What did you do to your GMT today?

[Mooseman]

Replaced all the ball joints and tie rods. Also replaced the front brakes upgrading to the bigger SS rotors using the caliper brackets I picked up last year off an 06 EXT. I got the ACDelco Advantage rotors because they had the good coating whereas the Pro just had paint. And they were cheaper. However I did use ACDelco Pro pads. Got the alignment pretty damn close too. It will be interesting to see how much better these brakes will be.

 

[Mounce]

So my trailblazer is really acting up. The abs light is on more than it's off and the e brake light is on more than it's off. Also incessantly chimes every 5 or 10 minutes.

Its bizarre and I cannot join down what may set it off, other than I think I need to inspect and clean all the grounds this up coming week. I suspect that all this road salt and other weatherly garbage has corroded a ground or two.

On that note, once they are cleaned, what do people coat them with? Any fan favorites?

Pretty common symptoms of an ignition switch. Textbook, almost.

Just romped mine to work and back. Couple fun skids on the wet pavement today pulling out. Amazing how slick the main highway gets here with a touch of rain.

 

[aaserv]

Worked on the alignment again while im waiting on an elcheapo fan clutch to get me by till I can get the OEM. I don'y know what happened I thought I had the alignment pretty close but I had to back the car up about 30 ft to get a lawnmower into my back swamp...I mean yard.... and when I pulled it forward again it felt like it was in a bind and the right tire was sliding. Once i got back on the concrete and looked at it both tires were pointed outward with the drivers side looking like it was in a quarter turn!
Working on the radio installation now, starting reading some of the old threads here and it seems most install places werent familiar with the Envoys wiring system 7 years ago when they were popular much less now. I think there are wiser minds on the forum here so Im going to try it myself.. Cant wait to see how I screw this up!!!

 

[Mooseman]

Got it aligned. I also wanted to switch to the summer tires however, all 4 needed to replace the TPMS sensors. I got a handful from the PnP yard before that all tested as working with my TPMS scanner. So went back to the shop and got the sensors changed. Weird thing though is that the sensors wouldn't register properly using my scanner but it finally did using the release the air method. Anyway, that's all done.

 

[BrianF]

Thanks Mounce, That's not a bad part to swap, regardless. 14 years and 250,000km, things wear out. Any particular brand people prefer? Rock has ACDelco professional and some off brands as well.

Today my wife took the Trailblazer to town and the ABS light was out but the ebrake was on but no incessant chiming.

I sure am hoping the weather smartens up so I can get all the maintenance done but.... oh wait!! I live in a cold and desolate wasteland. Not even penguins or polar bears would live here. They know better as the poles have nicer weather. It was finally melting but having 50km/h sustained wind, roads are highways are shear ice, grid roads are rutted from the melting, piles of slush and then solid snow drifts. Just an absolute mess. Thankfully that little green bitch just keeps trucking along.

 

[northcreek]

I sure am hoping the weather smartens up so I can get all the maintenance done but.... oh wait!! I live in a cold and desolate wasteland. Not even penguins or polar bears would live here. They know better as the poles have nicer weather. It was finally melting but having 50km/h sustained wind, roads are highways are shear ice, grid roads are rutted from the melting, piles of slush and then solid snow drifts. Just an absolute mess. Thankfully that little green bitch just keeps trucking along.

So you have two seasons eh?..."Winter and the 4th of July"...

 

[BrianF]

Pre winter, winter, post winter and next winter. Ya we got 4 seasons alright.

 

[Mooseman]

Here it's winter and construction.

 

[Mounce]

Used her to jump start the tractor while I was trying to get it to run. Had a lifter collapse after about 15 minutes. Oil was about 1/4 quart low, topped it off with half a quart of atf hoping to clean out whatever garbage that's in that lifter. Got quiet pretty soon after restarting it but I'm not giving the atf credit yet, will often shut up after a restart if I check the oil. It's like "oh no, he's checking on us, be quiet!" lol. Will dump a quart of atf in it in about 500 miles and run it on out the remaining 500 miles till changing it.

Also started up the TB and let it idle a few minutes and drove it up the driveway and back to keep everything fresh. Has been sitting 2-3 weeks. With the virus going on mom isn't getting out and taking any chances so it's getting some time to rest.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Grabbed the projector headlights back out to play with them and prolly swap in a new grill. Got some ideas but not sure what will play out.

 

[aaserv]

Ordered the adapter for my radio....Amazon has gone to the covered wagon due to the virus. Saying Ill get around the 29th.....on a good note I will be getting my Dial soap delivery next Thursday!! Been waiting a month.
Finally figured out why my Front End keeps falling out of alignment as soon as I drive it 10 feet. Its so stupid Im embarrassed to go in to it but chalk another problem up to pure ignorance!

 

[TB_n00b]

Tracked down the cause of my passenger side footwell rain puddle. Fun little exercise with a garden hose, air compressor and some black rtv.



Leak was finding it's way on the wrong side of the upper/outer door gasket at the spot where it slots into the windshield frame and the body. There was some dried out rtv that left a nice hole. Water snuck past, ran down, got sucked up by the dash and dripped all over the floormat.

Cleaned it out, reapplied rtv, hope it holds up with the rain tomorrow.

 

[Mooseman]

When my wife brought the TB to bring a spare tire for my son's Silvy, went into the rear compartment storage cubby to get the lug wrench out where I found a 1/2" puddle of water. What the...? Nothing else is wet and I also have a Husky liner in the back on top of it. No idea where it's coming from so I'll have to search the threads to find likely culprits.

 

[BrianF]

^^^Great....

The wife and I took the trailblazer to town today for errands. That poor bitch vibrated on the highway, clunked over bumps and every time you accelerated from a stop. She is so plugged up with mud and ice its not even funny. It got some gummed up this last thaw and now we are back to -20C at night and -7 with nasty wind chills during the day. There just isn't a bloody good day where it can thaw, get a wash and have everything fixed. Getting a little tired of this bloody weather. Oh but my 3500 diesel was running like a top....

 

[BrianF]

I managed to rip out and inspect the ignition switch on my Tb. Disconnected the battery and removed the switch. There was noticable corrosion on one of the contact points. I cleaned the contact and reassembled. Upon starting. There was no change on the abs and e brake light. now my service 4x4 light is on.

Could it be coincidence? I do not think there is any wires related to the 4x4 system at the ignition... I suspect its unrelated.

I switched into 4 hi and heard the TC encoder working but the light on the switch was blinking. I put her in 4 low, heard the encoder and she clearly shifted. The light was still blinking.

Well if we ever get a spring out here, removing the disconnect was on the list to re grease and I can inspect the actuator and connector.

 

[TB_n00b]

Well...Wasn't it.

 

[northcreek]

When my wife brought the TB to bring a spare tire for my son's Silvy, went into the rear compartment storage cubby to get the lug wrench out where I found a 1/2" puddle of water. What the...? Nothing else is wet and I also have a Husky liner in the back on top of it. No idea where it's coming from so I'll have to search the threads to find likely culprits.

Found this...
I too am having water in my small cargo area in back. It's not wet in any other area just inside the cargo. Wondering if windshield fluid leaks when I use it for back window.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/garage/viewGarage.action?profileOwner=9005211

Asked by GuruYKTS7 Mar 19, 2018 at 03:51 PM about the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer LS 4WD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Water in back cargo compartment.
1 Answer
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/garage/viewGarage.action?profileOwner=5810692
4,935

FJ4072 answered 2 years ago
Hello there, certainly could be, it has happened to me. But, would be more water where it latches than the cargo area. The little hose that goes to the rear of the nozzle is too short! It can easily slip off and slop water or windshield wiper fluid all over. I'd remove the thick plastic skin that goes over the hatch, if I recall, has 1 torx screw where the handle is on the inside, then the rest just pops off. Comes off pretty easy. Trace the tubing from the nozzle back while having someone run the water. If it is the tubing to the nozzle, I just spliced in a longer piece so it wouldn't pop off anymore.

 

[Mooseman]

Did some research and the most probable is the licence plate pocket seal. I know the pocket does flex out whenever I pull the handle to open the hatch so it's the likely culprit. With the amount of rain we've been having, I'm not surprised. Today will be a nice day but cool so I may dive into it.

Water Leak in Rear Cargo Area... Anyone Else Experience...

www.tbssowners.com

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Painted one of the grills I have, but decided to quit screwing around and bought the new black mesh LT grill I been wanting to maximize airflow. We will see how long shipping takes. I gonna polish up the ghetto projectors n try some better H1 LED in them since I do like the look. Plus if I don't like output I can possibly talk myself into finally opening a set of factory style I have have. Got another of the spare grills taken apart and will cut the crossbar to fit the headlights. I think Mike and Dave have done it, but not sure on many others doing it. --I did find I have an Envoy billet grill and an SS engine cover I forgot about. Need to sell them off to pay for the other fun stuff!


This grill setup basically

 

[Beacon]

@Mooseman I recently found the same problem. Haven't had time to find the cause yet, and I was blaming the sunroof, because there is supposed to be a rear drain tube for them. They make a green paste that turns pink in water. I think I may smear some of that in key locations and turn on the garden hose.

 

[northcreek]

Kinda windy/cold today, fired up the wood stove and some tunes in the garage and waxed my JGC.
I'm not big on waxing but, it did look nice when done......now if we only had somewhere to go...😷😷
oops! ..thought I was in the "what are you doing today"...mods you can move this if you want,

 

[aaserv]

This car is jinxed. How can a car that hasnt moved more than 25 ft in 8 months have a new problem every day?? The dxxx starter is sticking now every time i start it. Thought maybe it was hanging from not being used for so long but Ive been starting it 2 or 3 times a day now and actually it seems to be worse . I was thinking today maybe its the ignition switch. When i turn to start it doesnt really feel like it moves back to on but then its been so long I dont really know what its supposed to feel like. So I start it and crawl underneath it and bang on the starter and the solenoid snaps shut. So I guess it is the solenoid and apparently its not going to fix itself. I need to unbolt the starter to put the plastic guard on it that was left off when whoever put this starter in before I got it. Well after taking a close look at it today all I can say is .....WTF??????????? This is the hardest thing to get to Ive ever come across, Ive read about having to jack up 1 side of the motor and now I see why. It looks all but impossible to do without a lift. Doesnt matter right now because I cant buy a starter anyway... Im about at my wits end with this thing. I may end up parking it behind the 6cyl in the backyard and let em both rot.....

 

[BrianF]

I did an oil change on the Tb, cleaned the under hood grounds and the frame under the driver seat.

Well wasn't that fun but the caveat is that I knew better. I have swung wrenches long enough to know the feel of a bolt and long enough to maybe use some penatrant. The frame ground was rusted on. I used a bit more torque and as the bolt began to move, it felt like it was twisting off. Too late, I popped the bolt head right off.

I sprayed what was left of the bolt and will find a way to remove it. Thankfully there was some sort of hole cut underneath it so I cleaned up the surface, grabbed another bolt and made my own ground.

No change on the dash lights that are lit. So I ordered up that ignition switch. No harm in trying.

I then freed up the hatch glass release. That damn bitch always sticks after winter. I have cleaned it, silicone sprayed it and silicone greased it. Does not matter. It just sticks. Meh.

Tomorrow I will put the front on stands and tear into the disconnect.

 

[Mooseman]

I then freed up the hatch glass release. That damn butting always sticks after winter. I have cleaned it, silicone sprayed it and silicone greased it. Does not matter. It just sticks. Meh.

I had that same problem on the '02 where it would stick in the depressed position. I used ScotchBrite on the button and Fluid Film. It worked for years to its grave. Silicone tends to evaporate and just dries up.

Found the likely source of the water in the rear cubby. Last night I JB Welded the broken standoffs. One had almost no plastic left so I used washers under the bolt to hold it while the JB sets and will hopefull make it stronger. The other one I completely filled it. That middle one always breaks so I hope this is enough otherwise I may have to use a bolt drilled through to under the handle.


I'll install it later this afternoon to be sure it's completely hardened. I'll also Fluid Film the handle mechanism so it doesn't rust any more and doesn't break the little tab that actuates the unlocking lever.

 

[northcreek]

When I did my old Envoy I also used "Ultra Black RTV" on that gasket since the salt liked to collect there and start rust and let water in,so with that even if the standoffs broke it would hold tight, never had a problem after that.

 

[Mooseman]

It's an idea but I just don't want it to be stuck on there forever as I will likely have to go back in there at some point in its life.

 

[northcreek]

I masked close to the gasket on both sides and forced the rtv wth my finger. then when I removed the tape the sealant line was minimal. That's the beauty of rtv, you can always get it off.
Those original gaskets are junk for sealing out anything, especially after 10+ years.

 

[Mooseman]

If I could go into a hardware store (can only order online and pickup or get the clerk to get it for you), I'd look for a thin foam seal to stick on top on the plastic seal. Project for later.

 

[BrianF]

Thanks Moose, I will try some fluid film. Got a can handy.

I think I should rip that rear lift gate hatch off as well. Mine lifts up a bit when opening the handle. That damn thing freezes shut all the time.

 

[BrianF]

Oh and should mention that I ordered up an acdelco ignition switch and vent valve.

Ordered from rock and with a 5% discount it was shipped for 84$. The same parts from amazon were 114$ before tax. No brainer.

 

[BrianF]

Put the Tb on ramps and changed the rear diff oil. 8 year old amsoil 75w90 with 120,000km. Wasn't terribly black either. The fill plug wasn't too bad to remove but I did torque it a bit tight last time. I used teflon tape last go around and copper anti seize this time..... which may very well be the last time it ever gets the gear oil changed.

Inspected the transfer case and gave it a little top up now that I had her sitting level.

Topped up the spare and inspected that dorman tire winch I installed the summer of 2018. The cable was in great shape but the rubber boot is all torn up.

 

[Mooseman]

Inspected the transfer case and gave it a little top up now that I her sitting level.

How long has it been in there? The service life of the TC lube is just 80k km.

 

[BrianF]

I got to check the miles again on the tc since you asked. It was either the summer of 2018 or 2019 I changed it. I think 2018. So maybe 30 to 40,000 on it... ball park. I will dig my records out.

When I did it last I used 2 litres with a little pump that spilled a bunch and I didnt have the vehicle quite level for a check.

 

[BrianF]

Ya I checked, it was august of 2018. Has 27,000km on it.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Got my new grill, but they sent me chrome... Now to see how they are gonna fix this

 

[aaserv]

Pollen season here and poor white car was turning yellow/green. Washed the whole thing down with 1 of those 2 -sided sink sponges.... Took forever but what else have I got to do with this quarantine. Would be even better to air dry it with a quick trip down the road but still up on jack stands while I decide what to do about the starter.. Im probably 1 of the only people in the world whos car has had more washes in the last year than miles driven 4-0.....lol

 

[northcreek]

Thanks Moose, I will try some fluid film. Got a can handy.

I think I should rip that rear lift gate hatch off as well. Mine lifts up a bit when opening the handle. That damn thing freezes shut all the time.

I just read an article by a guy who likes to run his classic cars in the winter snow and salt (?), he swears by a product called Waxoyl because he used Fluid Film and says that it will wash off in time where Waxoyl doesn't....I have no personal experience with either, just passing it along... 😷

 

[Sparky]

Used it as a truck. Snapped this after I had half of the upper boards unloaded.

 

[BrianF]

Got the slide pins lubed, did a quick brake bleed, rotated tires, inspected front diff gear oil, greased the u joints and sway bar end links. Other than the monumental amounts of dried mud and crap, all went well. Only one bleed valve was a bit tight.

Next up is when ever my ignition switch and vent valve show up, then a massive cleaning inside and out.

 

[aaserv]

Got the radio in and working. Few bugs like i have no idea how to operate it. Got it off demo mode somehow, set the clock and about 20 mins later got it on FM somehow. Sounded ok w stock speakers, no rear sound but I dont even know if they are speakers in the rear doors so something to fiddle with tomorrow. 1st time I started it the starter disengaged in about 5-10 secs. 2nd time never did....sigh Also when i 1st plugged it in the door chimes sounded but that was the last I heard it. Got in and out several times, cut the key on and off several times but never heard it again. To be honest I could give a rats Azz about door chimes but I did pay for em.
Hoping the battery is dead in the remote cus it didnt work either.
Wish I could say that tomorrow Ill try to get the front end straightened out and wheel alignment somewhat set but wanting to do it and getting the energy have been 2 different things lately..