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If you do have a concern about your coolant though check your intake manifold gasket for leaking and coolant levels in reservior. If you smell a sweet smell very strong on an hot engine good chances are you have a leak (also look for pooling just by the throttle body on top of the engine or leaking on the ground after sitting in the driveway overnight). If you had your intake manifold gasket changed just ignore this paragraph.
James
anyway good night
James
No filter in it?? Is this something standard or something I would have asked for when I bought the car 5 years ago?
How is not having had the filter for 5 years affected my system. Which, by the way, I don't have heat either. The engine gets hot fine (no thermostat problem)... blower is fine... so where to go from here? (you're going to say "the repair shop" aren't you?)
It could be something mechanical {broken or binding cable} or a problem with the vacuum controls which open or close the doors.
Do all the functions {vent, defrost, defog, a/c} work? Do you have manual or electronic climate controls?
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Minimal Air Flow In Vent Position With Full Heat (Disable Temperature Sub-Damper Door) #03-01-38-013A - (Dec 9, 2003)
Minimal Air Flow In Vent Position With Full Heat (Disable Temperature Sub-Damper Door)
2002-2003 Buick Rendezvous
2001-2003 Chevrolet Venture
2001-2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette
2001-2003 Pontiac Aztek, Montana
with Front Manual (RPO C60) or Front Manual with Auxiliary Temperature Controls (RPO CJ3) HVAC Systems only
Condition
Some customers may comment on a lack of sufficient air flow from the instrument panel vents when the vent mode is selected and the temperature control is at full heat. Others may comment that the volume of hot air flow from the instrument panel vents may seem to be less than the air flow from the floor ducts.
Correction
Disable the temperature sub-damper door, located inside the air conditioning module, using the following procedure:
Disable the temperature sub-damper door, located inside the air conditioning module, using the following procedure:
1. Turn the ignition key to the "ON" position and move the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) temperature control to the full cold position.
2. Turn the ignition key to the "OFF" position.
3. Remove the instrument panel closeout/insulator panel.
4. Remove the instrument panel compartment.
Important: The mode door actuator described below may not be found on all vehicles. The actuator removal and replacement instructions are not necessary if this actuator is not present.
5. Locate the mode door actuator on the passenger side of the HVAC module. Disconnect the actuator electrical connector. Remove the two actuator retaining screws and the mode door actuator.
6. Remove the two screws that hold the mode door actuator mounting plate to the HVAC module. Remove the plate, exposing the mode door levers underneath. Refer to the illustration above for the location of the mode door levers.
7. Locate the mode door lever, (1) in the illustration above. Remove the mode door lever by carefully lifting the lever locking tab and simultaneously prying outward at the base of the lever with a flat screwdriver. Be sure to pry as close as possible to the base of the shaft to prevent breakage of the lever.
8. With the mode lever removed, swing the temperature sub-damper door lever (2) fully up. This opens the door fully on the inside of the HVAC module.
9. The sub-damper door may vibrate or fall closed if not secured in place. To ensure that this does not happen, use a plastic tie-strap to ensure that the door is held in place.
10. Loop a tie strap through the channel of the lever. Loop the tie-strap over the upper actuator attachment boss, making sure to also get the strap over the side ribs, as the side ribs are the locating feature for the actuator backing plate. Refer to the illustration above for location of the tie strap.
11. Install the actuator mounting plate on the HVAC module. Make sure the plate is seated against the ribs on the mounting boss.
12. Install the mode door actuator onto the actuator mounting plate.
13. Start the vehicle and check the operation of the HVAC system mode doors and temperature controls.
14. Install the instrument panel compartment.
15. Install the instrument panel insulator/closeout panel.
How do you remove the instrument panel (which one, the driver side or the center one) or can that be done from the glove compartment, there is a trap door there?
I change the oil and filter every 5000 miles, regardless of what the oil life remaining information shows. It is usually around 40%. She just hit 40000 miles, and has no problems or leaks. It does not use any oil between changes.
Any oil which meets or exceeds manufactory specifications will NOT void your warranty. Look in your owners manual, and you will find the specs for what grade and weight of oil to use.
Since GM has a web site which allows owners and dealers to keep track of any maintenance or repairs done, I take advantage of that. I keep the web site up to date with what I maintain, and I also keep track using the owners manual service log.
Synthetic motor oil and Engine Oil - A slippery subject Part 2 may be of interest.
James :confuse: :confuse:
James :sick:
Honda must use the same inferior manufacturing on their Honda Civic according to your thinking.
Excuse me for being human
James :mad:
There's always the scroll bar over to the right in one's browser ...!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
here ya go
A car, any car should run with no major problems for 100-150k. this car only goes about 40k. meaning POOR Quality, i meant to say non existent, the steering column being smaller than it should have been, thats just inexcusable. so is the heater core bold issue and the head gasket. Also this being a sort of SUV the suspension should be up to SUV standards. i heard some horror stories about driving over speed bumps. well ill have to leave it at that. i dont know what else to say with out getting banned for profanity.
I could really turn GM around with my ideas. I have been waiting ages for the GM aura to finally burst peoples hypnosis with them and see the light. i just hope GM sees the light too and realizes the hole they dug themselves into.
jpierce good luck with your car. I hope you get it to work for you. Im just waiting for the summer to get under the hood and see what kind of a mess i have to deal with here.
The vehicle he complained about was 5 years old, and no mileage was stated. Just wondered if perhaps he had not done proper maintenance, such as inspecting the rear shocks, bushings, springs, ect.
As for the head gasket issue and the wheel bearings, yes, I have been through that with several Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs I have owned. The dealer was fantastic with the repairs.
With the rebates that GM always seems to have on their new vehicles I have always used some of that money and purchased the GM Extended Warranty. I buy the 100000 mile, 72 month, no deductible policy. I usually drive a vehicle close to the 100000 miles, and when selling the vehicle, can transfer the remaining warranty to the new owner for their peace of mind.
My wifes 2004 Rendezvous which has 42000 miles on it, and which she purchased new, has had two minor problems. I do all the maintenance on it, and have never noticed any "inferior manufactoring" issues with it. As for too small of a steering column and a lack of an SUV suspension, never noticed those, either. If you need an SUV suspension, buy an SUV, not a cross over vehicle.
Good luck with your vehicles. I do feel badly for anyone that has had the major problems some have talked about, but just got rubbed the wrong way with the "inferior manufactoring" remark because of a squeaky rear suspension, which the owner has not even had checked out yet.
does anyone have any suggestions on what kind of product i should use to clean the rust off. i want to clean and protect at the same time from future damage if possible. some kind of rust stripping oil i think would be best. if anything like that exists. I dont understand why cant car manufacturers just anodize all the nuts and bolts and metal parts that rust under the hood. If GM started doing that it would build a lot of trust with the customers and perhaps get them back with a quality product. only other thing would be to wait till canada turns into a nice dry desert to keep my car preserved for generations. I hope GM does not have its engineers down in the desert designing cars for us up here in the north where it rains more than once a month.
Now to deal with the rusty hood. I just got mine fixed under warranty (5 years 100,000 km or 60,000 miles) through the GM dealer. This is what GM told me. First the hood is aluminum and the problem is the design along the back of the hood/windshield and faulty design of the back seam along the hood. It appears the seam is not sealed properly upon original manufacturing and as a result of snow piling up on the wind shield and falling down under the hood space (where the wipers sit) the moisture seeps into the seam and causes oxidation and then corrosion. The only way to fix this is to grind off the corrosion and repaint (the original repair was to replace the hood, but GM put a stop to that since it was getting so expensive for them). The GM dealer did put a sealer along the seam, but said it will bubble again and their is nothing I can really do about it.
So if you did not buy extended warranty beyond 60,000 miles or 5 years you will have to try and fix it yourself.
Getting back to my suspension I just had all new rear end ball joints installed on the vehicle by GM (recall) and a month later the squeaking starts. I was under the vehicle today and everything appears to be tight and OK. The noise is just annoying (since I am meticulous). I will take it into the dealer, but I do not think its critical. I am busy trying to get my older car (96 MX6) fixed up (new cat, o2 sensors, belts, trans fluid change, plugs) for the environmental test we have to do every 2 years to get our plate sticker. This is general wear and tear maintenance since the car so old. RVD goes next year (2008) for the environmental test.
Anyway I have talked enough. If anyone has any idea what is causing the squeak in the suspension it would be great. I like to go in knowing something then nothing when I visit a mechanic. As always mechanics have you as a captive audience when it comes to car repairs.
good night
James
These are the simple ones first
1.check to see if oil filter is tightened properly. If oil change was recently done.
2. There is a oil pressure sensor located above the filter and what happens these can crack (since they are made of plastic) causing the leak. This can be serious since it drains out the oil while the car is running.
3. Specific to the RDV is a rubber seal that can go around the top of the oil pump. Check for oil sitting on top of the engine. In the general location of the intake manifold. This pricey to fix for a 2 dollar part.
Now for the 3.4 L motor. This engine is notorious for cracked blocks and ruptured head gaskets. This may also be your problem, which is very serious and makes the car undriveable. The only thing you can do is check for the three items I mentioned and if this is not the case take in right away for an assessment Good luck
James :sick:
I copied this out of a different discussion group pertaining
to Azteks and Rendezvous which share many of the same parts. There are clips which hold the window and seem to break quit often. The clips are around $30.00. The motor and regulator, according to this post, are now seperate pieces. You need to find out what is wrong with yours, and how many components are in need of repair.
Having said that...
My driver side window just fell into the door while I was at a red light. Needless to say I was not happy. When I look into the door I can see that the motors are working fine.
My question. I've removed the screw and bolt from the door panel but I can't find the location of the clips or clamps that hold this puppy on. There is no repair manual for the RDV that I've found. And I'm not having much luck on finding info on the net.
Any Suggestions?
Thanks to all.
Rick
Open the door.
Disconnect the power window switch assembly. Refer to Power Window Switch Replacement - Left Front or to Power Window Switch Replacement - Right Front .
Remove the screws from the front door trim panel
Use the J 38778 to remove the trim panel.
Reposition the electrical harness connectors.
Remove the trim panel from the vehicle.
:sick:
JP
*Another thing I want to ask, what is the best fully synthetic motor oil in the market?
Mobil 1?
Amsoil?
Castrol?
Pennzoil?
or any other leading products for suggestion?
*How many liters should I put in the engine?
*My other car seldom I use, should I change the engine oil every 5000miles with synthetic oil or is it good only for how many months?
Any major brand, if not all brands, will meet or exceed the manufactory suggested requirements. It is just a matter of what you choose to use.
There is no "time limit" for how long oil is good for that I am aware of. However, if you look in your owner's manual, I am sure that it will tell you to change your oil at certain mileage intervals, and if you drive less than that, it will state to change it at least (fill in the blank with a time period). Usually I have seen it say at least every twelve months.
My wifes Rendezvous takes almost 4.5 quarts of oil with the oil filter being replaced every oil change.
Change engine oil and filter as indicated by the GM Oil Life System™ or every 12 months, whichever occurs first. Reset the system.
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know when to change the engine oil and filter. This is based on engine revolutions and engine temperature and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions, the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated can vary considerably. For the oil life system to work properly, you must reset the system every time the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has been diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL message in the Driver Information Center (DIC) will come on. Change your oil as soon as possible within the next two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that, if you are driving under the best conditions, the oil life system may not indicate that an oil change is necessary for over a year. However, your engine oil and filter must be changed at least once a year and at this time the system must be reset. It is also important to check your oil regularly and keep it at the proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must change you oil at 5,000 km (3,000 mi) since your last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system whenever the oil is changed. Refer to GM Oil Life System - Resetting .
Footnotes