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As for the 401, it's really become a nightmare in the last 10 years. It is now the busiest highway in North America. The 407 has helped, but they will have to widen it.
FYI also.. Most places in Canada take U.S.$$.
I don't have the 3rd row, but I also think this would apply regardless of whether you do or don't since the nut is in the compartment closest to the bumper (which I think is the same on both models). Buick told me the extension hopefully will be available very soon. Comments?
I hope you get your extender tube soon. Buick put you in a very vulnerable position: being unable to lower your spare tire. Now, if a tow truck came out, which need not be the only way to change a flat, I'm sure they could access the nut w/ a 1/2 inch socket wrench & extension. I'm assuming they usually have some tools with them. But, I'd be equally miffed If I knew I could not access my spare tire. Keep us posted... Btw, you may want to post this to Problems/Solutions on the Owners' forum. /direct/view/.ef01cd9
beebe1: re: Cargo Cover: I raised a similar concern on this otherwise very vocal forum a long time ago, but surprisingly got no replies [insert tears here :-( ]. Actually my query had to do w/ the thought that it appears there should be something that goes in the slots along the edge of the cargo net (plastic rods?). I thought this would make it look taughter/neater. But the Buick dealer said they weren't aware of anything to supplement the cargo cover.
However, on the couple of times we've actually used the cargo cloth, it actually looks pretty good. I think your clients will be impressed w/ the RDV & the Cargo cover.
Re: blind spots; doesn't bother my wife or me. We're accustomed to using mirrors a lot since we used to have a Dodge Caravan. The rear park assist is an essential! I don't know how folks would park without it, short of lightly bumping bumpers everytime you park.
Highlander: If you think you'll have the need to carry more than 5 people, I'd recommend the RDV; otherwise the Highlander is probably an excellent choice: stronger motor and Toyota reputation. We test drove the Highlander, but found it to be too small for our needs. Hope his helps.
I called USAA and they sent a mobile repair servce to our house today. Shelly watched them fix it and said that they were very friendly and professional. They told her that the resin hides the damage and prevents the chip from growing into a crack.
When I got home, I could barely see where the rock had hit.
It seems that windshield repair saves the insurance companies so much money that they offer the service for free as an incentive to customers to have the work done. It prevents them from having to replace windshields...I'm impressed!
In case you're wondering, I'm a little bit shaken, but I'll be OK.
Brian
Bebee1: Along the way, we'll have minor irritants; but all-in-all, no major problems. I think the cargo net, as is, will work fine for you. However, if you hear of a better product, I'm all ear
Ours are 2 small marks that look like nats, just below the right corner of the antenna grid. It's a bit to the left of passenger's center view. I wonder if I can use the same process you used? They're barely noticeable, but now that I've finally seen them, I'll always see them, if you know what I mean. We have 21st Century Insurance: I wonder if they'll do the same as USAA. It certainly merits a call. btw, have you gone over to Autopia yet?
You're right, maybe we do spend too much time here. Sometimes (like right now), I go to work on a callout at night and when I get home, I'm wired and the house is asleep...Brian time! During the afternoon, I have to surf in stealth mode because if either of the kids see me at the computer, they want to play computer games with me (my 4 year old daughter is fond of Half-Life (the part before the monsters, of course)).
Regarding the windshield chip...In all my years of car ownership, I have NEVER gotten a windshield chip! Now, I buy a $30,000 car and within 2 weeks, BINGO (no pun intended John). Oh well, I'm actually very satisfied with the repair and it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would...I don't even notice it.
BTW, where in CA do you live? I lived in Southern CA for about 12 years and then lived in the Bay Area (Burlingame) for a few months before settling in Seattle.
P.S. The dealership still doesn't have any news about the wrench that is necessary to fix my "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" light. They have ordered this "special" tool but no news from Buick yet. Boy, it's a good thing this isn't a part that I REALLY need. It's still annoying not to have this feature working, especially on rainy roads.
Just fyi, I was able to "sell" my leased 99 Alero, that was due only in January 2002, to my sister. The penalty she had to pay GMAC was less than what I would have paid if I had kept the lease for another 5 months ($1690 compared to 5*430). On top of that, she gets lower mileage (41K kms), 5 months of bumper to bumper warranty and roadside assistance. I got the 6.9%.
By the way, when she saw my new RDV, as we entered the dealership to make the tranfers, her first comments were "I hope you'll sell me the RDV in 36 months" as she tought it looked so good!
I need to ask a favor so I'll get to the point.
A couple of weeks ago my wife noticed a not very loud, but still noticable, "humming" noise coming from our RDV when she would hold, or slowly accelerate through, around 2.5K rpms on the tachometer.
She made me listen to it and I couldn't come up with an explanation for the noise so off to the dealer service dept. our RDV went. The service rep. rode with my wife and heard the noise as well.
After supposedly giving our RDV a thorough check-up and allegedly even consulting with Buick HQ, the dealer told us there's nothing wrong with our RDV and we picked it up the next day.
Now it's not a real big deal for me at the moment. The "humming" noise is not loud at all and you really have to work at it to make the noise last more than a split second during normal driving conditions but my wife is getting a bit obsessive about it.
I told her I'd post a message here to see if anyone else has noticed a similar occurance, or maybe wouldn't mind attempting to duplicate the noise on their RDV to determine if this is normal for the vehicle. Any feedback would be appreciated...
Thanks,
Tony
I have noticed a subtle, low pitched kind of growl from the drivetrain when I first shift into drive and move the first few feet down the road...is that what you mean? It only happens the first time and doesn't occur again for the rest of the trip (even stop-and-go). If you then park your car and go shopping for a while, it will do it again, just once, when you first pull out of the parking space.
I notice it but don't worry about it because I assume it is related to the Versatrak system and I've heard many tales of some noise from AWD vehicles as you first drive off.
I don't know if that helps but, maybe some techies out there can shed some light on your noise...or mine too, if it is different.
Could you be describing a slight vibration of the catalytic converter heat shield? You may be hitting a harmonic resonating frequency right at that RPM.
Just a thought.
Brian: I live in San Bruno (just west of SFO) and work in Burlingame. My wife is from So. Cal. which is why we take about 3 treks per year over the Grapevine. Her family is still all down there.
btw, I'm not sure where you ended up when you went to autopia. As I mentioned before they seldom mention Zaino... hmmmm. I'll post a direct url link over in RDV Care & Maintenance; try it another time. They're very knowledgeable there, and I'd say 95% of the time they're advocating Klasse products which is what you tipped all us onto over at Care & Maintenance.
Tony B.: I have not noticed the noise to which you're referring. I'll take a close listen tomorrow when my wife lets me drive the car.
BTW, My wife and I lived on Lorton Avenue in Burlingame for a few months before I left for Quantico. Nice town.
re: Autopia: yes, definitely give it another try. You'll see I just made a post over there re: using Klasse aio on the vinyl cladding. - I've only posted about 3 questions over there so far. (Hard to imagine that, isn't it.)
I'm going to do a test trial w/ the bike rack when my wife returns. (She's taking my 10 yr. old daughter off to a birthday party.) Also, I'm half-considering taking out the rear storage bin and 3rd row seat. I understand there are 2 bolts in the storage bin and 2 or 4 bolts in the 3rd Row seats. I'll only do that if it looks like that additional cargo space will be needed. I'll also be putting the fabric (kind of like parachute material) cargo carrier on the roof for the lighter stuff.
Fedlawman: The noise you're hearing on start up is probably the ABS self check. It'll cycle the solenoids when you first start-up the vehicle, and it'll usually last a second or two. I believe it even waits until the vehicle is moving before running the check as well, which would match what you're experiencing.
BY
It is definately a subtle grinding sound and only starts when I push the gas to move forward. Your explanation sounds right...although I've never noticed it on my mother-in-laws Chevy Venture.
Tony
PS: fed - I checked out your photos from your army days a while back...I never served myself but my brother-in-law was a FO in the OH-58D. He sure enjoyed his flying time and I'm sure you did as well. Did you consider being a pilot for DEA?
A few years ago I met a former navy helo pilot who had just joined DEA and if I remember correctly he told me he had to do three or four years as a regular agent before trying to get pilot status. As you may be aware, Customs hires pilots as pilots and then sends them to basic agent school...
You're right, it was a lot of fun. A lot of military pilots end up in law enforcement as an avenue to continue flying...for helicopter pilots, it's about the best pay and stability available! You're right about DEA being different than Customs. Customs recruits pilots from the military where DEA recruits agents. With DEA, you have to be an agent for 2 years before you can apply to the DEA Airwing.
To answer your question, I still serve in the Army National Guard (over 18 years of continuous service) and am assigned to an Aviation Brigade, so I actually fly two or three times a month. Since I'm a staff officer now, I don't get twigs in my teeth like I used to, but at least I get to wear the zoom suit once in a while.
Many of my DEA peers think I'm crazy for not flying for DEA...especially the pilots in my office. Like most pilots, they aren't happy unless they're punching holes in air. Personally, I love flying, but not enough to sacrifice my families way of life here in Seattle. Maybe if an opening comes up here, I'll put in for it...but I'm not holding my breath.
Also, pilots do A LOT of TDY duty. Some are away from home up to two weeks per month...no thanks. I love my wife and kids too much to be a "missing in action" dad.
Regards,
Brian
7 New Sport Utility Vehicles Sustain Big Damage In 5 Mph Bumps
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
CWJ
CWJ
Lovely excerpt from the bumper article:
"Another new SUV that sustained more than $5,000 total damage is the Buick Rendezvous. "In the pole test, the large rear liftgate was damaged and had to be replaced because the bumper didn't absorb the force of the 5 mph bump,"
I looked at the vehicle, here in Calgary Alberta Canada, several times now. I have to admit I like what I see, although I have not yet test driven the vehicle. So, for those of you who have a few hundred clicks on it now, what is it really like in terms of day to day handling and performance? Has anyone towed any thing with it yet?
It seems Car and Driver's review in July, indicated that the Rendezvous transmission tends to hunt for gears when loaded up with passengers. They also indicated that the steering "grudginly" cooperates when put to the task. Also they thought the engine as anemic for the weight of the vehicle (CXL AWD 4250 lbs). Basically, they said the vehicle is OK.
I would appreciate any feedback from day to day users that live in the real world with the Rendezvous.
Don't get me wrong, from what I have seen I truly like this vehicle but I don't want to repeat an impulse buy that I did with my Pontiac Fiery back in '84.
BY
As far as your inquiry goes, our day to day driving with it has shown it to perform just fine. I've not noticed any issues with steering as far as I'm concerned, however, if we're going up one of the steeper hills in our area, you can easily get the tranny to downshift to try and keep the vehicle's speed constant. However, most of our day to day driving is done with only one or two people in the vehicle, and we haven't towed anything with it, but we've hauled a lot in it and its always handled that fine. As far as the engine power goes, some think it's peppy, some think it's anemic, I think it's adequate. I wouldn't mind a bit more power, but don't find it neccessary in our day to day activities. My best advice would be to get in one and take a nice test drive and see if it meets your needs.
Good luck!
BY
I enjoyed reading the posts, they've helped me make my decision. It came down to the RDV and MDX. I decided against the MDX based on the availability (6 months) and what I got for the money. There is more for less.
I purchased a RDV CXL about a month ago. It's Light Driftwood and Dark Bronzemist, Oak interior, with the Luxury package. I've put about 2200 miles on it.
Rear hatch
I've not had any trouble closing it. It closes quite nicely, with just a pull.
Mirrors
Mine have a mind of their own. I put the RDV in reverse, the mirrors go down... a couple of seconds they go back up(while still in reverse). They also do not come up properly if you shift out of reverse to quickly. After a tight parking maneuver, requiring many shifts into reverse, I heard a knocking sound and realized that they kept going down and not coming up. I exceeded the down range of the mirrors. I spoke to the dealer and there is a service bulletin about this.
There was some discussion earlier about the RDV die cast model Buick was giving away. Maisto made it for Buick and I purchased one for about $8.00 from Asheville Diecast http://www.ashevillediecast.com. Search for Buick on their page (they misspelled Rendezvous).
Has anyone noticed the outdoor temperature gauge changing dramatically? I have periods where the temperature changes as much as 20 degrees then stabilizes for a while. The temperature is always warmer than what it is outside. I noticed the climate control behaves differently as the temperature goes up. Particularly whether the air is re-circulated or not.
One last comment, be careful if using Windex, and probably most other window cleaners. While cleaning the windows, I put the bottle down on the console and some leaked out. I left it there for a couple of minutes and it softened the finish. It was to the point you could easily scrape it off with a fingernail. I gently patted it dry and let it air dry but it has left a slightly noticeable spot. I am assuming it is the ammonia that created the problem. I'll have to find a product that doesn't contain it.
All in all I am very satisfied. The only thing I really wish it had was a little more power, but so far it's not been a problem.
-REM
By the way, it's been almost 2 weeks since I have received my RDV. Drove my "old" 2000 Grand Cherokee this morning. I could not believe how different the Jeep felt. RDV's ride is so comfortable compared to the Jeep.
I too, find that the RDV makes some noise at about 5MPH. Is everyone experiencing the same noise?
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Too bad the bad bumper report came out on the same day I took delivery! I wish I could understand what these manufacturers are thinking.
rem933, I also have experienced the great auto temp fluctuations of the ext temp display, which set the fan speed going nuts. A/C works great,though, plenty cool on 90 degree NY day. My old 90 merc kept the temp perfectly constant for 11 years, steady fan adjustment-hardly noticeable, and outside temp was exactly same as the weather reports.
Otherwise,no other complaints. I think this vehicle offers a lot of value. It has turned a lot of heads already. Neighbors came running out, "what is that??". They loved it.
Anyone find the special tool in glovebox (tool kit-acsry) to adjust roof rack? Still havent found mine yet.
TIRE PRESSURE QUESTION:
I have Uniroyal Tiger Paws, car sticker says 35 psi. Car was delivered with 30psi, was told "that's fine". I say 35 should be it, no questions asked. I'm right, right??
BTW, thanks BYM for your clarification of the grinding noise...I'm sure that's exactly what I'm experiencing.
Well, I'm taking my first road trip tomorrow morning! Five friends are flying up from San Francisco to go hiking and kyacking (sp?) in the San Juans. Unfortunately, my wife cannot go with us, so it will be myself plus five adults, each with four nights worth of baggage. I'll pick them up at the airport and then we'll drive 2 hours on I-5 to Anacortes. Then we'll catch the ferry and ride it to Friday Harbor.
My plan is to seat three people in the middle row (thank goodness I got the bench) and one person in the third row. I will put as much soft sided luggage as I can behind the 3rd row fill and then put the remaining bags in the unoccupied third row seat and floor area. I think that should work just fine, but just in case, I'm bringing some bungee cords for the roof.
There won't be any hills to speak of so I won't be able to guage that sort of power, but I'm still very excited to use my RDV the way it was intended to be used.
I'll report back on Sunday night!
Brian
http://members.home.net/fishkin1/rendezvous.htm
Brian - looks like a great trip there. Hope it goes well and everyone has a safe and enjoyable time. Vacationing with a new vehicle is just about as good as it gets!
Best RDV wishes to all.
Ken
Our RDV is running fine. About 22 mpg with approximately 1,400 miles on our CXL since we purchased it at the end of May.
I too find the outside temperature readings to be a little erratic. And the fan is a little annoying.
No problems with outside noise that I have noticed.
Regarding the rear audio controls that our son broke, the whole control panel has to be replaced. $230 for the part through Buick for a stupid $2 switch. A friend of mine works for a Chevy dealership and can get the part for $150 (including a 10% mark-up). Boy they really gouge us on the parts!
Now back to football!
Go Raiders!
R5
golddf, it sounds as if you have had a nightmare instead of a dream new car experience. Keep us posted.