Pontiac Aztek

lizzie77

check to see if the sunroof is clogged. there are little holes that need to be gently blown out by a pro. water can leak into the car through the sunroof sides. my car has been very damp due to that.

pscampb456

My beloved 2002 Aztek is approaching 120,000 miles.
She is going in for brakes Thursday. She also needs tires.

Hub bearings aside, I have enjoyed this car. I fear though within the next year I will need to purchase a replacement. (I drive about 36,000 miles a year.)

Any thoughts on the Torrent or the HHR? Or some other vehicle?
:confuse:

iluvhockey83

Im hoping that someone out there may be able to help me. :sick: I have an AWD 2002 Aztek. At 46,000 miles I had to replace the front bearings (which I just got a letter in the mail about a recall). Now, at 51,341 miles it has caused me nothing but heartache! I have went through 5 different batteries and would go start my car and it was completely dead.. nothing happened. I had each battery tested and all but one battery was bad... so what the heck was draining everything.. :mad: After being in the shop for nearly 3 weeks, they said the problem was my stereo. It is the original factory stereo which is also a 6 disc cd player. They said it was drawing way too many amps which is causing the battery to go dead. Ive had this car just little over a year so why would it do that now? They left my stereo unplugged because soon as its plugged in, it drains everything. They said I could buy a used factory stereo for $375 but Im worried its going to do the samething and they said they do not recommend getting a cd player from Best Buy or another store and stick with a factory stereo (which is what I want to do anyway, I dont want to ruin the look). My lights also flicker constantly too which I seen a lot of you had problems with that.

Has anyone had any similar problems with their stereo? Please let me know... Im so ready to trade this thing in! (My friend had the same exact car as me and cost her thousands because something was always wrong with it.. turns out hers was a :lemon: )

Thanks so much!!

ddlloyd

While driving to church on Thanksgiving weekend my 2001 Aztek suddenly over-rev ed. I released the accelerator and stopped at the stop sign. When I proceeded I discovered I had no forward or reverse gears. The park worked and the engine was fine. There were no warning lights, noises, or bumps. I consulted a mechanic who felt the transmission was not at fault, maybe the computer or something in the transmission that makes the connection. Any thoughts?

chubster

HAS ANYONE ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE THERE THERMOSTAT ON THERE 2001 PONTIAC AZTEK IF SO WAS IT DIFFICULT. WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO GET AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL. WE HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK FOR 3 YEARS NOW AND WE HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION,THE RADIATOR COMPRESSOR AND THE AC/HEATER CONTROLS.

upslims

I thought about it for a while..I have an 02' w/ an extended warranty. When it finally goes I'm bringing it into the shop. You have to pull the exhaust manifold (located directly above the thermostat) off (theres a bracket and I believe 3 bolts, use a mirror to see them) Then there are 2 rubber lines below the manifold that are applying backpressure and holding the manifold on. I pulled everything apart except for those lines because I started to get nervous about it. Anyway I believe once you do that you will probably lose some radiator fluid. I used to have Jeep Cherokees and it used to take about 15 min. to swap a thermostat. I like the aztek but am probably going to ditch it when the warranty runs out. Too expensive to maintain. Anyway good luck.

tidester

Hi, everyone. As you've probably noticed, we have been trying to refine the discussions into more narrowly focussed topics. Our objective is twofold. We want to make it easier for people seeking specific information about their vehicles to find it easily and without having to wade through hundreds or thousands of postings.

To those ends, we will be shutting down the general make/model discussions and work exclusively with specific issues. This requires us to populate the make/model subsections with relevant, interesting and timely topics. Rather than having the hosts simply create boilerplate topics for each make/model, we feel that you, the owner, the make/model enthusiast and the prospective buyer can best judge what those topics should be.

You can help by adding a discussion (it's easy!) or suggesting one here.

To add a discussion, click on the last link in the "You are here" line at the top of this page. That will take you to the topic page for this make/model. Review the list of topics and click on the "Add discussion" link when you've decided what topic you'd like to add. Follow the directions and you're done! Feel free to add more than one. Just avoid duplicating existing topics and try not to make it TOO specific!

Your help and continued participation in the Forums is greatly appreciated! Thanks.

jbomar

Hello:

I'm new to the group but have enjoyed recent discussions.

I've recently noticed a marked decrease in both city and highway gas mileage, from 20.2 down to 17 or 18 mpg city and 24.1 down to 19.6 mpg highway. I've replaced the air filter and checked tire pressure regularly.
Has anyone else experience this problem?

Thank you.

timnjan

My '02 started high idling for no apparent reason three days ago. It does not always idle high but the majority of the time it will. Has anyone else had this happen or know what the fix is for it? This is my wife’s car and she babies it. Her babies sick, HELP.

ray80

I did some lookin around and it appears there is a pretty extensive laundry list if things it could be. Idle Air Control, Throttle Postion Sensor and others. One person got problem corrected by replacing TPS and cleaning up corrosion on battery cable (possible low voltage confusing puter stuff). There may be some codes stored (not bad enough thing to turn one of those magic warning lights on) that a scan would point out.

timnjan

Thanks! I had to change the battery out a couple of weeks ago. The positive terminal had corroded through and the car was doing all kinds of weird stuff. I’ll also have the codes checked. I’ll post what I find and hopefully how to fix it. You’ve been a great help this time and others, Thanks again.

tidester

Please go to the group top level and create a discussion that fits your comments/questions or post in an existing discussion.

Pontiac Aztek

bulldog31313

Just about two years ago, I purchased a 2001 Aztek. In the beginning everything was good except for the back hatch not working properly. First it was stuck then one day out of nowhere it began to work. After that, the button on the dash to open the hatch stopped working and doesn't to this day. No one has been able to tell me why. Recently, all hell has broken loose. :mad: None of my power outlets work, I have no a/c because the compressor went out, I have had to replace a power steering pump and now I think my thermostat is on the fritz. Can anyone tell me if these are consistent problems with the 01 or if I just bought a :lemon: ? Also, I need to know if anyone knows how to access the bulbs so they can be changed? Please help!! Thnx. :confuse:

bulldog31313

I have been going through many of these emails and I too have the same questions but no answers. No mechanic can seem to tell me what is wrong with my vehicle. About three weeks ago, as I always do, I drove to work which is about 45 minutes from my home. When I put the vehicle in park and tried to cut off the ignition, my key only turned half way and that was it. I didn't know what to do. So after about 30 minutes of trying figure out what the problem was, I cranked the vehicle back up, put it in reverse and and then back into drive after the wheels made a complete rotation. For some unknown reason, this worked. Can somebody please tell me why this happens? :confuse:

bulldog31313

As I am accelerating, my vehicle seems to jerk really hard as it changes gears. What causes this? :confuse:

bulldog31313

Hello to all. My name is Rachel and I live in Georgia. I purchased a 2001 Pontiak Aztek about two years ago. At first, I loved it. Now, that's a whole nother story. I hate it so much. I have had nothing but problems. From what I hear, the newer models have been upgraded and don't have any problems at all. I guess I shouldn't have jumped the gun. Anybody wanna trade?

tidester

What kind of problems are you having, Rachel?

tidester, host

stevekatkov

Hi, all! I own a 2001 Aztek with 94,000 miles and am considering replacement shocks at 100,000. Can anyone offer suggestions in this regard? OEM from GM or after-market?

Thank you, Steve
Minneapolis, Minnesota

stever

My minivan is ripe for shocks too. This post has stuck with me over the years:

idahodoug, "Toyota Land Cruiser" #2373, 10 Feb 2003 6:24 pm

I'll still probably cross shop Midas when I break down and buy new ones.

stevekatkov

Thanks for the quick reply, Steve. The post you shared with me is very interesting. I was leaning toward OEM but, like you, planned on shopping Midas, etc. I'll tread (no pun intended) carefully and let you know what I decide to do. :shades:

ray80

I have a few thoughts that may help you in getting it back to good working order. For the hatch problem (assuming you hear no noise when using either inside cabin buttin or key fob) you could try unhooking the negative battery cable for 30 secs or so, or fuse #28 in underhood fuse box, that usually fixs it for a while anyway. For the power outlets its most likely a fuse and I'd have to check manual to see which ones it might be. A/C is it the compressor or condensor? Usually its the condensor that cracks and there is an updated one along with new mounting bracket. I know there was a few that had troubles with compressor and at one time there was a shield that was added to lesson chance of it being hit by road debris. Why do you think thermostat needs replacing? Which bulbs need replacing?

ray80

I would suspect it could be something to do with brake transaxle shift-interlock mechanism. It is located somewhere in center console sorta under shift lever. There could be something wrong with it or I have heard of wire going there either being frayed or stretched or possibly some corrosion on the connection.

ray80

There was a TSB dated July 02 that may address this, I'll put part of it here:
Bulletin No.: 0O-07-30-002B
Subject:
Slips, Harsh Upshift or Garage Shifts, Launch Shudders, Flares, Erratic Shifts and Intermittent Concerns, DTC P1811 or P0748 Set (Replace Pressure Control Solenoid Valve Assembly)

Condition:
Some owners of the above vehicles with a HydraMatic 4T65-E transaxle may comment on harsh upshifts or harsh garage shifts, soft shifts, shudders on hard acceleration, or shifts erratic. These conditions may appear intermittently or set a DTC P1811 or P0748. During diagnosis, a low or high line pressure (actual versus desired) may be observed.

Cause:
The above condition may be due to any one of the following which may affect line pressure output:

Sediment inside the pressure control (PC) solenoid valve, causing the PC solenoid valve to mechanically bind.
Sediment in the valve body, causing the torque signal regulator valve to stick.
Incorrect transaxle oil level.

bulldog31313

:confuse: Thank you Ray for all of the answers you have supplied however I do have a few more. I was told by a mechanic that my A/C compressor was out. What is the difference between a compressor and condensor? And how do I figure out which one is at fault? Now with my thermostat,early in the morning, when I crank up my vehicle and let it warm up, my temperature gauge will not move causing my check engine light to come on. A few times before I have been driving and the red hot oil temperature light has come on and the truck has overheated. Could this be my thermostat or something else? Pls help!

ray80

Sounds like the thermostat for sure with the additional info (gauge not moving and engine light). Your not losing coolant at all are you? For the A/C the condensor is/was the MOST comon culprit, but yours may have already been changed at some point and perhaps the compressor is indeed bad, usually they can put a dye in and find leaks where-ever they are.

sophiedeagron

I purchased a used 2002 Aztec in the winter of 2004. We have had no problems with it up until now.

A week ago it started overheating when I turned on the defroster. I took it to the garage and they told me it was the thermostat and that the DexCool coolant had gelled in my system. I shelled out over 300$ and when I picked it up that day, I was 5 blocks from the garage when it overheated again. I took it back to the garage, they hooked it up to every machine possible and all tests read negative, but they could tell it was Air-locking. They said my water pump was good, they had bled the coolant for over an hour, and when they checked it when it overheated, the coolant was in the hoses and not in the radiator at all. In fact the radiator was ice cold. The only thing they could think of was a blown head gasket, which makes no sense wither since it leaks ZERO antifreeze at all. It just backs up into the overflow and stays in the hoses and the overflow until it cools off and then ir runs normal again until you turn on the defrost or A/C. Today we found that the A/C no longer works at all. The A/C Compressor is completely not working. You turn on the A/C and nothing happens. The mechanic said they were at a complete loss as to what is wrong with it and unless I wanted to shell out another almost 2k$ on it, they wouldn't even know where to start other than the head gasket.

I've blown head gaskets before and had a mess on my hands. I leaked antifreeze like mad on my old car when the head gasket blew.

Has anyone else had similar problems? I've never had this happen before where it just overheats like crazy and even a new thermostat doesn't work.

Also, the garage refused to put DexCool in it and put in the green stuff since they said I was killing my system because the DexCool gels. Why is it recommended if this is going to be a problem?
Thank you all! :sick:

ray80

I have a couple thoughts, but most likely more questions then answers. I believe there are 2 bleed screws and hopefully they made use of both and since heater core is at highest elevation hopefully they had heater on when they tried bleeding air out. Also I would look to ensure the rubber hose in overflow tank (plastic jug on side) is properly attached and extends far enough down into tank so that it sucks coolant and not air back into radiater. new radiater cap may be in order also. Does temp gauage fo into red zone, and when it does are cooling fans turning on? Normaly if it was head gasket you should be seeing coolant leak or white smoke out exhaust I would think.

chubster

Hi I have a Pontiac Aztec 2001 and the fuel gage is not working it goes up and down, so I never know when my gas is running low, the low fuel light still comes on but at times it will go off, I have resorted to just watching how many miles i have driven. Has anyone had this problem please help!!!!!!!

sophiedeagron

they said they did with the bleeding, now if they did or not is another story. The temp gauge goes clear up until it hits the little stopper and sits there nonstop. There is no white smoke and I'm not losing coolant except for what is literally overflowing from my overflow now. \

I parked the car last night and it's staying parked until we can figure out what is wrong with it. Unfornately, we may end up just having to sell it and we still owe a lot on it.

ray80

Usually its the sending unit in the gas tank. It may have failed outright or may be sticky due to contamination (the right kind of fuel additive might fix it). Also there may be some corrosion in wireing that goes there.

donethat

I need a new battery and took my 2004 Aztek to Wal-Mart. They wouldn't do it because the battery is below the electrical box. If I take it to the dealership, they want $150 for the battery and installation. What has anyone else done? Is there a way to remove the battery without hurting the electrical box?
Thank you! Karen

donethat

I need a new battery and took my 2004 Aztek to Wal-Mart. They wouldn't do it because the battery is below the electrical box. If I take it to the dealership, they want $150 for the battery and installation. What has anyone else done? Is there a way to remove the battery without hurting the electrical box?
Thank you! Karen

wilpepsi

I have a 2001 with the exact same problem! I tried to have the dealer do a flush and fill in the spring when I noticed the temp gauge started to go up slightly higher than it always does, but they refused? So when the problem got a little worse I replaced the thermostat and it was fine all summer, last month it all the sudden spiked to the red and my coolant was boiling over while the radiator and hoses were cold. So the moral......Dex-cool is crap! Keep it out of your system, it clogged my new thermostat. flush the system several times (your mechanic only does it once) to get all the crap out and open the two bleeders when you fill it, your owners manual will tell you where to find them. If you use a flushing solution from auto store or walmart you might save your thermostat, they're a pain to get to.

ray80

Sounds like it is not a real easy task, but can be done.
Here is what another owner did (differs slightly then whats in owners manual):
First remove battery cables (as always negative one first and last to be connected)
Now you will need to remove the diagonal brace/bar that crosses over the battery, there is nothing to remove from the bottom of the underhood relay center, believe it or not, but that relay center does not rest on that bar, it just sits above it.
look towards the backside of the underhood relay center and you will see two 10mm bolts that secure one end of that bar to the top of the strut tower, remove those bolts.
Now look towards the front of the engine bay where the other end of that bar is and remove the two 13mm bolts that sucure it to the radiator core support...
Now simply pull that bar towards the front of the engine bay while angling it out towards the center of the bay to enable it to slide out from under the relay center...
Now that the bar is out of the way, look at the base of the battery on the backside, adjacent to the windshield washer bottle and notice the black plastic wedge shaped block that secures the battery to the battery tray, remove the 9/16" bolt in the center of the block and lift the battery from the tray...
Installation of the new battery is the exact opposite of the removal steps...

You should not have to remove fuse box, but you may have to finagle things around a bit (tight quarters), and you might want to have a bottle of iodine for any cuts and scrapes that occur

donethat

Thank you so very much! I have printed this out and will take it to Sears with me. God bless you!

waymoresblues

My 2001 overheated last night and today Pep Boys diagnosed a blown Head Gasket and quoted me $2300 ! I see you paid $700? Did you get a deal or am I being jipped?

waymoresblues

Pep Boys quote on my 2001 that was overheating.

waymoresblues

Not sure if the design is the same though.

tidester

Enjoy!

tidester, host

donethat

I took it to Sears and they did it. Thanks for everyone's help!

ray80

I think $2300 sounds a bit high. I've seen recent quotes people have gotten in the $1500-$1800 range. $700 (even a tad high perhaps) is more in line with intake manifold gasket replacement (the most common gasket failure on the 2001's). Personaly I think I would have it looked at by dealer.

jlamson

I have a 2003 Aztek. This summer when using the AC, the blower worked sometimes, and sometimes it did not. Now that it is cold out, warm air feels available, but the blower isn't working. When moving in traffic, warm air will gently come out of the upper vents, but not on the floor. Is my motor gone, or could it be something else?

Since I'm here, when starting the car, sometimes the ignition switch keeps the starter engaged. When it was under warranty, the dealer said it is operating as designed. Does something need to be lubed or something?

Thanks,

--Jim

ray80

Hhmm could be a number of things. First does the sound change at all when changing fan speeds, or at some point did the lower speeds seem to stop working first? If so it may be the blower motor resister assembly. Simple things to check would be the cabin air filter (if equiped) behind a door and panel cover in back of glove box (check for debris there also) and make sure cowl under hood near lower part of windshield isn't clogged with leaves or anything.

jlamson

Thank-you for your reply. I opened the 2 covers for the cabin filter and there is nothing behind them. The cowl under the hood is clear. The blower does not do anything at any setting, but the lights give the appearance as though it works, so I think the controls are okay.

Last night I first just slapped the blower motor trim panel and the blower came to life. So then I removed the blower motor trim panel, and pulled the power plug. I noticed that one of the contacts appears burnt. I plugged/unplugged several times to clean it up a bit, and will go out today to try and find a new replacement plug ... but I'm concerned as to why it's burnt in the first place. Any ideas?

Thanks, --Jim

ray80

I think the burnt/welded look might imply a loose connection that was arcing (short). It may have come from factory that way, or perhaps somewhere along the line something was worked on and created a bad connection. You might want to consider replacing both sides of the connection to ensure there is a tight/clean fitment.

jlamson

Do you know if the other end of the plug hard-mounted to the motor, or if its on a wiring harness attached to the motor? :shades:

--Jim

ray80

That I don't know, fortunately for me I haven't had to go there (yet anyway )

jlamson

I'll give it a shot, will post back when I'm done.

--Jim :shades:

elkein

Tell your passengers not to kick the wiring harness...
I've seen this before in other vehicles.
Of course better protection on some of those plugs would help too.

darthporno

I just bought an 04 with the cargo trey thing and want to get the tent but I'm wondering, how are we supposed to sleep in here with the rails for the cargo trey bolted to the floor?