Buick Rainier, Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy

adamjeeps

(First two days, the air conditioning went out. Fixed after 4 trips to the dealership. Ongoing problems with the four wheel drive light--three trips to dealer. Leaking gasket on rear differential, fixed after two trips. License plate gasket, fixed twice so far. Wind noise out the wazoo.)

 

I can feel your pain with all your issues but all these should be able to be completely fixed except the wind noise. Also, it is your right to go to a different dealer if you feel services received are not up to par. I agree the wind noise is aggravating especially with a 10 mph and up headwind. I am going to see if service or body shop has any fixes before 36,000 mile warranty runs out. Good luck.

texasrock

2k_impala_ls

 

Could you post some pictures of your Hellas after you get them installed? I want to do the same to my '03 TB but I want to make sure that you can mount them with out too much trouble and to see how they look... Please keep us posted. Thank you.

jcat707

I was thinking about getting a 2002 or 2003 Envoy or Trailblazer for school because I have alot of stuff to haul back and forth between the dorms and my house. Plus I think 4 wheel drive would be better up here than the rear wheel drive I have now since it snows alot here. Do you guys think that it is a good idea to get one of the used triplets? For all you people with the higher mileage triplets, have the trucks had low maintenance costs and been pretty reliable?

raleigh

I hear all these complaints about wind noise, but I don't notice any in my '04 Envoy SLT. Are your windows open or closed? I have noticed that mine seals tight as a drum with the windows up and I don't get any wind noise at all. With the window partially or all the way down, there is a little, but certainly no worse than any other car/truck I have driven. In fact, one of the primary reasons I bought the Envoy is that you can drive with the window down without being blown out of the vehicle ... as is the case on so many of the newer "aerodynamically designed" vehicles. I have also had zero problems with mine so far (knock, knock).

bnichols

I have an 03 Envoy XL V8. My fan clutch went bad at 25K. Dealership replaced it after I complained about the unusual nice like you described.

bobfish

I to have a '04 Envoy its now going on a year and only problem so far was a defective module in the transmission, which was fixed with no problem.I have always bought GM products and have been very satisfied.

01_hoe

With some of the issues on the '02 Engines, I would recommend the purchase of an '03 TB or Envoy. Drive both before you buy, you may notice one drives better for you than the other.

jp13

Recently my abs and parking lites were on after I started my 04 tb ls. After about a half hour they went off. Also the service 4wd lite comes on,then goes off. Should I be concerned or does it reset itself.

tmarkb2

A 70 series profile will be a little better than a 75 but you're still going with a taller, narrower tire. I'd have the same concerns I stated earlier.

malibu99

How do you wire something to a fuse? Do you just place the tip of the wire where the fuse connects to the box? Also one last question....if I do that, can it be any accessory? Like for example, can I wire it to the rear wiper fuse? The rear wiper operates only when the key is ON, but would that mean that there wont be any power to the fog lights unless the wiper is on? What fuse do you recommend I use?

ficuss

With all due respect, I would not recommend wiring anything in a triplett if you are not qualified to do it. The first thing you must understand is what side of the fuse is fused. If you don't know that, you may burn up your wiring harness. There is a reason people (mechanics) get paid to do what they do, that is because they are trained to do it. I have seen the result of bad or improper wiring, and it ain't pretty. Why risk loosing your warranty over a fog light. The tripletts have a bad enough history of electrical failures and quirks, why complicate things.

 

my 2 cents

malibu99

No warranty left 3yrs, 67,000 miles...I have read a lot about this and it seems fairly easy...a lot of people do it. The fog lights are needed, I have difficulties seeing at night when it rains so they are a must for me. I figure if I wire it to a fuse, if something goes bad it will burn the fuse...just have to figure out what fuse But I appreciate your concern, really

ficuss

since you want to do it yourself, here are a few things to consider.

1) two 50 watt bulbs will draw about 9 amps, so use 12 to 14 awg stranded wire for all connections to and from the bulbs. Make sure the wire insulation will not wear out due to chaffing against metal parts in the engine compartment. There are many sharp edges in the engine compartment, avoid them. If you need to drill through metal and run wire through the hole, you must use an insulating bushing in the hole to prevent shorts.

2) buy a 12 volt light bulb type voltage tester to determine which side of the fuse terminal is powered when the fuse is removed and which side goes dead when the fuse is removed. You must connect to the side that goes dead when the fuse is removed.

3) Try to find a fuse that is not currently being used by any other devices. Should be at least a 15 amp fuse.

4) run a short wire from the fuse to a 12 volt RELAY that has at least one set of normally open contacts. The contacts should be rated at at least 15 amps. Connect the wire to one of the contacts. Run another wire from the other contact to the fog lights. The lights will probably have a red and a black wire. Connect to the red wires. The best way to connect the wires is to solder them and cover with electrical tape. A good mechanical crimp connector is the next best way. Don't just tape the wires together. They will loosen and cause arcing. Connect the black wires from both lights to a metal part of the chassis near the light fixtures. Make sure all of your connections are tight and remain dry.

5) Connect another wire to a fuse that is switched by the aux. power of the car. This will be a fuse that is powered when the key is in the on or run position. This wire can be a smaller awg. than the wire to the relay contact. Connect this wire to a switch that is mounted in, on, or under the dash. You pick the location. Connect a wire to the other side of the switch and connect it to one side of the relay's coil. Connect another wire to the other side of the relay coil and connect it to a metal part of the chassis.

Doing it this way will insure you won't leave the lights on if you turn off the car. The switch won't need to carry the higher current the bulbs will draw, and will last longer. The only way the lights will stay on if the car is off is if the relay contacts arc together. This shouldn't happen if the relay is rated at enough current to power the bulbs. Do NOT connect directly to the battery for either the bulb power or the ground, as this can cause real problems.

 

Good Luck

malibu99

OMG I wont have to do THAT much work, I didnt mention I have the PILOT kit that comes with the relay and the wires and everything, I am not installing the OEM lights. Thats probably why you were so concerned. Basically the kit comes with a harness, the harnes has a relay and a switch, the positive cable goes to the positive battery terminal, the negative cable goes to the chassis ( ground ), then there is a purple wire from the switch that needs to be tapped to a 12V power source, they recommend the headlight ( low beam ) or parking lights. I figured I could buy one of those " Ad a Circuit" devices that does the tapping and adds an extra fuse for double security, that way I dont have to test which side of the fuse to hook it to since the device does that. I am sorry I left out all that info, I now see how anyone would freak out. Does taht make more sense now? Thats why I figured I would tap the low beam fuse and taht way the fogs will only be able to be switched ON when the low beams are on, if the low beams are OFF or the high beams are ON no power will flow to the fog lights.

ficuss

regarding the instructions I posted in 15726, change paragraph 5) to the following for an even safer way to run the wires.

 

5) run a wire from the fused side of a fuse controlled by the ignition switch on or run position to one side of the relay's coil. Connect a wire to the other side of the relay coil through the firewall to under the dash. Connect the other end of this wire to one contact of a single pole single throw normally open switch. Connect a wire the other contact of the switch and connect the other end of the wire to a metal piece of the chassis. Doing it this way will eliminate the possibility of damage caused by shorting the wire feeding the switch to ground.

 

Also, getting power from the headlight fuse won't prevent the lights from staying on if the car is not running, and, I'm not sure if the DRL circuit would be affected. And more importantly, a short on the wire feeding the switch will kill the power to the headlights.

malibu99

Well after much thought I decided to have my local custom shop do it for $60...I didnt know it was this cheap...so in 2 weeks they will be done...I will let you know how they turn out. Thanks to everyone for their help.

 

crehan4

earlc,

my 2002 envoy has 45000 mi and needed fan clutch. sucks its a leese and was to be turned in jan 3 2005 had to replace 12/26/04 dealer said that was too bad pay it reeved for a long time before when it was cold but it would stop. i didnt know what it was and it was a leese vech. boy was i wrong . a gas station that i went to for years did it for $440.00 us plus tax good luck go get them my e mail is vc1342@aol.com

ficuss

It sounds like you were taken for a ride. Dealers have been telling triplett owners for 4 years that the roaring or reeving sound as you put it is normal. If it is normal then why were you told you had to pay to repair it? Spend some time and read the 15,000 or so posts here. Many of them are about the roaring sound you paid to repair.

envoyenvy2

Have an '02 Envoy and just returned from a trip. Noticed that the recirculate switch did not operate during part of the trip, seemed to stop working after the truck heated up.

 

Anyone know if there are any reasons why this would not work? Maybe if the outside air is to cold it doesn't operate?? Manual only mentions that it will not operate in some modes but blinks the light to let you know it will not work.

 

Thanks for any help.

02envoydriver

I also have the 02 SLT and experience the same problems. I didn't see any replies to your post; have you had any luck identifying and correcting this situation? As I've taken it in for service, the advisor just looked at me like I was crazy...

 

Thanks!

bobed2121

I think Chevy is only making the LS, LT and EXT now in the Trailblazers. What happened to the LTZ's? Did Chevy move all the upgrades from the LTZ to the LT's? Heated seats, leather, DVD systems, Running boards, etc. etc.

slipkid

hi, just bought an '02 SLT, I noticed on mine and a few others i've seen where the whole front end bumper assembly is sagging by like an inch.

 

should this go to my body man or is there an adjustment i can make on my own?

 

no structural harm on my truck, and it's not loose, just looks like crap.

jcat707

The 2003 Trailblazers were the last of the LTZs. Now there is only the LS and LT. All of the LTZ equipment is availble on the LT.

raleigh

I've got the same thing on my '04. It does look like hell, but I've chalked it up to typical GM assembly work. (Can you imagine BMW passing something like this?)

 

Also, I have two dimples on either side of my rear license plate. Does anyone else have these? They are really only noticeable in a certain light and may have been caused from putting on the license plate! because I sure didn't notice this before putting the plate on. Would very much appreciate any feedback since I would like to ask the dealer to fix this.

music4kp

re. 2002 Envoy SLT, 70000 miles

 

When I started up my Envoy this evening, I noticed the interior lights flickering faintly. I later noticed the interior lights AND exterior lights flickering whenever I stepped on the gas (F.Y.I., this comes after putting my car on hiatus for 3 days. Also, the battery was replaced 1 month ago). Otherwise, the car perfoms flawlessly as usual. Even the gauges show a normal reading. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

horns

My 2002 Envoy is due for a 30,000 mile service. My dealer hands out a pamphlet that says they recommend the following for a $380 package deal (not specific to Envoys, since they sell other cars like Pontiacs/Buicks there, too):

Oil and filter change

Rotate and balance tires

Replace air filter, fuel filter, PCV valve.

Service fuel injectors and throttle body.

Check and clean battery.

Check elec. system, washers, wipers, lights, etc.

Visually inspect CV boots, belts, hoses and radiator for leaks.

Inspect brake system, linings, hoses, master cylinder, and test ABS.

Check cooling system and air conditioner operation.

Lubricate drive shaft and u-joints.

Check and top off all fluid levels.

 

Does this seem like a reasonable thing to do for $380? The manual doesn't mention all that, but I want to be sure that if something develops in a few months, they can't say I didn't maintain the vehicle well. Opinions? Thanks.

stever

The Edmunds Maintenance Guide says that the 30,000 mile service for an '02 Envoy in my zip code should cost ~$318.00. So it doesn't sound like your quote is too far off.

 

I don't see that $94 cabin air filter in your list though.

 

Steve, Host

m1iceman

I have and hold on to your hat. For months my wife was saying she could smell gas, but I drove my TB all the time and I would smell it, but not all the time, figuring it was just when I pumped gas. Finally I was getting a strong smell and brought it to my mechanic after the warrenty was expired. Well it seems there is plastic ring inbetween the body and gas tank that rotted away, and rotten the piece, dont know the name of it. I asked my mechanic about it and he said he had seen this happen in an Envoy. He said it was from the salt on the roads and it eats away the gasket or plastic of the piece. Well they tried to just fix the gasket and put the tank back and it didnt work. I had to spend almost $400 on the new piece because its a dealer piece only, cant get it at the autoparts store. Have your mechanic check the seal between the gas tank and the body. That may be the problem, if you want a pick of the piece, I have the piece from the mechanic.

2k_impala_ls

Check your battery connections for tightness.

There was an article in the automotive section

of the paper yesterday and a guy had the same problem. It was a loose battery cable.

2k_impala_ls

I noticed this summer that when I had the A/C on and the Recirculate button was on it seems to work correctly but if I turned off the A/C and left the Recirculate button on, the A/C stays on even though the button is not on and the air never gets warm. In my wifes impala the A/C stays off but the air gets warm after awhile.

blink3

I dont have my manual right here handy, but I thought there was a trans fluid and filter change due at 30k? I am coming up on 30 myself, even if it is not due, I am going to do it myself. If I were you, I would also change out the rear diff. fluid and replace with a good synthetic. the GM stuff is crap. just my 2 cents.

gam2

I'd have to check to make sure, but I think the diffs are factory filled with Synthetics.

 

Greg

booby

Hi everyone

 

Has anybody tried replacing there 3' long muffler with just a straight pipe and leave the small resonator in the back.

 

If yes, did you notice an improvement in performance and is it very loud.

 

Thanks in advance for the information.

goodstar

Is it possible your vehicle had the condition below? This is a recall from September 2001 that might be the problem you experienced.

 

Nature of Defect:

4. FUEL:FUEL FILTER LINE Recall Number: 02V121000

Dates Manufactured: SEP 2001 to NOV 2001

Number of Vehicles Affected: 60044

Date Owners Notified On: APR 2002

  

Vehicle: 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer

Defect Description:

On certain sport utility vehicles, a fuel filter fitting can become disconnected. If this were to occur while attempting to start the engine, a no-start condition would result and fuel would be pumped out the fuel filter onto the ground.

  

Consequence of Defect:

If the fitting becomes disconnected while the vehicle is in motion, the engine would stop due to inadequate fuel supply and cause a loss of power steering assist. If an ignition source were present, fuel leakage from a disconnected fuel filter fitting could result in a fire.

  

Corrective Action:

Dealers will replace the fuel filter quick connect retainers. Owner notification began May 20, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020. GMC at 1-800-462-8782, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.

th33nforcer

Yep...everything was moved to the LT model...even the NorthFace.

th33nforcer

Tranny fluid and filter is every 50k.

 

In regard to the original message, I don't think the TB has a PCV valve.

 

If you are ever without your manual, but have access on-line, you can register your vehicle at http://www.mygmlink.com. It has a bunch of useful information, including service/maintenance schedules.

aguerra

I have new shocks, sway bar and bushings, and I still get a metal crunching noise when I go over speed bumps. This is mostly when the vehicle has just been turned on, as it doesn't do it when I come back from driving around. Could this be my front coil spring that are over the shocks? My dealer says that the coils are fine, but what else could be making the noise?

horns

The Edmunds Maintenance Guide says that the 30,000 mile service for an '02 Envoy in my zip code should cost ~$318.00. So it doesn't sound like your quote is too far off.

  

I don't see that $94 cabin air filter in your list though.

  

Steve, Host

 

Hi, Steve:

Wow, I like your zipcode better . My zipcode came up with $358, so I guess it's more expensive here. However, the 2002 triplets are not supposed to have a cabin air filter, and also no lube points from what I've read on here previously. So that guide must be very rough and not as vehicle specific as one would like.

Thanks!

ron_m

Being a car and SUV fanatic, I try to keep up with most of the vehicles that I have ever owned if they are still in production. Mainly just to see what types of changes the different manufacturers have implemented throughout the life of the vehicles. Recently, I pulled into a rather large Chevy dealership to check out the new TB. Although automobile appearances are highly subjective regarding whether or not they look good, I will say that I personally prefer the 2002 and 2003 LTZ TBs with running boards over any of the other TB trim packages. I think that the side mouldings containing the 'TrailBlazer' wording and Chevy bowtie logo looked nice on the 2002 and 2003 model TBs that had them. Also, I liked the dark grey/black 'CHEVROLET' wording being positioned at the lower right corner of the liftgate better than the gold Chevy bowtie logo being positioned at the top-center of the plastic license plate housing. I still can't decide whether or not I really like the interior changes yet. Maybe they would grow on me if I had one of the new TBs. Not sure if GM should have altered the interior on the TB--since the changes aren't dramatic ones. The chrome door handles, chrome air vent trim pieces, new gear shift knob and CHEVROLET emblems being added to the door sills were about the only interior changes I noticed. Not sure if you can still get an overhead console with sunglasses case, etc. Also not sure what year that GM did away with the 'Travel Note' voice message recorder.

 

Happy New Year to all!

 

Ron M.

tblazed

Scrach the PCV valve off the list, there isn't one (and there is no cabin air filter) . Probably wasting your money on the "fuel injectors and throttle body" service if you are using decent gas and no idling problems; this is not mentioned in the owner's manual either. I doubt they will actually disassemble the battery housing to clean and inspect it, might check the connections to make sure they're clean and tight. There is nothing to lube with the drive shaft U-joints since they are sealed. I would certainly expect them to lubricate the brake caliper slide pins while they have it apart inspecting the brakes since that's a known problem.

 

Sounds a little pricy to me since all they do is a lot of checking, and a little maintenance other than an oil change, rotate and balance the tires, new oil air and fuel filters, and top off a few fluids if needed. But for peace of mind it might be worth it go get it on record, just in case. Never know with these things.

tblazed

Did you notice the new dome and map light treatment? More decontenting. Got rid of the 4 individual lights and put in two- one in the front and the other in the back-center, and the back one is very flimsily mounted. Also got rid of the driver's side grab handle, not that it was useable where it was, anyway. Do like the new option of the black interior as a choice away from the drab gray or tan, probably looks good with the new chrome accents, but haven't seen one in black yet. Doubt the black interior will get me out of my 2002.

 

ron_m

Hi tblazed,

 

I can't say that I noticed the details of the new dome and map lights.

 

Like yourself, I like black interior. Even though it is hotter in the summer, I like the way it looks when it's cleaned up and conditioned really well. Doesn't show dirt and grime as bad either, and seems to look better longer from my experience.

 

Too bad about the continued decontenting of the TB by GM. The debut year model TB was extremely well equipped.

 

Take care,

 

Ron M.

stever

My zipcode (Boise) is a pretty cheap place to live; I was in Anchorage before so most any place seems cheaper now!

 

For errors in the Maintenance Guide, like the in-cabin filter, please Contact us.

 

Steve, Host

raleigh

I have to agree with tblazed. The only thing they are really doing for 380 bucks is changing the oil and filter, changing the air filter and fuel filter, and rotating the tires. The rest are just checks ... and you have no assurance that they are even doing them. You could do all of that yourself for a fraction of the cost. However, what really needs to be done (in my humble opinion) is to change the coolant, flush the brakes, and change the transmission and power steering fluid. GM may not call for it because they like to advertise long service life, but your vehicle will be infinitely the happier for it ... and last a hell of a lot longer.

raleigh

Has anyone had any experience with JBA stainless steel catback exhaust system for the Envoy/Trailblazer? Or how about the Jet Performance Modules? Any good? Appreciate any feedback.

illini92

I recently attempted to install an add-on CD changer in my 2002 Envoy. After following Crutchfield's instructions on how to take apart the dash and center console, I installed the antenna relay for the changer at the back of the radio. I did not get a chance to install any power lines for the changer. All I did was unplug the radio a few times in trying to install the antenna wire.

 

Anyway, I went ahead and put everything back together and the car won't start. I checked the fuses and all are good. All the accessories are fully powered except when I turn the key to crank, everything turns off when the key hits the run position. The only other thing of note is that there is no gear indicator. It shows P, R, N, D, etc. but no line underneath shows which gear I'm in.

 

After calling GM, they said that they think it may be related to the shift lock sensor. I took apart the center console to inspect and there doesn't appear to be any loose wires or problems due to my loosening the center console.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks.

illini92

I currently live in the UK and am curious if anyone knows of any place that will service GMCs or Chevys. The local GM division here is Vauxhall and the rumor is that they don't usually touch US sold cars.

jcat707

I'm not a big fan of the refreshened 2005 Trailblazers either. I dislike the removal of the Trailblazer on the side molding, the white gauges (although I heard that they reverted back to the original ones), the shifter with the gray stripe down the middle, the new font in which Trailblazer is written on the back, or the removal of the lights over each door. I agree that the 2002 model year was the most well equipped but if I had to pick any Trailblazer, I would have to get a 2003 LT since it has the body colored side moldings.

scottc454

Come on, 30000 miles is barely broken in.

I don't see the point of spending more money to maintain something than to replace that which will fail if you don't maintain it.

 

I'm getting to the point where I'm going to change tranny fluid and other stuff pretty soon, but I just crossed 80,000 miles.

bobed2121

Yeah the reason I started this thread was because we have a 02 LTZ and while I have seen the new LT's I have not seen any with running boards so I also assumed they lacked some of the features we have on our LTZ. I guess GM just couldn't attract enough buyers to shell out the $38k+ for the added features of the LTZ's. I know when we first looked had we not found our Z for $32k out-the-door with extended warranty we would have settled for an LS probably. I would have said "heated seats? Who in the world needs their seats heated?" Well guess what? This is one feature that is awesome. not to mention: Rear Air and radio for the kids, , DVD system, running boards, 17" wheels, underside steel plates, 300w bose 6 disc sound system, voice recorder, homelink, leather, dual powered seats, I'm sure I could think of something else but then I would be bragging. OH well thank you Chevrolet.