Trying to Understand the TrailBlazer

UMEXT

Original poster
Dec 16, 2011
110
I've been a GM owner since 1988, and with every previous vehicle I've owned, I've understood the differences between trim levels/sub-models, and they've been consistent and made sense. Not with the TB.

For example, my ex-wife's friend had an 02 LS, and it had the unpainted body-side moldings with the chrome strip. My LT has painted side moldings. I figured that was a difference. Then last week, I drove alongside an LT with the unpainted moldings. I won't even get into the body-color vs. chrome grille bars, or begin to speculate why the post-05 LS's have completely painted front bumper covers, and partially painted rears.

Is there a site somewhere (a reliable one, unlike Edmunds.com and such which tell me I have a DIC), which will give a list of exactly what equipment should be on an 03 LT? I don't ask just because of trim confusion; I think I actually have missing equipment.
 

STLtrailbSS

Member
Dec 4, 2011
1,617
I have never looked seriously in-depth but from my understanding there are different LT levels Same with the SS
LT1 LT2 LT3 LTZ SS1 SS3 But That also varies by the Year made which trims are applicable. I have an LS ss a year later and I would have an SS1 confusing I know.

So it really depends. I apologize but I do not know how to distinguish any trims to the exact feature, unless its the SS levels because they have much more distinct feature difference here is a link I pulled up though. From what I see the EXT only has a LS and LT so its not as confusing.
2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
 

UMEXT

Original poster
Dec 16, 2011
110
STLtrailbSS said:
I have never looked seriously in-depth but from my understanding there are different LT levels Same with the SS
LT1 LT2 LT3 LTZ SS1 SS3 But That also varies by the Year made which trims are applicable. I have an LS ss a year later and I would have an SS1 confusing I know.

So it really depends. I apologize but I do not know how to distinguish any trims to the exact feature, unless its the SS levels because they have much more distinct feature difference here is a link I pulled up though. From what I see the EXT only has a LS and LT so its not as confusing.
2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT

Um, dude, thanks, but I did say "NOT like Edmunds.com." As in, something accurate.

Anyone else?
 

Ghoster

Lifetime VIP Donor
Member
Nov 18, 2011
1,444
No, we have never found a site that was 100% accurate. GM changed trims on us yearly and made every option an option for the lower model. You will find LT's with manual a/c and cloth seats. They were mostly special
ordered as fleet vehicles, but they are out there. The 04 LS front and rear bumper were both completely painted. Their are no hard rules to pick out the differences. We could give an educated guess, but only GM knows.
 

UMEXT

Original poster
Dec 16, 2011
110
STLtrailbSS said:
What equipment do you think your missing? If you can list it I'm sure an ext owner can answer

Or

Let me google that for you

Well, here's three things to start.

I have no DIC, even though my ex's Avalanche from the same year, which was a base model, with otherwide exactly the same gauge cluster, had one.

I have two huge holes in my front bumper cover where tow hooks should go, but no tow hooks.

And in my second row of seats, I have three seat belts, but only two latches.
 

The_Roadie

Lifetime VIP Donor
Member
Nov 19, 2011
9,957
Portland, OR
UMEXT said:
I have no DIC, even though my ex's Avalanche from the same year, which was a base model, with otherwide exactly the same gauge cluster, had one.
That's a marketing decision to keep the DIC in the high-end trim levels only on the GMT360 platform. And there were option packages to further confuse the issue, some of them only offered regionally. Like the California Sun & Sound package. The trim level does not dictate much about the exact equipment details.
I have two huge holes in my front bumper cover where tow hooks should go, but no tow hooks.
Another piece of silliness. The tow hooks were unbundled, cost extra, and not all dealers ordered them with the option. Like the G80 locker.
And in my second row of seats, I have three seat belts, but only two latches.
That's odd. There need to be three latches for the three belts. Somebody stole it off the mounting bracket.
 

UMEXT

Original poster
Dec 16, 2011
110
the roadie said:
That's a marketing decision to keep the DIC in the high-end trim levels only on the GMT360 platform. And there were option packages to further confuse the issue, some of them only offered regionally. Like the California Sun & Sound package. The trim level does not dictate much about the exact equipment details. Another piece of silliness. The tow hooks were unbundled, cost extra, and not all dealers ordered them with the option. Like the G80 locker. That's odd. There need to be three latches for the three belts. Somebody stole it off the mounting bracket.

Thanks for the info. I may pursue the latch issue with the selling dealer. What, pray tell, is a G80 locker?
 

STLtrailbSS

Member
Dec 4, 2011
1,617
The DIC and Hooks were still optional so they are not even a hard feature of a package so it seems when the TB was brand new it was ordered by the owner without the features or was just one of those funky lot options. Now the seat belt thing is blowing my mind no researched turned up anything on that hopefully someone can chime in.
 

Wooluf1952

Member
Nov 20, 2011
2,663
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
UMEXT said:
What, pray tell, is a G80 locker?


The G80 is the build code for the locking rear differential.

All the build codes for your TB are listed on the glove box door.
 

fadyasha

Member
Dec 21, 2011
1,134
I guess it depends on the dealer and the location you're buying it from. I've seen LTZ's (like mine) but rarely do they have the headlamp washers or the blackbox (for voice recording). All LTZ's i've seen and in my model are two toned but mine is only one complete color. I've seen countless LT's that differ between cloth seats and leather, DIC and without DIC, Moon Roof and without Moon Roof during my search prior to purchasing my car.

So I don't really think that source of reliability exists! I don't even think GM know themselves :rotfl:
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
Another thing, maybe just a coincidence, but I have not seen a 2WD GMT360/370/305 that had tow hooks on it, only the 4WD versions. :twocents:
 

DJones

Member
Jan 21, 2012
701
St. Petersburg, Florida
I have a few of the dealer sales brochures and for options, there were many. You could almost make a fully-loaded LS. All I can say is to buy one and look.
 

The_Roadie

Lifetime VIP Donor
Member
Nov 19, 2011
9,957
Portland, OR
Blckshdw said:
... I have not seen a 2WD GMT360/370/305 that had tow hooks on it,...
Except for miserable folks with 2WD who get stuck a lot offroading and their friends insist that they add the hooks. :rotfl:

DJones said:
...You could almost make a fully-loaded LS. ...
Our nickname for the LS trim level was "Less Stuff." :wink:
 

Jkust

Member
Dec 4, 2011
946
And to top it off when you read some of the professional car review that tested them, they would simply copy the previous year's review and not update it appropriately.
 

asautt

Member
Dec 5, 2011
40
We just bought a fleet build '09 LT. No DIC, no OnStar, manual HVAC, driver side only power seat, etc. If you go out to a site that has a complete list of RPO codes you should be able to find all the codes that are listed on your glovebox door. That will tell you pretty closely how your TB left the factory.

If your's is anything like ours the "delete" list is longer than the "add" list.

Alan
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
Hang around this group of people long enough, and you'll probably end up adding many of the options you didn't get in due time :yes:
 

djthumper

Administrator
Nov 20, 2011
14,950
North Las Vegas
Blckshdw said:
Hang around this group of people long enough, and you'll probably end up adding many of the options you didn't get in due time :yes:

:iagree: but you will probably be adding things that were not even an option for us.
 

STLtrailbSS

Member
Dec 4, 2011
1,617
djthumper said:
:iagree: But you will probably be adding things that were not even an option for us.

gmt options

I worked overnight so I'm off today and obviously bored and I really dont care if things are spelled wrong on there so dont worry about it.

View attachment 3103
 

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Jkust

Member
Dec 4, 2011
946
The sad thing is some of the crappyest rental cars I get have a lot of the upgrades we put so much time into adding on. Every POS chrysler I've rented has all led's inside
 

fletch09

Member
Nov 20, 2011
1,982
STLtrailbSS said:
gmt options

I worked overnight so I'm off today and obviously bored and I really dont care if things are spelled wrong on there so dont worry about it.

View attachment 3103

if only this could be done. :thumbsup:

as for the tow hooks, on both my 03 ext lt and 09 lt, i made sure i had the g80 and towing package. they both came w/ front tow hooks.
 

UMEXT

Original poster
Dec 16, 2011
110
PCPBrad said:
I found this link awhile back. Click on Trailblazer and pick a year. RPO codes are near the bottom (2006 TB anyway) and below that is an options list.

GM Heritage Center Archive | Free Vehicle Information Kit Downloads

Hope this helps!

I haven't dug into it yet, so I'm not sure, but I've already learned things in the 20 or so pages I've read. Thanks, this is fantastic! I also plan to download the ones for the previous Chevys I've owned, just for nostalgia.

Is there such a link for Pontiacs? I still miss my GTP...:frown:
 

PennTB02

Member
Jan 26, 2012
24
fletch09 said:
on both my 03 ext lt and 09 lt, i made sure i had the g80 and towing package. they both came w/ front tow hooks.

What, please tell, is in your towing package that is not included on my somewhat stripped down '02 LS?
Reading my ChevyTB sales brochure under Chassis Features "trailer hitch platform" is Standard on all models of both wheelbases. In the same brochure comparing how LS 1SA, LS 1SB, LT 1SD, and LT 1SE trim levels differ from each other the words "towing" or 'trailer" never appear.

To the best of my knowledge, except for some fleet and rental vehicles that had the receptacle to plug in a trailer deleted, EVERY Trailvoy has the "towing package." IMO when used car dealers see the 2" receiver & connector for trailer wiring built into the rear impact bar they assume the machine they have on their lot is somehow special and mention the "towing package" when talking to buyers who have not done their homework.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
UMEXT said:
And in my second row of seats, I have three seat belts, but only two latches.

Did you check to be sure it didn't just get pushed between the seat and seat back and stuck underneath?
 

WifesLTEXT

Member
Oct 5, 2012
1
I know that I am about 5 months late to this thread, but when you talk about the seatbelts and latches, are you referring to the buckles, or by latches are you referring to the rings down below where you can attach a childs car seat? I know on my 04 TBLTEXT the second row has latches for the car seats to be attached on the two outer seats, but not the middle one. There isn't any latches at all in the back row, I don't think. If I remember correctly (it has been a while since I have had to buy a childs car seat) the manufacturers always recommend that they are fastened in to one of the outside seats and that may be the reasons for not having a latch system in the middle. :undecided:
 

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