Old thread update bump...
You guys are wonderful. I'll try that next chance I get and report back.
"Next chance I get" = 2 years later. Hey everyone.
Hey guys, don't forget, I'm just getting this vehicle running so I can sell it quick, I don't intend to drive it...
See the thing is... when you drive a crappy vehicle, you need 2 crappy vehicles. And when the economy is bad and friends can't afford to fix their vehicles that they need for their businesses, you actually need 3 crappy vehicles. Because now you're "the guy who knows how to fix vehicles", i.e. beg for help on forums and watch Youtube videos with the face your dog gets when you put him on the telephone... because once upon a time people heard that you fixed an SUV once.
So over the last 2 years I've more or less constantly had one of my own vehicles lent out to someone or other while I slowly attempted to fix their vehicle. More or less a revolving door. I barely even know how to drive, somehow I'm the community Hertz and the village mechanic. And, meanwhile my other main vehicle isn't all that reliable. So, here we are, 3 years later and a janky vehicle I picked up for $700 to flip quickly is my most reliable vehicle.
And, 2 years since I posted, I finally got off my ass and changed that encoder motor. Old one was silent. "New" one that I pulled from the junkyard 3 years ago and never tested shucks back and forth like an oyster. All of 4 bolts and less than 10 minutes in a race against a snowstorm, using a curb and a couple 2x6s as lift ramps.
4x4 works great again. And, recently tested it out in a storm when roads were terrible. Wonderful.
...
In other news:
- I also reinforced the stupid console armrest thing that always breaks. Threw a few sheets of plastic and a pound of bathroom caulk at it. Ain't cracking no more.
- Redid the janky reverse light sockets. Not so bad.
- Spent 45 minutes figuring out how to release the spare tire, from the comfort of home with internet access and no urgency (just needed to fit a long hitch in and it was bottoming out against the tire). The jammed safety catch on cable release, jeeeeesus. Almost impossible to access, eventually crushed it with needlehose pliers and contorting my arm. If I would've ever been in a situation where I needed to use the spare, I would've been screwed. Not a chance I would've figured it out.
- Scammy oil change place refused to do an oil change without me paying them to change a tie rod end. Too dangerous to be responsible for me driving away. Mhm. Yeah, it was worn, but, sheesh, fine. $8 on Rockauto and I did one of those for my first time. But meanwhile with the wheel off...
- ... Somehow sheered a wheel stud off. Which involves removing the caliper bracket. Same caliper bracket that shattered my two wrenches 3 years ago. But I needed an alignment from the tie rod end replacement so, I just asked them to rattle it loose if they wouldn't mind, while they were in there. Months occurred between these events, so I lost the new stud and lug nut I'd bought and just threw a junkyard one in instead. Worked fine.
- Saw the price of used vehicles skyrocketing. Figured, it was time to sell. I don't need 4 vehicles. Figured, maybe I should have running boards on it, since I now have an ugly toast-sized triangle below the rear doors from rock splash beating the paint down to bare metal. So I spent probably 2 hours on my back in the junkyard dirt unbolting rusted running board bolts. ... which, (a month to late to return) I realized tonight must be from an Envoy XL, not an Envoy, and are 16" or so too long goddddddamnit.
To do:
- Paint the rock-splashed triangles.
- New wipers
- New exhaust hanger.
...
Anyone have a good grasp of what a 2009 Envoy might be worth this year?
If I'm not an idiot, it is actually time to finally sell it.