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Alright, is this de-contenting, assembly error, or my imagination. Is there supposed to be some kind of plastic or vinyl cover over the "dead pedal" foot rest for your left foot? I'll swear I saw it at the auto show and I think I see it in some brochures. But, my '03 Bravada doesn't have anything except the carpeting and it is getting quickly worn and quite dirty.
Someone noted that higher octane gas in a triplet would provide better gas mileage. I tried it in my '03 Bravada and after my first tank full and my normal work commute, mileage improved from the dismal 14.2 mpg I've gotten for 2,200 miles to finally getting over the low end of the EPA rating w/ 15.2 mpg. However, as previously noted, that isn't enough of an improvement to offset the higher cost of premium gas.
I think the gas mileage problem is the vehicle's weight. On level ground I can keep the "instant mpg" on the DIC between 18 and 35 mpg at constant speed. However, my 10 mile drive to work, while two thirds state highway, involves a 700 foot elevation change. The Bravada really gulps the gas going up hill. Fortunately, I make up most of the loss on the way home. But, I live in a hilly area of metro-Denver and every grade takes its toll. My old S-10 Blazer w/ the gross 4.3L V6 averaged 18 mpg on this commute, but it is 1,300 #s lighter.
So I am considering the switch to the lower octane gas. How low can I go....89 octane....87 octane. I hate to do this to my peppy H6, but this is getting expensive. I don't want to listen to engine knock.
I am sure glad I got rid of my 2002 Bravada that got 15 mpg in the city, although that I6 engine used 87 octane. My Subie has been getting 23-24 mpg city.
I noticed Honda is advertising their H2 fuel cell car.
I would drive a hybrid if everyone else did....but I don't want to get run over by a Lincoln Navigator.
This current episode in our history may be the turning point for the big SUV...no one will be able to pay for gas.
Thanks for listening to me. Your opinion?
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For Octane, it's not going to make any difference in power or gas mileage whatsover, since most modern vehicles have a combination of knock and oxygen sensors, electronically managed fuel injection and variable valve timing. Go with the lowest rating in the manual and be happy.
So far my mileage started off at 17 and has dropped down 15 the last tank or two. I hope it improves because that is same mileage I would have gotten a Yukon instead...
Gary
Performance has been awesome and I find that it rides heavier and smoother than the shorter models with the inline 6, but maybe that's just me.
As for the cargo mat, I don't think they make one that covers both rows of seats. At least I haven't seen one yet.
No problems to report yet, knock on wood!
Also, when listening to a CD with the 6 disk changer the steering wheel mounted control switches between disks as opposed to between songs on the same disk as the manual states it's supposed to. I think there is more of a need for the ladder. Has any one else experienced this?
I am a single professional homeowner in my early 30's and it comes to ~$900 a year for my 2002 Envoy SLT 4WD. You old married farts will clearly do better! ;-)
My gas mpg is about 16.5 (DIC reading) on a hilly, 50% back road, 40% s'n'go, 10% HWY commute of 20 miles each way. I get 21mpg on all hwy trips. Going over the passes sucks the gas. But coming down I can coast most of the way. This truck really glides well with little transmission resistance.
The steering wheel buttons switch the disc, not the track. My manual says this is the intended behavior. On the single disc model, the button changes tracks. Perhaps you read the wrong portion of the manual.
Thanks, perhaps you're right. I'll take another look. If the idea is to keep the drivers hands on the wheel then I think it should be tracks not disks. What's the ratio, about 11 to 1. Makes no sense at all.
I have a 2001 Accord with the 6 disk changer as well and the steering wheel mounted button changes tracks, at least somebody got it right.
I totally agree that the buttons should change tracks. Dumb design. From what I can tell, they are mapped to the 1-6 buttons that change stations when in radio mode. Therefore, when in CD mode they act like hitting the same buttons, thus changing the disc. Still, I have learned to live with it...
Update: got my driver side mirror fixed (again) for the wander issue. Second time in a year. The tech said the actuators went bad. I mentioned that this would start getting expensive once the warrenty ended. My service guy said due to the repeated nature of the defect, he would honor a 60k warrenty on that issue. I must say, this service center is winning some points with me.
RE: Turn signal mirror
My envoy SLT has a turn signal light on the side mirrors. Don't they all have that? If not, I'm sure it is wired if you have power mirrors...
Other issues: Asked about getting the bigger 2003 gas tank in the 2002 model. Also, about attenuating the seat heaters so they were not so damm hot. My service guy is going to look into these issues for me. I'll keep you all posted.
Heat settings:
Low: HOT
Med: Really HOT
High: Bake your [non-permissible content removed] like a potato! ;-)
On-Star. I like it alot. Its a great to have such good reception on a phone in the car. I have a company cell phone but I use On-Star for personal calls. I got rid of my personal cell phone because of On-Star--how many phones can a person own anyway? I always purchase 30 minutes over a two-month period and I think the cost is reasonable. I will renew On-Star when the time comes. I've read posts which seem to say that a thief can disable On-Star by simply ripping-off the antenna. I highly doubt it can be disabled that easily.
Mileage. A bitterly cold winter in Wisconsin and I am averaging 16.5 mpg combined city/hwy (10/90%). I have remote start and often let the vehicle run for a minute or two before driving away so that wastes some gas I am sure.
Stalling. I never thought it would happen to me but it did. Backing out of the garage on a bitterly cold morning she died on me. Started up after a few seconds of cranking. I let it warm up another minute before driving away. I also noticed a tendency to drop rev's after placing in drive when the engine is still cold. I am not freaking out or anything yet, but at the next oil change it'll get a once-over by my dealer.
13,100 miles and I still love my Envoy XL SLT!
Chris
Ray
When the vehicle is really cold, the seat heaters provide a quick way to get the chill out of you until the truck heater starts providing adequate heat. Then I just back them down one level at a time until I don't need them anymore. With our 300M, by the time the seat heater starts getting you warmed-up, the car heat is already doing the job. Those lower heat units are much less useful than the units provided in the triplets.
BTW, when I discussed regular versus premium gas in an earlier post, I didn't note that regular gas in Colorado is 85 octane and super premium is 89 octane. Both are several points lower than what you folks get living anywhere from sea level to a couple of thousand feet up. The basis for the lower octane here is atmospheric pressure and oxygen content of the air. I think it was probably sound science at one time, but lately some technical experts say that the computer controls on modern vehicles already compensate for the altitude and a vehicle designated for 87 octane should use 87 octane at altitude for top performance. Not the 85 octane that is cheaper to refine, but priced the same as "flat-lander" 87 octane gas.
Let us know how your dead pedal hunt turns out. I always keep my foot there and that carpet is not going to cut it.
One thing is certian, my '03 Envoy shifts MUCH better than my '02 Bravada did. No comparison. No hanging shifts, delayed downshifts, etc. One can only hope they can reprogram '02's with the '03 calibrations.
GAM
Jim
Also to those interested in the Husky liners, I found a good deal on them. This may not be the best deal but I did quite a bit of searching and it was the best I could find.
Premier Motoring Accessories has this deal HUSKY FLOOR & CARGO GUARDS-SAVE 10% & FREE SHIPPING ON COMBO ORDERS. I got the front, second seat, and cargo mats for $197.73 and I received them in four days. If you live in Ohio you'll have to pay sales tax so your price will be slightly higher.
Other things to consider would be the cost of fixing the air suspension after the warranty is up, which would be significantly more bucks. And because of the added cost I wouldn't consider buying the air suspension without getting an extended warranty. I'm not trying to discourage you from getting the air suspension, I went with it, I'm just throwing out food for thought.
Oh and to answer your questions, it does improve the ride in everyday driving, even with a full passenger load.
Jim
If you go with the Bravada, it's thrown in free. You'll just have to deal with the accelerated Oldsmobile depreciation.
As for the extended warranty, this web site will sell you a GM Majorguard warranty:
www.gmoutlet.com
You can call them and get a quote. The 4WD extended warranty will be more expensive than the 2WD extended warranty. I think the prices are better with them if you purchase it within 10 days of taking delivery of the vehicle. You can always use their quote to bargain with your local dealership on the price of the warranty, they might match it or beat it. Don't forget about sales tax, if applicable.
As for the 6 disc changer, if you use the RANDOM setting, the steering wheel buttons will change the cd to the next song in the random sequence. If you have a single cd, it will go to the next track.
I do have an issue with my BOSE 6 disc changer: Sometimes the display will not change to indicate what disc/track is playing, it will continue to display the first cd/track that was played on vehicle startup or when you started the cd player. This is happening randomly - the dealer says the stereo will need to be sent in to be repaired. I am not sure I want them to pull the dash apart just for this. Has anyone else had this problem??
About the 2002's - I get a GM Supplier discount, which means I pay about $400 less than invoice. When I was looking last year, both were very close in price for what I was looking for. MSRP on the Envoy was about $38,000 and Bravada about $37,500. The invoices were less than $500 apart. All being equal, I could have saved roughly $1,600 on the Bravada. That includes the extra $500 Olds loyalty bonus I qualified for. I see that according to KBB I already made up the difference (12,000 miles - Bravada $22,785 and Envoy $24,630). An extra bonus was losing the jerky AWD on the Bravada. 4WD is so much nicer in the snow!
Good luck with your Bravada, and I hope you never need to use your warranty.
We live in So/Cal is climate condition important or no factor.
No problem, I'm sure you and your wife will love the vehicle. My wife is the primary driver of the Envoy XL. She's very happy with it. Do you guys know what colors and options you want? My wife went with the magnetic red metallic paint and dark pewter leather. Out of the Envoy's options, I would say the best are the BOSE stereo that will adjust the volume based on the noise level and not the speed, heated seats, and memory mirrors and driver seat. Probably the least useful are the headlight washers and the Travelnote recorder. The option it doesn't have that I wish it did would be some sort of reverse sensor that would let you know when you are a foot or so away from backing into something. The XL is long, so in tight parking lots it can be hard to tell where that rear end is.
Edmunds has calculators here on their web site that will help you determine your monthly payment. Just go to the home page and look under Finance & Insurance for the "Calculate Monthly Payment" link.
They may make more sense in an over-the-road trucker's cabin or a farm tractor cab where the driver would spend hour after hour in the cab.
All they do is add a restriction into the airsystem.
Just my 2 cents...
D
FYI - My 2003 TB EXT L6 has 2500 miles (10/02 build), GMS order. To date no problems. I love it (I have a '99 Pontiac Montana as well) I did have a fender bender with it (no one was in the car). Someone backed into my driver front door while it was parked during an evening heavy rain storm back in November. (doesn't that just bite). The entire door was replaced along with a scratched left running board and the chevy molding. Total cost $2500.00 ($1000 for parts) (The other party's insurance is paying). Hats off to the dealer's body shop who did a fantastic job repairing it within 8 days (after parts had arrived) All GM OEM parts.
Air suspension: I have ECAS and its great. I didn't really notice any difference on test drives between a regular suspension and the air bladders but the biggest reason for me is that you can load to the limit and still be riding level. The ride is very nice. Also, we own an
'98 Transport with air suspension and have not had any problems so the system is mature. The application may come with some risk but its been used by GM for at least 5 years now and probably longer. Another benefit of ECAS is a built in air compressor, good for inflating whatever.
I have an '02 Envoy XL SLT build date 5/02. Ordered in Polo Green with Med Pewter, Bose, ECAS, locking differential, running boards. Accessories (all GM so far)-- hood wind deflector, mud-flaps (all 4 wheels). Getting the brake light for the trailer hitch this week. Now with 13,200 miles. Its the most satisfying vehicle to drive that I've ever owned. Overall MPG is about 17.5. If I can keep it on the highway where most of my driving is, 18-20 is very achieve able.
Chris
tidester, host
The GM warranty is very negotiable. I purchased the 5 year 60,000 mile Major Guard warranty for $640.00, which is hundreds less than they first quoted me.
2002 Envoy SLT
Seems like you got a good deal on this warranty. I have not purchased an extended warranty, but it seems I should. Is this (the GM warranty)something that has to be purchased through the dealership at which the car was purchased? If not, would you be willing to provide information on where you purchased yours?
Thanks for the great information.
cebteb wrote in part in msg # 9891:
"tjpush - Which engine did you get, I6 or V8? I've been curious about the V8's performance and gas mileage.
Alright, is this de-contenting, assembly error, or my imagination. Is there supposed to be some kind of plastic or vinyl cover over the "dead pedal" foot rest for your left foot? I'll swear I saw it at the auto show and I think I see it in some brochures. But, my '03 Bravada doesn't have anything except the carpeting and it is getting quickly worn and quite dirty." ...
I have the I6(or L6 as they called it in the manual). I didn't get to test drive an EXT with the V8. But I did try a Tahoe, which is not as smooth as the EXT.
For the dead pedal, there is just the carpet cover, no additional cover or protection. The spot is already dirty.
My Envoy will be 1 year old this week. I haven't taken it back to the dealer for anything. I've never owned a vehicle as good as this one. I would be very content if the $640 I spent on the warranty was a waste.
I got it for $3500 below MSRP, which I was happy with. Other dealers in the area were only offering $2000 off.
We plan on keeping this vehicle for a very long time. We knew that we would buy the extended warranty. We purchased a 6 year/100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper. I am wondering if anyone else has purchased this warranty, and what they paid.
The warranty we purchased was through Chrysler. It is good at any GM dealer and has a $100 deductable. They didn't want to sell us the GM 6/100K warranty because they said it was $800 more than the Chrysler.
Input would be appreciated. I can cancel it can repurchase it somewhere else if I got ripped off.
Thanks
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