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Comments
-mike
I don't know that they sell smoked taillight assemblies, but I was able to get a set of smoked tail light covers (available slotted or solid) from Autoventshade for my pewter 2002 Envoy. (I special ordered from jcwhitney.com) I have photos that I'll post when I get home today. Note that there may be local or state restrictions for using tail light covers, and it's a good idea (for safety sake) to install halogen replacement bulbs in the brake lights so that intensity remains the same as stock. My brake lights and turn signals are fully visible in bright sunlight even with the covers installed... The effect is comparable to the "smoked" tail lights that you see on the old Chevy Barettas: Blacked out when off, but fully visible when in use.
7098 of 7180 Envoy Smoked Tail Lights by cpufixer1 Aug 15, 2002 (08:33 am)
Does anyone know where I can get smoked tail lights for my '02 Envoy ? I have seen them on one truck and can't seem to find them anywhere on the internet.
Question for TB and Envoy owners, why doesn't the front doors on your vehicles clunk? What's different between the designs? Can someone take pictures and post them on the internet? I can do the same for my vehicle.
I have a 9-2001 issue of Motor Trend where they test drove the new Envoy...they noted that the doors rattled on the latches when on washboard gravel.
I remember a while back about someome mentioning a point to lube just under the hood. I think it had to do with apply a little grease to the rubber hood mounts.
= = = = =
sjewell wrote on Aug 20, 2002 (05:33 pm):
does anyone have a problem with the passenger side restraint tightening up on them mine will almost suffocate you, everytime you move it get's tighter, also I had one more problem that was a squeak coming from the front area of the truck it will go away for a few day's after you open the hood, other than that this is the best vechical I have ever owned. I have enjoyed the site even though I only found it today.
The rubber bumper that you refer to is known as an "overslam" bumper, and is really designed to keep the door from bending/damaging the latch when you slam the door. The door can be adjusted by actually bending the striker assembly with a pry bar or similar tool in the appropriate direction, this is how we typically adjust a door at the rear for closing effort and for minor fit problems on the final line. It is a real art form to watch an assembly guy fit doors like that at 70 jobs per hour! The rubber is NOT designed to hold the door off of the striker, though, and I really wouldn't reccomend putting electrical or duct tape in the latch, it will eventually attract dirt/dust etc., and eventually gum up the latch. As I would assume your vehicles are under warranty, any decent bodyshop guy should be able to make your door close and be rattle free with about 5 minutes of labor per door. If your dealer doesn't want to deal with it, find another one who does. We try hard to make sure that the fit/effort that you get is as good as we can make it, but I have seen some real horror cases too. Let me know if you can't get satisfaction from your dealer, I can always make a phone call.
Regards,
Mark
Just my two cents worth.
Just my 2 cent's worth.
We (the entire board) appreciate your time you take to watch over this forum and provide "insider" information when necessary. It's folks like yourself that make a difference.
Thanks again! Tony
And that July '02 TB price was about $980 more than mine that was produced in November '01! I am comparing base prices. Better hurry before inflation kicks in!
I have noticed that if I kick the engine to do a fast start or power up a hill quickly, the mileage will take a hit. But the truck sure does move when you do this! Getting on the freeway this morning for the last part of my commute, I gave it the gas to get around a semi and some traffice and when I glanced down, I was up to 85 in less than a 1/3 mile.
I also have noted that the mpg has gotten better over time. I am pushing 15k right now. Perhaps the engine has 'broken in' or maybe it is the summer gas vs winter gas. I stick with 87 octane but have noticed better mpg when not using the cheapest gas I can find. But, that could all be in my mind. The mileage when I first got the truck was 15-16 on the same route that I not get the 17-18.
On another note, I have noticed the transmission makeing a loud 'clunk' when sitting at a light. It seems like it is shifting into 1st or something but not doing this gracefully. The truck goes fine once the light turns green but this does concern me a bit. Anyone else ever feel this?
thanks,
-John
http://service.gm.com/gmtechlink/Sept2001/articles/radioswap.html
Found it while perusing online for Trailblazer things. hope this helps ya.
sildog: I installed a new head unit myself. Was a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] kinda cause I had to take the left dash apart, unlike hondas where you can just take the factory radio out. As far as lossing any functions, I did some research and found some sites and links but can't recall them. You should check out www.sounddomain.com. They have a member's page where you can see pages from people who have done some nice thing to their TB. You can go to the forum and do a search on Tb head unit installs also, that's where I got my info.
From what I understand, others say that there are certain vehicles where you might lose your airbags, but that isn't the case with the triplets, which is confirmed by the link posted by Tblazer503, which says nothing about airbags.
I have an LS with no onstar, so the only thing which I noticed that I have lost are those horrid chimes for the door and such, which is totally fine by me.
Also, I ordered the head unit through crutchfield, and if there was any incompatibility or any problems, I'm sure they would have alerted me to it, since they are a pretty good company. I put in a pair of speakers also, MBquart and am running an amp powering those speakers and a sub. The sound is great. I recall that you have onstar in your car, but I can't comment on that since I don't have it. Concerning the issue of airbags, I wouldn't put too much thought into that. Hope this helps.
My '02 Envoy stalled for the first time at a stop light Monday with the "Low oil pressure, stop engine" warning. No check engine light, no other warnings, OnStar did not read any error codes. My first real problem in 10K miles. Restarted just fine, oil pressure normal, made it home and checked the oil level, which was full.
Prior to this I consistently noticed a slight shuddering at the first stop light I hit after work, whenever the air compressor adjusted the suspension. Seems like the idle would dip down when the compressor kicked in, then the idle would come back up. (Note: your Bose audio needs to be *off* to hear the compressor.) The shuddering seemed to occur when the idle hit the lowest point. I attributed this to the engine not being completely warmed up, because this behavior would go away further into my commute. But on Monday I was 6 miles from work, so the engine should have been warmed up by then.
Drove to GMC dealer Wednesday without any problems. Dealer noted a PCM fault and said they replaced it. However, the part number according to GMPartsDirect.com says it's the "Emission Control System Hardware" (P/N 12576463, $495 plus labor, but covered under warranty, this time).
So I don't know if I got a new PCM or ECM, but in any case hopefully it's fixed. We'll see tonight on my way home.
Glad to see Mark "gmdrone" is still there lurking in the background!
They sure could have done better on the little cheapo foam rectangle "gaskets" under the outer rear liftgate handle! Should have been made out of UV resistant rubber, not that foam junk, and made to press-fit into the holes, not stuck to the surface with adhesive that doesn't hold. In 7 months, mine have curled and distorted in shape badly and now the handle edge is making a wear line in the paint underneath.
Power: The Northstar 4.6L V8 hauls, once it gets going. It's quiet unless you really push it, and the tranny was smooth as silk. However, my Envoy just feels faster off the line and more torquey. MPG was about the same for both, around 17 in city driving.
Suspension: At first on normal city streets, both felt about the same: really smooth. Then I took the DeVille home via a shortcut, where the road department installed 14 speed bumps to slow us down. Speed bumps? What speed bumps? The DeVille literally sailed right over them. Pot holes? Didn't feel any.
Brakes: They felt about the same. They did the job but not really outstanding on either vehicle.
Audio: The DeVille had the stock system with 6 speakers PLUS what looked like 2 center channel speakers in front and back. Cranking it up produced acceptable sound comparable to the Envoy's Bose system, but with much boomy bass than the Envoy's. Both systems will rattle your mirrors, however. The DeVille also has a satellite radio option, which wasn't hooked up of course because it was a rental.
Mirrors: Speaking of mirrors, the base model DeVille has power mirrors, but no driver memory settings, so no wandering here. The DeVille's mirrors also have the red LED turn signals in the mirror glass (very cool!), and seemed brighter than the Envoy's amber turn signals located below the mirrors.
Looks: Wow, what a huge land yacht! It didn't fit in my garage last night (it's 16" longer than the Envoy), so I had to leave it out in the driveway for the neighbors to drool over. The outside is boring, but what can you do with a full size sedan anyway. The Envoy has it beat there. The Caddy hood ornament was distracting while driving, and partially blocks your view in front. If I actually owned this car I would consider removing it. But then it wouldn't really be a Caddy anymore. The twin dual exhaust pipes hint at the power under the hood (which wasn't any better than the Envoy's), but seems like a mismatch for a luxury car.
Comfort: The DeVille's passenger compartment is roomier and plusher than the Envoy's. The leather seats were much softer and kept me from sliding on really curvy roads, although I couldn't find a comfortable position for the seat back. Getting in and out is hard to do since it's so much lower to the ground. The puddle lights under each door is a nice touch. The simulated wood used inside is the same as the Envoy's. The dash is nicely laid out, no gauges here, everything's electronic. The speed display is a bit distracting since the numbers constantly change while slowing down and speeding up. All the displays were green, which seems so 80's, and a step below the Envoy's blue microwave-ish displays (which I happen to like). Florescent white displays on black would look much nicer. Trunk space is massive, but you can't haul a washing machine home in it.
Maneuverability: It's a boat, so of course it couldn't handle the u-turn I have to pull after picking up my mail at the corner. The Envoy has it beat there. However, despite it's size, parking the DeVille was easier because you don't have to crank the steering wheel around as much as the Envoy.
Overall: I was pretty impressed, but would rather spend my $46K on a Lexus, if I had $46K. I'm still really happy with my Envoy SLT after almost 12 months. For a lot less money, I think the power and comfort is comparable. Maybe in 30 years when I retire and spend the kids' inheritance I'll opt for a luxury boat.
Thanks
ADJGUY
We have the same vibration ( post 6902), however dealer could not duplicate the problem.
Our AC has been fine since they "recovered and added dye, and recharged". Said it was a little low. at the same time we complained that the rear ac controls had stopped working. They found bulletin 02-01-39-003 to replace rear HVAC control. 3 weeks later the part they ordered or was sent was the wrong one, manual not automatic so I am still waiting. But the unit only failed once that we know about. Also had a headlight replaced and taillight cover replaced that had cracked. I am still waiting to receive our first customer survey form. We bought this car and our 2000 Suburban from a different dealer than the repairs are being done at and no form from either of them. A neighbor who works at yet another dealer says that anything other than satisfactory will get their attention. We still have problems with the hatch not always unlocking when removing the key.
Does this turn them off until you decide to turn them back on, or is it just for that one time until you stop and restart the vehicle? Sounds like it is at least better than having to push the dome override 4 times to do it.
There are whole web sites about DRLs and people not happy about them.
I am still annoyed daily about the automatic headlights coming on before I start the engine when I am in my garage even though it is full daylight outside (unless I pull the brake handle up a notch). I do not understand that logic. Why the engineers would not have them come on until AFTER the engine is running is beyond me. All these unnecessary on-off cycles will certainly shorten the life of the lamps.
Dealer wants 300 bucks for new turn signal component and 100 bucks to install. This seems CRAZY !! Must be a little speaker wire I can clip.... Help, anyone???
Bill
I think the real issue here is that SUVs have become a car/truck hybrid. For those of you used to driving cars, the gas mileage sucks and you are not going to beat a Honda Civic off the line. But I can tell you from experience that 17 and 21 is pretty good for a truck, any truck, even a Toyota 4-banger. If you are getting less, consider your local driving conditions, the type of fuel you may be buying, and the weight of the lead in your right foot.
My issue with the TB is that it is not enough like a truck in some respects. This is particularly apparent in the transmission. Stout to be sure, and it lays the power out to the wheels well, but it doesn't have enough options. In the TrailBlazer there is overdrive and third gear, but third gear takes the lock up feature of the torque converter away.
In the 92 Explorer I have (160 hp on a good day), there is overdrive and drive, plus the lower gears. The advantage of the Ford is that the "drive" selection still allows the torque converter to lock up, and the transfer case shortens the gears somewhat. When pulling a trailer or just driving around town, I select driver and that adds 500 rpms to a truck with a 3.23 rear end--a huge boost in performance. When pulling a trailer at 70 mph in drive that truck turns 2800 rpms, pulls hills marvelously, cools well, with barely an increase in exhaust sound. And the gas mileage is only slightly off from non-trailering trips in overdrive.
On the TB, pull that baby out of overdrive and the rpms vary dramatically, exhaust sound goes up a bunch, mileage tanks, and the temp gauge rises. But then again it's a hybrid of a car and a truck. I knew that when I bought it. And that's why I kept the Explorer. I pull most of the time with that, and I drive the TrailBlazer from one end of the state to the other. Great highway vehicle.
Please let us know if you find out the solution to the problem that you described. My 02' TB has
the exact same problem--along with myriad other
problems! Now when I get in the vehicle, there is
a humming noise that starts up from the small
speaker above the driver's side front seat backrest. This just started yesterday--as it has
never been like this before. I agree with your
wife, the intermittent audible clicks that can continue a pretty good while after a signal cancel can be annoying. There are definitely some
electronics issues with some of the Triplets.
If I find out anything regarding the signal problem I'll post it here as well.
ok, gotta vent here. I took my TB in on monday to have the rear gasket fix done again for the 3rd time. Damn thing keeps shrinking and folding up underneath the housing. So anyways I had GM customer service contact the dealer before I brought it in because whatever the dealer was doing it wasnt working. So anyways the guy who helped me from GM was really nice and spoke with the service manager to try and get this sorted. So I bring it in on monday and ask them to check why it had trouble downshifting at highway speeds and an intermitant flash of the "service 4wd" and "abs" light. So I call them ths afternoon to check on it and it turns out they just finished the mechanical work and it would go into the body shop on monday to be reapinted. Then heres the clincher, he goes on to tell me that because I changed my back up bulbs to LED's it burnt out the circuit panel on the left hand tailight and that was trippin out the computer. Then he goes on to say that they were charging me for the part and labor totaling $177.89. you got to be kidding!!! I'm calling my rep from GM on monday and ask him to get this sorted out. Feels like the dealers tryin to get some money outta me for having called GM on em for doing a lousy job over and over again. $180.00 for changing a stupid 3157 bulb.
As for the whip antenna, yes it might work better. But the vehicle doesnt nearly have as clean as a look as it did before. Would much rather it still been glued to the back window.
Heres another thing i just noticed. I dont have a light in the engine compartment when I raise the hood, I had one in my 2002. GMC cutbacks?
ADJGUY
We just traded in 2 cars: July and August and got good value for both. They were immaculate and well maintained. We found motivated dealers and used the opportunity for 0% interest. We looked at a couple different manufacturers offering this great rate and struck while there still was some depth to 2002 inventory. We had just read that the 2003's will be priced with more al a carte type add ons that were part of standard packages with the 2002's. Did the dealers loose? Hardly, but everyone walked away happy. It was the first time I had every traded a vehicle that was just over 1 year old and only had 4,000 miles on it (my old one). We broke even on it which was pretty amazing considering this car did have an interest rate of 4.9%! If you are really unhappy with your 2002, you might want to look, but think you will not get a great deal on a 2003.
I am thrilled with my new LTZ. Hope to continue to feel this way for about 5 years .
RE: Whip antenna "the vehicle doesn't nearly have as clean as a look as it did before". All in the eye of the beholder. As a ham radio operator I actually like the antenna and I understand the technical reasons why it works better. You'd really dislike my TB with a 30 inch glass-mount antenna that has a coil in the middle of it, mounted where the OnStar antenna would go if I had that. ( I actually had my garage built with a 10-foot high door to accommodate my vehicles with antennas!)
Too bad about the engine compartment light gone on the 2003. That is a nice feature to have. It's nice the way it times out and turns off in about 10 min if you leave the hood up.
ADJGUY