Pontiac Aztek

todd72472

ok help me how do i change the speed sensor on the rear wheel

ray80

b1ceman, I have heard one owner corrected similar troubles by cleaning up BCM connections with electronics cleaner and ensuring they were tight. Also as I eluded to before, if your battery/Tek has some age on it you may want to get an active load test done on it to make sure voltage flucuations aren't part of the problem. Ground conection for instrument panel cluster may want to be checked also.
The BCM is located in console area (next to or just in front of shifter I believe). Replacement shouldn't be to difficult but it has to be programmed by dealer and I'm not sure if it would even start if not programmed. As always when working with electrical stuff you would want to disconnect battery if you decide to try messing around with it.

ramex2

Chalk another one up for RAY 80><><>>> Thanx dude . lower intake manifold gasket was the culprit . Hey did you design the AZTEK ?? I know you own one; but ...... thanx again.

ray80

Glad I was able to point you in the right direction (but sorry it wasn't as simple and in-exspensive as a $20 thermotsat). One additional follow-up you may want to consider if the shop didn't mention it is, you may want to to an early oil change the next time (hopefully they did it with gasket replacement) since we don't know if the leak was just external (maybe in 1 or 2k miles or a month or two depending on how often you drive).

jack52

my wife has a 2001 aztek has 60,000 miles and it seems that it is nothing but problems any more power window moter on driver side went the left side front door will not open with key or remote and now the a/c is blowing hot air anyone have any ideas

ray80

For the A/C I would guess it might be the condenser if it has never been changed (and your lucky to have gotten that many miles out of it if it hasn't). There was an updated part and mounting bracket that is supposed to help address the crack that usually happened in original condenser. If the window motor and lock (both on same door correct?) are both still broke maybe there is a ground problem, but its just a guess without knowing if thats possible)

ramex2

RAY 80 > went and got estimates on the replacement of the lower intake manifold gasket > it is done as "Package deal " gasket replacement oil change new thermostat> 8hrs labor PRICE $1700.00. From your experience is that a reasonable price more or less??

musicman8120

Hi..I'm new to the group and needed to get some info on the trailer package on our 2004 Aztek. I've hauled some pretty hefty loads on my utility trailer and can't ever remember hearing the air compressor come on to level the shocks. There appears to be a switch and some linkage on the rear axle that connects to the underbody, but I'm not sure that it's even working. Has anyone had any experience with the air leveling feature ? Is there a way to test it ( other than with a heavy load ) ? The compressor works fine for inflating.

Thanks,

Dave R.

greighn

Yesterday, after driving the car for about an hour, when I went to use it, the automatic shift level would not come unlocked. Pressing on the brakes as usual did not release the interlock. I had to refer to the manual to use the little opening in the cupholder to manually release the lock. Now I must do this everytime I want to drive the car!!

The manual says the typical cause for needing to use the override is low or dead battery. Everything else on the car is working fine. Has anyone seen this issue before and know of any other causes??

Thanks.

Gary.

ray80

I have heard of it before, but I'll have to look around a bit to see what corrective actions others have taken. In the mean time what year Tek and is battery original?

Ok I did some checking, there is an issues with some 2003 and 2004 Teks with shift interlock troubles that are corrected with new BCM (new updated version) BTW part of the doc mentions if you turn vehicle off, then restart problem usually goes away (in this instance). There could be a number of things that cause the trouble in general, but one other fix I saw was re-wiring to the switch due to corrosion. I'll see if I can find other stuff.

greighn

Thanks,

Its a 2001 with 119,000 miles. The battery was replaced last year.

-Gary.

ray80

Rats, I was updating my original reply as you were answering. One easy thing to look at if low voltage could be an issue is the wire that goes from the battery to the underhood fuse box. A couple people have found some corrosion there causing troubles with things.

ray80

Ouch, That seems quite high to me if thats all they are doing, I would think 600 maybe 700, at least in this area, I could be way off though.

ray80

ramex, take a look at this topic (if I can get a link to work, its in the buick version), not so much the topic itself but around post #7 is what one person was quoted. There may also be similar stuff on montana, grand am, lumina forums but I haven't checked.

stever

I believe you're thinking of this post?

netnerd, "2002 Buick Rendezvous Class Action?" #7, 18 Apr 2006 12:01 pm

Steve, Host

ray80

Thanks Steve, yes, thats the one

lostcause245

I got a replacement key on E-bay, havent had it cut just yet but it does have a transponder and mine came with programming instructions.

hugchris

I am the owner of a 2001 Aztek, which I loved until it started turning into a money pit. I too have experienced some of the problems discussed on this site. The first problem was the ignition locking up (under warranty) and then the odometer went out, which tuned into a $500 repair. My temperature gauge was running hot and our local GM dealer was very quick to say "head gasket". We decided to get a second opinion and my husband called his favorite and trusted repair shop. The first problem they found was that one of the two cooling fans was not working. One fan was drawing too many AMPS and it interfered with the function of the other fan. Also, the fluid was low and after a thorough checking out they finally found that the radiator was leaking at the top from a failure at a weld point. So $950 later, the temperature gauge is holding steady and reading two notches lower. We had planned on keeping our Aztek for a long time, but have now decided to get rid of it while it is still running. To have major repairs on an automobile with less than 50,000 is inexcusable. Hope this helps for those who can't find the source of their cooling problem.

greighn

Well I took the car in to the shop and they found a broken wire on the solenoid that handles the shift interlock. $53 later and all is well.

Thanks.

-Gary.

ray80

Good to hear, not to bad a deal. Could have hurt the wallet a lot more, maybe just for diagnosis.

jack52

on the mounting bracket do i have to buy that or will the dealership give me that and on the window moter is bad on the driver side and the pasenger side door will not unlock where would i look for the ground wire ??????????

ray80

The thought about ground wire was if both door problems were on the same door. While the condenser is a likely culprit, its not the only thing. Might be better to take to a dealer to have them put dye in system to see where leak may be. A couple old TSB's that talk about A/C prblems are: 02-01-38-008 and 02-01-38-004 one of which I believe talks about bracket, but I don't have text. If your thinking of fixing it yourself you should know it could be pretty complicated (dealer would remove radiater to start with) and I see stuff about seals, maybe a filter somewhere, PAG oil along with refridgerant, stuff like that.

b1ceman

Thanks for the info ray. After posting I disconnected the battery to reset everything and that worked well... for a week. Then it started doing again. I had the battery tested, that and the alternator are fine. Have an appointment with the dealer for Saturday, but I will try cleaning the contacts to see maybe that can fix anything. I have tried all of the local parts stores, but none of them carry the bcm for this model. Thanks again for the info.

ray80

Sometimes you just have to give in and take it to the dealer. One other thing that I have mentioned elswhere (can't see that I have in this topic) is you could check the connection from battery to the underhood fuse box, I know of one person that found it loose or corroded and causing strange things to happen. If it does boil down to BCM replacement you should be aware that you will lose the ability to personalize settings if you don't have drivers information center with the newer BCM (Thats my understanding anyway)

ramex2

RAY 80 >> Got another estimate for $700.00 at a Goodyear service Center that was recommended to me . In line with your estimates . That other estimate that was$1000.00 more was at a PEP BOYZ [of course]

Thanx again

kitkat250

Hi all I'm thinking of buying an Aztek but am wondering if it is a good idea. I found a 2002, anything that I should know about them when checking it out?? Would you buy your aztek again?? Thanks for any help you can give.

kitkat250

Hi I want some opinions on whether to buy an Aztek or not. If you had to do it again would you?? Do you have lots of problems or do you love your vehicle?? I'm in Canada and was wondering if they where all made in Mexico or not?

medic55

This does not happen all the time, but appears to be happening during the heat of the day and Not early mornings, My dash panel goes nuts, the battery light comes on as well as the complete panel, while driving the vehicle, when this happens the A/C dies to never return as well as the rear hatch door, (I have to reset the computer to recover these), the radio dies until the dash panel returns to normal, day light running lights flash on and off while this is happening, electric windows are affected until panel returns to normal, I've replaced the Battery.

ray80

I posted this under another topic but I'll repeat it here. Assuming the battery and charging system are ok, they one thing in common with this is the BCM. Before you go running to dealer to have this exspensive part replaced, I know of one person (elsewhere) that fixed very similar troubles by cleaning all the connections to BCM with product called 'DeOxit' (electrical connection cleaner) and ensured connections were tight. This person also did the same with all the fuses/relays in nearby fuse box. When cleaning around relay #23, they found what was possible arcing (short) to nearby ground plate and after cleaning that, he put a small strip of electrical tape over that area. He has not reprted any troubles since that I know of. Good luck

clintonjohn

If they still made them, I would buy one again. It's very functional and comfortable. We got a 2005 new last year. We've got over 18k miles on it with no problems as of yet. They don't make them anymore, so the chances of finding a new one are probably slim. However, they don't seem to be too popular, so you're likely to get a good deal, relative to comparable vehicles. The whole supply and demand thing-they're out there, few people want them, so prices are good. We bought when GM was having its red tag clearance last year. Between the rebates, negotiating with the dealer, and using my GM credit card rebates, we got a $22k car for under $15k.

lostcause245

My 01 GT has,with the A/C exception, a reliable and practical vehicle. My problem is not with the vehicle itself, rather a problem with availability. At 110,000 miles, my muffler has developed a leak, a hole rusted through the front and around the pipe itself. Has anyone had to replace it yet and if they have, where can I get one? All of the auto parts stores around me do not have it, nor can they even order it. I have seen it through a dealership but am not too keen on paying $400 for it. Any suggestions would be appreciated. In the meantime, I hope that soup can and muffler bandage will keep my wife appeased!!

ray80

WOW soup cans and bandages, haven't used them in quite sometime but have deposited many of those temp fixs along highways over the years. If your ok with internet ordering I would suggest doing a google search for pontiac aztek muffler, or gm parts. You should be able to find one fairly reasonable. gmpartsdirect is one place.

djmtx

I have a 2001 Aztek and have had it for 2 years. I love it! I have had no problems with it at all!! I asked my son about the plastic on the sides and he told me to get some of the silicon based stuff used on tires...just don't get it on the paint! It works great!! I'm sorry to hear all of the bad stuff everyone is having. Mine has 114k miles on it and I get a minimum of 300 miles to a tank, even in town. I used to use the high octane gas until I watched 20/20 one night and they said it is not necessary so I quit wasting my money and now I just put regular unleaded (87) in it. Runs fine. Has great power!

djmtx

I think the look of the Aztek is cool!! Reminds me of the Tango and Cash vehicle in the movie! They are very unique and easy to spot in a parking lot!!

djmtx

My light comes on too....once in a while. I changed the oil in mine too....how do you manually get it to go off if you don't have an automatic way to do it?

ray80

Which light? If its the oil change light the procedure is:
1) put your key in and turn the vehicle into the on position, don't start it
2) FULLY (meaning as far down as it goes) press and release FULLY (let it go all the way up) the gas pedal 3 times in 5 second
3) Turn the key to the off position
It may take you a few (or many) tries to get timing down jut right to get it to turn off.

ray80

For the cladding, quite a few people like to use mother back to black

djmtx

Yes, the oil light...comes on and off. I'll try this. Going to change the oil again this weekend. Thank you.

stever

Would the member who was asking about buying the '04 Aztec please try to repost (or email me). We're having a posting bug in here it seems.

Thanks (my email is in my Profile - click on my user name to get to the Profile).

Steve, Host

captain_vball

I would like to thank everyone on this forum. The info here has been very helpful with the purchase of our 2003 Aztek. Shortly after purchase of this vehicle we started getting noise from the rear end (change of rear diferential fluid) and loud noise from the front end (front wheel bearing) Thanks to this site I was able to take it to my mechanic and tell him what I thought the problem was. Even though it took him a while to find the wheel bearing that was making the noise I think it would have been mis -diagnosed without the info I aquired here.

Thanks again and by the way "Love my Aztek"

armysgt93c

Ok here it is I just spent $685.00 on getting the condencer replaced. It worked fine for a few days and then quit blowing cold again. I brought it back to the shop and he did a few test on it and determined that the system was holding a charge and the compressor was good. I seem to have an electrial problem all my fuses are good where else should I look. Also when I plug the DRL fuse in all the lights start blinking and nothing seems to work right. Could these two problems be connected?

ray80

Hhmm, did you ever get the craziness you were having in Jan fixed somehow? Those troubles plus the A/C and DRL things you are having now could be BCM related. I posted here: BCM about how one owner corrected some of these electrical issues just by doing some cleanup.

armysgt93c

well I tried, then I brought it to the dealer and had the BCM tested. They said that it was fine; it needed a new fuel sensor, new thermostat, oil pan gasket, blower motor silonoid and the dealer said that it might need a new fuse box. After a second dealer looked at it they said that its fine and that they couldn't find any electrical problems, or rather none were showing up on there computer. Still have the electrical. I will try to clean them up in the morning and see if that works thanks.

lostcause245

I already replied to this message about my replacement key, but, no matter where you get the key, here are the programming instructions. Will probably save you a hundred dollars.

Here they are:

1. Insert an existing key into the ignition cylinder.

2. Turn the ignition cylinder to ON (run) and back to OFF.

3. Remove the existing key and, within 15 seconds, insert the new key and turn it to ON (run).

4. The security light will light up for 2 seconds to indicate success in programming the key into the vehicle.

sfcgijill

Thanks! I just bought a 2003 Aztek yesterday and was wondering how to get keys without paying through the nose for them!

sfcgijill

Yesterday - happy dance- and I am so glad that it's a "love it or hate it" vehicle because it meant that I got it for only $5000! and only 48k miles!

I had a 1988 Bronco (in 1994), which was great, but not nearly as versatile or comfortable as the Aztek, and a 1998 GMC Sierra (new) amongst several other vehicles, and this is the nicest ride yet.

ray80

Congrats on the new ride, hope you continue to enjoy it

tidester

Congratulations! Of course, you know we expect a full report from you.

tidester, host

lostcause245

Congratulations on your new purchase. Hope its as reliable and practical for you as it has been for me. Just took mine on a vacation to the Smoky Mountains, put 1400 miles on it in a week, and got over 25 MPG, even at 112000 miles! My only word of caution when buying key blanks on Ebay is to take it to a reputable locksmith or key shop that you trust to get it cut. I almost got burned when they hacked mine!

pajh

Love my '03 with 60K, but the AC condensation vent is leaking or clogged. (I see earlier comments re this in '01). Can I locate and fix this and where is the water supposed to vent?
The passenger side carpet is soaked but no visible drip.
thanks.