Buick Rendezvous Maintenance and Repair
Have you experienced any problems with your Rendezvous? Please share any solutions!
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
Tagged:
0
Comments
We've already discussed the slight pause required to unlock the doors when they are set to unlock upon removing the key from the ignition.
I have also noticed that the passenger side mirror doesn't seem to stay exactly where I set it. I noticed this especially when my mirror was set to tilt down when backing up.
Has anyone else noticed the "wandering mirror" phenomenon?
I'm sure glad I didn't wait 'til Saturday's packing, assuming everything would be fine. You'd kind of expect a GM trailer hitch to be compatible w/ a GM Bike rack??? I'll have to contact parts 1st thing in AM; I'm planning on using this for trip to Yosemite w/ 4 bikes. Time is ticking... I'll keep you all posted.
Anyway, this is what I've come up with. Although you have a $30,000 car with a trailer hitch (1 1/4") that can tow up to 3,500 pounds, the only bike rack GM sells for it will only carry 3 bikes. Hard to figure ???? And the actual one they sold me fits a 2 inch receiver.
My dealer had said they'd reimburse me for the cost of an adapter (2" to 1 1/4") which runs about $50, I'm leaning away from that option for the following reasons:
- The adapter alone weighs 25 pounds
- It somehow puts extra stress/weight on the "tongue"
- It would cause the bikes to be an additional 6 inches or so behing the car.
- Possible rattling noise from adapter hook-up.
Instead, I'm planning on returning the GM bike rack to the dealer and buying a 4-bike rack elsewhere that will fit the 1 1/4" receiver. Hopefully, this post will save those of you considering bike racks lots of hassle.GM did a market research study and determined that the riding of bicycles was detrimental to their satelite dish business and SUV sales.
It seems when people are unable to ride their bikes, they tend to watch more TELEVISION, which causes them to gain weight and lose stamina. A vicious cycle (pun intended) begins wherein the poor, overweight, former biker no longer fits on the perch of his Cannondale and therefore seeks a new hobby...HOME THEATER!
A side benefit is that the person, now carrying an average of 30% more body fat needs a new, bigger car to fit inside...hence GM's thriving SUV sales.
So you see John, you never stood a chance.
I ended up buying a Thule bike rack today. It fits 4 bikes and, equally important, if fits the 1 1/4 inch receiver on the RDV hitch. It was slightly more money than the GM bike rack, but the main thing is we've got one we can use for our trip to Yosemite.
Their website is also very informative...I checked out the roof mounted luggage carriers there.
Has anyone else had this unusual experience???
I'm no mechanic, that's for sure, but I would guess that the problem must be emanating from the rdv's computer. There's no other way to explain 3 systems being affected at the same time (braking, steering, and engine).
I'm confident there will be a fix, and I hope a quick one for your sake. Once corrected, I think you'll be as happy as most of the folks you've heard positing to the rdv forum. Hang in there & keep us posted of your progress.
Although I would prefer that it hadn't happened, it bothers me much less than I thought it would. Maybe it's a relief now that I don't have to worry about my RDV staying "perfect".
I bought some touch up paint from the dealer today and will attempt to repair the chips this weekend.
Any advice on the best way to do this?
I don't have a clue how to go about fixing those small chips. - I'd probably try to work out some deal with my body shop guy & have them spray & clearcoat it.
I bet a better place for suggestions would be over on autopia. Let us know how it works out.
I'm leaning towards filling the chips with touch-up paint myself...very carefully, just a tiny amount at a time. At least it would retain the factory finish on the rest of the hood and prevent rust from developing in the chips.
Good idea...I think I'll post my problem on autopia and see what advice I get.
2)Theft-Deterrent Alarm?
Does anyone know what it would take to set the alarm off,when armed? I have tried all sorts of shaking, door pulling etc. to no avail. Or is a violent entry required? (I just want to see if it works-yes the light blinks, but I'd like to hear it for once) All of my neighbors alarms go off at random, I'd like to be like them
I don't know what'll cause alarm to go off; it seems my kids made it go off once or twice, & I'm sure we used the key fob to stop it. I just can't remember what they did to make it go off. If you figure it out, let us know.
Reach inside and manually unlock and open the door.
This simulates someone smashing the window to get in the vehicle.
Thanks, fedlawman.
I'll try the alarm test tomorrow.
Has anyone else experienced this?
We are aware that new FCC regulations require weaker transmitters to be used, than previously used before, but we think this one is just a little too weak. Also, we actually had a similar problem on the homelink system of our other vehicle (different make: nissan), and our dealer had an easy fix for this.
So at this point we're not too concerned. Of course Nissan is usually pretty good about fixing things. Hopefully Buick will have a solution for us. We're first time Buick owners, so we're not sure what to expect. Does anyone have feedback on Buick service? I'll keep you posted on what happens. So far, everything else seems to be top notch! :-)
Mary
No problem with my Homelink. I had to program the garage door opener with rolling code feature, using the Smart/Learn button. All info was in RDV manual. Funny, not a word about it in LiftMaster opener instructions.
Try checking your garage door motor unit for the little antenna wire. If it's not fully extended out of the unit,it won't receive well from any remote. Perhaps part of it is curled up inside.
Re: Buick Service Dept's...there are great ones, and some duds in all makes. I hope yours is a great one!
Good luck and enjoy your RDV.
Mary
Glad to be of some help with the Homelink.
90merc
It almost sounds like your new challenge might relate to a spark plug or wire, but that shouldn't happen w/ a brand new car. I just saw cwj's post over on the Regular RDV Forum saying perhaps it's transmission related - that may be a more plausible explanation. I'm sure your service dept. will be able to diagnose & fix it readily - - Good luck & keep us posted.
And in the meantime, we're here to offer any support. :-) Also, I'm curious, since you live in central Florida, are you dealing with Orange Buick service center? I was thinking they seem to be one of the largest service facilities around, and they might be one of the better places to deal with problems. However, I am new to Buick, so you or someone in this area, may have a better dealer service in this area to recommend. Thanks.
To Fedlawman- I remember reading your previous post about your side view mirror, and was wondering if you ever resolved this issue? Also, I wanted you to know that at the NHTSA website, there is a TSB (technical service bulletin) on the Rendezvous regarding a "electrically inopertative or loose outside rear view mirror...." I'm not sure this is related, but here's a direct link to the Nhtsa, TSB data base if you want to check into this further. Good luck.
To everyone- If you're experiencing a problem, I've found it's not a bad idea to check with the NHTSA database Problems & Issues to see if you can find a similar problem in their database. In addition, you can also report a safety problem with this application to help keep them and other's informed. Keep in mind that just about any problem with a vehicle, especially related to the powertrain, electrical system, and/or tires, is considered a safety issue.
Mary
It almost seems as though the size and heft of the door is causing it to shift slightly in it's hinges as the vehicle moves.
Fedlawman- I had a creaking in the driver's door when I first got the car, when I'd come to a stop, when the weight shifted etc. I took some WD40 to the door hinges and haven't had a problem since. Let me know if this works for you.
1. We have the luxury upgrade on our CX, and we've set then tilt function so it's "on" in our DIC, but we don't see any movement when putting it in reverse. Is the movement so subtle, we would not notice it, or do we need to take this up with the service department?
2. Also, does the CX S1D luxury package include a tire pressure monitor? We've been unable to locate one in our DIC.
If anyone can offer feedback on either of these issues, thanks. :-)
To golddf- I'm sorry to hear about your situation; and also, from what I've read, it sounds like you need to find a new dealer service. I would have never put up with all you've been through. Sometimes a bad dealer service (no make excluded) can magnify the problem more. In my opinion, that shouldn't be a reflection so much on GM, but more on that particular dealer's service. You may want to call around and get another opinion from another Buick service shop or two. Also, if you don't like what the service advisor it telling you, you should try speaking directly with his boss: the service director. You'll often get better results that way. Hope everything is uphill from here on out. :-)
Mary
It sounds like you need to have the service dept. fix your passenger side mirror if it is not making a noticeable tilt towards the sidewalk. You should be able to see the right rear tire near the curb when you put your RDV in reverse. When you put it back in drive, the mirror should resume to it's original position. I know fedlawman, and I believe some others, have had challenges w/ the mirror returning to its original position after angling towards the curb. Good luck.
I had a similar fast chiming as your wife did. My parking brake was on slightly, not totally released. Also, does your driveway go upwards on the way to the street. Mine is a steep incline, and I get the chimes, as it thinks the incline is an object.
Do you find that the press-to-release AND apply parking brake is annoying? ESPECIALLY SO, when parking on a downhill grade-giving it a second push(as in a typical brake, to be sure it's tight)RELEASES it-lurching you forward. BAD IDEA!
mfarmer:
I too was surprised to find that the tire pressure monitor was not included. The catalog listed it, and the dealer said NOTHING about it. Other items indicated late availability, but not the TPM. I realize that they can build what they want, but would have preferred advance notice.
Fyi, the Buick 36 month warranty provides for alternate free transportation, in the event that your vehicle is undrivable, and has to be kept overnight. If your dealer doesn't have a loaner on hand, he's suppose to arrange for a rental car for you at no cost. He of course get's reimbursed by GM for this cost.
Secondly, if you choose to borrow a friend's car instead, you are suppose to be given a daily cash allowance to cover gas and other costs. If you were denied this, you are entitled to a reimbursement of some sort. It's difficult to believe a dealer would be so inept to not inform you of with this basic warranty service. If that's the case, you should be filing a complaint with GM customer service.
Well I finally figured out a way to make it work! And perhaps this will be helpful for others that have a similar situation: what I did was enter the DIC and set the tilt mirror function to "off". (As I mentioned above, it was originally in the on position.) I then exited the DIC, and turned the vehicle off, then started it up again. I then re-entered the DIC, and set the tilt mirror to "on". And that seemed to do the job.
There is now movement (tilting down) in the passenger side mirror when I put it into reverse. Also, it goes back into the original position when I take the vehicle out of reverse. I also had to repeat these same steps for both driver's (1 and 2) to get the mirror tilt function work with both drivers.
I'm not sure why this worked, but I figured that since this function was already "on" in the default setting, and it was not functioning, that perhaps simply turning it off/on again might get it to work. Kind of like rebooting your computer to get a new program to work for the first time. I'm pretty sure this will only need to be done one time if your tilt mirror does not initially work.
Fast Chimes: I read in the owner's manual that those chimes will also go on if the turn signal is left in the on position for more than 3/4 miles. My husband and I actually heard them one time, when he veered left, but not sharp enough to release the turn signal. After 3/4 mile, those fast chimes came on. They stopped as soon as he released the turn signal. There may be other areas where they'll also go on, but I thought I would mention this one. Perhaps we should rename this discussion, "how to set up your DIC", and/or "how to read the owners manual." :-)
To rem933- Yes, I also saw that tsb at the nhtsa website, but I don't think that applies to my RDV, or the tilt mirror situation I just decribed. My vin comes after, not before the vin they mentioned. Thanks anyway; Im sure that will be very helpful for others.
Mary
Off the top of my head, I seem to remember someone mentioning that the reverse sense system gives an audible warning iff you are backing up too fast for the system to function.
I'll check the owner's manual later...when my kids aren't climbing all over me and the keyboard!
Brian F. - When you back up too fast, the red light (but not the yellows) on the rear parking assist panel blinks but does not chime (at least on Gemera). I guess they assume that you're being a good responsible driver and are looking over your shoulder at all times when backing up. They don't know me too well.
CWJ
How do you know Gamera isn't a "she"?
Now I realize sexual dymorphism is not always the rule in the mechanical kingdom and like a nest of ants or hive of bees, nearly all ships for example are female (except for the drones).
CWJ
Perhaps Gamera should be Gamero given he's not a she??? Just a thought...
Thanks for the solution
CWJ