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Pontiac Aztek

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  • noastarnoastar Member Posts: 108
    My freshman year of college I had the top bunk in the dorm. I had everything you'd find in a home office "double sticky taped" to the walls. My alarm clock, desk, trays, shelves, and shoes were double sticky taped. I am the king of double sticky tape! I can find tons of it lying around so that's a good idea. It'd have to stick the frame to the plate though. I wouldn't want to get it directly on the car since that stuff is a PAIN to get off.

    Thanx.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Good point and now that I think of it, mine was single sticky, and I stuck it to the back of the license tag. You may still get some paint damage, but it's going to be hidden by the tag anyway, so....

    We do have a discussion around here somewhere about removing decals and other "things" too :-).

    Steve
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  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Anyone know when the 2002 updated Azteks are suppose to hit dealers?

    Local dealer didn't seem to know and only had one 01 Aztek left in stock.
  • nextmoonnextmoon Member Posts: 386
    For those of you interested in how to clean the cladding on the Aztek, there's an article in the Dec issue of Popular Mechanics towards the end. Tells you what to use to remove fading and stuff and how to keep it in good condition.
  • malibu99malibu99 Member Posts: 305
    Yea, pontiac hasn't updated the webpage and teh dealreship by my place only has one in red. I want to see the champagne and the maple red one. Anyone know if the Salsa is ever going to make it to production? I like the color on that model and the nice red accents on the seats.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Ya, the GM Canada site has not been updated yet either.

    I'd really like to take another look at this truck. If the deals are good I may be able to handle the new looks. The cladding was one of my main objections.
  • noastarnoastar Member Posts: 108
    Steve. I picked up some double sticky foam tape and after putting it on the plate covered it with duct tape. Should do the trick without messing the cladding (remember I got a tek so no paint damage).

    Nextmoon, is this a magazine or online article. If it's magazine I'm not a subscriber, but would love to know the gist of what it says.
  • intrigueguyintrigueguy Member Posts: 9
    Local dealer has 1 red for $14,995 with 14,000 miles and 1 yellow for $16,995 with 13,000 miles. Are these good deals?

    I currently drive an Olds Intrigue, great driving car but I am wanting an SUV. I know that's going from one extreme to another but I really like the look of the Tec.

    Some have told me it's not professional looking enough and the girlfriend says it looks like it's for younger drivers (I can always get a new girlfriend). What are the ages of some of the owners here?

    And are there any consistent problems being experienced?
  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    According to the Aztek Development Team the demographic that currently is the majority owner of Azteks is 46 year old women. I know at least one senior citizen who drives one and I'm 27 so I guess it covers all bases. Might be time to get a new girlfriend. :)
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Most of the Azteks I've seen were driven by soccer moms with kids. I think Aztek may sell better with younger people now that they dropped the 2002 prices about $2000.
  • nextmoonnextmoon Member Posts: 386
    noastar - This looks like a magazine article only at the time being. They'll probably post up the entire article next month when the new issue comes out like the rest of the car online magazines. I'll try to type up the important stuff when I have time this weekend (building and installing PC for girlfriend).

    My girlfriend preferred the Aztek over the Rendezvous. But hates the flat tailgate. But she hates the front angular lines of the Rendezvous more and for that reason would prefer the Aztek. I'm still deciding between the two.
  • noastarnoastar Member Posts: 108
    I'm a 21yr old male college student at Ohio University. I can't say I'm a typical owner since I've yet to see another Aztek on Campus. I have seen about 3 off campus and they appear to be owned by middle aged people.
  • lbthedoglbthedog Member Posts: 198
    About the only consistent complaint has been the release of the rear hatch. I've got an early one and have all but run out of adjustment on the bumpers. Anybody else have similar experience? Or has anybody had an updated part installed?
  • kermitekkermitek Member Posts: 120
    lbthedog - there is a TSB concerning the rear glass not releasing upon being unlatched. we had the dealer apply the fix before we even took delivery. I found the TSB # thru this site (thanks edmunds) but don't have it now - maybe do a search. Ours unlatches fully every time.

    intrigueguy - good luck with your search. I don't know how good those prices are, depends on equipment and condition. The best site I've found for determining used car prices is right here at edmunds. Their "true market value" appraisal tool is quite accurate. Give it a try. Low-mileage Azteks in good condition can be a great value right now, with a lot of folks anticipating arrival of the 2002's. Personally I like both years. Let us know what happens.

    noastar - I agree with you completely about the cladding advantages. The stuff is a snap to clean, hides scratches and wears like iron. I use Armor-All on it every few weeks and it looks great. I have even been able to skip washing the vehicle altogether once or twice, by simply taking a damp/wet towel and wiping down the cladding panels (NOT the painted steel panels!) to remove dust and road grime. One of the advantages of the Citrus Green Metallic color is its ability to hide a light coating of dust or dirt. Pewter also has this advantage, as I expect the new Beige will in 2002.
  • noastarnoastar Member Posts: 108
    Howdy,

    Thanks for the TBS update. That's been tickin me off no end. So that basically tells dealers how to fix the problem? Is it a part change? Just asking cause my dealer's service station won't do jack unless I walk them through the entire deal.

    I tried out ultra shine last night while washing my car. Get this... Yesterdays wash took a new record setting 7.5hrs! I switched to Meguire's just to see if the hype was enough to switch from good old turtlewax. Wow! I used their #1 cleaner, #7 Glaze, and then gold class wax. Took forever! But The paint looks like it has a solid sheet of water on it. Also, a drop of product the size of an m&m will cover an entire panel so the cost doesn't seem so bad.

    Welp, you kids all have fun here. I'm out for a couple of days to see the browns vs steelers game.

    Later.
  • kermitekkermitek Member Posts: 120
    Hi noastar - here's some of the text from post #1482 back in March, by gmdrone:

    The TSB is on the Service Operations website on the GM Intranet, your dealer should be able to access it. If he cannot the Document I.D. # is 754881, TSB # 00-08-64-013. They should install a rubber bumper P.N. 10103036, and re-align lift gate. Tell him to use labor OP # B5700- lift gate align.

    good luck. It's a pretty simple fix from what I understand. Once you give the dealer the above numbers, they will be out of excuses.
  • nextmoonnextmoon Member Posts: 386
    Here's the full article. Use your own judgment before trying this as I've not tried it myself:

    That gray stuff is composed of hardwater minerals, road film and wax built up on the surface of the molded plastic panels. If the plastic is black or gray, it's black (or gray) all the way through. Beware if the plastic is the color of the body, silver or champagne, because that's painted areas like the rest of the car's finish.

    Start by washing the area - by hand - with any commercial car washing product as per the direction on the bottle. Use a moderately soft bristle brush to scrub any accumulated material out of the cladding's texture. Don't scratch the paint nearby. If the cladding is still blotchy when dry, try a soft cloth and straight, undiluted white vinegar. This should dissolve any minerals left behind on the surface. Rinse well.

    Still blotchy? Maybe it's waxy buildup. Try a cleaner intended for vinyl surfaces, buar and tar remover or lacquer thinner on a soft cloth. Avoid getting lacquer on any painted surfaces - if your car has a lacquer based paint, the thinner will remove it.

    To prevent the problem from recurring, use a vinyl protectant like Son of A Gun! or Armor-All before waxing the rest of the car. If none of this worksm your last resort is Convertible Top dressing, which actually has black dye in it like shoe polish. This should cover up almost anything. DO not use shoe polish, which has a wax base that can't take the temperature that a car body sees on sunny days. It will leave black smudges all over anything within several feet of the car, especially your wife's white slacks.
  • waymoresblueswaymoresblues Member Posts: 54
    I took my Tek in for a check up a few months ago, and gave them the TSB#s (from a printout from Edmunds), and the guy said he would have to order the parts. Well 45 days later I took it back in and they didn't have those parts in stock. The guy who said he'd order them was "no longer with the company"...well, when the dealer returned my car they said they fixed the Lift gate problems (without those Part #s). I was skeptical but I tested it on the sight and it worked three times in a row! Unusual.

    Well, that lasted about a day and a half and, you guessed it, it's back to sticking again. So....I called the service desk and asked them to go ahead and order those part #s, which she said she would do...we'll see.
  • chechechechecheche Member Posts: 14
    hey all - love reading all of the posts.

    LOVE LOVE LOVE my cherry red aztek w/ moonroof and awesome stereo system.........

    re: interesting photo...

    if i could purchase a vehicle just for skiing, surfing, kicking, i would buy that orange and white one. I LOVE ORANGE, and have never seen an orange car that i liked. til now. call me nuts or call me nuts, but if i could have 2 cars, i would
    1. keep my red aztek
    and
    2. buy that orange and white one !!!!
    ******
    re: demographics...
    i feel like i am in my 20's, but
    am in my 40's. i have only seen older (looking)
    people driving azteks, (probably MY age) but i think its due to the high base price of the original vehicles.... there is another blonde
    female who drives a red aztek in town whom i finally saw, and we waved furiously at each other. how's this for commradery???
    ******

    so many people have stopped - at the gas station or the beach or at a traffic signal - and said they thought these cars were ugly, til they saw mine. the dealers want me to come and sell them since we caused quite a commotion when i went to pick mine up. i think the kicky color makes the aztek seem more fun which translates into the driver having more fun which means we aztek owners are having WAY more fun than the average person... the poor bah-humbug people who think they are ugly. they should try to smile more.
    and be less miserable.

    ******
    skied this weekend and since i havent shopped for ski racks to install on my factory racks, i just put the skis inside the car. one of the back seats was taken out for hauling some other large items, and wow, the skis went in and out with no problem. i am digging this car.
    when there was precip up on the mountain, the
    temperature said "ICE" instead of the actual temp, then went back and forth between the temp and ice until i was out of that area. VERY COOL.
    ******

    the BEST thing is getting 400 plus miles to a tank
    of gas in high altitude and no highway driving. this amazed me. yosemite and the eastern sierra with the windy roads and 25-55 MPH, i thought for sure that i would get really lousy MPG, but was amazed. did well in death valley 2 days later too...

    i havent seen anything about the new models. could they be discontinuing them??? how horrific, because i KNOW what my next car is going to be.

    p.s. the gray/black cladding is awesome for keeping little dents off of your paintjob. car doors seem to hit in rather than the upper painted parts. pretty groovy....

    xo
  • noastarnoastar Member Posts: 108
    The Aztek is a great car, don't get me wrong. I love mine and I can see you love your checheche. I think my Dream SUV though would be a Cadillac Escalade. That car looks like it has sofas instead of chairs. I think this is the area that hurts the tech most. The chairs are okay comfy after you play with them for a while, but lateral support is very lacking as is good armrests. The inboard armrests are sturdy, but small and too low to be of any use actually supporting your arm. Outboard rests are equally low and your hand rests on the buttons meaning a window may drop at any time. The sill of the windown is too narrow to put your arm on. Anyone notice how you don't take left turns very fast cause you end up in the passenger seat? There's very little holding you in place.

    I have to admit when I see a seat in a caddy I just drooooooool.

    When I'm a rich psychiatrist I plan to own a Caddy SUV, probably a Caddy sedan, and my Tek (which by then will hopefully be heavily modified like the one in the pic. I would like deep purple and black better though.
  • noastarnoastar Member Posts: 108
    By the way. My gas mileage on the way up to Cleveland was 29.7mpg!! Pretty kickin considering the hilliness. Coming back it was 26mpg, but we were stopped in traffic most of the time. I was pretty happy.

    Oh yeah, and on my chair note... I think cars need to come out with LaZy Boy Editions that have laZyboy chairs in them. That would be the bomb.
  • gasguzzler007gasguzzler007 Member Posts: 70
    I read somewhere in car& driver that they were going to redesign the aztec because it has 2 much plastic. They said that they will remove the plastic and change the front a little. I dont know they might even be discontinuing them because everyone knows how many were sold out of all of those expected. I dont own one so I wouldnt know.
  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    1. It's Aztek. Not Aztec.

    2. The 'plastic' is not being removed. The cladding is being painted to match the rest of the car and to bring the appearance closer to the concept vehicle which got such rave reviews back in '97.

    3. Nothing is being redesigned. The vehicle's actually body shape will remain the same for the 2002 model year.

    4. There are absolutely no plans to discontinue the vehicle either now or in the forseeable future.
  • noastarnoastar Member Posts: 108
    Thanks again for the TSB. My dealership threw a big fuss about ordering a part before they had a chance to see it and try to fix it themselves. I gave them the TSB, part number, and labor code and told them to call me when the parts were in. He was totally miffed, but after me telling him no way no how he agreed. I put money on that they won't call or order the parts though.

    Anywho, thanx again.
  • cfawcettcfawcett Member Posts: 14
    http://www.jcwhitney.com/product.jhtml?CATID=173779&BQ=jcw2&_requestid=122760

    There you go hitch direct from good old JC whitney!
  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    Just call Pontiac customer service (the number is on Pontiac's website) and tell them your service guy is jerking you around. They will call him up and straighten him out.

    I did the same thing when the dealer refused to give me a rental car when I took my Tek in for the recall and to deal with a "Service Engine Soon" light. Needless to say, I got a rental, just as the warranty specifies.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Pictures I've seen and articles I've read show all the plastic ribs gone. It's not painted over like you said in post 3235. They have also slightly re-styled the front headlights and rear of the truck. Check out the picture in the new car section of Edmunds and see for yourself.
  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    They have removed 2 ribs from the cladding, but one remains. It is painted cladding. Same material as the 2001, just with paint.

    There is no restyling to the nose. It may appear so due to the body coloring instead of cladding color up there, but it is illusory.

    The rear does have an added spoiler, but otherwise it is the same. The 2002 spoiler will be retro-fittable to the 2001s so, clearly they were designed to fit the same rear end.

    If you would like to leave your email address I would be glad to send you photos that will prove my points. I have friends on the Aztek Dev. Team so my information is up to the minute and accurate.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I didn't say the front was re-styled. I said the headlights were re-styled. The front and rear also appear to have re-done bottoms as well to compensate for the loss of ribs. At least it looks like it to me.
  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    Sorry bout that. I mis-spoke. The headlights are the same.

    Strangely enough, the front turn signals are different. Instead of amber plastic, they are clear plastic with amber lamps. Don't know why they bothered, but I wish I had 'em on the 2001 so I could put different colored lamps in them.

    And you aren't wrong about the appearance. The car definitely appears different, but it's all triks of color. The physical dimensions are identical to the 2001.

    Hopefully the new 'politically correct'-ified Aztek will sell better, although I think getting away from the grey cladding is a cop out since so many vehicles today are moving towards it (someone say Volvo?)
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    Greg,
    What have you friends told you about the spoiler being retrofittable to the 2001s. The hatch part numbers are different between the years to accept the reatainers and spoiler, I have been told.
    You should be able to switch the parking lens units on your 2001, as the mounting spots should not have changed.
  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    Well, the info isn't 100% clear on that, but I have been told repeatedly that the spoiler will be retro-able to the 2001.

    I'm thinking about swapping out the lenses. But I'm waiting to see what other goodies will become available with the 2002. Since the accessory catalog for the '01 was 10 pages long I figure we should get some cool goodies for the '02.

    Like folding canvas camping chairs with Aztek logos...
  • gasguzzler007gasguzzler007 Member Posts: 70
    What I wrote was what I read in CAR&DRIVER. Maybe they were wrong. I just hope they take the plastic off. The car would probably look better without it. My $0.02.
  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    I've got some really good comparison shots of those pictures next to pics of the 2001 in the same positions. I wish I had someplace to post them up so everyone could see them.
  • gasguzzler007gasguzzler007 Member Posts: 70
    I have one and it took like 10 minutes to make. Go to tripod.com and see for yourself. My site is at http://members.tripod.com/amrant007/index.htm
  • noastarnoastar Member Posts: 108
    Here are some Q's for the owners out there.

    1. Does anyone's security system automatically arm itself? On the dash board, no light means not armed; steady means ready to be armed; and slow blinking is armed. If I leave my car unlocked the light will eventually blink slowly indicating armed, but opening the door simply shuts the light off w/ no alarm? Also you're supposed to be able to set the alarm w/o the key fob just by locking the doors and shutting them. I do this and the light eventually says armed, but again no alarm if opened via the window. Anyone else noticed this? Go outside and try it if you don't believe me. I have to make sure to use two locks on the key fob to activate my alarm. I'm having this checked out soon.

    2. What is the red light on the stereo for? The upper left corner one? I don't recall it ever lighting up. When is it supposed to? What does it mean?

    Thanks owners.

    PS. Not sure about the 2002, but in my opinion it doesn't matter. We got the good ones :-)
    Has anyone noticed a trend towards the outter spacey (see tokyo show). I think the 2001's will be remembered as before their time.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Another alternative is to put them on a pic hosting site and link to them from Town Hall. This message has a list of "free" sites (haven't checked to see if all of them are still in business).

    steve_ "Toyota Sequoia" Apr 11, 2001 10:14am

    Steve
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  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    Thanks, Steve for the great links.


    I have posted my comparison pics at http://www.PictureTrail.com/gregeaston.


    I hope they will show that the car's shape hasn't changed, only the cladding.


    Please let me know what you think.

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Nice job - I think the painted cladding will appeal to a lot more people.

    Steve
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  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    Thanks,

    I tried (obviously to no avail) to convince Jim Vurpillat (Aztek brand manager) that the cladding should be an optional item. You would be able to get it in charcoal, black, or body matched.

    I see why they did what they did, but there are still 40,000 or so of us that liked it just fine the 2001 way.

    But if they make it look just like the concept car for 2003 I think I'll be just fine with the body color.

    ...maybe I should post the pics of the concept car so people know what I'm talking about. I think I'll go dig some up.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    2002 Aztek should sell much better. I might even consider one. The plastic cladding was my main objection
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I think the deal killer for me on the Aztek is the "short" roofline and the big hatch (haven't actually seen one up close and personal though).

    I haul canoes around, and the further apart you can put the canoe racks, the better (up to around 5 or 6 feet anyway). My van is marginal because of the sliding door hardware in the internal raingutter. I can lift the rear hatch about 2/3rds of the way up with a canoe on top; having to remove the boat to get to gear in the back would be a real pain.

    Most people aren't cartopping 17 foot long items on their roof though :-)

    Steve
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  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    Yeah, Steve. I think in that case the tek just isn't for you. The liftgate goes quite a bit into the air when you pop it. I do know some people that haul canoes on their teks and that is a problem.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Oh well, I'm not due for a new car until 2009 anyway, hopefully. But a tek would get me to the ski hill this winter without having to hitch rides :-)

    Steve
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  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    You really plan those car purchases ahead of time don't you?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Yep, we've purchased 3 cars since 1982. I can tolerate "the dealer experience" about once a decade :-)

    Steve
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  • noastarnoastar Member Posts: 108
    Hey owners, any help on the mentioned difficulties.

    I love the diverse group of people in here, but this is kinda the reason I want to see pontiac make an owners site. This place teeter-totters from owners discussing owner issues to aztek basing and 2002 rumors. I prefer the teeter to the totter myself =)

    Later.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    You do not mention which radio you have. But looking in the owners manual for my brothers 2001 Montana, I assume you have the 6 disc cd radio. The light is for the Theftock feature of the radio, I believe.. All the lesser radios have it labeled, there is no room on the 6 disc it looks like. Your light has not come on probably because the feature is not activated. Check with your dealer.
    The theft systems are simular between his Montana and your Aztek but it dosen't arm itself as you have described. Take it to the dealer as you were planning.
  • gregeastongregeaston Member Posts: 128
    Now that I've got it started I just can't stop. I've added more pictures (and adding more all the time) to my site at http://www.PictureTrail.com/gregeaston


    Check out the silver 2001 SEMA 'tek. I think we can all agree that if they had looked more like that when they came out Pontiac would have sold ALOT more.

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