects to the backup lamp circuit. Only problem I see with that, when you unlock the doors at night on one of these triplets and the backup lights come on, that device would also come on. If you are in the back loading stuff that thing will likely be beeping away.

redline65

My wife didn't replace the gas cap properly, and the service engine soon light came on. Will it turn itself off eventually, or is there something I can do to reset it? I have an Envoy XL SLT.

mgriff27

I live in Southern California and have a TB LS. Each morning when it is cold out (California cold, the truck sounds almost like it is knocking. I can hear the engine as if is was a diesel engine. This goes away once the truck warms up. I cannot notice any other problems and or changes in the trucks performance.

Any ideas???

quickdtoo

It's normal, caused by the design of the pistons. Newer models have a coating on the pistons to reduce/eliminate the sound.

quickdtoo

It will go out on its own eventually, or you can reset the system by disconnecting the negative battery cable for a few seconds, then reconnect it. Problem with this is it will also clear any diagnostic trouble codes stored that will help the service dept. determine the problem. Your call. All settings aquired by the engine controller will go to default and fuel economy/drivability will change for a while until things can get back to "normal".

smharvey

I just had to have my Fan Clutch replaced on my 02 Trailblazer with 59,000 miles on it. I called GM Consumer affairs 866-952-4368 to see if they could reimburse me the $700 that I paid, and I also explained that there seems to many Trailblazer owners with the same problem. Bottom line they will not budge on paying for the repair unless the owners call GM Consumer Affairs and file a complaint if they had to have the
part replaced.If you had a bad fan clutch on your trailblazer please take the time to call GM at the number listed above so they may consider recalling the part. Thanks.

elevatorguy

Guys,
I am going to do an oil change and use Mobil 1 oil. I have almost 10k on my 03 TB. What intervals do you guys recommend for the synthetic changes? I will also be using a Mobil 1 filter. Do you guys feel the synthetic is worth the extra cost? Also, are any of you using the Fram Sure Drain system? It looks good, but I am looking for some first hand experience.

Thanks,
Todd

ducati11

They are offering us $19500 for our 2002 bravada with 26000 miles, and 5 dings. Also, previously rear ended, but their body shop did an amazing job. Plus they are selling the 2003 Denali, sticker $53545, for $42900 plus $1500 in GM rebate dollars. So we did it. Thanks to this board for being so helpful. We loved our Bravada, but we really love our new Denali, the relationship is early. The interior materials are now where near as nice as the Bravada, but the all wheel drive system with stability and traction control has no "pause" and "catch" like jerking when it kicks in.

Good Luck. tasso

twinrotts

If you are looking to invest the money for synthetics you should really look at Amsoil.
I have been researching this for a few weeks and the information I have reviewed put the Amsoil at the top of the class

twinrotts

I considered the camera idea but prefer a system that does not require a need to focus on a screen.
The alternative systems provide useful feedback audibly plus with LEDs if you need a visual reference

cparise1

What are the symptoms of a bad fan clutch?

59K on an '02 seems like a lot, but that's not meant to be an excuse. I have an '02 Envoy XL SLT with 30K on it and I commute almost 80 miles a day, you must really put on the miles.

I've had good luck with taking a reimbursement issue like that to the dealer, but I also do all my business with them--vehicle purchases, oil & filter, tune-ups, check-ups, etc. My dealer came right out and said they appreciated my loyalty and for that reason shouldered most of the cost to replace the wiring harness in my wife's '98 Transport. Saved me about $400.

Chris

ficuss

Has anyone noticed if the oil pressure sending unit on their triplet is leaking. If so, is it covered under warranty? It is located towards the left front of the engine near the top as you are looking at the engine. I remember older G.M cars having a leaking sending unit. I guess the general still uses old designs for some parts.

Frank

scottc454

Synthetic oil definitely worth the cost. It's better when cold, better when hot - basically better in all aspects than conventional oil. If you're planning on keeping a vehicle a long time, it's a no-brainer. That said, regular oils have improved over the years with all the additives and what not. Also, I'd venture to say most people sell cars for other reasons than engines wearing out.

I'm planning on going well past 200,000 on mine and usually change the oil around 8000 miles. I basically follow the owner's manual, which states 10,000 as the maximum, but I find that after around 8,000 enough time has gone by that I don't mind doing an oil change. I've been averaging over 20,000 miles per year, so I'd be constantly chaning oil if I used 3000 mile intervals.

tblazed

No, but I have noticed oil seeping out of the electrical connector on the cam actuator solenoid, which sticks out of the side of the engine and is located next to the power steering pump and just below the oil dipstick.

 (Just happen to have a picture)



First time I noticed it was wet with oil, I thought I was just being sloppy when taking out the dipstick. Clean it out, and oil gradually seeps up around the two electrical pins down inside the connector. Not enough leakage to drip, just stays wet with oil all the time. Exact same leakage on my friend's TB too. 3 yrs-36,000 miles is the warranty. I plan to have mine replaced just before Jan 16, 2005, when my 3 years are up.

ficuss

tblazed, thanks for the enthusiastic correction. I thought the part was an oil pressure sending unit, which historically have leaked oil. Now I know why it is leaking oil. G.M. doesn't have enough experience making this part to have perfected it yet. Perhaps in a few decades our grandchildren won't have an oil leaking cam actuator to deal with. Perhaps they will read of the onetime greatness of G.M. in the history books.

Frank

kudron

I just happen to use all three. The synthetic oil, like stated above, is a no brainer. The extra cost is well worth it.

The Fram Sure Drain system works as advertised. There was some discussion earlier about the drain getting in the way of the inspection plate. I have not had any problem with the drain plug hitting the plate. The drain plug is narrower than the factory plug so the oil will drain a little slower than usual, but I can live with that.

As for the Mobil1 oil filter, I just did an oil change last week and sent a sample to Blackstone Labs for analysis (having used the Mobil1 filter for the first time). The tech that did the analysis remarked on the read out that there was a marked improvement in the amount of insolubles since the last change. So for me, another no brainer.

elevatorguy

Thanks for the info. How many miles do you go between oil changes with the Mobil 1 and what type of driving do you do?

Thanks,
Todd

kendrid

My wife was just complaining that our 03 SLT XL has a 'burnt rubber' smell after driving it a little while. I just went into the garage and it definitely smells. It seems to be coming from the back, near the tires.

Hopefully the dealer can look at it tomorrow. We are still well within the warranty, but I still hope it is not anything major.

boggie1

Has anyone got access to the 'GM Service VME dated 06/25/2002' concerning the 'windshield washer nozzle sprays over the roof problem?' can anyone please post its contents or mail it to me?
kind regards

kendrid

The first thing the maintenance manager said was "what did you run over?"

There was a plastic grocery bag melted onto the muffler. That was the cause of the burning smell.

We now have 13,000 trouble free miles.

tblazed

If you go back to April 24 when I first noticed mine leaking, and posted the oil leakage problem...

tblazed Apr 24, 2003 8:28am

Finally someone else has noticed this.That's 3 out of 700,000+ triplets so far. Not a bad failure rate (.00042% or something like that). Too bad they all can't be 100% perfect.

If it stops working completely, the cam won't advance, a DTC code will set and the SES light will come on.

ficuss

OK let's use this internet thing for what it was designed for. Has any other triplet owner noticed a leaky cam actuator? The description and location of the part was just gived by tblazed. Let's check those engines and report here. I just can't believe that tblazed and I have 2 out of the 3 leaky cam actuators out there.

BTW; Happy Thanksgiving to all triplet owners.

Frank

quickdtoo

Mine looks like it might have leaked a bit at one time, but just looks dusty/oily film covered now, no wet oil on the bottom of the actuator. I suspect the leak is so minor, the oil is evaporating over time. 8/01 build. YMMV. tim

medolark

Just checked mine today. No apparent leakage.

mobinakhtar

Hi, Recently purchased 00 Envoy with all options and 60K Miles. When I start the vehicle all needles go to appropriate place. The Gas gauge, however, jerks to full, then to 3/4 and then keeps doing that until I put it in drive. At that point, it comes to the 3/4 position if gas (actually) is below that level, or stays at full if tank is full. does not show anything below 3/4 full.

I filled the tank, and it worked right (showed full), until I used 1/4th of the tank. Seems it does that when gas is betlow 3/4 tank only. Very annoying.

Once below half tank (150 miles or more driven), it occasionally decides to fall on E and lights up the "Low Fuel" then immediately sprints back to Full. Hence, below 3/4th tank, I have no idea how much gas is left in the tank.

Currently it has 200 miles on trip, and range still shows 240Mi???? does that mean the DIC range is determined by gas gauge needle position?

I will appreciate any guesses, ideas, opinions etc.

thanks,

Moby

ylab

I've had a vehicle or two with that type of problem and if memory serves me correctly, it always turned out to be a problem with the float mechanism in the tank. If all the gauges went wild, I'd say you'd need a firmware upgrade or instrument cluster problem but if its only the fuel gauge its probably the float. - Which usually means draining and dropping the tank to correct it.

To answer you question, the 'range' function is based upon how much fuel is remaining in the tank multiplied by your average fuel mileage. If the computer cannot determine the correct amount of fuel the range is going to be off.

Ray

tblazed

Might need to actually unplug the connector to see the beginnings of an oil leak.

Mine, so far anyway, has never leaked enough to actually drip, but the outside of the electrical connector will collect oil over a fairly short time after cleaning it off with degreaser.

Possibly the oil is evaporating or getting blown back and dispersed but I don't see any evidence of an oily film anywhere else.

My friend's leak wasn't really obvious at first, just looking at it. It had what I would consider a "typical" (for a 30,000+ mile vehicle) light trace or film of oil and dust on it, especially since it is located where a drip or two could land on it when the dipstick is pulled out. When I unplugged the connector, then the oil seepage could be seen down in the connector.

Maybe that's why they have such a long recommended interval between oil changes - to let the oil get thicker and contaminated to plug the leaks!

mobinakhtar

Thanks Ray. I also suspect that the fuel sender unit is at fault and not may gage. Anyone have any experience replacinga fuel sender unit? costs involved? I will appreciate. I am a moderate do-it-yourselfer, is this something I can do myself?

thanks,

Moby

frewman

Anyone have this problem and know how to fix it. It's like a hissing whistling noise when you have the fan turned three quarters of the way up. Thanks!

2k_impala_ls

I have had a number of cars close to 200k mileage and never had a oil related breakdown