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Buick Rainier, Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy

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Comments

  • scottc454scottc454 Member Posts: 356
    Are there for sure AUX inputs in the back of the factory radio? If so, how do you tell the radio to use that as input since there's no AUX button on the front? I have the 6 disc changer.

    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.
  • wxman4wxman4 Member Posts: 53
    When using the A4WD position is the indicator light on the switch supposed to move to 4Hi when slippage is detected? I was using the A4WD in some heavy rain recently and noticed once that the 4Hi light illuminated briefly and the A4WD light was out. After a moment the 4Hi light flashed and went out while the A4WD light came back on. Switch was in A4WD entire time. I mentioned it to service advisor and he informed me it was normal operation. However, the answer is suspect because he also said if I was going slow enough in A4WD the transfer case would automatically shift all the way into 4Lo as well. Hmmmm....

    Thanks
    Wxman
  • n7donn7don Member Posts: 188
    Suggest contacting http://peripheralelectronics.com/2002/home.asp
    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.
  • 2002slt2002slt Member Posts: 228
    The indicator light should stay on whatever mode is chosen. If it jumps to a different mode, without you changing the switch position, something's flaky with the switch. Mine has once jumped out of 4Hi into A4WD. I just wiggled the switch to get it to go back. Since 99.9% of my driving is done in 2WD, I haven't really worried about it. It appears to be a very cheap switch.
  • 2002slt2002slt Member Posts: 228
    No matter what modifications you do to a triplet, they won't look like a Forester. I can't say that I like or dislike how tblazed modified his TB, but I can easily tell that it's not a Forester. I'm sure you're just exaggerating a little, but I had to chime in.
    I do like the looks of the Borla exhaust, though.
  • scottc454scottc454 Member Posts: 356
    I agree. Ficuss is wrong. It doesn't look anything like a Forester. It looks like a minivan!
  • ficussficuss Member Posts: 541
    Go to the subaru web site, get a side view of the forester and come back and tell us if tblazed mod. doesn't resemble the forester. I think it does.
  • kpp14kpp14 Member Posts: 62
    You guys are hilarious (could be drinking buddy's). I like the looks of Ed’s truck, no doubt about that. I have to put my check mark on the ficuss side of the ledger though. Ed you have succeeded in your quest to have an original looking ride…a nice clean look. I don’t mean to insult anyone on the board but I can’t believe all the tons of plastic some people hang off their trucks. Ed actually took some off. This guy at my office has a Z71 with every conceivable plastic accessory glued and screwed to the front end. What a mess. He drove off at lunch one day and didn’t even notice the bullet holes (decals) we put on his fender. My Envoy even looks good covered head to toe with road crap.

    My three cents
  • tmarkb2tmarkb2 Member Posts: 37
    previousamigo - I also removed the roof rack on my Envoy. Went to the hardware store and got allen-head set screws and put them in with Permatex Blue.

    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.
  • scottc454scottc454 Member Posts: 356
    In time the Dodge Magnum will come out and other companies will follow with their own sport wagons. Then folks won't need to buy SUV's and castrate them because they really wanted a minivan but didn't want the familial stigma.
    It's going to be great.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Interesting observation about the Tire heading on the TSB article. I found yet another with Safety at the heading. No idea why yet, but I hope you aren't losing sleep over it :-)

    Steve, Host
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    Here are a few more pics of my incognito, unidentifiable, Chevy "Forester-Tblazed Limited Edition"... Aggressive soccer mom option package!

    image
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    "I take it you like the Hotchkis kit. Is it a good kit with nice fit and finish?"

    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.
  • 01_hoe01_hoe Member Posts: 273
    Great pics and ride. I guess when I get older I'll want a vehicle that is easily identified and has a rear end up in the air (NOT)

    I also second your Hotchkis kit comments.
  • brunopuntzjonebrunopuntzjone Member Posts: 22
    I got my XM SkyFi unit installed a week after I picked my TB up, it's *&@#$ rocks! And starting Feb 1, every music channel is commercial free. Sirius can't tout that any more. The only station I listen to is XM Comedy (150). I've had it for 7 months now and it's so funny it's probably not even safe for me to drive. Chris Rock, Bill Engvall, SNL skits, interviews, live stand up, you name it. Plus they are adding 5 new stations and weather/traffic for 15 major areas.

    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).

    image

    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).
  • brunopuntzjonebrunopuntzjone Member Posts: 22
    And I'll add that I freaking hate HTML
  • luxrideluxride Member Posts: 14
    Anyone have any luck finding out what the ticking noise is? I have an '03 Envoy and the ticking noise seems to be happening more frequent lately, even after the engine has warmed up. I plan on bringing it to the dealer this Thursday so that they can tell me they don't hear any ticking noise, maybe I'm going crazy....
  • aldan93aldan93 Member Posts: 202
    If you have the inline 6 it is a characteristic of that engine, I have the noise, it is only noticed if I'm @ the drive thru at Tim Hortin's, or in between buildings, its very light. My other car has been ticking since day 1 (Nissan) and I have over 100K on it, and it doesn't burn a drop of oil!!!
  • tmac8tmac8 Member Posts: 32
    It doesn't matter if you like or dislike mods we do to our triplets, what matters is that we dare to be different. I don't know about other areas in the U.S., but in northern Illinois, nine out of ten Envoy drivers are soccer moms. And, now that I think about it, I've only seen one male Envoy driver in the 18 months I've owned mine. That goes for Trailblazer's too. I bought mine to pull my boat in the summer and go ice fishing in the winter. Triplets were a good choice. Not too big, not too small, plenty of HP and respectable mpg. Some of the items added to my ride were practical, like the bug shield, mud flaps, and rear spoiler. The Euro taillights were added to be different, to stand out. Even I am not sure they look the greatest, but it doesn't look like every other Envoy on the planet either.
    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.
  • luvmytralblazrluvmytralblazr Member Posts: 8
    My 2002 Trailblazer EXT is in the shop again, for the 4th time for the same problem. When the engine is warm and I get to 2800 RPMs or so, there is a rattling noise (sounds like metal rattling). My dealership said they couldn't find it the first 3 times. My husband had to take the Service Manager for a ride to let him hear it (and he did, finally!). They can't seem to find any TSB's that state this problem so they don't know where it is coming from or have any idea how to fix it. Does anyone else have this problem?
  • ficussficuss Member Posts: 541
    you're right Tom, your Envoy doesn't look a bit like a Forester. Remember though, that when you or any other "mutant" posts a picture of your handy work, some of the "non mutants" may chime in too. It is this feedback which drives Detroit to make changes in their products. Who would have thought the P.T. Cruiser would be so popular or the Pontiac Aztec for that matter. Cosmetic modifications to cars usually don't matter much to anyone but the driver of the car. It is when people modify the mechanical or electrical systems of a car and thus make them possibly dangerous to the other drivers that we should be concerned. People should be required to have more education, practical knowledge, experience and additional liability insurance than the original designer to make any mechanical or electrical design changes to any vehicle.

    P.S. you should obscure you license plate when posting pictures, otherwise the mutant hunters can find you.

    Frank
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    Hey Scott - I know you have expressed before how much you liked the old '70 SS Chevelle. When I drive my modified TB now, the feel of the suspension, cornering and handling are very similar to that of my old '71 SS w/402 I had that came with the huge front bar and the old, simple, no parts to wear out, rear bar that atached between the two rear lower contol arms. The TB feels more nimble, tighter, and responsive than the SS ever did. The rack-and-pinion steering, I am sure, helps in that department.

    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.
  • scottc454scottc454 Member Posts: 356
    I hear ya, but look what happens when people dare to be different:

    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.
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    "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?"

    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.
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    So you don't think a '69 Plymouth Superbird rear wing would look good grafted onto my TB...?? Of course paint it fluorescent green too..
  • scottc454scottc454 Member Posts: 356
    Go for it. However, you have to go around telling people how much faster it makes your Trailblazer and how much more traction you get with it.
  • kgbkahnkkgbkahnk Member Posts: 89
    I cannot believe you would talk about installing the Superbird wing on your TB with no mention of the nose cone???

    Just another example of a slacker mutant doing a half-a**ed job again.
  • 2002slt2002slt Member Posts: 228
    "I don't know about other areas in the U.S., but in northern Illinois, nine out of ten Envoy drivers are soccer moms. And, now that I think about it, I've only seen one male Envoy driver in the 18 months I've owned mine."

    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.
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    Dang... I knew I forgot sump'n!

    And the "bee-beep" horn- gotta find one of those too..
  • elevatorguyelevatorguy Member Posts: 87
    Guys,
     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
  • cparise1cparise1 Member Posts: 109
    Might want to check into the tach. The gears that drive the tach can grind and create a noise. I originally thought my brake pads were grinding the rotors because I first noticed the noise while decelerating. The mechanic diagnosed the problem by going for test drive and gently reving the engine in neutral. The fix is to remove and replace (service) the instrument cluster. I had mine done under warranty and its perfectly quite now (33K). Was without the car over nite.

    This was my experience, hope it helps to diagnose your problem or at least eliminate likely suspects.

    Chris
  • cparise1cparise1 Member Posts: 109
    I heard with the wind chill its going be -100 tonight. I once had a Saab, known for winter and cold weather driving, that on a particularly nasty morning sounded the horn for 30 seconds on start up. Only happened once, so I hope your problem goes away with warmer weather.

    Chris
  • scottc454scottc454 Member Posts: 356
    Someone mentioned the same thing a few pages back. For me, I always hear a bit of that same noise every time its real cold. This has happened in several cars that I've owned.
    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.
  • hardhawkhardhawk Member Posts: 702
    I have the air suspension on my Envoy. It sat too high for my tastes so I had the dealer adjust the settings on the air suspension and lower it by a little more than an inch. It is level now like the TB in the earlier posts. An added benefit is the headlights now work at night. Before they were far too low IMO. No ill effect when I tow my 5000# boat. Still stays level. Suspension adjust was zero cost. I added a Corsa dual exhaust tip because I am too cheap to spring for the Borla.
  • elevatorguyelevatorguy Member Posts: 87
    Thanks for the reply. I do have Mobil1 in it, by the way. I'll look for the old posts you mentioned.

    Thanks,
    Todd
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    You might want to check into getting the power steering fluid flushed out and replaced with Cold Climate power steering fluid. There is a bulletin about that (01-02-32-005) that was issued before the '03s came out. Don't know if that applies to the '03s but it might be worth a try at the dealer.
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    Question:I can get now an '03 leftover Isuzu Ascender for $30,000. It is fully loaded V8, Bose, heated seats, running Boards + you name it truck with Isuzu's double (of GM's) warranty. Is it a good price for an '03?
    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?
  • funitsfunits Member Posts: 55
    When the temperature reaches single digits and goes below zero, my 2002 Envoy sounds like a cat is caught in the drive belts and is not too happy! This "noise" last about 30 seconds or less. It is happen now that it is -10 F below and happened last year during sub-zero temperatures.
    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.
  • 2002slt2002slt Member Posts: 228
    Maybe I've been in the Chicago cold too many years, but this is NORMAL. Whenever the temperature gets below 0 your car's engine isn't going to be happy starting. Every vehicle I've ever owned, foreign and domestic, has had some sort of noise after it sat in the below 0 temps for a few hours. That's why I love my heated garage.
  • bobbiesbobbies Member Posts: 34
    Hardhawk.....is the lowering a warranty item? Curious why no charge from dealer. How did you convince them to do it free. I have an '02 Bravada and would like to lower an inch via letting out some air. My dealer likes to play it by the book. I don't know if he would do it.
    Bobbies
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    $30K -Sounds like a deal to me. Is it new or a demo? Those first few "demo" miles can be rough sometimes. How far are you from an Isuzu dealer? Availability of Isuzu dealers might be a concern for warranty work.

    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.
  • offroad57offroad57 Member Posts: 11
    my 04 tb makes strange noises when temp.are below 10 deg.everyone ive owned has.but my problem is i cannot take off smooth from a stop.red lgt.stop sign,etc.i had an 02 was smooth as silk on take off.2 other drivers that drove both vehs.noticed the same thing without me asking them.had it to service but i dont think they tried very hard to notice it.hard to tell with foot on gas peddle and brake at the same time.thats the way they drove it.i have to be very careful not to lunge into car in front of me at red lgt.if anyone has had this problem i sure would like to know the fix for it.any help appreciated.also love the looks of the lowered trailblazer,sharp as a tack to me.
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    It is not really a demo - it has may be only 40 miles and 20 out of it will be the ones I did put on the car. The dealer is in "Jeyzee" (NJ), I live in Staten Island, where there is another one - so service shouldn't be really such a problem (if the car is not a lemon, of course). Hopefully ISUZU stays in business, but even if not, I think GM will pick up the service and will honor the warranty.
    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?
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    Curious what rear gear ratio was in the '02 and what is in the new '04? My '02 could have been described as smooth, I thought it was sluggish, has the 3.42 gears, so a reprogram at the dealer for some other driveability issues mostly when cold took care of that too. Made it more responsive from a stop.
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    Not being a big fan of extended warranties, I can only tell you to go with an extended warranty written by the manufacturer of the vehicle. Isuzu's close ties with GM should help back it up for the long term.
  • hardhawkhardhawk Member Posts: 702
    Bobbies:

    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!
  • tblazedtblazed Member Posts: 945
    The headlights are easily adjustable. You need an 8mm "torx"-type nut driver. It is not a standard hex-head unfortunately. I bought a 1/4" drive 8mm torx nut drive socket at AutoZone for $4 that works great. Had to adjust mine down a little when I lowered the rear end.

    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.
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    May I ask you, what mileage you've got on the car, and how many miles you get on a gallon?
  • ross1962_99ross1962_99 Member Posts: 48
    "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?"

    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.
  • ross1962_99ross1962_99 Member Posts: 48
    Plymouth didn't produce this hideous redneckmobile until 1970.
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