Buick Rendezvous Maintenance and Repair

tmakogon

Sounds like something is loose in the steering. If you have time, try to turn steering wheel with car parked and off to see if it's sitting tight on the steering column.
Also try to jack up front wheels, one at a time, and turn each wheel left and right to see if there is freeplay in steering.
Agree with jk27's advice to see another dealer.

jayally

I am having that problem too. The tailgate recently had the recall done and I thought it was because of a loose plate on the tailgate that would make the gate jump up and down over bumps. They tightened it using a metal plate under it to shim it. It still makes a noise and I have looked everywhere for the source.

ewalter

at 14000 miles RDV engine stalled on freeway and luckily my wife was on a ramp that let her pull off. Engine restarted. Dealer could find nothing wrong. Today, 37000 miles car operated normally 2 separate times and then failed to start on driveway. AAA could not start it so it is now in for dealer check. (AAA operator stated he has towed a lot of RDV's and Aztecs with similar problem). Battery is good. Any similar experiences and solutions?

moosie

Ewalter: I too have had the same problem with my vous. The tech at GM stated that the BCM and the PCM terminals needed to be cleaned inside the console. Mine quit at 30 mph driving down the road. This is a very scary situation. The vous seems to be an extremely tempermental vehicle when it comes to electronics. The dealer had mine for over two months and when I got it back it lasted only 7 weeks before it was back at the dealer. I just got it back on Friday after the dealer having it for 10 days. This is not a good vehicle. In fact, it is the worst automobile I haver ever owned. Hopefully this helps with your problem.

dennyn

I didn't get any notice of a recall on the tailgate but glad to hear that's a possible noise. I still think the noise is from the tires or the struts. Hoping somebody found their noise before I spend a bunch of money and not get the problem solved. Thanks

cyndy1

I leased a 2004 RDV. It has shutdown and had to be towed 3 times. First it was the relay switch, the last two times the BCM Modular. I have always owned a Buick product. This is the first time I have ever encountered major problems and all under 6000 miles. I fear I am going to break down all the time. No one has assured me that this would not happen. I have children to car pool, and I am always worried something will go wrong. I am disappointed in this vehicle and in GM for not resolving this issue over the years. I can't wait for this lease to be over.

ewalter

I reported RDV failing to start a week ago. Towed to dealer who tested it for a week and stated keys needed reprograming otherwise no problem identified. I have not previously seen reports on problem keys. Any comments? Thanks to those who replied with similar experiences. EWalter

carleric

I bought an '04 RDV in mid May and have only driven it 4100 miles, but I like it better every day. I read this forum for a couple months before buying mine and admit I was concerned about the many negative comments about BCM failures, wheel bearings, lack of HP, etc.- even the clock couldn't keep time. I'm sure those problems were real, but it would appear Buick has corrected them. At this point, I'd recommend an RDV without hesitation.

jayy

I am replying to the final straw email. We have owned two RDV. The first one waa a 2002 CXL. After many problems with the vehicle we got GM to take the car back under the WI Lemon Law. The major problem was the transmission, which was replaced three times and failed each time. There were numerous other problems like the blower fan always failing. Since my wife liked the car we decided to try again and Buick gave us a new 2003 RDV CXL. The car has now 52M miles on it and guess what happened . The transmision is acting up again. There is something definately wrong with the design of this vehicle. I have been a Buick owner since my first car. Never had I experienced any major problems. Maybe Buick should stick with building and selling cars.

kavodriller

I have the same starting and stalling problem that you had, the cam sensor was replaced but the problem continues on my 2004 rondevouz. The car is in Barbados and the dealer has given up. Any ideas? How was your problem resolved?

jp614

My 2002 RDV just came out of warranty. I asked my mechanic about switching out the Dex-Cool to hopefully save the gaskets.

The 3.4 engine is known to have a faulty intake manifold gasket design. I had the engine flushed with new Dex-Cool in year two to try and minimize the caustic nature of the coolant while still maintaining the factory warranty.

I just had a friend spend $800 to replace the gaskets on his 2001 Venture mini-van.

We decided to change out the Dex-Cool for a new green anti-freeze that is suitable for all engines.

Guess what, he saw the start of a minor leak on the upper right-hand side of the gasket! He added a container of Wynns Radiator Sealant to hopefully stop the leak and prevent the repair.

If you are still under warranty, have the gasket replaced with the new design that came out in 2003. I am just 60 days out of warranty and know that GM will do nothing to fix this.

This vehicle has been very good up to this point, but I am sure that it may be all downhill from here. I highly recommend the extended warranty if you have the 3.4 engine.

Hopefully the 3.6 VVT engine is better otherwise GM is going to lose a great number of customers to Toyota and Honda. This may be my last GM vehicle....

derek21

Help! Anyone have the doors unlock by themselves while you were driving? Is this a computer problem or something else? It has happened several times in the last week.

manny5

I own a 2002 CX, it has 47K miles (purchased new). So far I have replaced BCM module(under warranty), front wheel bearings, A/C compressor, and repaired the intake manifold leak, all after the warranty expired. Now the transmission is acting up. I owned GMs all my life, and this is the worst car I have ever owned. Considering trading in for a Highlander or a Honda Pilot.

dwebster

I have read through the messages posted in this forum looking for a solution to my electrical problems. They are as follows:

* Check engine light comes on at various times.
  -- My service department looked at codes from the computer for this including "Loose gas cap" and "Emissions sensor problem" (of course that was not the real problem...)

* When using the left turn signal, the hazard flashers would come on in the back. Right turn signal was alright and this will not happen every time the signal is used.
  -- My service department was clueless....

I recently had the vehicle in the shop to finally get the Engine Check light fixed. They kept it for a week and went over the complete electrical system.

They found that the Bulkhead connector for the wiring harness had filled with water and corroded. This was causing my odd electrical symptoms to occur. My vehicle is a 2003 RDV and the Bulkhead connector for my vehicle did not have a seal around this connector. That allowed the water to accumulate and short the connector every so often. I was told that newer models have a rubber gasket in the bulkhead connector and this is not a problem.

If you are having weird electrical problems you may want to have your service department check the Bulkhead connector for corrosion and standing water.

Since I have had this fixed my taillight problem has not re-occurred. I hope that this fix is the last for that problem.

winifred

Ihave had nothing but trouble with my 2002Rendezvous.from a leaky air conditioer to the modular.Iam so sorry I bought this car and f now Im stuck with ituntil its paid off.Im afraid to drive it because recently it just stopped on me whle in drive.The dealer hasnt been very nice about my complaints and I wrote to GMC and havent heard a word in reply no Im sorry no acknowledgement of my sreious concerns.They have lost a customer but I guess that is why they are losing there base customers.

verdi942

My '04 RDV is fine so far EXCEPT:

1. I cannot set the keyless entry fob button to BOTH flash the lights and sound the horn - only the lights flash.

2. Sometimes the radio/CD player forgets where it was playing a CD - and sometimes it remembers - with no rhyme or reason.

3. Sometimes the backup warning gong sounds properly and sometimes it forgets to chime until I touch the car I'm parking in front of. Again - no pattern.

Now, I know these are minor complaints which are on my punch list for warranty attention when I bring it in for first oil change [only 3K miles so far].

Do these items ring any bells with any forum members?

nextmoon

1. There should be an option to set this in the DIC, at least on 2002 models like mines. To get a honk, you must click the lock button on your fob twice - first click will flash lights and second will flash and honk. Sometimes my second click won't honk if I don't shut all the doors tightly.

2. Don't play my CD enough to know.

3. I've read that backup sensors are not 100% dependable. Their effectiveness is based on the height of the car or object behind you and it's shape. The more blunt the shape of the car behind you, the more likely the sensors will "see" it. Also, the speed with which you backup also makes a difference. The slower your speed, the more the sensor will "see". This is true for all the backup sensors for other vehicles.

Hopes this helps.

coatingmike

As my wife unfortunately found out on her 2002 Montana van, the reverse sensors don't work above 3 mph. This is stated in the owners manual, but she didn't remember that I had told her that. On my 03 Rdv when I back up faster than this the reverse sensor signal lamp just flashes. You can easily out-run the range of the sensors. Hopefully your glitches don't pertain to things to come. My 03 with 45,000 miles so far has done pretty well. I had to repair a window regulator out of warranty and that has been the worst of it. Good Luck.

verdi942

My concern is that this is a computer hardware/program/software glitch that'll only get worse with time.

The latest - the automatic door-locking sometimes delays when I put the car in gear - and sometimes it doesn't.

Nextmoon - you're right about pressing the 'lock' button on the fob twice to sound the [wimpy] horn.

kissmeinky

I have noticed that when I really need to use the horn on my 2004 RDV it doesn't always work. Has anyone else experienced this? Is the horn just very picky that you hit right on the spot where the symbol is? Sometimes I can't get it to honk at all.

kissmeinky

I have a 2004 RDV CX Plus. I was told I do not have this sensor although the book tells me I do. I am just curious if another CX Plus owner has the sensor?

Thanks

kissmeinky

My low tire pressure light keeps coming on and I keep filling up the air. Has anyone experienced the light coming on because of weather changes or something?

nextmoon

I agree the horn is hard to honk. I've tried pressing it in various places and it doesn't seem to make a difference. Only pressing hard does it seem to honk when I want. I've had 2-3 instances driving in NYC traffic where I needed to honk but nothing sounded. Not that honking would make a difference in NYC traffic.

Do you mean low windshield wiper fluid sensor, if so my sensor has warned me a couple of times.

jk27

I agree ... the horn should be easier to sound. I've found that if I press directly on the horn emblems on the steering wheel with my thumb, the horn will ALWAYS sound. However, Buick needs to mark those areas with some sort of tactile material, so you can "feel" where those spots are.

Oh, and my 2002 RDV CXL has a low windshield washer fluid light and it operates as it should. Wish I had the tire inflation sensors on my model

imidazol97

Is it one tire that's going down and triggering the warning or is it just that the warning keeps going off?

nidge

Hello,
My air pressure light came on one time in the middle of a road trip. Needless to say, I slowed down a lot just in case. However, I found that the cure was to reset it with the two buttons on the dash. After I did that, no more problems. I might add, in almost 23,000 my RDV has been trouble free. Never even been back to the dealer. Knock on wood. About the horn. It's no good when you finally do find it. What a screw up that is. Good luck.

nextmoon

I tend to hit the horn with the palm of my hand when I honk. I'll try the thumb method to see if it helps and maybe train myself to do that if I can.

I've heard the tire inflation sensors need to be adjusted properly with each tire rotation/change. So it's an extra expense in addition to the regular cost. Can anyone with tire sensors confirm this?

coatingmike

As far as I know, and I believe that I read it in the owners manual, all you have to do after the tires are removed and put back on the car is to reset the tire inflation sensor. I have had my tires rotated twice by Buick dealers and never did they reset it. I had to do it after it went off while I was driving home from the dealership. There should be no additional cost. Also be careful if your sensor does go off. Check tire inflation with a air pressure gauge on each tire. If you reset the sensor without confirming that you do have the proper amount of air in each tire it will not just go off again if one is low I don't think. I may be wrong, but I think by you resetting it you are telling the computer that things are fine and it will only go off again when there is a difference of one tire by at least 10 psi. It does work. I had picked up a nail and had a very slow leak. I let it happen twice as I could not find the nail the first time and two times running after about 5 days the light came on and when I checked the tire it was at 25 psi. Pretty cool option! Mike

nextmoon

Good to know the sensors works. I don't have that option so can't really say how they work. It would have been nice if they service department did that as part of the service, but not a big deal.

imidazol97

The sensors work on my LeSabre. They measure the rotation speed of the wheel compared to the others. If one starts to go slightly faster, there's a reason and the sensors goes off.

My wife drove the car when it was fairly new and the bells went off. She didn't pay much attention. When the car was home, I started it and the bells went off before I moved it as a warning. I checked the tire pressures, found one at 28 instead of 33.

My wife had not mentioned the bells. Talked to my wife lovingly about the importance of the DIC with its bells and whistles!!!

If the wheels are rotated or the air pressures are adjusted, I use the reset button so that the computer will remap the rotation ratios of the tires from its antilock brake system.

kissmeinky

What model RDV do you own? I have a 2004 CX Plus with no low washer sensor.

Also, have you noticed the starter run on after engaging the key? The dealer told me it is supposed to do that. I said it sounds like the started has a problem. They said it is just the computer. It keeps cranking the starter until it recognizes the car is started.

kissmeinky

In a weeks time, light came on 3 times. Was a different tire low each time. I was told it can just be a few PSI difference to make it go off. Thought it may be the weather. Cold and warm temps.

Thanks

imidazol97

sensor when the tires are cold. I do it in the garage in the morning.

The front tires heat up more and the difference between front and back rotation rate is affected by the temperature expanding the air. I've never had a problem with that. If cold resetting doesn't do it, reset after the car's been driven a few miles at moderate speeds.

Friends had a tire replaced on a new LeSabre in 2000 or so. The sensor would go off only when the car was going down a steep driveway. They took it back to the dealer finally. The Tire Discounters tire store had put on the wrong size front tire. 205 instead of 215, e.g. The tire had been ordered in and whoever did the final installation didn't check that it was the right size!!!

The system found the rotation rate was different enough only when the additional weight was on the front wheels changing the rotation rate due to tire crush.

nextmoon

Mines is a 2002 CX FWD model. I'm pretty sure the entire RDV line had low washer sensor that model year. I didn't know I had such a sensor until I read my manual (check yours). While returning from a snowboarding trip last winter it activated real loud and flashed the message on the DIC. It startled me a bit and persisted for maybe 20 minutes every few minutes.

As for the starter, mines stops after I let go of the key. Your starter doesn't sound like it's acting normally. Maybe try bringing your RDV to a different dealership to have it checked out if that's an option.

kissmeinky

Yes, I agree about the starter thing. Dealer says normal. I thought who would know better than RDV owners. Anyone else experiencing this starter run on?

As to the low washer fluid, my book says like I have it. When I inquired at the dealer they had to contact GM. Finally I had an answer that the CX doesn't have the sensor and in later issues of the owners manual the wording is different on this sensor.

coatingmike

I have found that mine does that if I turn the key very quickly and let go. On past cars if I only held the key that long they would not have started. I tend to agree with the dealer here.

paulnnau

I bought a used 2004 RDV CX and while I've had it only 3 weeks and driven 800 miles, so far so good. Only 1 thing... the dealership detailed it and gave me an oil change when I bought it, and now, 3 weeks later, the light saying to change engine oil comes on when I start the car for a couple minutes. Any idea on how I can stop this? If I change the oil myself in the future is there something I need to do to ensure this doesn't come up?

kissmeinky

The did not reset the engine oil life indicator on the Driver Info center. Look on the dash to the left of the steering column. Scroll through the info that is displayed until you get to the engine oil. It will say either 0% left or a very low %. Hit the reset button and it will be back to 100%. You need to make sure you reset this everytime you change oil if you want it to be accurate. Let me know something when you have had it longer... if it tells you that washer fluid is low when it gets low. They tell me the CX does not have this sensor.

paulnnau

I don't believe I have the driver info center on my RDV- to the left of my steering colum is the light switch. I will look harder next time I am in it.

imidazol97

On this link it looks like ALL 2004 Rendezvous have the DIC... It doesn't give an alternate setup.

http://www.mygmlink.com/pdf/go2content/manual/US/en/buick/2k04ren- dezvousgtk.pdf

Do you have the buttons for the DIC control which is in one of your instrument clusters?

paulnnau

I don't have the buttons shown on that link for DIC- it does mention in there "if equipped" so mine must not be equipped

kissmeinky

I am wondering about a low washer fluid sensor. I thougth it was standard but have been told different. Any idea?

Thanks

nextmoon

If you want to quickly test whether you have the low washer fluid sensor, why not just turn on your washer spray for an extended time until your reservior runs low. Use the rear windshield spray too. This test will cost you about 99 cents for some new washer fluid.

tmakogon

Read the manual.

Page 6-15:
How to Reset the Change Engine Oil Message
If your vehicle does not have the optional Driver
Information Center (DIC), do the following:
1. With the ignition key in ON but the engine off,
fully push and release the accelerator pedal slowly
three times within five seconds.
2. Turn the key to OFF.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message comes back
on, the engine oil life monitor has not reset. Repeat
the procedure.
If your vehicle has the optional DIC, do the following:
1. Turn the ignition to ON with the engine off.
2. Press the MODE button until the DIC reads OIL
LIFE LEFT/HOLD SET TO RESET.
3. Press and hold the SET button until 100%
is displayed.
You will hear three chimes and the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL message will go off. If the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL message comes back on, the monitor
has not reset. Repeat the procedure.

kissmeinky

I'm sorry, let me rephrase. That is not what I was asking. I know that I do not have the sensor because I already ran out of fluid. When I went to the dealer to tell them it must not be working they said I did not have the sensor. Everything I read says I do. GM says no, so I am trying to just figure out if anyone is pulling a fast one on me.

paulnnau

Thank you,
I guess I was looking in the wrong place- everything I read, including a response from someone else here, gave me info on the DIC, but not what you suggested. It worked!

ronsmith1

My 2003 Rendezvous makes a popping sound after it has been driven and parked. It sounds like the fuel tank is expanding outward. The sound can occur anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes after it is parked and engine is off.

No check engine lights. Sound occurs at any level of fuel.

Any one else have this issue and know exactly what the problem is? I like to have my facts straight BEFORE I go to the dealer for the song and dance.

PS Every one that thinks they are driving an American car look again. Yes, it is made in Mexico.

Thank you

imidazol97

>thinks they are driving an American car look again.

The company is an American company. The profits go to GM. At least the money doesn't end up in Japan or Germany as in some other car companies.

shotsky

I just purchased a used 2002 RDV CXL. I had a remote starter installed by the dealer prior to my accepting delivery. The other night I was diving home and the dash completely went dead, no lights, speedometer, radio, heater, but the outside lights continued to work. I got home and turned it off, but the outside lights would not go out. Next day I took it to the dealer, they said it was either a BCM or the remote starter causing the problem. Just curiosity, any one else having problems with a remote starter or with this problem. I only saw one message #729 somewhat related.

jk27

As I understand it, the Buick Rendezvous is assembled in Mexico, with parts from America (and other countries).

Is there really an "American car" still out there? I mean, assembled in America, with all parts from America, with American workers? I truly doubt it.

I remember purchasing a Mercury Tracer in 1988 and feeling good that it was an "American car". I discovered that it, too, was assembled in Mexico and that it had a Japanese (Mazda) engine. The only parts from the US were the seats.

Welcome to the global economy!