Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
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I don't know if the towing package is making a difference in the mileage. I think that the engine may run cooler due to the additional capacity in the radiator (hard to tell with the temp. gage having no numbers!)
Oh well, I guess Gamera just becomes that much more unique. They broke the mold when they built that one.
CWJ
I'm not as active in townhall anymore either. I guess after 15,000 trouble free miles, RDV ownership is pleasant, but uneventful.
I still look forward to trips to the market...any excuse to drive it.
It is a joy to drive at night. Silky-silent ride, gentle green glow of the instruments, Davis & Coltrane jamming on the stereo.
It is a joy to drive during the day. Windows down, moonroof open, Drowning Pool blasting on the stereo.
The RDV is still very rare up here...and it still gets lots of (admiring) looks. My wife carpools with it once per month and her co-workers all LOVE it.
Personally, I go about 4-5000 miles on mobil one, less if its driven hard. And be sure and check oil regularly, 5x30 is thin enough to be down a quart at like 2000 miles on a new motor.
There is no better oil I've found. This stuff is good.
DD
Thanks for all the info & Lance good luck ! Your trouble list put me back up on the fence.
And yes I know, every make of car is going to have it's problems.
I just got back from a 1900 mile trip. Philadelphia, PA to Champaign-Urbana, IL and back, with another few hundred miles within Illinois driving to and from Havana, IL.
I'm not sure what the mileage on the way to IL was, I didn't watch it closely. But on the trip home, I reset the DIC mileage counter just as I hit the highway on-ramp. The only non-highway driving was during two gas stops and one dinner stop (totalled less than 4 miles, I'm sure). I averaged 23.5 mpg. My speed probably averaged about 65mph, but I didn't reset that gauge before the trip started. I was driving in rain for pretty much the whole trip home.
Considering that the RDV even has this "PREFERRED 5w-30" engraved in the filler cap, should I be concerned?
I'm thinking that this is simply a cost-cutting move. One tank of oil necessary for all cars new or old, and isn't 5w slightly more expensive?
P.S. I'm considering Mobil 1 Synthetic Oil for my first RDV oil change.
In their just published test of the 2002 AWD Aztek, Edmunds says, "...the powertrain is smooth and potent pleasure."
BTW - does anyone here change their oil like every 3 month even if they don't reach 3000 miles in that time? My RDV was manufactured in January but I have only ~1400 miles on mines which is over 6 months.
Just letting you know that my RDV has hit the 24,000 mile mark after our 2nd trip to Vegas in the year that I have owned my vehicle. Actually it won't be a year until July 31, 2002. One problem in Vegas, the Air Con only worked well with recycled air. I have to believe that that is a mechanical problem as my air con was making a funny wheezing sound when I accelerated. Otherwise the car ran beautifully. We took out the captains chairs in the second seat for more interior room for a cooler and luggage. When we picked up our friends at the airport that night, they felt like they were in a limo in the third row seat with the second row out. Lots of leg room. I might reach 25K before the month is out as a trip to Reno is in the works. My dealer said its time for a trade in, but my last car (a Mazda Navajo) went 225,000 miles before I sold it, so my dealer will have to wait.
Does anyone see a reason not to do this? I figure if Buick puts it in there then it must be okay.
5-30 is what the new motors are engineered for, and the new oils are nothing like what we had in teh 70's (remember 10-40?). 5-30 is fine, unless you find your consumption is too high, then you can use the thicker stuff.
the Mobil 1 is very slick and will have a greater tendency to ooze past the seals a tiny bit, but you won't be getting driveway drips or anything but the pan will look wet. Its just so dang slick the seals can't contain all of it. It also may get past the rings more than you are used to, so check oil regularly.
DD
The trip was wonderful. The roominess and comfort were awesome and the drive was very smooth and uneventful. The one aspect of the vehicle that I was a bit surprised about was the RDV's ability to handle the hilly terrain. Pick -up and power were fine with four people and luggage; even on fairly steep inclines.
Just thought a few of you would like to know. Been averaging about 16-16.5 MPG around town.
Regards,
S
I have been enjoying my Rendezvous for about 4 months now. I would really appreciate your comments on these "problems". I am not sure if this is normal or not.
The first problem is when I am coasting (foot off the gas) at around 20 KM per hour. When I very gently press the gas pedal to accelerate the vehicle "jumps" forward. It is as if the transmission downshifts and engages hard with a lurch when I accelerate under these conditions. I am not sure if this is my driving, or a problem with my car, or a general behavior of the Rendezvous.
The next problem that I have noticed is when I am a full stop and I simply take my foot of the brake with no pressure on the gas pedal, the car seems to momentarily stall and then recover. What I mean is that I can hear the engine stalling and I can feel the engine shaking. Is this normal behavior? My other cars never had either of these problems.
Thanks for any insights you can offer.
-Sean
The second problem I've experienced first hand in my other car last year. I could hear the engine going to stall and actually see the tach go down to 0. Then after it closes onto 100 RPMs, it would spike back up to 4000 RPMS and this all happens within a few seconds after stopping at red lights and attempting to accelerate. Many members of a forum I belonged too said to change the oxygen sensors and then the IAC (Idle air control valve that controls how much air is going to your enginer when idling). It solved it for a while but came back. Next I tried a full tune-up (change sparks, coil wires, PCV valves, fuel filter, etc.) and again worked for a while. Lastly I put in some fuel injector cleaner and that seems to have done the trick. You should know I had 77K miles on a 24valve DOHC engine.
Steve
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As most of the oldtime regulars here know, it's been somewhat uncommon to spot another RDV on the road over the past year. Coincidentally, last week another RDV identical to ours (Pewter w/ Grey Mist CXL) was right behind us as we were were leaving our camp area (Lake of the Springs - North East of Sacramento). How times have changed...
As my wife drives the RDV most of the time, I'm not as tuned-in to the minor problems that I've read reported here. I just checked-out the rubber boot on the gear shifter and indeed ours is "separated" as well. We'll follow-up on this w/ the Buick dealer.
Something that our (Non-Buick) mechanic has mentioned at the last 2 oil changes as a problem is that the AWD case is leaking some oil. Buick was supposed to have tightened/fixed the problem a few months ago, but the problem still persists. I suggest those of you w/ AWD models watch for leaks.
I noted that someone mentioned a recall on the GM tow hitch... anybody have a link to this recall? I'll try to check the NTSB(?) for possible info. I know Buzbo got a tow hitch at about the same time we did, but I'm not sure his was from GM?
As I said, no major problems over the past year. My wife and kids have been enjoying the car. The extra headsets in the second row sure have been handy!
Congrats to all you new RDV owners and best regards to all you oldtimers (Fedlawman, Ken, Boondocks, R5, cwj, buzbo, et al).
John B.
Go 9er's!
ps: And yes, it was a fumble!!!
Buzz
Keep in touch,
Brian
Buzz: I tried to research on the GM, Buick & NTSB sites re: the recalled hitch, but to no avail. It's kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack - you'd think it would be easier. dwebster mentioned the issue in post #2524. Hopefully something pops up so that we know what we should do. Let me know if you find out anything.
John B.
Did anyone find a site with the changes for 2003 yet ? Given the price, I would suspect that there aren't many standard equip changes, if any ?
Interesting to note the interior of an 03 with DVD system at the dealership. MSRP was around $34 and this vehicle was loaded with every imaginable option.
Everything seemed fine, got home, couldnt' pop rear hatch from remote, couldn't open windows, couldn't close sunroof (rain was predicted for that night!), "Security" light flashing on console. OnStar gave me a couple things to try, neither worked.
Dropped Rondy off at Buick the following Monday (the garage I parked it in had leaks in the roof and some rain came through the sunroof!...but not a truly significant amount). They said "something" was wrong with the BCM, but they didn't know specifically what, but that they'd need to replace it. Since they didn't have the part, they'd have it overnighted. I got a loaner car (junky little thing with crumbs on the front seat and barely an eighth of a tank of gas!) and the next day the Rondy was done. No problems since then.
Check out my recent post (currently #252) over in the Rendezvous vs. pilot thread. I think you may be sympathetic.
CWJ
I like that, "Nothing good can come from Plood".
I haven't thought about Mr. Bill, Sluggo, or his dog for many a year. That made me laugh heartily. I think it's about time that we all take a stand against Plood. Next thing you know, they'll want to put it on the exterior of our vehicles (no more Woody station wagons!)
BTW, I remember when I was 11 or 12 years old, we'd go to Cantor's Bakery after dinner on Saturday and load up on chips & dip, gobstoppers, bottle caps, pixy sticks, etc. then fight off sleep until 1:00 am, all with the hope of seeing Mr. Bill.
http://www.driveultimate.com/Buick/3S502240_1.html
~lance