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Comments
Thanks,
Todd
Chris
Front part #12497608 and rear #12497609. Easy to install. tim
My question is, can the "better seals" at the A-pillars be retrofitted to the existing vehicles. All that other stuff probably is not practical. Planning to visit a Buick dealer as soon as the Rainiers start coming in to study the situation.
Well, if you think we're getting junk now, wait until they're made in China by 15 year olds!
My entire door panels are so darn loose that those stupid little bezels that snap in around the interier door opener handle randomly fly off! Took it back for the 35,999 mile "last hurrah" warranty work (the list was looooong!) Instead or reattaching the interior panels with new push in do-hickies (they are worn out because the dealer has had them off 3 times each to fix other in door stuff), they just ordered new bezels and snapped them on! Now I have new bezels that pop off at random!
And whoever it was that say they get 21mpg going 75 on the highway! Are you sure you haven't mistaken a Chevette for an SUV? I get 17 in a mix of town and highway. Jumps to 20 on all highway trips at about 70mph through the "rolling hills" if Indiana.
Snaab.. If you notice, FIRST.. it is virtually next to impossible to find 2wd anything in the state of Michigan. In the town that I grew up, a local dealer had a 2wd Trail Blazer EXT that has been sitting in their showrooms for a little over 6 months now. I asked the dealer why that unit hasn't sold and he mentioned "because someone screwed up on the ordering and viola.. a 2wd model arrived! We cannot give it away."
Given that you may live in a Detroit Metro suburb as opposed to "Detroit," there is absolutely NO WAY that I would consider purchasing a 2wd Envoy. I know the roads, I know how,when and at what frequency they will plow the roads and most importantly... RESALE VALUE..
If you are planning on keeping the unit and driving it until the wheels fall off, then you may not have to worry about resale. But.. I honestly think that if you are going to continue living in the midwest, the extra cash for the 4wd unit will give you a higher level of assurance. I braved Michigan's winter this year and having rid myself of my 2002 Envoy last November, I absolutely regretted not having an SUV this season. I had to get around using my 02 Impala LS with traction control. VERY FRUSTRATING since I had been used to an SUV for quite some time. Now that I have the 2003 Envoy SLT XL in my possession, I cannot wait until winter arrives <SMILE>.
In my opinion, 2wd is fine out WEST.. at least there it makes a little bit more sense to me. As my best friend says, "In Michigan.. everyone's PRIMARY car is an SUV, then they have another car tucked away in their garage." Also, when driving my SUV on wet pavement in 2wd (yes I have limited slip), sometimes getting away from stop-lights can be a chore. In some cases, just getting over that white-strip at the light causes the tires to spin. Kind of reminds me of driving a very traditional RWD vehicle of the 70's and 80's. In order to conquer this at times, I will engage the transaxle in A4WD to assist with maneuvering on wet/rainy days. Although It doesn't slip enough to engage the 4wd system, the A4WD does engagage the front axles in a passive manner, therefore the steering is tighter and you will not slip when accelerating. Unfortunatly, in these particular cases, I do miss the AWD systems that were on my previous vehicles (i.e. 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited) but oh well.
Truthfully, I do not think that you will notice a big difference in fuel economy with the 2wd vs. 4wd (unless you are using 4wd all the time). Check it out, weight the options and IF you are elidgeable for GM discount, use that extra cash savings to your advantage and purchase the 4wd model.. Heck.. you may even be able to step up to an SLT (GM PEP Vehicle) cheaper than you can buy a SLE off the lot with rebates! For example, my aunt just purchased her 2003 TB LT EXT through the pep program. Vehicle stickered for $40K new, she got it for $29K BEFORE REBATES! Yeah.. she had over 6K on the odometer when it arrived, but what a deal! After I purchased my 03, I found out from my father's friend that the PEP program can be extended to siblings NOW! This is good because prior to this change, a factory official vehicle (PEP Vehicle) could only be title in the GM employees (or spouses) name. I am also considering a second smaller vehicle myself and now knowing this, I am probably going to purchase a PEP vehicle myself to reap the savings!
Good Luck!
IExplore2000
"And whoever it was that say they get 21mpg going 75 on the highway! Are you sure you haven't mistaken a Chevette for an SUV? I get 17 in a mix of town and highway. Jumps to 20 on all highway trips at about 70mph through the "rolling hills" if Indiana."
Answer: YUP. I only got 19.6 last year on essentially the same trip. But, last year I started out with only about 5K on the odometer. this year I started with about 15K. I have 3.73 rear axle and have never had any pcm updates.
EGADS!!! How did we survive without 4WD in the past? I mean really, HOW DID WE SURVIVE? I used 4WD maybe 4 times last winter here in Wisconsin. My friend made it thru the winter just fine with his 2WD (non-posi) pick up with bad tires. 30 years ago, hardly anyone had 4WD and we made it thru the winters on bias ply tires. Sure 4WD will get you going faster, but traffic will only slow
you down. It doesn't help you stop or steer any better either. It uses more fuel, and is more expensive to maintain.
My Envoy handles just fine in the rain. I've never had any wheelspin, slipping, sliding, etc. Of course if you drive like an idiot, flooring it at every stopsign and on every curve..................and yes, I'm usually ahead of the pack when the light turns green.
I got 4WD because I do go off-road. I do pull a boat out of a muddy river. I will use it in the U.P of Michigan. For local/city driving, it's nice, but hardly a neccessity. Of course. that's why we live in the good 'ole USA, we can choose what we want to drive!
GAM
The standard radio is a little pip-squeak of a thing, probably good for AM listening only.
I have a few low speed suspension squeaks that remind me I'm in a +5,000 Lb. vehicle, but even blasting the Bose has not rattled anything loose, nor has 22K miles of daily driving.
Chris
I got a Delphi Skyfi XM Radio and had it mounted on that thing. Works perfectly. It's in the best possible spot and covers that ugly scene. Just looked so cheap.
Before I got the XM I was tempted to pop it out, fill it with putty, sand it down, and paint it to match the dash. It just screamed cheap. Not what I wanted in the LTZ.
Anyone else really turned off by that cover?
Nearing 39000 miles no other problems. But my tires are down to 5 on the tire tread gage depth. I am thinking of replacing them any advice, on what brand.
Last has chevy put out a a computer upgrade for the PCM? I was reading a post on a site where this guys claim his mileage improved a little after this upgrade?
BTW: the external temp for the trip home started out at 88 degrees, and read exactly 100 degrees when I pulled into the driveway. Needless to say the A/C was running full bore the whole way, too.
Still only getting between 17 & 18 around town, however.
There is no "cabin air filter" in these to replace. Nothing in the GM service manual HVAC section, nothing in the owners manual concerning maintaining a cabin air filter. I think I would find a new dealer.
Anyways, my Intrigue has one and I do it myself. The part is only $20 from Mr. Goodwrench, and it only takes a few minutes to install. So if your vehicle has one I would suggest trying to do it yourself. Of course you could always call the parts department and ask how much the cabin air filter is - if it doesn't exist you'll know for sure...
I disagree. I think mine (CD-Cassette unit) sounds pretty good if I bypass the preset tone settings, set the Treble to Max and set the Bass to the mid-point. The AM is the weak point. No high freq response at all, sounds like all the highs from about 3kHz up are completely filtered or cut out. Sure do miss the wide-band hi-fi AM-Stereo radio quality my old '88 S-10 has... and it even produces hi-fi AM on monaural stations.
Regarding 4wd, I agree with gam2. I lived in Chicago for years and never had 4wd. Had Buick 225's, 2wd pickups and even a Mustang GT. We certainly had some adventures on the bad days, but those bad days didn't happen enough to make the extra $$ worth it. I live in the 'Natti now and they had to search all over Ohio to find me a 2wd TB. I only wish I could have found some dealer ready to "give one away"!!!
Chicago is west of Lake Michigan. Michigan is east of it. That makes a big difference in snowfall. I'd get the 4WD for sure. If you can afford a brand new vehicle, you can afford the extra money for 4WD. It's an SUV - it's supposed to be 4WD. It's not going to feel good when you're struggling through snow covered roads with your brand new 2WD SUV.
I'm not saying it's absolutely necessary. It's just that it makes too much sense to get 4WD.
Thanks,
Elevatorguy
They are recommending replacing transmission fluid and front and read diff fluid. These are the original fluid right now.
Is this a good idea or a service dept. looking to make some $$??
Cabin filters for other vehicles vary in price because some contain carbon.
Scott: You can't compare Chicago with western Michigan, but it does compare with Detroit. We get our share of 12-14" snowfalls here on the south side of 'da lake. No doubt 4WD makes things easier, but I've never got stuck on the roads in 25+ years of driving (mostly 2WD).
GAM
It is an 8 amp draw approx 95watts.
How long can I keep this plugged in with the engine not running before draining down my battery?
I am thinking in terms of stopping for a meal for an hour. Would I need to disconnect the plug or does the power down feature in my truck give me adeguate protection??
Since then, I've always lived by that logic because it does make a lot of sense to me. I would surely hate or regret not having a feature just to save a few pennies. I laughed the other day because a good friend has a new vehicle in which he could have bought the NAVIGATIONAL system, but NOOOO.. It was an extra $800!! NOW.. he says, "Man.. I wish I would have got the NAVI system now? DO you think that I can trade it in for one with the NAVI?" My response, "Too LATE.. Gonna loose more by trading than just keeping!"
Maybe it's just me being a spoiled brat, but that's just my logic. IF I cannot have top of the line of a certain model (with all bells and whistles) then I don't want it . :-)
Guess that's why I don't drive MB, or BMW because they bring a whole new meaning to "top-of-the-line" with their pricing structures. Before the second Envoy, I looked closely at the M series SUV. Although I wanted the ML-55 model, I wasn't gonna spend the $60+K to get it, so I would have settled for the ML-430 which ran mid $40's. This is sad considering that it's essentially the same "looking" vehicle, but the pricing structure starts the vehicle in the mid $30's and quickly runs a tab up to almost $70K!
Good thing the general doesn't pull this or else there would be a lot of triplets on the dealer's lots!
IExplore2000
It adds $24.41 to your payment at 8% apr over 4 years! :-)
tidester, host
IExplore2000
I just sold my aunts 02 Trail Blazer LTZ and it had ~49K on the odometer and the BF's were still looking and performing fairly well.
Actually, I think that I may eventually replace my Michelen (sp?) Cross Terrains with a set of BF Good Rich tires. The BF Open Trails are a very flat tire with a stiff sidewall. That makes the handling a little better in my opinion. Much more responsive, but maybe not as soft/cushiony as the Cross Terrains. I do think that if you opt'd for the Envoy with skid plates, you could get the BF tires? If I do purchase a set, more than likely they will not have the white lettering in order to keep the original look of the Envoy's that you see on the road today.
Good Luck!
IExplore2000
Well, you DID ask! ;-)
Seriously, I'd go for it!
tidester, host
I have had no major complaints about my Envoy but I got to say it was interesting last night when my wipers failed in the rain. Good thing I wasn't at hiway speeds. This will be the third time this has happened! The first two motors (a year ago) where full of water. Sometimes the motor will fail gradually, operating by itself (at least you get a little warning)
tblazed, you mention in you post #11519
The used one I took apart was "caulked" all around the cover with a black tar substance. That's not where the water gets in. It gets in thru the electrical connector. You can see the motor and gear [non-permissible content removed]'y and the connector thru the cowl vent openings right there, exposed to the elements!
Should I drill a hole in the bottom of the new one to make it "self" draining as well as try to seal the opening in the top??
I took the plunge and covered up my flawed grille by installing the E&G Classics Denali "Z" Grille. I can highly recommend the grille insert. Quality is superb. Instructions precise and clear. The insert lays right over the existing grille and you have to remove the factory grille to install it, which believe it or not is a simple thing to do. I washed the factor grille then brought it into the house to attach the insert on the kitchen table. My wife supervising off course. BTW, removing the grille gave me the opportunity to see how well the Envoy is put together, I was pleased. The insert is heavy gauge and laser cut. The GMC emblem is easily removed from the factory grille and the insert has precisely drilled holes to reattach it. Looks great as though it came from the factory.
Took about 1.5 hours to install but I am sure someone handier than me could shave some time off of that mark.
A new grille would have cost me $350, the insert was $260 and will help withstand the onslaught of more road hazards than just the factory grille could alone. Plus it looks cool. I'll take some pictures and try to post them.
Happy Motoring
Chris
Surprised the new one had the same failure. Pretty obvious what the problem is with these after taking one apart.
You would have to get the wiper motor gear [non-permissible content removed]'y out first. That involves removing the wiper arm plastic nut covers, nuts, arms, and cowl to get to it. Then you have to be careful not to drill into one if the relays or other electrical components on the circuit board inside. The vent in the top should stay open to allow ventilation. email me if you really want to try doing this and I will send you a pic of the one I have apart so you can see where the drain hole can go without drilling into something. You do not want to remove the cover that is sealed with that tar caulking stuff. A major mess!
Thanks.
Glad that you posted info concerning the grill inserts. From the looks of the Envoy's that have this style grill (at least in Michigan), at a distance, it looks as if they were simply installed on top of the orginal grill?
Maybe I am wrong, or maybe you have access to a better kit? I like the look, but the few that I have seen on the road look as if the original grill is behind the new one... I did not like the looks of that setup. Please send me pics of your grill insert if you have a chance! (e-mail: living4goodlife@aol.com) Sounds as if it's not that difficult to install and might be well worth the time/effort!
Thanks!
IExplore2000
RX330. The fit and finish are light years ahead of my Envoy. If GM could inject a little Lexus in their vehicles, they could justify their prices without massive rebates or 0% financing.
GAM
How do you describe a "ladies" vehicle? Well.. this could get me into trouble, but not really. <SMILE> It just does not have an aggressive-type stance as say the Infiniti FX-45? Don't get me wrong, I think that it's very nice looking but it's a little short for my tastes. I still like the die-hard look/stance of taller SUV's such as the Envoy's, 4 Runner's, etc.
IExplore2000
I am going to do my first oil change on the 03 TB today. Yesterday I got under it to see what I would be up against. I swung the access panel out of the way and the drain plug is right there. The filter, however is another story. I can accesss it through the panel also, but when I crack it loose it seems as if it's not really lined up completly over the access hole and when it drains it will make somewhat of a mess. Any ideas on how to change the filter without getting oil all over the place?
Thanks,
Elevatorguy
I've added zero performance mods to my TB. (but lots of appearance mods, however) I've got an '02 LTZ 4WD with the 3.73 rear end. For this particular trip, I went ahead and ran 91 octance, since I knew I'd be loaded for bear and would be running through pretty hilly terrain with the A/C on. (Don't know if the extra octain helped, but it sure didn't hurt)
One thing I did do, however, was run the air pressure way up in my tires. Once I got it loaded, the tires were really squatting, so I ran 'em up to 38 psi all the way around. Rode a little rougher over the crappy MO roads, but sure did sing right along. (BTW: I feel like my mileage is still improving a bit, as I just went over 9k miles on my return trip.)
I've spent the last week cleaning up drips (Understatement) from my garage floor from the mess the Service Dept left for me.
Problems to date.....first while on vacation with a vehicle that's 6 weeks old, the power steering pump fries. Since it's 6PM the roadside assistance (that's a funny name since it's anything but) tell's us they will send a tow truck and we can go to Enterprise and rent a car. They GIVE US the number to Enterprise and TELL US to call them. Bad luck, it's past 6PM, Enterprise is closed! GM's response, we'll tow your vehicle for you. Great, what do I do with my family and pets I have in my truck? Their answer? Oh they didn't have one.....we drove it as is (no power steering) to the closest Hotel to the closest dealer and stayed the night (per Roadside Asst direction) I guess if Enterprise is closed so is Chevrolet! After being told by Roadside Assistance that the hotel would be reimbursed, upon turning the bill in we were given 60% of the bill and told that it is not covered. At least our dealer covered the rest eventually. The next day we got a rental at Enterprise (I guess none of the several hundred cars on the dealers lot were available) and continued our trip. Got our TB back the next week.
Next....several weeks later it's starting to get hot out! Turn on the AC.....goes cools as expected then starts intermitting warm and cool air. Took it in, they replaced a cycle sensor on the AC system.
Next....wife can't open the back driver's side door. Then it works then it don't....figure we'll have it looked at next time it's convenient. No big deal......
Next....driving down the highway, the semi next to me starts changing lanes into my lane and almost hits me....hit the horn!! OH, IT DOESN'T WORK! Worked several days ago. Works the day after!!!! Can you say electrical short?? Have to have that looked at too.
The very next day as we're leaving work, I open the door (nothing else, key still in hand) and the rear AC fan's are going! The car is off, key is out, fans are going! Called for the appointment immediately. This morning (BTW the appt is tommorow morning) go out to start the TB and surpise, surprise it's dead. No lights, no nothing. Find out another fine feature of this vehicle, YOU CAN'T GET YOUR KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION IF THE BATTERY IS DEAD. That's right, you put in your key, try to start it and it's locaked in. Luckily it's on my driveway (this time). Of course, having your electrical problems drain your battery to nothing does alot to hurt the long term health of your battery but I'm not planning on owning this one too much longer.
Now, I have had quite a few vehicles in my day and I relaize vehicles have problems, even new ones. But when you pay $3x,000 for a vehicle you should be able to depend on it for at least a couple of years. I would never consider keeping this vehicle past the warranty. I coudn't afford it!
I traded my Dodge Ram 1500 for this thing and I am major league unhappy that I did. Went based on my experience with a 1999 Tahoe! That was a great vehicle. Wish I still had it! Would not recommomend the TrailBlazer to anyone from my experience.