Buick Rainier, Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy

gmcman

Sounds like a pump noise, check the level in the power steering resevoir. As for the lower front end, the rear is built higher to handle tongue weight to have a level stance when trailering.

02envoyowner

Hi: Anyone have problems with "rattley" door speakers? When I turn up the bass, it seems the entire driver's side door rattles (very annoying!). Had a similar problem w/ the passenger side. Dealer said a screw had fallen out and into the speaker....hhhmmmm. Curious, anyone had this? Any suggested solutions?

01_hoe

You can get spacers to raise the front end, or rear lowering springs to bring the rear down and level with the front.

I have had problems with Toyota and Honda service in the past. These brands aren't perfect either.

01_hoe

Maybe add some sound deadener to doors, especially behind the speakers.

60hzpush

The Hose clamps are still on the driveshaft. Thats the fix, I just wonder 5 years from now how they hold up.
The vibration is gone at this point...

scottc454

Don't tell your neighbors about those hose clamps. If they ever get mad at you, they'll come over and move them.

talldude1969

Recently my 2002 Envoy started talking to me just after cold startup with a series of loud clicks from the steering column. Of course, when I take it to the dealer the sounds mysteriously don't reveal themselves. This weekend the clicking noises, always 5 within a 2 second span, happened several times while on an extended trip. My wife and sister-in-law heard them too so I'm not going crazy. Any ideas......anyone?

envoyenvy2

My 2002 Envoy started making "tapping" noises upon startup. Turned out to be an actuator in the AC, hanging up when it tried to open vent doors. Was consistent upon startup, even the number of taps. Was pretty loud, sounded like something trying to get out of the dash. Dealer knew exactly what it was.

ross1962

It's the A/C actuator.

jad27

I just got my new Envoy last week. It has the memory seats for driver 1 and 2. I can't get it to work by using the keyfob. I have 2 friends who have Envoys (2002 and 2004). Both of them when they hit the unlock on the keyfob it sets the seats and mirrors to that passenger matching the keyfob number. I can't make mine do that. Is anyone else having trouble with this feature?

n7don

This feature is enabled via the driver info center buttons on the steering wheel on the 03 Envoy. I'd assume the same on the 05. Should be "how to" instructions in the owner's manual. Be sure to first unlock the doors with the remote you want to program. Once seat and mirrors are set, hold the door button down until you hear a "beep".

jad27

I tried all that - it just doesn't work. Plus I don't have a setting on the DIC called "Memory Seats Recall". I wouldn't think they would take that feature away for 05. It seems odd that all the Envoy's - except for the '05s would have this feature.

cbwilsha

n7don

On the '03 I push the upper botton on the lower right of the steering wheel until "seat position recall" is displayed. Pushing the arrow button under this button toggles between on and off.
Have you programmed a position into memory?... and does that work? Namely set mirrors & seat where you want them. Have the trans. in park (key doesn't have to be in ignition) and push & hold the door button until you have two beeps. (3-5 secs) Again before doing this, unlock the doors with the remote you are programming. Move the seats to some other position and push the door button (1 or 2). If the program was remembered it should return to the original position.
I looked at the poop-sheet online and it suggests memory seat recall was still in the package but maybe a running change.

cbwilsha

The remote unlock feature has to be programmed in order for the memory seats to work at the same time.

The default setting for Unlock is "Unlock when shift into Park' and the memory seats will not work from the remote.

Program the Unlock to occur from the remote and then the seats and mirrors will also adjust at the same time.

See Pages 2-60 (Vehicle Personalization) and 3-59 (Driver Information Center Vehicle Customization) in the 2005 Envoy Owners Manual.

C.B.

mookie14

Check this out what i am hearing is coming from the inside of the vehicle. When i am outside i do not hear the whining sound its only when am inside of the vehicle is when i am hear the sound. And its only when i turn the auto to the left and turn it back and forth is when i hear the sound. Gm has a tsb on it and man its hell to get this mess fixed correctly. Like i said in the 1st post they have done all that mess lube and lube, again, NEW POWER STEERING PUMP, gasket and STILL NO CORRECTION HELP. ps i will check the fluid i do not think its the problem but it will not hurt to check.

gmfan

Ficuss, that is about the mileage I had on mine when it was replaced. I have an aftermarket x-tend warranty and it picked it up as covered item as it was not specifically "excluded" in the policy. When the service rep tells the warranty company it is "defective", it helps the situation because normal wear and tear will not apply. This is my first vehicle with a steering shaft replacement. It is an odd item that normally should not need replacement for the life of the vehicle. On the other hand, my O2 sensor when bad at the same time I had the vehicle in, and the x-tend warranty company would not cover that item.

paulpro

C.B.
Are you sure you're referring to the 2005. I had the same question and my dealer is telling me GM deleted this feature on the 05's.

Reading the manual pages you refer to, nothing is mentioned about the remote access.

I sure would like to enable it on my 05 but have yet to figure it out, if in fact, it is in there

Paul P

gmfan

If you cannot hear it while outside the vehicle, then I doubt if anyone can help as it sounds minor at this point. The fluid might be a little low, since if it was very low, then you would hear it whine all the time (inside & outside the vehicle) This may be a dumb question, but are you turning the tires while sitting still?

cbwilsha

Paul--You are absolutely correct! I was switching back and forth from the 2003 manual which I own and a 2005 manual I was reading online on another site and, boy, did I get it screwed up!

My 2003 works like n7don described above where there is a specific section in the DIC for you to choose using the remote to trigger the memory which is handy and the changes have occurred by the time you reach the car and get in it.

I'm like you now, I can't find any specific reference of triggering the memory seats and mirrors on the 2005 other than hitting button 1 or 2 after you enter the vehicle. If that's true, that's a giant step BACKWARD for convenience.

I apologize to jad27 for missleading him.

C.B.

gmcman

I guess that would drive someone crazy. It almost sound like it could be coming from the steering column. Get some jack stands and support the front of the vehicle (both sides) from the suspension, you will need both tires off the ground but with weight on the front suspension. Careful where you put the stands, the front is very heavy and the lower control arms are curved with no real place to put the stands. I find the best place is right next to the lower swaybar link but on the arm itself, will keep from sliding on the arm. With the engine off turn the wheels to try to duplicate the noise, will be easy with the wheels raised. This will at least let you know if the problem exists in the column. There is a chance you could have a bad piston or seal in the rack which may vibrate in one direction and would most likely be only on one end, can't inagine both sides of the rack going bad at once. If it is the rack the engine would muffle the sound because I believe it is against the firewall, so you would hear it more inside the cabin than outside. Maybe a bad pump sent metal shavings to the rack if it was ran low, not likely but a remote possibility. Good luck and let me know the result.

gmoudy

I have a 02 Trailblazer and also have the clicking noise when cold. It comes from behind the vent controls. I have been able to duplicate this by switching the vent controls from vents to any other position and then quickly back to full vents. I just want to make sure that what you are saying is the smae problem and solution that I am having.
Would what I have be the A/C actuator also??

jad27

I'm taking it into the dealer tomorrow and see what they say. If GM deleted that feature, I'll be very unhappy. GM wouldn't do something that dumb - or would they? It is very INCONVENIENT to have to remember to push the 1 or 2 button every time before I take it out of park. I just cannot understand why they would delete that feature.

n7don

The following is from the '05 Envoy service manual section on Personalization:

The DIC displays SEAT POSITION RECALL.
Press the Select button in order to enter the menu. The first choice seen is the current setting.
Press the Select button in order to scroll through the following options:
SEAT POSITION RECALL OFF
SEAT POSITION RECALL AT KEY IN
SEAT POSITION RECALL ON REMOTE

also in the section describing REMOTE operation it states: "Recall the memory seat and memory mirror positions for that driver"

If you don't have a "SEAT POSITION RECALL" as one of the DIC options then GM must have changed after writing the service manual info....or the service manual is wrong.....or you have a problem. While at the dealer's I'd check out other Envoy's too.

With all this discussion, I actually have ours OFF. Mine doesn't have to be in PARK to recall the seat position, only to initially program it. If the wife has moved the seat I just hit button 1 before getting in.

jad27

I definitely do not have "seat position recall" on the DIC. Also no where in the owners manual does it say anything about it.

jad27

Also under the customization section of DIC I can't have different settings for each driver. Whatever settings I select apply to both drivers, no matter what. That deosn't seem right either. It says in the "getting to know your Envoy" booklet that came with the owners manual that I should be able to.

Oh well, I'll see what the dealer tells me later today.

tblazed

I thought the Memory Seats got the ax for '05 (i.e., went to the big scrap heap of decontented features).

n7don

Envoy Seating
shows standard on the SLT and n/a on SLE
should ask what trim level he has.
Sounds like the ability to use the remote to recall position is gone. However there's a section in the 05 SI showing this feature. He should be able to program each door button. Also I don't have to be in PARK to operate once programmed.

ross1962

Try this:
Turn all A/C off before you turn off the car. Put the selector in the vent position and fan off.
The next morning, when the engine is cold, start the car and listen for the clicking. You should NOT here it now. That would indicate a failing A/C actuator.

jad27

Well the Seat Position Recall feature is gone for '05. You have to push the 1 or 2 on the door everytime you get into the vehicle. I can't believe they did away with that feature. When the dealer called GM to ask about it, they were told that too many people were taking their cars in for warranty work saying the seats move on their own.

I just came from the dealer who told me that they also discontinued it on the Escalade. But enough people called GM and complained about it so they wrote software to re-enable it on the Escalade for those who want it.

Maybe the same can happen for the Envoy. I just called and logged a complaint with GM. If they get enough maybe they will do something about it. All it takes is a simple software fix.

GM Customer Assistance
1-800-462-8782

adamjeeps

All I can say is people need to read the manuals on their vehicles. A lot of problems are simply the owner not understanding how their car works.

jad27

I have read the manual from cover to cover. The problem is not about understanding the vehicle, as you say, it's about a feature that was taken away for the '05 model year and no one knowing that, including the dealership. An important feature as far as I'm concerned.

burdawg

You have read the manual in your case, but I have to agree with adamjeeps that most people don't. Also, sadly, I think a significant percentage can't (read I mean), and another significant percentage who can don't understand it. It's a problem that's getting worse, and won't get better as long as personal transportation gets more complex as technology is demanding.

dmathews3

On the TB I beiieve it is in an option package, I wonder if it is on the Envoy too.

wrenchspin2

I have an early '03 Envoy XL with 41K on it now.
I just started getting the front end 'clunk' sound going over bumps. Started to think it was perhaps a shock going bad or something and was planning to get under the truck this weekend to check things out. Based on the posts here it sounds like it is the front sway bar bushing issue. What do you think my odds are to get it taken care of free of charge since this seems like a known problem to these vehicles?
I've had many cars and trucks and never had to replace front sway bar bushings until the mileage got further up there or old age deteriorated them!
Design flaw? Crappy rubber to start with? Heavy weight of vehicle?
Speaking of weight, the front tires wear pretty fast even though alignment is on spec..Michelins and Goodrich only lasted 25k each. And that is with proper inflation and rotation. Other trucks I've owned I got much more mileage (45k to 65k) so I'm fairly confident its not my maint or driving habits. Anyone else experience this? Thanks.

wrenchspin2

Excuse my tire mileage explanation...I should have phrased it better/more specific and said "The Michelins lasted only 25k mi and the current Goodrich's look like they are also only going to go only about 25k mi...they now have 16k on them and appear about 2/3 shot.

gam2

You can try with the sway bar links. Mine were replaced at 20K. There is a TSB out there, tell them it's obvious they were defective.

I have 25K on my Michelins and they still have at least half their tread left. Either alignment or
air pressure is way off or you've been trying to qualify for the Daytone 500! :-)

ficuss

My 02 TB sway bar was replaced for the same reason under the extended warranty terms with only 30k miles. I think this would fall under the "minimum necessary" design criteria The General seems to be using lately. Good luck if you don't have the extended warranty.
Regarding tire wear, do you rotate the tires periodically? This greatly extends tire life.

wrenchspin2

Thanks gam2, it should hopefully be less of a struggle with a TSB to reference. If anyone out there knows the TSB number I'd appreciate that, I like going prepared/fully armed!
As far as the tires...those new Vettes still seem to be able to work the turns better than me! :-)
But seriously, I maintain the pressure regularly and even use white chalk time to time to monitor wear. Like I said this is the first vehicle I've owned that is going through tires quickly like this (11 cars and 3 SUVs I've owned). The tires seem to wear both on the inside and outside edges more than the center does (almost as if they were running under-inflated where you would get similar results) but that is not the case as I actually run them a little above the suggested manufact numbers, so if anything that should produce more center wear from over-inflation. The only thing I can think of is maybe the alignment is really off, they told me it "was within spec". For all I know that could mean just cutting spec on negative or positive number settings. I'll have to have it checked again elsewhere.

ross1962

There may be another cause for the clunk. Sometimes it's just a matter of adjusting and lubing the rubber stoppers that the hood rests on with silicone spray.
If it's the bushings - yeah, it's a flaw in the design somewhere. I think they should replace them free of carge for 100K miles, but I'd be suprised if they did. You could get ureththane bushings and they will last longer.

jad27

I found out GM did away with the memory recall via keyfob feature on all '05 vehicles. I have an '05 Envoy and have been complaining about it to GM.

I also found out that on the Escalade, enough people complained that GM rewrote the software to include this feature for the those who want it. Haven't heard of any other vehicles yet that they did this to- just the Escalade.

I WANT THAT FEATURE BACK. It's a inconvenience to have to hit the 1 or 2 button on the door everytime I get in. (if I remember to)

hardhawk

I had the same clunking on my 2002 Envoy last year. The dealer replaced the front bushings and it drives like new again. I have 43000+ miles on the original Michelin's and they still have a significant amount of tread left. Should have no problem getting past 50,000. I will replace them before they get to the wear indicators as I always do, but I have been really pleased with the life on the Michelins. I will replace them with Cooper Dicoverer HT's as I live in a rural area and the Cooper dealer is right down the street whereas the nearest Michelin dealer is over an hour drive away.

adamjeeps

Jad27 I didn't mean to imply you in particular, I was making a general point that so many options are computer controlled and more advanced on todays vehicles that its impossible to operate them without the use of your manuals. I'll be the first to admit to not knowing the half of what my cars can do if I wanted to. But, there are plenty of people who will complain about something that the vehicle is supposed to do.

mookie14

Hey man can you help me out or anyone for that matter. Do you have those invoices about your steering column repairs. I am trying one last time to get this fixed man its hell but i am trying to get all the help i can get. Gmc man you are the bomb for helping i am taking it in in 2 wks because i have things to do and i do not want to be in a repair shop 2 wks in a row went in last wk for the tachometer its on order. Another dealership said its normal jerks huh incomptent big time. So Ill wait and see what you all come up with thanks guys.

henrye

I'm looking at buying an 05 Envoy XL and was wanting to have side airbags. All of the Envoys I've viewed online don't have side airbags on them. Do they become available later this year or something?

tblazed

Side air bags were standard on the '02s - became a $300 option in '03. The dealers you are looking at probably didn't order any with the SABs.

01_hoe

Air bags, side head curtain, first and second row are a $495.00 option on Envoys.

twinrotts

My 02 TB EXT now has over 42K on the original Goodrich tires with plenty of rubber left. I keep them a pound or 3 above the recommended pressure and have rotated them 3 times thus far with the next one coming as soon as the temp get above 30.
I have recently begun hearing an occasional clunk as I roll over bumps or potholes. I do have the extended warantee so might have the bushings replaced. At the same time I'm thinking of getting the Hotchkis upgrade so trying to decide if having stock bushings put back are worth my time or if I should just put in the Hotchkis ones instead

blink3

Anyone have a link to this TSB? I have the same thing going on and would like to get it addressed before the warranty runs out.

Thanks!

edlee1

I need some help from someone on a CD player issue. I burn CD's off of my home computer, put them in my 2003 Envoy Bose system (single CD), and get the Check CD message, what gives? Should I be burning the CD in a different format. I tried a couple different types, I think. It will play regular CDs with no problem. Any suggestions. Thanks.