Buick Rendezvous Maintenance and Repair

lswaidz

Thanks Ken... I've kinda made myself lucky though... I got into computers and web design when I was 10 or so and everything just took off from there... it took me 3 years to save up the money for my trans am, and then I had to sell it after 2 years because I needed something more reliable to have down at school where they get a good deal of snow and ice during the winter. After 2 winters w/ the t/a I knew that wouldn't do... I looked very seriously at the Envoy, but when it came time to buy, the cars were having the problems with the front suspensions falling off or whatever, and it would be alomst a month before I could get one... so I had to settle with the RDV... it's been a great car and all, but I just miss that punch the trans am had... I'm looking into getting one of the new Nissan 350Z's next year so hopefully if that works out my need for speed will be satisfied... but until then, I'll have to settle for beating the rear wheel drive sports cars off the line only in a foot of snow :-)

~Lance

fedlawman

Lance, do you really think it's worth it for Buick to spend the money and time to fit the 3.8L into the RDV?

It's got only 20 hp and 20 ft. lbs. more than the 3.4L at the same RPM. Although it's butter smooth, I don't think anyone could tell the difference, performance wise, by the seat of their pants.

On the other hand, I think a multi-valve, VVT engine good for 240+ hp/tq would be worth the effort.

lswaidz

Yeah, it may not have been worth the effort, but the engine bay is certainly big enough... in fact it looks almost as if at the last minute they went w/ the smaller engine. They do it inthe grand prix... the base gp gets the 3.4, when you go up to the GT from the SE the 3.8 gets put in... I know it would't be a huge difference but it would have made things a little easier with the weight of the vehicle.

I agree with the multi-valve idea... one of the best engines GM ever made was the 3.5 from the Olds Intrigue... 215 hp I believe... it's too bad they stopped making that. The 4.2 vortec would be great, but I don't think it would fit considering the size of the engine bay and the setup of that particular engine (rear wheel drive...).

What we ended up getting is a decent engine... I think if GM decides to go ahead with the Tour edition it would fill in a big gap between the RDV and RX300 which uses a super-high tech VVT/i toyota 6 (which is a great engine). My dad has a 99 Park Avenue Ultra, and I've driven both the Ultra and the standard Park Ave. and I think the addition of the blower completely transforms the car... sure you get a little torque steer and what not if you stand on it, but the AWD of the RDV would eliminate that... I really hope GM builds that Tour edition... all they need to do is rework that exhaust... it's ugly, especially in person....

~Lance

lswaidz

I forgot to mention the price differenc of putting the nicer engine in... I think one of the main reasons GM went w/ the 3.4 is that it is one of the cheapest and easiest to build engines in the GM Powertrain lineup... that one thing may be what keeps this car so cheap and there by giving it the advantage over the RX300 and Acura MDX, to name a few, which all sticker for over $30K base I believe...

~Lance

fedlawman

GM went with the 3.4 because the platform was made for it. It would have cost time and money to design the RDV to accomodate anything else.

You can order a supercharger kit that is sold for the Grand Am and install it in the RDV with ease.

The Grand Prix SE, much like the Buick Century, comes with the 3.1L, not the 3.4L. The 3.1L is also a fine engine with good power and torque.

The reason why the 4.2L won't be available for the RDV is because, being an I-6, it's just too long to fit in the RDV's engine bay.

I agree that the Toyota 3.0L V-6 is a great engine (sludge notwithstanding). Thanks to VVTi, it has a more flexible powerband and somewhat more power than our 3.4L. BTW, have you ever driven the GS300 or IS300? The Toyota 3.0L I-6 is a dream...almost as sweet as BMW's.

If only we could have our cake and eat it too...

lswaidz

I forgot to mention the price differenc of putting the nicer engine in... I think one of the main reasons GM went w/ the 3.4 is that it is one of the cheapest and easiest to build engines in the GM Powertrain lineup... that one thing may be what keeps this car so cheap and there by giving it the advantage over the RX300 and Acura MDX, to name a few, which all sticker for over $30K base I believe...

~Lance

lswaidz

I've driven the IS300 before... before they put the manual transmission in though, from what I hear it's something else. The engine is smooth, sounds nice, and the shifts were pretty easy from the 5-spd auto.

I doubt I'm going to be throwing a supercharger into my RDV anytime soon though... I didn't buy the car for performance, I bought it for it's utlity side... which has proven more than helpful this winter. Hopefully my next car, the 350Z, will, like I said, satisfy my need for speed... I just need to figure out how to keep both cars so I can drive something in the winter... or maybe I should just wait for the Mitsu Lancer Evo VII to come over here w/ it's 4 wheel drive... hmmm...

Sorry about that 3.1/3.4 mix up. My dad's company car is a Grand Prix SE and I could swear it was the 3.4... the two powerplants look identical if you just glace at them in comparison...

I heard an interesting rumor today circulating through the dealer grapevines... 3.6 (??) inline-5 planned for the '04 RDV to replace the 3.4 since GM will discontinue production of it soon... I guess it's the 4.2 I6 with one less cylinder, and a shorter stroke... I guess it's the engine that would also go into the Chevy Bel Air if that concept ever sees light of day, just w/out the supercharger... it would be mounted in the engine bay to drive the front wheels and use the same versatrak system that is currently imployed... I don't know of the validity of this rumor, but that engine would be a feasible replacement for the 3.4 considering it's hp rating (220 or 230) and the fuel economy it is capable of... the Bel Air supposedly gets 21 mpg... I guess we'll just have to see...

~Lance

ewalter

anyone else had a problem with the RDV engine quitting while driving? In this case on the freeway so not very pleasant experience. RDV is going back to dealer for attention so no feedback yet. Thanks, Eric

dorene1

Has anyone who has put in the supercharger kit know if it decreases fuel economy? Like Lance, I'm at the bottom end for gas mileage, and don't want to decrease it any furthur. At the same time, I definitely need some acceleration help on my rush hour commute when I'm trying to shift to the diamond lane - I have to wait much longer than I would like due to slow acceleration for the 5 to 65mph merge. Thanks for any input!

fedlawman

Superchargers are belt driven and decrease fuel economy during all modes of driving.

dorene1

thanks for the input fedlawman - I didn't know how the supercharger worked. I'm thumbs down on less fuel economy.

Still puzzling over the differences on comparable CXL's fuel efficiency; seems like there's more deviation than one would expect - many have said 17-19 is standard for mix of street and highway, yet I can't get over 16. Oh well --

islandpete

Approaching the 4000 mi mark and getting on average 20.5 MPG. Something as simple as tire pressure can make a difference. I'm running 35PSI on each tire. Have you checked your pressure with an accurate gauge?.

netnerd

I've had low MPG on my Rondy, too. I seem to only average 14-15 MPG. What I noticed by watching the Instant Economy in the DIC, though, was that when starting from stop signs or stop lights or pauses in rush hour traffic, the Instant Economy is only around 5 - 10 MPG. At higher speeds for longer periods of time, the mileage is much better. My average speed is only 20 mph, so my deduction is that my average is as low as it is because I do too much stopping and starting and not enough long distance high speed cruising.

When I drove from Philadelphia to Lancaster, PA last Monday (approx. 75 highway miles) I averaged around 20MPG.

mmeehan

It's been a long time since I've been on this board but thought I'd check it out since it had been a while.

To Derek21-I too had the same problem you've experienced with the EZ Pass (called SunPass in Florida). I took the RDV to the Florida Turnpike office and they quickly ran a wand over the windshield to determine where I could place the transponder. Turns out about the only place I can put it is in the upper left (driver's side) corner to the right of that little black square piece of plastic that's at the top of the window. I have it attached with velcro and have not had any problems with it. It's only about an 1/8- 1/4 inch from the very top of the window. Hope this helps.

To jpzec- I live in Florida and this has been a very warm winter (temps above 80 sometimes 90 everyday). I too wait in line to pick up my kids from school and have noticed the temp gauge goes up past 1/2 to about 5/8 maybe a little more. However, once I start to drive it only takes about 60 seconds to come back into the normal range, which for me is slightly less than 1/2. I have noticed this at stop lights as well and it has never been a problem. Good luck.

By the way, I now have 15,000 miles on my RDV and haven't noticed any problems and am still averaging about 20-22 MPG (mostly city driving). However, I do at times get a "click" sound (you can't hear it but you can feel it in your foot)in the brake pedal as I'm depressing it at times. Has anyone else had this?

lswaidz

Adding a supercharger will desrease your fuel economy, but typically the draw is between 1 and 2 mpg considering at idle a good roots-type blower (the type GM uses in everything ) will only need 1 horsepower to run... obviously when you get on the gas it's going to use up a little more, but I think the benfits usually out weigh the drawbacks...

~Lance

dws41

mmeehan stated in message #215: : "click sound"with the brake pedal (you can't hear it but you can feel it in your foot) in the brake pedal as I'm depressing it. Has anybody else had this?"
DWS41- I have. The first "attempt" to illiminate this was replacement of a mechanical brake part (off the pedal) inside of the fire wall. This "bar" notifies the brake lights to activate when the brake pedal is depressed. The noise continued...I met with "Dan, the GM Rep" and he felt it wasn't a safety problem and for me to continue to monitor it. I reserved the option of bringing it back to the dealership for a third "examination" and consideration. The "diagnosis" is difficult since the problem is intermittent.

mmeehan

Thanks for your input. I'm toying with the idea of just bring the vehicle in to make sure everything with the brakes is working Okay. I've had this problem now for a couple of months and it hasn't gotten any worse and as you said, it's intermittent. I guess I feel it most if I'm going about 35 or so and I step sort of hard on the brakes to come to a stop. Although at times I can be going 15 and come to a stop and still feel it. Let me know what they tell you if you have to take it in again.

fedlawman

My family and I had the front passenger tire blowout today. It was on an arterial road so we were only going about 35 MPH.

We called OnStar and they were great. They confirmed our location (via Satelite) and stayed on the line as we spoke with Buick Roadside Assistance.

Buick was not so great. The rep kept asking us what zip code we were in, or if we knew someone in the neighborhood????? Well, we finally gave them the address and zip code of a nearby house and they said they'd have a truck to us in approx. 45 min.

Well, we thanked them very much, and I proceeded to change the tire myself in less than five minutes. Contrary to the "mystery tool" discussion some us had a few months back, it was very easy to do with just the supplied jack and wrench.

1. Remove jack from rear compartment.
2. Remove wrench from jack.
3. Tell kids to stay in the car.
4. Open rear storage tray lid.
5. Lift small carpet flap to reveal bolt.
6. Remind kids to stay in the car.
7. Turn bolt with wrench to lower spare tire.
8. Tell kids that you now need their help.
9. Place jack under car (with kids help).
10. Use wrench to jack up car (with kids help).
11. Use wrench to remove wheel (with kids help).
12. Use wrench to install spare tire (with kids help).
13. Throw everything in the back of the car (with kids help).
14. Tell kids how helpful they were.
15. Depart the area.

cfocfo

Happy to hear the conditions of your blowout were favorable - slow speed, dry, daylight ?. I forgot if you said you have the 3rd row seat ? curious if steps 1 -5 would be different.

Laughing at the kid commentary, crucial part of process.

fedlawman

I do have the 3rd row so I don't know how different the procedure would be for a 5 seater.

netnerd

Glad to hear you manage things okay.

Was the Buick person you spoke with who wasn't so helpful with the national Buick company or a local dealership?

Loved the bits about the kids.

Glad you're safe and sound.

fedlawman

She was with roadside assistance (you know, the 800 number on the windows).

ewalter

as I did not see any reaction to my report that my RDV engine quit on the freeway it is obviously not a common problem. Dealer tested car for several days and came up with a loose battery connection and a loose transmission connection that could have caused the problem. GM had no other instances like it. Car seems to be operating normally now. I was pleased with the professional attention from GM Pontiac Buick Menlo Park. Eric

mojo_jojo

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I am glad everyone is ok.
Very unusual for a modern tire to experience a blow-out. Unless of course you picked up a nail which caused a slow leak.
Was the tire the Uniroyal or the Firestone, and have you been able to determine what caused the blow out?

fedlawman

I have the Firestone's and the blowout was caused by something I ran over.

I caught a glimpse of it just before hitting it and I thought it looked like a soda pop can, or something. Anyway, it tore a 3" gash right across the middle of the tread and the tire instantly deflated.

I ordered a replacement on Monday and it has to be shipped from Portland, OR. It seems that it is an OEM only tire and not normally carried by stores. It will cost $118.50 out the door (which includes shipping from the warehouse).

cwjacobsen

Remember our discussion some months back about how the Rendezvous' size just didn't seem to show up anywhere in a Firestone Affinity? Before I get too smug, I also remember that the uniroyals were a standard size, but not a standard speed rating. I could be in the same boat, if the same thing had happened to me.

CWJ

islandpete

Stumbled across this link. They have the Affinity tire 175/70/16 for a very reasonable price. Don't know what they charge for SAH but it may be worth looking into. Anyone have any experience with them?

http://tirerack.com/tires/index.jsp

islandpete

Meant to say 215/70-16 is the tire size. Sorry:-)

cwjacobsen

I agree with you. Tirerack is a totally cool site, and indeed it was the basis for our earlier tire discussion. What I found was that they sold plenty of Firestone Affinity's, but not in the Rendevous' size. It's been a while since I checked so I'll take your word for it when you say 215/70-16. On the other hand, the Uniroyals came in that size, but the speed rating of the one's fitted to the Rendezvous was less than what was sold on the website. Have things changed? Inquiring minds wnat to know.

CWJ

fedlawman

Speed rated tires on the RDV?

ROTFLMAO

cwjacobsen

There are low as well as high speeds, but all tires carry a speed rating. Kind of like the "Quality Inn" hotel chain. The name leaves them an "out" if anyone complains.

I forget exactly what speeds go with what ratings, but the "touring" uniroyals that you can get on tirerack or presumably just about anyplace else are rated "T" while for some reason, the one's fitted to the Rendezvous are rated "S."

On the other hand, someone somewhere is bound to fit "Z" rated Pirellis to their SUV someday. Maybe an MDX or X5 owner has already.

CWJ

dorene1

I am way overdue on thanking several of you for input to a prior post - I went on a family vacation, and didn't get back here for awhile!

While on vacation, I read a USA today business section review of GM; the focus of the article was on the financial success and quality improvement for GM, which has risen to the top of domestic automakers in profit and quality. Because of GMs success and fiscal stability, they are moving ahead with features to improve mileage economy and environmental impact. They are looking at a continuous variable transmission, potentially in 2003's, that should be a good improvement on gas driven cars, and are hoping to produce hybrids for their 8 cylinder line in the near future as well.

I hope they apply this to Rendevouzs, as I still am so very happy with this vehicle except for the mileage. We needed to take our 8 seater, 8 cylinder Sequoia for this vacation, and it averaged the same gas mileage (16.1) as our Rondy, with much quicker acceleration and power. If Buick can improve in the ways GM is planning, RDV's will have a full package of comfort and capability that will rise above the pack.

fedlawman

16 MPG for a Sequoia is very good! Did you mostly drive on the highway?

The last time I took a highway trip in our CXL with pax and baggage, I got better than 22 MPG. During straight and level cruise at 70 MPH, I've seen an average economy reading as high as 27 MPG on the DIC.

I also get between 16 and 17 MPG with my RDV during the week, but that is primarily stop and go city driving.

dorene1

Great to hear that your RDV goes up to the 20's on highway miles, Fedlawman. My husband doesn't like to reset the mileage, so the Sequoia 16.1 is a composite of a little more than one year of driving. It was 16.1 before the trip, which reflected a 50/50 freeway and street average. The Sequoia is a ULEV (ultra low emissions vehicle, for anyone not acquainted), and this might be the factor for the excellent mileage. We had leased a Navigator prior to the Toyota, and at best had a 12.9 composite.

Ford Expedition is redesigned this year as a ULEV; it would be nice if GM looked at this redesign option along with the other enhancements mentioned by USA today. The other suggestion for GMC would be to not overestimate mileage on the RDV door sticker. Toyota underestimated mileage, which led to a pleasant surprise!

Despite mileage, the RDV still surpasses Sequoia in my estimation as a driving experience. There is fairly extreme wind noise with freeway driving in the Sequoia, which is also noticed in the GMC Envoy. Sequoia still feels like a truck, albeit refined truck, and is much more exhausting to drive than RDV.

Unfortunately, we only saw a total of 4 RDVs on our Northern to Southern CA week long roadtrip, which included a golf resort in Palm Springs. I still strongly recommend RDVs to anyone lurking at this site!

Glad your children helped you with your tire Fedlawman - you must have a winning touch! - My kids would find a way out somehow!

fedlawman

If you are not able to get even 20 MPG on the highway with your RDV, I would have the dealer check it out...something is not right.

fuzz6

Hi everyone. I`m new to this message board ...Have a RDV since Jan 2002 i`m a profesional automotive instaler and have done quite a few mods to my interior.watch future postings of my pictures.
My problem lies here
When we did the original purchase of our RDV the option packages that were available on the dealers lot did not include the rear seat for the RDV we wanted... No problem , We`ll purchase the rear seat after, it`s a easy install....WRONG!!
when i went back to the dealer to price the kit for the rear seat after purchasing ...RDV is so new , You have to buy the parts seperately ie:upholtery,frame,foam,crews ,Etc..Etc..Etc....for a total price of $6332.46 ya .....O.K.
Needless to say i dont have a third seat unless gm makes available for existing RDV owners a kit wich comes complete. Any ideas? other than waiting for a few smashed RDV`s to show up at the local junkyard?

lswaidz

When you say installer, what do you mean?

The first thing I did with my RDV was rip the back seat out, hehe. As it is my RDV is a 4-passenger SUV, no more 6 or 7 passenger mini-van.

The reason I took it out was to fit my sub-box in... this summer I'm building a custom fiberglass enclosure for all my audio stuff that is currently just in a box in the back. I'd like to get the rear seat back in, but that's not going to happen. Eventually I want to get the bench seat in place of my captains chairs so that I can fit an extra person or at least it looks more natural inside...

As far as installs go, I did everything myself in my car... pionner cd player + 6-disc in-dash changer. Front component speakers, full ranges in the back doors and a set of 3-way coax's in the hatch area, very nice. I've got 2 amps for the speakers, both under my rear captain's chairs, and then the sub box in the back with 3 10" subwoofers in it. Very clean, very neat install... it really looks nice in the RDV and the shape of the car makes a nice sound stage and the acoustics are top notch in these cars...

~Lance

nextmoon

I've just broken the 500 mile break-in period over the weekend. Before that point I was averaging between 15-16 mpg in city driving. When I took her on the highway she managed 16-17 mpg in 55-60 mph. She's steadily increased mileage as she got closer to the 500 mile mark. Last weekend she climbed to 20.5 mpg when I took her for a 160 mile trip averaging 60-65 mph in high winds. Hopefully I get close to the 26 mpg highway.

pcs15394

Hi all,
Took my RDV to dealer to get loose lower body Moulding on Passenger front taken care of and have them check squeal in Drivers window. Was told that all would have to be ordered. New lower body Moulding and a new Motor for drivers window.Worst part is that Body Moulding has to be Painted to match (worried about Paint Mis-match!!). Now my wife tells me vehile is stalling and check engine light is coming on. All after I get back from Dealer. Will have to get this checked out next trip. Anyone with similar experiences???

netnerd

There have been a few posters mentioning engine stalls. I don't recall exactly the details, but a search of this Problems and Solutions area as well as the general Rendezvous section should get you the posts.

netnerd

Last Saturday I was doing some grocery shopping. I got all the way to the checkout stand and realized I'd left my wallet in the Rondy. I ran out to grab it and as I approached it tried to press the unlock key fob button with the fob still in my pocket. I didn't think I pressed the wrong button, but the Panic horn went off (not sure if that's the right name, but I'm referring to the red button on the fob with the horn on it). I was able to turn it off by pressing the panic button again. Odd, I thought, but didn't give it much more thought.

I loaded up the rear of the Rondy with groceries and headed home. I had the radio on and the sunroof open.

Upon arriving at home I backed up to the front of my house (a row home in Philadelphia, no garage) and hopped out. I tried to open the tailgate of the Rondy from the key fob but it wouldn't open. I tried to open it using the interior release button. That didn't work. I then discovered that none of the key fob buttons worked, and, in fact, I couldn't lower the windows, turn on the radio, or close the sunroof (not a good thing as it was supposed to rain that night). I then noticed that the "Service Engine Soon" light was on and flashing between that and "Security." I pressed the OnStar button and spoke to a representative who contacted another department to figure out what I should do. I was told to turn off the car, then turn the key to the "On" position (immediately before the turn over position) and leave it there for 5 minutes. That was supposed to reset the Security setting that I'd apparently enabled. (I assumed this was somehow due to my perhaps pressing the horn button back at the store.) I tried their suggestion but it didn't work. The OnStar guy had given me a number to call for GM's Roadside Assistance folks, so I called and was told that instead of 5 minutes I should have left it in the On position for at least 10 minutes or even better, 12. I tried this and still no luck. :-(

I called back and was told that all they could do at that point was tow me to a secure lot. Instead of that, though, I decided to take the Rondy to a garage at my wife's office and wait until Monday to get service.

Sunday morning (the next day) I went to try a few more things on the RDV. It was then that I discovered that the roof of this garage at my wife's job had major leaks! It was dripping into the sunroof. :-( Fortunately, not a lot of water had gotten in, just enought to dampen the center storage console and the seats. Easily dried up with a towel.

Still couldn't get the RDV working so I gave up and took it to the dealer on Monday of this week. They determined that there was a problem with the BCM (Body Control Module) and it would need to be replaced. They had to have one overnighted and they set me up with a rental car--a Chevy Cavalier with crumbs all over the driver's seat. :-(

Tuesday they installed the part and I got it back and (as Buick would say) it's all good.

They couldn't tell me what really had happened other than that the BCM needed to be replaced. I've been very very careful in driving--avoiding potholes, etc., so it isn't due to rough handling. I guess it's just one of those things. I'm going to try to find out how much the BCM would have cost if not covered by warranty. I think it's a very pricey part.

mojo_jojo

I recently posted a trip review and one of the things I mentioned was a problem with the sunroof. The RDV was parked and idling and I tried to close the sunroof. Nothing happened when I tried the open/close switch. I thought that this was bizarre. I thought it was me. Maybe I was pushing the wrong switch? Had my wife try to close the sunroof, still nothing. Out of desperation, (thunder could be heard in the distance and we were away from home), I turned off the ignition and immediately started the RDV again. Viola', the sunroof would close, and we have not had it happen again. Although we are hesitant to open the sunroof now. I am sorry to hear about your problems. But I appreciate you relating your solution. I will be taking our RDV to the dealer next week for some other minor problems. I am anxious to hear the response to my sunroof dilemma.

netnerd

I had a problem (and I'm pretty sure at least one other person posted about a similar situation) where after backing up and having the rear sensor start beeping, upon shifting into drive, the beeping wouldn't stop. I tried turning the sensor off with the console switch but it wouldn't go off. Shutting off the RDV and then restarting solved it. Hopefully your sunroof problem is just an isolated fluke as I think my rear sensor beeping problem was.

I guess that's a drawback to a car with soooo many great features: more things that can go wrong. :-(

mmeehan

Regarding our mutual problem with the click in the brake pedal, I finally took my RDV in a couple of days ago as my clicking was starting to happen more frequently. They quickly discovered that the brake pedal bushing was dry and so they lubricated it. Voila...no more clicking. Only took them 30 minutes to get me in and out. Hope this is your problem too.

dorene1

Hi - I haven't been able to keep up with the boards, so I hope this isn't a rediscussion -

I have brought our RDV in to the dealer twice for a fuse blowout that nukes onstar. They think it comes from using the cigarette lighter for cell phone charges, but aren't sure - it also nukes the lighter/charger.

Has anyone had anything like this before?

netnerd

dorene1, I haven't had any problems with blown fuses, but I do charge my Nokia 5160 cell phone regularly using the lower right cigarette lighter socket in the cell phone storage bin thing (to the left of the front cup holders).

Good luck. :-)

melsny

My clock has been losing about 1 minute per week. I purchased the car in June 2001 and had the radio/clock replaced last fall. It was no better. I finally decided to complain to Buick that I could buy a $10 quartz watch which would keep better time. They had me go to the dealer where the technician checked with his factory support people and was told that the Engineering is aware of the problem and will have a fix by the end of this summer.

dorene1

Your suggestion of the right charger was made by the dealership, too. They also suggested that I remove alot of the 'stuff' I've been keeping in that compartment so nothing interferes with the connection.

So far, no more problems...

jk27

I've read through all of these posts (especially the ones regarding the EZ Pass/Sun Pass) and I'm wondering if anyone is using a radar detector on their Rendezvous. Specifically, I'm wondering if the windshield "coating" (for lack of a better word) prevents the radar signal from entering the vehicle. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

JK27

fedlawman

The windshield should have no effect on microwave transmission, in either direction.

Though with only 185 hp, the RDV really doesn't warrant a radar detector, does it? LOL.

Happy cruising.