What did you do to your GMT today? [Part II]

[Mike534x]

We had those tires on my Pontiac Aztek... When I got new tires, I was glad I got rid of them. Never realized how bad those rode, and the road noise dropped by 70%.

That's the situation I'm in with my Toyo's. The Envoy took a serious ride quality hit with them over the last year, between the loud road noise and the tires feeling out of balance its miserable. 5 rebalances and they still ride bad. Never had this issue with the Coopers or Yokohama's I had prior.

 

[Mike534x]

Got the call today from Discount Tire that the new tires were in for the Envoy. Got up early to get there by opening, and......left empty handed. The person I spoke to over the phone ordered the wrong tires. I wanted to General Grabber ATX (wanted to go a little bigger so I went with 245/70/17's). He ordered me the All-Season/Highway one instead. Come to find out, the tires are on national backorder. So I settled on the Falken Wildpeak AT3W's instead, which will be here next week. I suppose the upside is, the rep felt bad for the mishap. So they knocked it down to $180/tire from the $216 they're at. So a little bit of a discount.

Called up Tirerack, and was told the same thing. Tires are on a backorder, they may have them in 90 days, or by the start of the New Year. Bah. A bit bummed out, I've had my eyes on the Grabbers, and loved how they looked like the older BFG KO's. ( would've gone with the KO2, but those scored poorly on wet/snow.

 

[TollKeeper]

So I settled on the Falken Wildpeak AT3W's instead,

Good luck with those. Had those on my Envoy. After I think 8 months to a year, I had to get them off. Every week they needed Rebalancing, or I got a shifted belt, or some other oddity.

 

[Mike534x]

Good luck with those. Had those on my Envoy. After I think 8 months to a year, I had to get them off. Every week they needed Rebalancing, or I got a shifted belt, or some other oddity.

That's my exact situation with the Toyo AT lll's, I was hoping to avoid that issue with going with a different tire.

I guess I should get some more options incase those don't pan out.

 

[TollKeeper]

I always, and only, recommend Michelin Defender LTX/MS. I am now on my 3rd set on my Envoy. Love them.

 

[Mike534x]

Took the drive to TireRack, and got the Falkens. So far so good, the rides much smoother then the Toyos and they balanced perfectly. I do have to replace one of the rear wheel studs, one of them snapped off. No idea how, but I'm debating whether to tackle that now or just wait until Spring.

I did take a run South to look at a clean TB NorthFace. Ended up not buying it, title still had the lein holder listed and they didn't have a letter showing its been released. Our BMV (for Indiana) said I can't register it unless the title is clear of the leinholders name. Seller of the NF said they would pull the listing, since we agreed on a sale (no cash exchanged yet). But they relisted it, so I'm pretty sure they have no intention of contacting me back. Ah well...

 

[TollKeeper]

Saturday... Installed a new MidGate motor. XUV life!

 

[Mooseman]

After experiencing the 10Hz vibration while stopped in the TB, I knew it was the mounts . Ordered some from the dealership and even with my employee discount, they're still $120CAD each. RA is slightly better but with shipping it becomes slightly more expensive. Only problem though is that they are only available from the US and with the strike going on, could be delayed. We'll see what happens and if still delayed, I'll cancel and get them from RA instead. Will likely order oil for the Sierra at the same time.

 

[Mike534x]

After experiencing the 10Hz vibration while stopped in the TB, I knew it was the mounts . Ordered some from the dealership and even with my employee discount, they're still $120CAD each. RA is slightly better but with shipping it becomes slightly more expensive. Only problem though is that they are only available from the US and with the strike going on, could be delayed. We'll see what happens and if still delayed, I'll cancel and get them from RA instead. Will likely order oil for the Sierra at the same time.

I'm in the same boat! I ordered a new foam cushion pad for the drivers seat at the start of September right as the strikes started, so its been stuck on "processing" ever since. Only thing I've got currently is the new leather cover, but I was really hoping to have the seat finished for my roadtrip next weekend.

 

[Mike534x]

Dropped Envoy off this morning for an alignment. Camber was good, but the toe was off a tad bit. Otherwise they managed to get the steering wheel to be dead straight to boot (last shop couldn't, so it was slightly off 3 degrees). After driving like that for two years it feels weird seeing it normal again.

Spent the afternoon undercoating my Dad's Yukon with Cosmoline. I'm still debating how to feel about it, versus say Fluidfilm/Woolwax. I don't think it creeps into crevasses as well, but it does spray on a bit more liquidity/heavy compared to FF/WW. I'm glad I was swearing old clothes, I was about nearly covered in it after creeping around underneath. Hopefully it's as good as its claimed to be, I've gotta do a few touch ups on the Envoy but otherwise the WW has held up very well since last applying it last Fall...especially in areas that get blasted with puddles.

 

[azswiss]

Finally got around to checking the ball joints and sure enough, they need to be replaced. First project of this year's garage season has been identified!

 

[Blckshdw]

Did some light hauling. Had quite a cash of dead batteries that I needed to get rid of. 1 from the riding mower, 2 golf cart batteries from my living room UPS setup, a multitude of 7-12 aH batteries from various UPS devices over the years, and a ton of AA/AAA/C/D batteries in a big box.

Loaded up the EXT along with my cart and headed over to Batteries Plus Bulbs to recycle them. Need to start considering a new battery for the truck, as this one's 4 years old. It's gotten to the point if I don't drive it all weekend, it will crank a little slower after sitting for a few days and the DIC resets. Checked my battery monitor app, and when I shut the truck off, the battery % drops to 51% right away

 

[Mike534x]

Just got back from Gatlinburg, TN after having a small weekend getaway. The Envoy did great, I was averaging about 500 miles a tank (math came out to something like 20.5-21 MPG) but I was also doing 75-80. If I held it at 70 (like normally) easily it would've gotten 21-22 no sweat. With all the driving, it was roughly a 1300 mile trip with all the spots I was visiting. Between going there, and coming back I burned about a quart of oil too. Not as much as I was expecting but at 221k, and my free rust proofing from the rear main seal that's to be expected.

 

[Mike534x]

Pic of the "new" truck while at work. Minor work is needed still, like trying to get the knock sensor code taken care of. Only issue I'm having is the rear wiper isn't working, it's shooting fluid out but the arm isn't actually moving. I'm thinking the motor might be bad, I'm going to pull the rear fuse panel and and check to see if everything is good back there.

Otherwise maintenance list is small;

Front struts + shocks
Thermostat

It's a 2008 with 176k. The I6 feels very peppy compared to some of the other ones I've driven.

 

[mrrsm]

@Mike534x ... Nice Find... and Best Of Luck with this SUV...

If time permits... Open the Lift Gate and using a Bright Flashlight...examine the Thru-Grommet housing the LGM Wiring passing through from the LGM to the Body to the Lift Gate Conduit for any "Work-Hardened" Broken Wiring. Bear in mind that the Breaks can happen ...without any Tears in the Colored Insulation... so some decent Due Diligence is called for to root out THIS as a Possible Cause and Origin of the Rear Windshield Wiper Problems.

THIS is what the Wiring Diagram and DAMAGED Wires looks like:

 

[TJBaker57]

Only issue I'm having is the rear wiper isn't working, it's shooting fluid out but the arm isn't actually moving

If I remember correctly @Mooseman once said something about these sometimes getting rusted stuck at the shaft at the base of the arm??

 

[Mike534x]

I pulled off the rubber gromet that protects the wiring, and couldn't see any damaged wires. I don't have my flashlight on me today, with the weather warming up a tad bit this weekend. I'm going to give the harness a more thorough inspection. I've gotta install the backup camera, so pulling the plastic cover over the tailgate will give me a chance to inspect the motor too for signs of life, and I'll pull the arm off for good measure to see if it needs some penetrating oil to free it if the arm is indeed rusted in place. I wasn't hearing hearing sounds of resistance when turning the rear wiper switch, or any sounds so I'm suspecting its the motor, or at the very least a hidden broken wire somewhere where in that area.

 

[TollKeeper]

Replaced the battery on the GMT201 last night (Saturn).. Not fun, but still doable.

Starts up great.. Going to reprogram the power sliding doors tonight (tech2).

 

[Mooseman]

Replaced the battery on the GMT201 last night (Saturn)

Didn't even know they had a GMT designation.

 

[Blckshdw]

Have had an annoying thin metallic rattle for some time now. Can only hear it when the windows are down, music is low, and there's something large on the driver's side for sound to reflect off of. Parked the EXT on ramps when I got home from work, let it cool down for a few hours before rolling under there with gloves and lights. Checked heat shields, metal tubing, anything I could find on the driver's side.

As I worked my way forward, came across another issue. Little bit of dark wetness between the trans and engine, so the rear main seal is leaking. Not enough to drip on the garage floor, but there were 2 small droplets hanging. Get up near the driver's side wheel, no movement in any of the steering or suspension parts, then tapped on the dust shield. Bingo! Not entirely sure what the problem is, it's not bent, don't see any crack or damage anywhere. I guess the only solution is to remove it completely?

 

[azswiss]

I guess the only solution is to remove it completely?

You could try to add in a slight bend or a couple of dimples with a ball peen hammer to change the stiffness/vibratory characteristics.

 

[TollKeeper]

Didn't even know they had a GMT designation.

Yeap.. But its kinda weird. All the same platform, but with different designations.

GMT200 - Chevy Venture, Olds Silhouette, Pontiac Trans Sport Montana, Pontiac Montana, Pontiac Trans Sport, Chevy Trans Sport (Europe), Opel Sintra (Europe), Vauxhall Sintra (UK), Buick GL8 (China)
GMT201 - Chevy Uplander, Venture, Pontiac Montana SV6, Buick Terraza, Buick GL8 (China), Saturn Relay
GMT250 - Pontiac Aztek
GMT257 - Buick Rendezvous
SGM258 - Buick GL8 (China)
SGM358 - Buick GL8 (China)
SGM458 - Buick GL8 (China)

And although no longer made in the US, is still made in Shenyang, Liaoning, China and Shanghai, China as a Buick GL8 ES and Buick GL8 Avenir. I wish they would import it to the states.

Current Generation Interior.. Look at those seats!

 

[Mike534x]

I'm never purchasing SKF parts again.

Did both front bearings on the Envoy during the covid lockdown, and 20k later they're both shot. I thought it was the driver side at first, do to the howling/vibration. Noise/vibration is faint, but present from the passenger side. So I'll be doing that tomorrow. Snagged an open box/new Timken off Amazon, and grabbed a Moog one for the passenger. The driver side one was definitely shot, it took some effort to actually spin the hub. I did fluid film the inside to keep rust minimal around the speed sensor.

 

[Mike534x]

Got the passenger side hub replaced, and just like the driver side it was shot as well. It wasn't nearly as bad, but you could feel the resistance when turning it. After reassembling the passenger side, I took her for a test drive and everything is quiet and tight. No more vibration/howling! Come tomorrow I'll be trying to contact SKF, to see if the hubs can be warrantied out. If so, I'll sell off the replacements to recoup some cash.

I made great progress tackling the Trailblazer today as well. I'm getting power at the rear fuse box, and at the wiring harness leading to the rear wiper motor. I tried to "gently" get the arm off, and found it was completely seized to the shaft. Unfortunately, I need to replace the arm now. The plastic within the arm itself was brittle/stuck and parts of it were still clinging to the shaft. After soaking it with some penetrating oil, the motor is working again! Sort of. It'll need to be replaced, I think its just too weak and its fighting to make the full sweep (without the arm attached).

 

[flyboy2610]

The steel shaft corrodes itself to the aluminum housing, and then it no more worky!
I replaced the rear wiper motor on my '04 TB this past summer. The first thing I did when I got the new motor was void the warranty. I took it apart (make sure to mark the position of the shaft gear to the motor gear so you can get it back in the same spot) and put some anti-seize on the shaft. Doing this requires un-soldering 3 tabs from the control board, but it's not hard to do.

 

[Mike534x]

The steel shaft corrodes itself to the aluminum housing, and then it no more worky!
I replaced the rear wiper motor on my '04 TB this past summer. The first thing I did when I got the new motor was void the warranty. I took it apart (make sure to mark the position of the shaft gear to the motor gear so you can get it back in the same spot) and put some anti-seize on the shaft. Doing this requires un-soldering 3 tabs from the control board, but it's not hard to do.

That's an excellent idea! Thank you! I may stop by pick n pull tomorrow, to grab a new arm and a wiper motor. That doesn't sound too difficult at all, my soldering skills are kinda crummy but should be no problem at all.

 

[azswiss]

Traced a minor oil leak back to the rear of the right side valve cover. Replaced the gasket & grommets.

 

[6716]

Replaced the tensioner and idler pulleys and the belt. I've never replaced the pulleys in the 16 years I've had the truck. The dream is that somehow the pulleys and belt were the cause of my "occasionally shuts down at a stoplight at idle mostly with the fan on high and concurrent with a dip in the needle on the volt meter." But also I suppose good preventive maintenance.

Belts are amazingly different in length depending on which vendor's "fits your vehicle" recommendation I look at. This one is like a 231 or something. It went on but not easily. But it runs.

 

[northcreek]

Took our new 2023 Blazer RS for it's first "free" oil/filter change. This reminded me of why I never use Dealerships for service.
Get home, look things over and see that they installed the wrong filter for the 3.6 engine.
Called to tell them that they used the old PF63 low pressure filter not the correct UPF63R high pressure filter.
Even though the 0wner's manual, service bulletin, and the filter they removed proved this, they danced around and I hung up.
I will replace the filter with the correct one and they can expect a less that flattering review...

 

[Mooseman]

Yep, I can vouch for bad dealership work. Case in point, I regularly see brake calipers hanging from their hoses, even large truck ones that weigh a ton! Once drove a customer's Cruze back to the shop because the caliper bolts were missing. It was basically being held in by the wheel but making a helluva racket.

 

[BrianF]

@flyboy2610 I was able to tear down the rear wiper motor on my 2006 without having remove the solder joints. I just very gently bent mine. While this could be a future weak point, I havnt crossed that bridge yet.

 

[flyboy2610]

Hope everything works out well for you, Brian!
Monday night after her Bible study group, my wife got in her '06 TB to come home. It wouldn't shift out of park. She said the button on the side of the shifter went in, and the shifter moved, but the dash indicator stayed in Park.
I told her there wasn't anything I could do about it at that hour of the night, so I'd look at it after I got off work Tuesday. I figured it was the classic broken bushing at the shifter arm. On the way home I stopped at an auto parts store and picked up the Dorman shifter bushing set (#14057). I went home, changed clothes, grabbed some tools and headed for the church parking lot where the TB was. The shifter arm bushing was in perfect condition.
That meant I was looking at an issue with the shifter cable itself. I got into the TB and pried up the boot at the base of the shifter. Looking in there I could see the pin on the side of the shifter. No cable anywhere to be seen, but the pin was there!
I want to live to see my grandson grow up, so manually moving the shifter arm while my wife keeps her foot on the brake isn't something I want to try. Had it towed home and backed onto the concrete patio. Called in to work to let them know I wouldn't be in today. That probably frosted their cupcake because we've been on 10 hour days due to a heavy schedule on the stamping press line, particularly the press I run. Too bad. My wife comes first. I could have had it done at a shop, but it takes about 2 weeks to get anything scheduled, and in the meantime she wouldn't have her vehicle.
Fortunately, today was a nice day, sunny and around 70 deg F. So I got to replace the shift cable on her TB. It's as big a pain in the whatsit as everyone says it is! I consider it a success, though. I only lost skin in 3 places, and her TB shifts and drives just like it should!
The problem was that the plastic bushing at the shifter self destructed into several pieces. One of the clear plastic bushings in the Dorman kit is supposed to be able to press into the eyelet of the shifter cable. I spent an hour trying to get that pushing pressed in so it would seat properly. It would press into the eyelet, but the belled end would not go far enough in to engage the ledge in the center of the eyelet. The result was that every time I tried to install the cable on the shifter pin, the bushing popped back out again.
Finally I just said "Enough of THIS!" and went to AutoZone. Bought a new AC/Delco cable for $102.
If I can manage to get that bushing properly installed, I'll have a spare shifter cable for her TB. According to the AutoZone website, it will also fit my '04 TB EXT.

 

[Mooseman]

@flyboy2610 I was able to tear down the rear wiper motor on my 2006 without having remove the solder joints. I just very gently bent mine. While this could be a future weak point, I havnt crossed that bridge yet.

Here was my fix for the rear wiper...



Motor was seized and when I tried to coax it to move, the arm disintegrated. Even after removing the arm from the shaft, the metal knurled part stayed on and even trying to make it move with vice-grips, the motor wouldn't budge. It's not necessary and always breaks and seizes.

 

[Mike534x]

Had to call my insurance to set up roadside for the Trailblazer.

The previous owner DIY'd the power steering lines, so of course, I punch out at work ready to leave. Started her up, and hear the unmistaken "wooossshhhhhh" smell followed by the lovely scent of PS fluid. Sure enough, look under the truck and see the puddle. I was able to climb underneath and see where the line was replaced (hes got it routed near the frame/strut tower", and I can see where the line had burst. Judging from the hoses, they definitely were NOT made for this use. Looked way too thin in my book, compared to normal 3/8 tranny lines I've used in the past. I'm hoping I can maybe repair it myself, but I don't know the extent of how much of the PS lines were replaced with this "questionable" hose. So in the meantime, I've gotta wait 2 hours for the tow truck driver to go retrieve the truck from work. Ugh....

 

[Mooseman]

If it's the low pressure line, you can definitely replace it with transmission cooler line. If it's the pressure line, you'll have to replace it.

 

[Mike534x]

If it's the low pressure line, you can definitely replace it with transmission cooler line. If it's the pressure line, you'll have to replace it.

That I need to determine, I was able to see where it was but I couldn't tell if it was the return or pressure line.

 

[Mike534x]

Got her home. Thankfully the line isn't blown, but looks like it came detached from the rack and pinion. Looks like the wrong clamp used too? Also yanked the *bad* hose out, I'm guessing he didn't remove it when the actual "good* rubber hose was put in.

 

[Mooseman]

That's a Pex crimp for house plumbing. Some regular worm gear clamps will fix that. And also double clamp each connection with the worm gears at opposite ends, kinda like this:

 

[Mike534x]

I went even better, Advanced had the "spring" loaded ones, so that should stay nice and tight now! Took the whole bottle too and she's back being smooth, it did take some time to get the air out. That steering wheel wouldn't budge for nothing until I gave her some gas and it freed up again.

 

[Mike534x]

Anyone run into an issue with AC Delco Pro parts as of late? I ordered a set of rear links for the Trailblazer and this is the third set I've ordered where the links look like the "Advantage" line without the grease fittings?? The last set I ordered for the Envoy had blue dust boots and grease fittings. Unless they're starting to cheap out on producing them?

Looks like the Link replacement is being held off until I figure out if there's a bad batch being circulated through Amazon.