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Comments
I'm thinking about getting XM radio, but I'm getting turned off by all the jury-rigging that I'd have to do. I don't like the concept of using the FM broadcasting thing. Also, I wonder if I can use my OnStar antenna for the XM radio.
Thanks
Wxman
They make a variety of solutions to retro fit non factory radios, etc. I don't have xm radio but could see it's benefits if one liked a certain kind of music and/or was in their car often. I see where they have added traffic/weather reports for many cities.
I do like the looks of the Borla exhaust, though.
My three cents
tblazed - Your TB hardly looks like a Subaru or minivan! I put Eibachs on all four corners of the Envoy and it looks low, lean and mean and handles far better than when it left the lot. I take it you like the Hotchkiss kit. Is it a good kit with nice fit and finish? I also need to upgrade the shocks but haven't found any yet. The Eibachs are 25%+ stiffer than stock and can overwork the Bilsteins in hard cornering but I'm living with it.
It's going to be great.
Steve, Host
Not a whole lot to the kit. 1 rear stablilzer bar that's ±1/4" bigger dia. than stock and 4 urethane bushings. Two for the back, two for the front stock bar. Just this alone made a big difference in the handling. New rear bar is finished in a nice powdercoated gloss black.
Something to consider with "mods" from stock, and why someone would deviate from "factory". These vehicles are set up to suit a wide array of customers, uses and driving styles, and a lot of differences are split on handling vs. off road capability, etc. I look at suspension mods as tuning the vehicle for my own particular use. I drive mine on paved streets only. That's my purpose. Obviously someone else must have thought of the same mods I wanted to do, too, or these aftermarket springs (and the stabilizer bar/bushing kit) wouldn't exist.
I also second your Hotchkis kit comments.
Anyways...on mounting. I have a LTZ and for some reason, it didn't come with stability control or whatever goes above the back wiper (no, for the back window, not my right hand). The vehicle kit works perfectly. It covers the, IMO, UGLY TB plastic thing that goes there. I was even going to pop that thing out and putty it and sand it smooth to get rid of it before I chose to go XM. I have the 6 disc changer and used the FM modulator kit. It works really well. Perfect reception, it's either on or off, no static. Sometimes cuts out if through a long tunnel or behind something blocking the southern sky (like an awning, trees don't matter). I drove from TX to TN a couple of months ago and was great listening to the same station for 5 hours and never hearing a repeat and having a funny as hell DJ (Sonny Fox).
Hopefully that'll show up. That's where it sits in mine and it's easy to reach and doesn't block any buttons or knobs (well it may make the volume/power one harder to get to, but I use the steering wheel buttons for volume so doesn't bother me).
I don't think the pics we post are for everyone's approval, we just want you to see the mods you can do if you so desire. I've seen pics of 22 inch rims on a lowered chassis, off road tires and a lift kit on another, and tblazed's hybrid. They all look great. Why ? Because the owners dared to be different, unique, and to stand out in the crowd. IMO, no matter what you do to them, an Envoy looks like an Envoy, and a TB looks like a TB. Question to tblazed. I love the look of the "level" ride. My Envoy has 1-1/2" difference just from the front to the back of the running boards. Hit the brakes and you feel like the rear end is two feet above you. With the suspension mod you did, do you think the tongue weight of a boat trailer will drop the rear end below the front end ?
Thanks, Tom
Remember, we're mutants, and don't want to look like everyone else.
P.S. you should obscure you license plate when posting pictures, otherwise the mutant hunters can find you.
Frank
What GM needs to do IMO is have a "Z71" suspension option for the off-roaders and a "ZQ8" type performance suspension option for us ON-roaders.
http://www.saigoninfo.com/jokes/pictures/got_rice_car.htm
I see entirely too many of these mutant cars.
There needs to be some criticism at times to prevent this sort of thing.
It might. These new springs are variable or progressive rate springs, so they get firmer the more compressed they are, compared to the regular springs. If that becomes an issue in the future I will add Airlifts (P/N 60779) to the rear springs so I can adjust as needed. Then I can get the benefit of the improved handling and still load it down.
Just another example of a slacker mutant doing a half-a**ed job again.
I'm in the western suburbs of Chicago and would have to say it's quite the opposite. I see maybe two out of ten female drivers. I have three friends that own either an Envoy, or a TB and they're all male. Granted, their wives may drive them from time to time, though.
And the "bee-beep" horn- gotta find one of those too..
I am in New England and, as I am sure many of you have seen on TV, it's bitterly cold here. With the wind chill, it's about 25 below zero:-( Anyways, when i started up the TrailBlazer this morning, it's an 03 LT that I bought new in May, I heard a nasty screaming noise. I thought the starter didn't completely disengage at first. I immediately shut it off, then re-started. I now noticed that it didn't really sound like a grinding noise as I had first thought, but more of a loud squeal. I shut it off again and re-started. It continued. As I moved the steering wheel, I noticed that the noise changed and, within a few more seconds, went away. This leads me to believe that it's either the power steering pump or something belt driven. I checked the power steering fluid and it's full. Anyone else experience this? After work today (the truck was sitting about 8 or 9 hours) the noise again came back when i started it, but didn't last as long. Is this a common problem? Is replacing the pump the solution? Also, I was surprised that the engine didn't crank over at the speed that it nearly does when warm. I understand it was extremely cold, but it was as if the battery was really weak. Please post back if you have any info on this.
Thanks,
Todd
This was my experience, hope it helps to diagnose your problem or at least eliminate likely suspects.
Chris
Chris
However, it's only been below zero in Denver a couple times since I've owned my Trailblazer.
It's a whining noise, but goes away fairly quickly. So, it may be a normal thing and perhaps tolerances are such that some pumps are noisier than others.
I wouldn't worry about it. Power steering pumps are generally pretty tough and are one of the cheaper things to replace.
As for cranking speed, make sure your battery is good, but engines are always slow to crank when they're cold. The battery has less power when it's cold and the oil is pretty thick at that temperature. Don't get me started on the benefits
of synthetic oil in the extreme cold.
Thanks,
Todd
Also, I am a little disappointed with a lot of GM truck problems so vividly described on this forum - so, is it worth getting one of these GM truck over an import, lets say Sequoya or Pathfinder Armada, even if it's so much less money?
Also the air suspension pump makes more noise during extremely cold temperatures and takes longer to pump up the rear suspension.
But the engine cranks normally and starts even in -20 F below temperatures we had this week.
Bobbies
Regarding reliability, there are issues with every make and model to one degree or another. Considering last time I saw any numbers they had sold 800,000 or so triplets, the initial problems should be worked out. A lot of the problems were with the first 9 months or so of production, if you go all the way back to the beginning of this message board. Tomorrow is my 2nd anniversary of owning my TB and it's been in for a computer reprogram, 3 fairly minor recalls, one was a fuel filter clip. That's the only part that's been replaced on mine so far. I fixed a couple of minor rattles myself. But then I don't drive a whole lot, and park in a garage that never gets down below 35-40° in the winter, even if it's 10-15° outside.
My 5¢ worth.
I just read all the complaints you guys had, and they scared me, reminding me on the years of my Pontiac's ownership. I thought the GM bad quality is a thing of the past. Would you know, what is the best additional warranty I can buy to cover the truck to 100,000 - 120,000 miles bumper-to-bumper?
I treated it as a safety issue, the headlights were aimed too low to drive safely at night. Also, I felt that it did not look right either. They made the adjustment under warranty with no problem at all. There was a tech bulliten on how to do it from GM's tech website that I printed off for them. It showed how to adjust the two sensors on the system. We used to have a GM guy regularly active on this board, and he gave us tips on how to access GM's own tech website. When GM found out about us using it, they closed the loophole we were using to get access really fast!
To do it properly, you will find on each headlight lens a small round marker. Measure that height, then mark that height 25' in front of the vehicle on a wall. Do the other side the same way, then draw a straight line across those two marks. Turn on your low beams and adjust the beams so the top edge of the pattern is 2" below the center line.
Yes! Also, forgo options that you really don't need and you'll have less trouble. It's the gizmos that get ya! And that's true for any car, not just GM.