Noob in SW Ohio

[Ziggy]

Good evening, ladies and gents!
My name is Ron, go by Ziggy on just about every forum I belong to. I joined this evening because I just bought my 2002 Trailblazer LTZ yesterday, and I'm sure I'm going to need to call on the collective knowledge of the group at some point. I've owned this truck for just over 24 hours now, and I've got to tell you, I'm totally stoked! This truck has more bells and whistles than I've ever had in any car before, and I got it for what I believe to be a bargain. It's an I6 truck with 4wd and 154k miles. The interior is nearly perfect, if a little dirty, and the only rust I've found is on the left rear door at the bottom lip. I put new brakes on it about 3 hours after I bought it, and will be replacing the upper ball joints and right front wheel bearing soon. All in all though, I think I got a pretty good deal at $3400. Looking forward to hanging around here, if you see a blue over silver LTZ rolling around southwest Ohio, throw a wave!

 

[littleblazer]

Welcome.

 

[Denali n DOO]

Welcome to GMTNation

 

[CaptainKD]

Hey Ziggy! Welcome to the group.

View attachment 65080

 

[SmokeyMcBlazer]

welcome aboard bro

 

[Mounce]

Welcome, Ziggy, glad you found this site and not the old one!

Better checkout the transfer case fluid, it requires it's fluid to be changed every 50k miles so it's right on time to need changed for it's third time (hopefully the PO('s) changed it twice already. Auto Trak II fluid only.

 

[dmanns67]

Welcome to the Nation

 

[Ziggy]

Thanks for the advice on the t-case, Mounce. Is Auto Trak II fluid available at Advance/Auto Zone?

 

[mrwitty_1]

WELCOME

 

[BlazingTrails]

Welcome to the Nation!

 

[Mounce]

Thanks for the advice on the t-case, Mounce. Is Auto Trak II fluid available at Advance/Auto Zone?

I'm not sure, pretty sure I've seen people say that O'Reilly carries it, call around to your local stores or ask when you go in.

If you can't find it at a parts store, the dealer isn't much more expensive on this item compared to others (again, what I've heard around here, I don't have 4wd). You'll need two bottles, iirc, search around here, I think someone (CaptainKD?) done a write-up on it a few months or so ago.

 

[Mark20]

Welcome aboard! If you don't see AutoTrak II on the shelf ask. Its been found in the back parts areas.

 

[Matt]

Welcome from NE Ohio.

Failing other sources for the Autotrak, Amazon also has it.

 

[fletch09]

Welcome

 

[AManders6]

Welcome from a fellow Ohioan!!

 

[Boricua SS]

Welcome from another fellow Ohio an way up north on the shores of Lake Erie.

 

[felicie]

Welcome

 

[Ziggy]

Thanks for all of the welcomes, everyone! I'm getting to know my LTZ, and finding she's been more neglected than I realized. Both upper ball joints are bad, at least one bad wheel bearing, both front tires, front sway bar links, and twice now, I've come off the highway and got a wild vibration through the floor that I have no idea how to diagnose. Gonna change the t-case fluid tomorrow. Really concerned about what I'm going to find.

 

[Mounce]

Hopefully the fluid comes out a shade of blue indicating its been regularly changed and the right fluid was used.

 

[Wooluf1952]

Welcome

In case you haven't heard:
http://gmtnation.com/forums/topic/218-welcome-to-gmtnationcom-heres-the-story/

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Welcome from just across the state line in Indiana

 

[Decembersend]

Welcome

 

[Ziggy]

So, I changed the t-case fluid yesterday. What came out was sorta blue... Not nearly so blue as what went in, but it carried a distinctly blue hue, so I'm thinking it's been changed at least once previously. Now to figure out why the 4wd doesn't work. I don't have a little light indicating what mode it's in, just the physical location of the knob. I'm assuming this means the encoder motor is bad? Is it possible it could be just a disconnect, clean, and reconnect type of thing, or should I bite the bullet and go on and buy one because if it isn't bad, it will be?

 

[Sparky]

Hey there!

Good news on that transfer case fluid, you should be good to go for that.

Ball joints etc don't surprise me given the year/mileage. Wear items... Vibration could be from a few different things, I'd get those hubs and such fixed first then go from there.

2002 model year here too, and 2002 had problems with the TCCM design (2003 and newer no issues). 99% of the time if the lights aren't lit up the TCCM died. Just go to ebay and get a used TCCM from a TB or Envoy that is 2003 or newer and pop it in. Don't get one from a Bravada, Saab, or Buick as they have a different TCCM for the AWD transfer case. It is located behind the driver side kick panel.

While you're poking around with hub bearings give that CV shaft on the passenger side a shake. It will have a tad bit of play where it goes into the disconnect but shouldn't be wobbly. Wobbly means that disconnect needs rebuilt or replaced. Mine started to get some slop around 140k I think it was.

You're a little bit of a distance from me but not too bad, so if you ever need some extra help working on something that you've either not done before or just need a set of hands give me a shout.

Any further info you need check out the subsections as it may have been answered already, otherwise post up a question and we'll get into your exact details to help troubleshoot

 

[Ziggy]

So, I've been reading up on this TCCM, and it seems everything I've read about a burned up TCCM, the symptoms are no lights on the switch, and a Service 4 Wheel Drive message on the message center. I'm not getting any kind of SVC 4WD message at all. I just remembered though, the previous owner replaced the battery the morning I bought the truck. I've read that pulling the #8 fuse for 30 seconds or so may reset the TCCM. Is that fuse under the hood, or on the fuseblock under the seat?

 

[littleblazer]

I think it's under the hood. The under seat fuse block is for the most part stuff in the cabin I think.

 

[Mounce]

I think it's under the hood. The under seat fuse block is for the most part stuff in the cabin I think.

 

[Ziggy]

Pulled the fuse cover and found the #8 fuse laying flat in the bed of the fuse block. "Yay!" I think... Plug it in, start the truck, find lights on switch turn on, but Service 4WD light on dash is on. I'll be looking for a 2003+ TCCM... Is there an RPO decoder on this site? I'd like to know what gears are in this thing so I can try to get a TCCM that matches.

 

[Denali n DOO]

GU6 - 3.42 axle
GT4 - 3.73 axle
GT5 - 4.10 axle

 

[Ziggy]

Sweet! Thanks!!! GT4 with the G80 limited slip. How did you find that so fast?!

 

[Denali n DOO]

No problem. Google search "rear gear ratios gmtnation"

 

[Mounce]

Might have just known it.

G80 is a locker, only 360's that came with limited slip is the SS and Aero (which I've only seen on the forum once or twice..I think they're pretty rare)

 

[Ziggy]

Googled GM RPO Decoder, and found a pretty comprehensive list at RPOCodes.com. Was able to decode the vast majority of them, but still several that are a mystery. I was pretty excited to spot the G80 code, though. That's one of the few GM RPOs that I recognized.

Do I have a unicorn on my hands?

The codes I've not found yet are as follows:
AXP
C5N
DAY
JF8
KG4
NF7
N74
N79
QTR
RYJ
STW
TB4
T98
UG1
UPC
V40
YD5
ZW7
1SF
11L
6SK
7SJ
8EZ
9EX
92I
922

 

[Ziggy]

Wow, that list is longer than I realized...

 

[Mounce]

"a unicorn"

There's actually a recent thread around here about unknown rpo's like that. Can't remember if anyone figured them out or not though.

Maybe try googling each individual code kinda like "axp GM rpo code"

 

[felicie]

I found this
www.gm-truck.com/forms/topic/30874-rpo-codes/

 

[Sparky]

As far as the gear ratio is concerned the TCCM "might" only care in A4WD mode (and this isn't even confirmed IIRC). in 2WD, 4HI, or 4LO it couldn't care less.

 

[Ziggy]

You guys are awesome! I can tell there is a lot of knowledge here. Hopefully I'll find a way to contribute to the community myself before too long. Thanks, all!

 

[Black_tb]

welcome it nice to see somebody so close i live in ky and work in cincinnati everyday. maybe we can help each other some time !

 

[Black_tb]

btw while your at it might as well clean that throttle body if you havent