Buick Rainier, Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy

envoyenvy

I have an '02 Envoy SLT 4WD and could not be happier with it also. It had a few minor issues as well that have since been corrected on newer models, but all in all I still am very happy with it.

I have heard of the 80/20 rule, but in the case of this forum (and I'm sure most others), I believe we are more like 95/5 (95% of complaints comes from 5% of the people).

johntr

I bought my Trailblazer in May 2001. Have over 57k miles on it - plan on many more. It's not for sale! ;-)

elvis23

With all of the satisfied owners on the board, I figured I had to balance out the posts a little. In all seriousness, I am satisfied, but I've been having a small problem. In April, 2003, I had the rear wiper assembly replaced under warranty. The wiper arm lost its "Springiness" and wouldn't clean the window. So, they replaced the assembly. Now it is 10 months later, and I have the same problem. Again, they will fix it under warranty today, the part is finally in. I'm hoping they fixed the problem this time. I don't want to have to replace this every winter for the next 5 years. Half of those times will be at my cost (out of warranty). Does anyone know if this issue has been addressed? I'm hoping the rear wiper will work for one winter of ownership.

mas181

As I have noticed in this forum there is a mix of good and bad reviews of these two SUV's. I am looking at both but as other's have mentioned I have been a little hesitant based on reviews here by Edmunds reviewers and Consumer Reports reviews. My question concerns the Envoy and if anyone has purchased one with the air leveling suspension available for the rear of the vehicle and if it made any difference? Thanks.

ficuss

try a little WD40 on the wiper arm joint nearest the motor shaft. This will keep the joint loose and will let the arm apply more pressure to the glass.

penny14

I have an 02 Bravada with the air leveling suspension and it is great. Provides a very nice ride compared to our Blazer. Trouble free so far with 51k.

hardhawk

I bought my 2002 Envoy in July of 2001. I specifically ordered it with the air suspension with the professional towing package. I highly recommend it. The ride is very smooth. It adjusts for differing loads and the truck is always level. It can be adjusted if needed. I had the sensors adjusted as I thought the back end of the truck was too high. In the summer I tow a 5000# pound boat. When the boat is hooked up the air suspension just kicks in and keeps it level. I am a big believer in this suspension. Have had no problems with it in 2.5 years. The smooth ride is just the icing on the cake. The air pump that comes with it in the rear inside quarter panel is also very handy for airing up toys and tires. etc.

husky92

I too was very interested in the Envoy (XL specifically). Compared to the Sequoia (which we bought) it had:

3 zone climate control (versus 2 for Sequoia)
Better towing capacity with V8 (7200 v. 6200)
Memory seats
Lower price by quite a bit
Size - We personally liked the slightly smaller size of the Envoy
Looks - Again, we personally liked the looks of the Envoy better than the Sequoia

We are still owners of a 1995 GMC Sonoma pickup which had an engine replacement at 4000 miles so we've been burned before by GMC.

This board scared me away. Yes, people will vent so you have to look for a middle ground. There are people whining about problems about their Sequoias on that board too, but if you weigh the overall volume of problems on this board versus the Sequoia board, there is no comparison. Take a close look at some of the complaints on the Sequoia board. People complain about pretty mundane things because the expectation of the average Toyota buyer is really high. There are folks on this board who think that an Envoy that's been in the shop three times and left them stranded once is still a fine vehicle (See post 14079).

In the end, for me, I was willing to pay a little more to get something that would last and give us a minimum of problems so we bought the Sequoia. So far, after 10,000 miles, we are VERY happy with our purchase.

01_hoe

I have the air suspension on my '03 Envoy. It makes the vehicle ride nice and keeps the rear end level. I drove 2 or 3 TrailBlazers and also 2 or 3 Envoys before deciding the Envoy was more comfortable for my taste. Glad I have the air ride.

Regarding adjustment of the air ride, could the rear be adjusted lower if one were to put in lower springs in the front?

01_hoe

Seems to me the Sequoia is more in the same size class as a Tahoe or Yukon than the Envoy. I have owned 6 Toyotas and they are good enough vehicles, but not problem free. For my budget, Toyota is pricing their products out of my range.

pepper50

My decision for the 2002 Envoy was made by 4500 in GM Card points. Plus I needed rear seats that would fold down and not leave a hump between the rear and the folded-down seats. But it was the GM Card points that made my GM decision a no-brainer. The look on my dealer's face after negotiating my best deal then showing him the GM points was priceless. So far the Envoy has done well. No major problems. Just the weatherstripping needs a little glue in one place.

onlyagirl

Ok. I searched and found a discussion about a "clunking" noise but that isn't what I have...you know the sound you get if you run over something in the highway..not a big thing but a thump and you look back to see what it was? I get this alot but there is nothing there when I look back...Also I get what sounds like the same noise when I get into the car(truck whatever) and start forward...maybe a vent closing somewhere? That is sortof what it sounds like...which doesn't explain why it does it going down the road...I worry sometimes that there maybe something loose under there....
Anybody have any clue what I'm talking about?? Guys...help me out here...I haven't posted in a while but some of you have helped me out before...

I have to admit I love my Envoy..no problems...I used to read this board all the time but I think I am a hypochondriac...and I began looking for problems in my vehicle...I know others have had real problems and I hate that...so far I've been lucky....I had enough problems with my '98 ML320 to last one lifetime...

Bobbie

cparise1

Any Help Greatly Appreciated!! by jmltrib Feb 12, 2004 (8:35 pm)
I have a 2002 Envoy SLT. I have noticed an electrical type clicking sound coming from the area directly in front of the driver that sounds like a switch going on and off not unlike the sound of an electric blanket cycling off and on. Has anyone else experienced this? Any solutions? The dealer seems clueless. Thanks!

It sounds most definitely like the instrument cluster. One of the only moving parts in the IC is the tach. Gently rev the motor and listen. The noise tends to appear and get slightly louder when the engine revs drop. My mechanic diagnosed in under 5 min. Other GM products have the same problem. Fix is to remove the IC and send it to a jobber who does their magic. I was skeptical of how long this would take as the services writer said if I brought the truck in by noon I would have it by the next evening . . . and they gave me a rental free of charge over nite. Well, that was the day before Xmas eve and then lo and behold they called on Xmas eve at about 3 and guess what the truck was ready to go and its been perfect ever since.

Chris, satisfied '02 Envoy XL SLT owner. Now with about 36K.

pepper50

cparise1 wrote:
It sounds most definitely like the instrument cluster. One of the only moving parts in the IC is the tach. Gently rev the motor and listen. The noise tends to appear and get slightly louder when the engine revs drop.

I think we are talking about two different types of clicking. I would think the tach noise type of clicking should be a constant repetitive click that varies with rpm. The click that I and jmltrib have described in the past is a single click/pop that may or may not occur again in 30-60 seconds. It is not a constant clicking and is not affected by rpm, and doesn't happen every day. It is a single prominent click/pop like something cycling. Jmltrib's description similar to a switch on an electric blanket cycling every few minutes is a good one. Isn't the tach noise a fast constant series of clickings as opposed to a single click then maybe another one 30 seconds later? I certainly wouldn't let anyone touch my instrument cluster for this occasional single click that I sometimes hear. In fact, I've gotten quite used to it in 2 years. I really don't think it's abnormal, but am mostly curious as to what the occasional sound is; it sounds like some kind of switch or relay. I would bet I could point it out on other vehicles, where the driver probably has not paid attention to it. But I think it's different from the problem you had. If I had the tach noise, I'd probably want that fixed, too.

ficuss

How many people think Ralph Nader should take a YEAR off his busy campaign starting NOW and write a book about the Tripletts? His first book challenged Detroit into making better cars. WRITING his new book, he would certainly help the country.

tidester

I don't think we want to go there! :-)

tidester, host

onlyagirl

Is there a site where I can I go to see a description of pcm updates for the Envoy?

ficuss

re: unsafe, It beats talking about mudflaps. Consumer safety is important. He is a consumer safety advocate.
 But, it is your venue.

01_hoe

Found this by typing pcm updates in seach this discussion
   

 

#14037 of 14122 New calid PCM history page. by dlare Feb 11, 2004 (8:14 am)
Looks like the calibration history page design has changed since my last visit. Check it out:

http://calid.gm.com.

 
ssion

malibu99

I dont have part numbers yet. The job is scheduled to be done Thursday, I cant wait, the clunking is getting to my nerves.

onlyagirl

Thanks, 01 hoe..........I searched quickly this morning but I guess I didn't look closely enough...will try link...

Bobbie

quickdtoo

I had a problem the last time I checked this site out, was my firewall and anti-popup program, had to disable them to get the new site to work. Just a heads up....

onlyagirl

Thanks for the heads up about the firewall, popup problem....
Bobbie

2k_impala_ls

I found the Lund windjammer for $59 + $ shipping.
I am weary about the self-sticking tape. The back widow is always dirty. My 91 blazer had the factory deflector and it worked great. Any comments.

for the site
http://store.yahoo.com/quicksilvercustom/lwind-01.html

ylab

I have the Lund Windjammer on my Envoy and the tape has held it just fine for well over a year and it does seem to help keep the dust off the rear glass. There's a noticeable difference in the dust/pollen on the glass compared to the areas within the 'shadow' of the attachment strips, where the dust still settles. (Extreme top center is one example, where there will be substantially more dust than across the glass itself).

Ray

texaszeus

I just picked up a 04 Envoy with the factory Nav unit. This vehicle shows to have the Bose system installed, but the sound is not Bose. A second Envoy on the lot with the Nav unit sounded as flat as mine. Last vehicle on the lot with a Nav Unit, which appeared to be the same unit as mine was in a Denali. This system sounds like a Bose. Anyone hearing of problems with the Envoy having the wrong sound system installed at the factory?

amaroq

On Friday, I was in an accident in my 2002 Envoy SLT. I was westbound on a major four-lane road (with an island in-between the lanes, speed limit 40mph). A girl in a compact car was stopped at a stop sign on the south end of a street which crosses over the highway. She pulled out, crossed over the eastbound lanes of the highway, and instead of stopping in the median, she tried to beat me across the highway. She broadsided me on the driver's side, striking both doors, the rear wheel, and the side of the rear bumper. The Envoy's rear end kicked out, the truck spun around once, then hit the curb, and ended up stopped facing forward on the shoulder.

Fortunately everyone involved (three people including me in the Envoy, two in the compact) is okay. I'm a little bit concerned, though, that none of the airbags went off. The truck does have side-impact airbags, and this was a fairly substantial impact (I was traveling at 40mph westbound and she hit me at approximately 25mph northbound), so I would have expected the driver's side airbag to go off. I'll ask my dealer, but I'm sure he'll tell me it was normal behavior -- so I'm wondering if anyone here has any insights or explanations with regard to the airbag deployment (or lack thereof)?

Also, if anyone is curious, the repair estimate is $7,148. I'm attempting to include a picture of the damage.

pete2002

I could not help but read and was compelled to reply. I know these vehicles have had air bag recalls, something concerning the deployment and welds spewing out etc...In your case, none of your air bags deployed and I would be very concerned about this. If I were in your shoes, I would have this investigated by an independent agency not related to GM so you have expert input without the normal CYA that goes on with Dealers. If you find something suspect, I would take this to the highest level, including NHTSA to make sure this is thoroughly followed up. I do not think this is a fluke incident since there have been other posters with 2002 models that have complained about air bag deployment issues, if my memory serves me right. Thanks for sharing this with us and I am glad you are ok, but now I am concerned too since I have a 2002 TB and they all have the same design and modules relating to air bags.

mlm4

Glad to hear that everyone is OK, unfortunate but the truck can be repaired. If the air bags had deployed, the insurance company may have totalled it. From your description of the collision and the photo, it seems like a prime candidate for side-impact air bag deployment; those air bags are supposed to prevent your head from slamming against the side window. Was the impact severe enough to do this? Be interested to hear what the dealer says, if the legal types allow them to say anything. I have a friend with a BMW 3-Series who accidently hit a curb, blew out the rear tire and that set off the air bags, for no particular reason. Very expensive to repair.

quickdtoo

Glad no one was hurt! IIRC, the deployment impact speed is somewhere near 35 mph. Looking at the damage, I don't think the impact speed was above 15-20mph, otherwise the wheel would have sustained major damage and probably bent the rear axle, but it's hard to tell by a pic.

mlm4

I'm also thinking that the accelerometer involved in the side-impact deployment decision is located under the driver's seat, and if the impact was to the rear half of the vehicle, causing it to spin about the zero-Z rather than slide sideways, the lateral G-force may not have been high enough to trigger deployment. But if your head hit the window, then they probably should have come out. Just a guess...

amaroq

My head did hit something, but I don't believe it was the window -- I think it hit the moulding that runs front-to-back above the window, where the assist handle is -- I'm a fairly tall guy, so I suppose that if I were shorter my head would have hit the window. It wasn't a very hard impact (just enough to leave a little bump), but it still seems like the bags should have gone off.

I'm going to wait to see what the dealer has to say about it, and then decide whether to take any action or not. Thanks for your input, guys!

brian136

I have a 2004 Envoy. I have the 2 dial climate control. Should the a/c compressor cycle when the system is not in auto, not in defrost or a/c mode? I'd be much obliged if someone out there knows, or if it's above 40 degF and a kind soul could check it out on theirs. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

twinrotts

I have the Bose 6 CD changer in my 02 TB.
Noticed today that when tuned to a radio station that broadcasts the Info band, that the info continued to scroll continuously. I can not get it to stop.
I have used this feature before and got a single display of song title, and artist and it would return to normal.
Has something changed recently where broadcasters can force the info to continuously scroll??
Perhaps this is a unique malidy??

ficuss

my Infiniti does the same thing. It is distracting. I guess we'll have to tolerate commercials next. What's the difference if you are reading the scrolling words or watching a dvd flat screen in your car. they are both distracting. I think the auto body repair shops pushed the broadcasters to do this.

01_hoe

To change RDS you might try this

Found this on another site.....

Alright, finally figured it out. Push the recall (RCL) button on the radio to cycle through the various possible displays. When you find the one you want, hold the button in until the radio beeps. This actually *IS* in the owner's manual, but it's so cryptically written that I went right past it the first time while looking for it. BTW, I'm a software developer, and have written quite a bit of documentation for computer software. I find it disturbing that I can't figure out how to operate a frickin' car radio Now instead of seeing 102.7 KIIS FM Call AIS today to save on auto ins. (800) 555-5555 you could save hundreds Please Drive Safely scroll across the display at one word per 3 seconds, I just see 102.7. (Not that I listen to this lame station, but given that every decent rock station in socal has converted to Spanish/Mexican, it's one of the few that's left ) You can't possibly imagine how annoying this was until you've seen it in person.

kpp14

Does anybody know if there is actually a hole in the roof for the aerial on the new 2004 Envoy. I would like to see if it is possible to get it switched to the old side window 2002 mounting. (looking at trading my truck) Thanks in advance.

01_hoe

Are you talking of onstar or radio?

kpp14

Onstar, the radio is in the glass. Personal preferance but I don't like how it looks compared to the older style. Maybe its cheaper for GM. They would save a few feet of cable wouldn't they?

baredogg

Yes there is actually 2 hole one about 3/4 of an inch and the outer just over 1/8 for the attaching screw. Hope this helps

dlare

Hello,

Did you ever get the part numbers and specifics for the "2004 kit" to solve your clunking?

Mine's been rattling and clunking a lot more recently and I'm ready to bring it in too.

Thanks,

Dean

tblazed

There is no "RCL" button on the single-CD radios like mine. However, I figured out by trial and error after reading the above instructions, the "DISP" button does the trick. Go to any FM station that has RDS, press that DISP button until you get the frequency to display, then press and hold that DISP button for a second or two until the radio beeps. No more banner text running asross the display. Then, when you change stations to one with RDS it will display text for a second or so, then switch to frequency display. It will stay set that way until you change it back. Don't see locking it in the desired display mode documented anywhere in the manual. Hope that helps those bothered by the scrolling text and banner ads.

malibu99

My front end was repaired on Thursday...my TB feels MUCH better than it did when brand new. They told me they put in the redesigned links and I believe them, the handling is MUCH better now. This will definetly fix the issue. When mine clunked I crawled under the truck and rattled the links and they were very loose. The new ones are sturdy and dont move. i will have those part numbers for you tomorrow

quickdtoo

Could you post the part numbers off your work order/invoice? I might be interested in ordering them if the cost is reasonable. tia, Tim

vik66

Can somebody tell me how Trailblazer handles off-road?
I want to go a little bit more than simple dirty road, but definitely not rock-crawler?
I was thinking to buy new one, 2004, with skid plates and off-road tires…
I do not know anybody around who has and went off-road on it, and it’s useless to ask salesperson…
Thank you for advice…

quickdtoo

The tb works fine offroad as long as ground clearance isn't a problem, the soft suspension will cause the front undercarriage to hit high spots occassionally. Go slow and you shouldn't have any problems on mild stuff. The skid plates are plastic except for the radiator shield which is steel. The front skid plate will not protect the oil pan from a hard impact, see message 14085 about damage done offroad during a roadtest.

paulyjsob

I've done a little off-roading and my envoy didn't have a problem. I went through some really deep mud didn't some nice inclines and declines. It was a blast. It could definitely use an extra 2 inches of clearance though. I'm sure there will be kits out soon. Anyway, about the skid plates... I was under my truck past weekend installing running boards and the plates definitely were not plastic... They looked like fairly thick steel. At least the one protecting the gas tank was.

kram18

I think the trailblazer's ground clearence is it's limiting factor in offroading it in it's stock form. I chose to lift mine using aftermarket coils and throw a set of larger MT tires on mine. After doing that I feel a little more confident. It's no H1 (the approach, depature and breakover angles are still pretty bad) but atleast I stopped dragging the underside when offroading on beaches and the occasional trip to Paragon Adventure Park in PA.

-Mark

dlare

Where did you folks get the skidplates for your Trailblazers? Is it a GM product or some other aftermarket company?

If GM, do you have part numbers?

Thanks,

Dean

kram18

They are GM skid plates, one for the radiator (metal) the oil pan skid plate which all tb's come with then a 3rd plastic one for fuel tank. I don't have the part numbers handy but a call to your local dealer should get you them in no time. You can then plug in the GM part number into a site like GMpartsdirect and get them for substantially less than from the dealer. Be careful though as there are 2 fuel tank skid plates (apparently they changed the size of the fuel tank) and it took my dealership 3 tries to get the right one!

-Mark