Pontiac Aztek

buster51

After going through the wires and moving the harness so it wasn't pinched my problem has gone away for now. See my other posts above. From what I understand the sensor is part of the hub assembly so it has to be replaced as a unit and each one runs about $120 for the part. The hard part is knowing which one it is. My plan was to get one from a wrecking yard and try one wheel at a time to see if it fixed it. I would reccomend checking your wire harness first. It seems to have been the problem for me and other posters. Hope this helps. I know it is very frustrating.
I am currently frustrated with trying to find a short with my courtesy and dash lights. It keeps blowing a fuse.

Mike

ray80

In addtion to what buster has suggested, it may be bad connection right at the sensor. Unfortunetly I believe the only sure way to figure out which wheel the system is complaining about is with a gm dealers scanner. Alternative would be to check all of them and make sure they are clean and tight.

shadetree62

Own 02 Aztek, GM 3400 V6, 128000 miles was/am experiencing intermittent overheat problem, same symptoms temp is stable then sometimes climbs to overheat. What I have found out to date.

1 - engine cool, check coolant level radiator and reservoir.
2 - engine off and cool check oil dipstick for whiteish yellow foam at tip (coolant in oil) may indicate possible lower manifold or head gasket leak.
3 - engine off and cool remove oil fill cap and look in, wipe finger in and around valve cover look for signs of moisture, if moisture present possible lower intake manifold leak.

items 1 -3 may also be accompanied by noticeable coolant loss and continually refilling coolant.

Note: If you have not already heard the GM 3400 is known for leaking lower intake manifold gaskets especially early models (some blame Dexcool, others faulty early gasket design). At 128000 miles and never flushed Dexcool or replaced gaskets, pretty good gasket and coolant life.

4 - start engine drive vehicle and bring to operating temp. When it hits the allowed high range ~220F, open the air bleeds one above water pump (7mm) one on thermostat housing pipe drivers side of engine (7mm) if air is present bleed off and continue then check the drivers side electric fan and verify it is cycling off and on if ok progress, if not fan can be bad, temp sensor could be bad, or in my case the PCM (powertrain control module) has a short and is not telling fan to come on (some parts stores or mechanics have analyzer that detects the fault code indicating this) dealers or able shops have to do this PCM ~$650+ (part is 450).

5 - if fan and PCM ok and temp just rises every time you drive probably thermostat needs replaced (did myself part $12 not the easiest access but can be done in 1 -1 1/2 hour) recommend replacing temp sensor at this time too part is only $12 , I did this also.

6 - If still experiencing intermittent overheating, heater blows hot when normally operating and cold when overheating, the above has checked out, and no real measurable coolant loss, and had air in system check the following. Bleed air make sure coolant full, with engine up to temperature and temp operating normally look in reservoir (shine bright light in side bottom) observe if you have air bubbles continuously visible slow or fast frequency and odor is normal coolant smell, lower intake manifold gasket leak (~$800 at dealer, ~$600 at independent, cost of parts~$100 for DIY). If odor is combustion/exhaust gas noxious odor, head gasket leak (~$2500+ at shop).

The problem the gaskets allow either air(intake) or combustion stroke high pressure combustion gas (Head gasket) to find its way to the coolant ways and create air pockets that can lock up the coolant flow it shows in the air bubbles in the reservoir and with air in heater core, cold air. I also have the bubbles and will be replacing the lower intake manifold gaskets.

Hope this helps.

djcool

Hi, I am new to this Forum. After reading some of the posts we better consider our selves lucky. We bought our 04 Aztek used in 04 with 1,200 miles on it. As this was the only small yet awd that we could find where the dealer said yes we could pull a trailer with. We've used it a lot on long trips sence, with and with out a trailer and love it. About 10 months ago coming back from a 8 hr drive, my wife said she heard a slite grinding noise coming from the right front. About 2 days later on my way to work the ABS light came on. As Abs dose it started to pulse on braking finding a way to stop the car. The next day I had to use my truck to go to work, the wife stopped in to Boben auto shop and played the dumb female thing, they did a scan on it ( for free even ) and told her it was the right front wheel sencer. That we could get one from Napa and do it our selves cheaper. I've done most of our auto work myself for years. The wheel bearing was not that bad to replace. I noticed as I was getting to it there was a slite wabel and grinding noise to it as I checked it before taking the wheel off. Not good, so after replacing it no more wabel. This worked for about 3 months and the ABS light came on again. Thinking I just replaced the right side maybe its time for the left, so with not too much time the next week end I went to check it out. Hmmm no wabel no noise. Took the tire off and started looking. I found the wire connector was not in its hanger and looked it over. Sure enough one of the wires looked bad at the connector, a slite pull and it came off, it was croded in side the insulation. After soldering it back together all was solved. for about 2 months, the ABS light came back on. I didn't have time to look at it right away and about a week later the AWD Disable light came on. And in driving it it seemed like it would stall if you gave it gas while driving. I was checking out how and where to change the fuel filter on it. Than I decided to change the wheel bearing, and after pulling the wheel I seen BOTH wires were broken. After soldering them back together I drove it. It seemed to cure both problems. That was about 2 months ago and its been working fine sence. On that problem.. Now on to how to get the !@# KEY OUT...

misterfixit

in my 2001 aztek my heater would work on and off you would have to tap on the dash and it would start back up. now after a few months it just stoped all together the other day have to go to work in the cold can anyone help with this problem and if i have to get to the fan moter how would i get to it not sure war it is at plz help its cold lol

misterfixit

try taking fuse #23 out for about 30 secends that will reset it

pndy

ray80

If the tap on the dash was working, it sounds like an issue with HVAC cluster (the thing with all the controls). It may be bad or it may be just a bad connection. If you can, try removing the trim piece, then the 2 bolts that hold it in place and try removing and re-seating it to see if it resolves the problem.

jenk3

I have a 2004 Aztek. I will use my astro start to start my car, car starts, then turns off right away, so I use my actual key, doesn't make a sound (actually it makes a clicking sound) I try to start for 20 plus minutes, ends up starting with the key.....I've brought it in, the mechanic put in a new tumbler( I guess that is the ignition switch, I believe?) ( i thought it might be the astro start) 8 months later it is doing the same thing...noone can figure it out......
Has anyone had this kindof problem???????

James1966

Hi
did you have any progress to report on the window fogging problem? I did spend a huge amount of money and had the sunroof and gaskets on top replaced. the carpet is now dry, and yet the windows still fog, it's worse at night time, and i noticed much worse when moving at speeds above 30 to 35 MPH while driving, say on the expressway. So as the car speeds up, the fogging increases in the cabin. anyone with suggestions? my mechanic says the heater core is fine, and that the air filter is new. There is a strong smell of mold from the vents as well when the heater is warm, so i am wondering if there is some other kind of leak in the front of the car or in the air intake system? Is that possible? this is killing me, and carmax would only offer $2500 for the car, so i am stuck with it until I can get a new vehicle.....not likely in this economy. any info is greqatly appreciated! thanks everyone!

James1966

Hi
did you have any progress to report on the window fogging problem? I did spend a huge amount of money and had the sunroof and gaskets on top replaced. the carpet is now dry, and yet the windows still fog, it's worse at night time, and i noticed much worse when moving at speeds above 30 to 35 MPH while driving, say on the expressway. So as the car speeds up, the fogging increases in the cabin. anyone with suggestions? my mechanic says the heater core is fine, and that the air filter is new. There is a strong smell of mold from the vents as well when the heater is warm, so i am wondering if there is some other kind of leak in the front of the car or in the air intake system? Is that possible? this is killing me, and carmax would only offer $2500 for the car, so i am stuck with it until I can get a new vehicle.....not likely in this economy. any info is greatly appreciated! thanks everyone!

fartblossom

My "turning right while braking kicks in ABS" problem was a spot in one wire about 2 feet from the sensor hub end. The inner liner on the harness had gotten brittle and broke, which meant that the wire in the harness was constantly being bent and unbent every time the steering wheel was turned.

I fixed the bad spot, and all is well.

stevenscap2007

I have an 01 Aztek, I noticed that the transmission was struggling to shift, so I flushed my transmission fluid (pan and fluid looked and smelt burnt), filled it up brand new and after a few days (thinking it just needed to get the air out of the system) it has never struggled since. Although I have noticed a lack of torque, high RPM's at highway speeds, and very very bad gas mileage which started before the transmission issue, I have yet to figure out what is wrong.

skippeffer

What don you mean by repair the wire? I found it and am ready work, but are we patch and solder or what? Thanks.

jercie

I currently have an '04 Aztek, and let me just say it is the best vehicle I've ever owned. I absolutely love it, however it has had it's issues. I've replaced 3 out of 4 wheel bearings, have had a power steering problem and occasionally have the issue with the "ghost acceleration" as I've coined it. Now I have 135,000 miles and have been told that the alignment can't be done due to bad knuckles, which will cost around 1200 to fix. So here is my problem:

1. Do I fix the problem and cross my fingers on a car with this many miles?

or

2. Trade it in for a 2005 Aztek?

Now what I really want to know is if these problems are all still relevant on the '05 or did Pontiac realize these issues and fix some of them? And what issues of there own do the '05 models have? Any info would be great!! :confuse:

computermoss

I have the ability to secure an Aztek which I have wanted for a long time. It will be replacing my old 1993 subaru legacy which has been a great car, but is in the fast lane to death. Details are:

2001 Pontiac Aztek with 133K miles. It has the camping package and a towing hitch
The vehicle is in running condition but needs a new head gasket and the fuel gauge is not working. We received an estimate of $1230 to fix the head gasket

I really want an Aztek, but this forum brings up some great topics about the automobile. For all you Aztek lovers or haters.... should I jump for this car after knowing the problem above? We know the seller and its been taken very good care of.

Thanks

amandab

My 02 Aztek has had quite the many problem but the most recent one is that the key wont come out of the ignition. My security light has been coming on too. Its done the key thing before but it eventually came out. I've had some people tell me to use my car clicker. Now it has been almost week and still key stuck in the ignition. It also drains my battery. Has anyone had this problem or now anything I can do?

amandab

hey, where is this access hole GM installed under the wheel? Im having the problem with my 02 aztek where the key is stuck in the ignition. What do you do or is there a button to press? Thanks

herrmanc

That depends on how much you are paying for it.....I would not pay more than $2000 for it as is. I have an 01 aztek, bought used with 76000 miles. If you can get past the looks, it is a very functional vehicle and I like it. It does have known issues. At 85,000 I had to replace the tranny due to an input shaft needle bearing failure that lead to cracked gears. This was traced to a manufacturing defect in the bearing itself that was installed in many vehicles in 2001 (GM released a tech. service bulletin for this). New tranny was $3200 installed-out of warranty. 2 weeks ago at 115000 miles I failed the head gasket and possibly warped the heads. After much research on the web, it looks like average price to replace the head gasket ranges from $1500-$2500 so $1230 is a steal. I decided to tackle this myself to save some money. Parts are only around $250 total but lots of labor and you need a decent set of tools plus a good torque wrench and manual, not to mention resurfacing the heads if warped). I currently have the engine torn apart 90% of the way, I hope to get the heads off tomorrow and see the damage. This engine is a major pain to work on while in the vehicle, that is why so much labor is involved in changing the head gasket. I am guessing the $1230 estimate will not cover it. Also, this engine is known for lower intake manifold gasket leaks more so than head gasket leaks; alhtough mine seemed OK. If you want to get an idea of the work this takes someone put atogether nice work instructions here http://www.floridagmclub.com/f59/lim-gasket-head-gasket-change-walkthrough-faq-3- 400-a-23/, although it is for the same engine in car as oppsed to aztek and it looks to be easier to get at things. Good luck, let me know if you end up getting it fixed.

clintonbrideau

Hi Guys, After my husband had the disco dash happen the car just died while driving down the road. The key would not turn off & car wouldn't go into park. Finally got the car into park but still couldn't get key out. I have now (after having it towed & mechanic ripping apart my ignition, that still isn't working properly, btw) I see how I could have fixed that problem, but after driving it home from the garage I have a dead battery. We have already replaced the BCM last spring but our code reader is giving me a code of PO 453, PO403 & P1 635. Any ideas on what these are? I can't find a mechanic that isn't afraid to work on this car. I also read that you need to pull the carpet back to check under the drivers side wiring...do you need to take the seats out aslo or how do you go about pulling the carpet up? I love my car but I really think it's possessed!! Nay help would be great!! It is an '01 AWD. Thanks!!

neopostman

Ok folks, if you want great info on this car you need to subscribe to ALLDATA and look at the manuals for this car. I have the same car as you and without this you're dead in the water. Code P0453 is fuel tank pressure voltage is more than 4.9 volts. Code P0403 is EGR electrical malfunction in the egr. P1635 talks about all of the components listed above plus the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS). The engine uses a 5 volt reference for the above sensors and if any of those are to far off the P1635 code will set. If you are concerned about the connector under the car near the the drivers seat, pick up a can of electrical contact cleaner at Advance Auto Parts and pull the connectors (3 of them) and spray them and reinstall. The fuel tank pressure sensor passes through that connector and could be the problem. If I can be of further assistance just let me know. Mike

coretta

i have a 2001 aztek and it wont start i was driving yesterday and it stopped on the highway while driving but then it started back up went on my way when i woke up the next morning it would not start . so i went and got gas and still wont start then the battery died now the i dont know what to do cause i dont know what to tell the mechanic how to fix the problem . please help dont know what to do oh my gas gage broke last week and my check engine light is on i had the part the machine to fix but i think they forgot to reset the light

amandab

I was having that problem with not starting, I had to get a new fuel pump which i got one recently. I was just having a problem with my key getting stuck in the ignition and the secuity light onand other lights and actually I did some research on here and a guy actually was talking about some wires that were corroded in the shifter. So I actually brought the blog into the dealership for him to read it and it was the problem where some wires didnt to be replaced. The wires itself was very cheap but the labor was where it was costly cause where they were located.
here is what what the blog said...

I just had our 2001 aztec serviced by Maltbie Chevrolet in Lake George,N.Y. for all of the same issues you are having. At first they thought it was the IGNITION SWITCH so they replaced that. It still was not sending the signal from there to the ECM to start. So they followed the wires from the IGNITION SWITCH towards the ECM. At this point they explained in the bill after removing the protective cover off of the wires they noticed some corroding and while inspecting the wires some of them were corroded and a few were broken through. They used some G.M. splice kits to fix the connections and low and behold it started. So they re tried my Ignition switch aand mine was fine so they removed the new one to save me some money. The bill was $306.00 and it is running perfect now. It also fixed every electrical issue with the vehicle. (no start,security light, battery being drained) Most of the bill was for labor to find the problem so if you brought yours in somewhere with this message I am pretty certain this would fix your problem. And them knowing what to look for would save them time and you money.

Not sure if it will help but GOOD LUCK!!

bigdaddyj454

Awsome! I am a mechanic, and having the same problem with an Aztek I looked online for any TSB's or anything I could find to help me diagnose this problem. I ran across this blog in just a few minutes, went to check for corroded wire at the shifter and found the problem in about 2 minutes. I have ordered a new pig tail and should be able to fix this car for under 100 dollars parts labor in all.

chernandez1130

I own a '02 Aztek. I am having issues with the head lights, blinkers (RT & LT), tail lights, and break lights. I know its not a burnt out bulb because we have taken it to the dealer and they have told me that its the "Dido" what ever that is. I also have a problem with my gas gage. I doesn't work. Can anyone help with this issue I really don't want to put a lot of money into this vehicle. HELP!!!! :mad:

dvdchancellor

I have been having a problem with the wipers on my 2003 Aztek. They will go up when I turn them on, but then stick on the way down and the wiper motor makes a loud buzzing sound. Does anyone know what this could be?

pingadude

ray80

Are they fighting (hitting) each other on the way down? If not the easiest solution might be to just replace motor unless you want to try and take it apart.

russ03

This seems to be a big problem with these cars, not starting. I have a 2003 aztek and for about a month now it will be fine driving down the road, but when you go to slow down and turn in somewhere it would just die. No sputtering nothing. All the lights continue to work and you could usually start it right back up and go for a little while longer, before it would do it again. Now 4 days ago, when we went out to start it, it would not start. I have recently replaced the fuel pump and filter thinking that was the causing it to die. We have checked all fuses, wiring to and from, checked under the drivers seat and did the fix for the connectors there. We have checked the wiring to the shifter and all is fine. we have had occasionally in the past the key getting stuck in the ignition, but it usually comes out once you wiggle the steering wheel. We have also had problems with the car getting stuck in park, but can usually get it out. When we turn the key over the fuel pump does not start. We have checked the power to the pump and all is fine, any suggestions would be great as this is our only car and we deliver papers at night. Having to borrow other people's cars is not something I want to continue to do.

ray80

This could be a tough one to figure out. It turns over ok (not slowly)? This is a cold start (I:E: not a start after its been run for a while) ? How many miles and have plugs been changed? There are 2 things that can go wrong with C-305 connector (in back of drivers seat) , corrosion or sloppy loose connections, which was fixed?

russ03

Hi ray, thank for answering. It turns over just fine, no slowing and did replace the battery several months ago. Yes this is a cold start, Sunday morn got up to go to church and it would not start and we can not get it start at all. It has approx.140,000 miles. The c-305 connector was eliminated and the wires were soldered together, but just since it died not before. It did not seem to fix the problem. My husband used to be a ase certified mechanic and this has got him baffled. It has been a while since he has worked on cars but he has done just about everything listed in these pages to eliminate the problem. He has disconnected the battery after each fix to further try and make sure it worked or not. Since we just bought the fuel pump he does not think that would be the problem, with the c-305 having water standing in the housing compartment he was thinking that maybe it over-loaded and blew out the pump. I hope not another $300 part. As far as the plugs they were changed at appox 100,000 miles. Have replaced the fuel pump relay, checked wiring and fuses with test light. The pump definately is not running, c what is the likelyhood of the pump going bad again from the water in the connector? any suggestions is appreciated. Thank you.
As far as the spark plugs being changed I'm not entirely sure of when that was.

ray80

Well it could be water in the connector is the issue (again), As I recall the number one thing mentioned in TSB was to eliminate the wource of moisture. The connector is weather sealed from the bottom, but not the top, meaning water from inside the cabin can enter the connector. (carpet wet?) When the wires were soldered was any attempt made to seal those connections from moisture?

russ03

The carpet was wet inside, but he cut the connector out, one wire at a time and was soldered and shrink wrapped. Still no fuel pump action nor starting. This fix was done 2 days ago after the car was not starting and it will still not start.

russ03

Just an update for those who might have the same problem. My husband dropped the gas tank and it was the connect from the tank that wasn't completely secure, so he re-fixed and it is running great. one minor problem the wires he soldered togther at the c-305 connecter wasn;t great so he re did them and we have our baby back. I talked with a pontiac/gm dealer and they were very helpful they suggested trying that first since we had just had it replaced, and he also said he has had 2 azteks recently were the wiring harness under the intake manifold had a short and needed to be replaced so if you have exhausted all options like we did that maybe your best bet. just FYI it takes 9 hours to remove the manifold and approx 700.00 to do it they said thank the lord it didn't come down to that, good luck and I will definately come back to this site if and when we have another problem hopefully in the very far future.

aztekrandy

directly below the ignition, it has a black cap on it. also under the cup holders there is a plug that connects the the shifter. most likely the wire are broke there i just had the same problem as well as it would not come out of park and i had two wire broke

01tek29726

I have a 2001 Aztek with a 3.4 liter engine. I have what I think is antifreeze steam pouring out of my car vents when I try to use the heater (last week it was just the smell of antifreeze). As long as I don't turn the heat or defrost on there isn't a problem. This doesn't work well for me since I woke up this morning with frost on my windows and it was 30 degrees out. Is this a heater core problem? How hard is it to change?

jonathanp55

I got the 2004 Pontiac Aztek a while back. I love the car, and it is a lot of fun to drive. And it gets a lot of attention. But I am having some major issues with it. 1) The first problem is the the driver side break light. It works sometimes, and other times it does not work. I have changed the bulb many times, but that is not the issue. 2) Also, the turn signals are becoming a major issue. When I turn the passenger side turn signal on, they both flash. Yet, the driver side works fine. These issues only occur sometimes, but will work other times. 3) The other issue is my gas level meter. It seems not know where my gas level is for some odd reason. It will at times bounce past the "F", yet it will work every now and again (not very often though). I had a piece changed for this problem, but it did not fix it. I know it has to be electrical for all of these issues, and I really need help to have an idea of what to tell the people i am taking it to, to get fixed. The main thing is the turn signals. That HAS to be fixed. I have heard from another site that it could be the electrical system is not grounded since it works sometimes and not other times. What could this be! :sick:

jonathanp55

Ok. I got the fuel tank problem. Really, im tired of messing with the fuel tank. I can deal with that. Its the Turn signal I talked about and the break lite that is the main problem. that needs to be fixed. It could be the ground thingy I talked about, but idk what it could be. I really don't want to spend lots of extra money on this, but the main thing is to get that one turn signal fixed and the break lite.

Thanks

rrsafety

I have a 2003 Aztek with 184,000 miles. Twice this week while on the highway I noticed the cruise control is activated on its own and won't shut off. If I apply the break and the car gets to 40mph it will maintain 40mph. If I speed up to 50mph it will stay there. This is all while the cruise control knob on the blinker is "off" and no cruise light is showing on the dash. (also, when i turn the cruise "on" nothing shows up on the dash either. Maybe an electrical problem?

Any thoughts? Thanks.

ray80

I don't believe its the cruise control. I have had the same problem twice, once about a year ago and once last fall. I think the problem may be with the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) but haven't gotten mine corrected yet. The last time it happened it was corrected by a stop and restart. Let us know what you find for correction as mine only happening once in a while makes it difficult to troubleshoot

riddick137

u need to open air valve next to thermistat to release air preasure

nobdyimprtnt

i have a 2004 pontiac aztek, the fog lights blink when on when in reverse or drive but not in park or nuetral and the high beam light also blinks at the same time and all the lights work. dont know whats wrong

karymar

hii. i have the same problem.. are you resolve your problem.. tank you for your answer..

ray80

Does it just happen once in a while? If so I have seen it on my 2001 also. I just take it out of auto-mode and use switch to turn headlights on if its bothersome. Seems to work

rrsafety

Thanks for the thought. A stop and restart does it, but a couple of days later it came back. I decided to take the fuse for the cruise control out and that worked. I don't use CC anyway so it doesn't make a difference to me. Not ideal, but it seemed to work.

woody88

My Aztek won't start...replaced the battery and the starter and still won't start. When I try starting, it makes a rapid clicking noice but never turns over or tries to start. I have checked all the fuses and connections and everything seems fine. Does anyone have any suggestions....could it be the body control module???

ray80

I don't believe the BCM has any direct involvment with starting vehicle. The clicking is usually an indication of lack of power. Assuming the new battery is good I would make sure the connections are truly good (like make sure the plastic covering on cable end isn't pinched preventing good contact with battery). Could also be cable is bad. Also make sure there isn't any issue with cablt that goes from battery to fuse box.

cyndyrocks04

I have a 2004 aztek and have had a few problems with the hatch as every one else has and a few others, I love my aztek but the one problem i cant seem to figure out is my rear has this loud rolling sound. i sounds like something under the rear or the breaks are rolling. This only happens with speeds 40 or less and tends to become louder as I break. Any help would be great. :sick:

urmandiepie

so... I had many of the problems listed on here... the intermitten "disco lights"... sometimes car would start, sometimes not. THEN, after a night out, the windows got stuck up, the dash said "SECURITY" and the radio said "LOCKED" (At this point the car would start every single time without issue..???). I found this blog and I pulled the #28 fuse under the hood. My alarm went haywire so, I pulled the fuse for the horn. Another posting said to disconnect the battery and reconnect. I did... no fix. I F*@#%&d around with the fuses and finally the alarm went off and the windows miraculously went down!! BUT, the car wouldn't start. I ordered the BCM the next day... it came today, my boyfriend and I replaced it... STILL WON'T START!!!!!!!!! WHAT THEY H*&%??? What should I do? =( Any suggestions?? Going to have a friend attempt to jump start in a little while. But, this is a serious problem as I STILL owe on the damn thing, I have poor credit still (under 600) and limited funds for repairs. :confuse:

neopostman

You have to take the car to a dealership and have your new BCM programed. They use a tech 2 scan tool to do this and you may even have to have the car taken there by a wrecker since it want start :mad: sorry for the bad news.