N/A Retarded Grille Design! N/A

[bigblockz8]

I did some routine work on my mom's car today. It's an 05 Chevy Trailblazer LS. I had to do these tasks:

• Oil Change
• Headlight,signal, and corner signal lamp replacement
• Brake rotor replacement (the rear driver's side keeps fracturing!)
• Tire Rotation
• Bumper placement (My mom hits stuff a lot...Hit a car at Ikea, bumper fell off)
• Transmission fluid
• Swap out the wiper motor
• Catalytic Converter/O2 sensors

I started at 7 am. Did the brakes entirely,Oil change,rotation,transmission fluid,and wiper motor. That took 3.6 hours. I saved the last two "easiest" tasks for last.

It's now 10:42 am

Headlight replacement. To get to the light assembly I must remove the front grille off. There are 14 or so clips. Four are inaccessible! Last year my stepfather (a "professional" mechanic of 20yrs) did the headlights. When he did so he cracked the grille in frustration. He also broke some clips as well, about five or so. Less work right?

Not really. The removal of the grille took an hour! The removal of both headlights took 20 minutes thanks to a banged up body trapping the pax side light in. Then I realized that I got the 3157 and 194 NA's instead of the A part! Had to put the grille and lights back on, WHY DID THAT ONLY TAKE FIVE MINUTES!?!?!?

I decided to go ahead and do the O2 sensor. Got the computer, checked the code, installed the parts, reset the OBD computer with my handheld and then ran the car for a bit. No more chugging or backfiring. It wasn't running rich either. That took 30 minutes.

It's now around 1pm. My mom hops in and I drive to Pep Boys. Get a new bulb set. Drive back home. Replace it. Grille does not want to come out! After putting it back in place I remember...I forgot the bumper! I had to take it out...again.

Why did GM do this!?!?!? Anyone else have a retarded design like this?

The grille's "chrome" portion was already broken by a frustrated mechanic. You can see the clips on the headlights...no human hand with a screwdriver can get to those! Why put plastic on this? It feels super fragile. You can also see the bumper's placement is off. Note the pax side and the middle (which raises up)

It's all done now. Time for a car wash!

 

[cavmedic]

My 05 has the other style grill .


***** I stand corrected. Mine is that style but my mom's has the other style*****

 

[cavmedic]

You may want to check out trailvoy.com and see if anyone over there has a grill in the classifieds. With it being cooler out , those plastic parts tend to be more brittle.

 

[AggieMike88]

You're more than welcome to come to my place to conduct more "research". I always have plenty of cars/trucks ready to be taken apart.

 

[SCCutler]

Wow.

I have a Suburban, '03. Whole headlight and turn signal assembly pops out almost trivially easily. Different design team...

 

[bigblockz8]

You're more than welcome to come to my place to conduct more "research". I always have plenty of cars/trucks ready to be taken apart.

Thanks! If I'm ever in Texas I'll be sure to look you up. We used to have a Bronco that I played with but that got sold I made a just about two ton paper weight!

This design made me think about one of the glider pilots I know. He is a mechanic at heart, engineer by training. He bashes his fellow engineers for burying everything. This is a perfect example of style/design over owner consideration.

 

[AggieMike88]

Wow.

I have a Suburban, '03. Whole headlight and turn signal assembly pops out almost trivially easily. Different design team...

Do you still have your Eldo?

 

[Hiperbiper]

Pull the clips on top of the headlight assembly; the light, lens ect. comes out as an assembly. Look for two horiziontal tabs about 6 and 15 inches from each side of the fender...pull up on them...
Remember to swab the bulbs with mineral spirits or alcohol to remove any oils from the bulbs. Failure to do so will limit the life of the bulb..

Hope this helps...

Chris

 

[bigblockz8]

Pull the clips on top of the headlight assembly; the light, lens ect. comes out as an assembly. Look for two horiziontal tabs about 6 and 15 inches from each side of the fender...pull up on them...
Remember to swab the bulbs with mineral spirits or alcholol to remove any oils from the bulbs. Failure to do so will limit the life of the bulb..

Hope this helps...

Chris

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Wow. Thanks for telling me. I was a bit oily putting them on. A shop rag doesn't remove hand oils too well. Guess I'll take em out later today and use a pair of latex gloves. Thanks for the tip, I'll write it down.

 

[bigblockz8]

Oh I forgot to mention something else. After filling all of the fluids there was a HUGE leak. It was blue...watery, no smell. I guessed that it was the washer fluid...SURE WAS. The dang reservoir has cracked thanks to heat/cold cycles. The warm mid 60 degree days followed by lows of 28-35 plus using the car a lot don't help. Gotta fix that too now.

To get to it I need to take out the air filter, coolant tank, and a lot of other junk.

 

[jesse]

I'll trade you. I've been working on my truck since Friday evening. Earlier this week I changed the serpentine belt because it had some cracks and discovered that the ac compressor clutch was on the way out. It made an awful sound when spun by hand and had a really tight spot.

I decided to replace the AC compressor, which means that I also needed to replace the accumulator and the orifice. I started the work around 6PM Friday and was fighting ONE bolt for 7 hours. It had already been partially stripped. I hit it with PB blaster, heated it with a torch, then stuck a 6 point socket on it. I turned and hoped for the best, it didn't work out, bolt rounded into a perfect circle. I messed around with a vice grips for quite awhile with no luck. I finally drilled the head of the bolt off.

Drilling the head of the bolt off really did me no good, as the bolt's stud was so long that you couldn't slide the compressor over the entire thing since it'd hit the frame. Lacking any serious tools, the only option I could come up with, was to cut the ****ing AC compressor apart with my dremel. It took me like 4 hours worth of solid dremelling to cut it up enough to get it out of the truck.

I finished that job after working all night around 7am Saturday morning. I vacuumed and charged the system successfully and drove it for about a hour. Everything worked great.

Job completed. I slept for a few hours then went outside and started the truck up and heard an odd whine that was way more obvious inside my garage then outside. After a lot of troubleshooting I finally determined that the clutch on the NEW autozone compressor was ****ting out. I pulled the compressor AGAIN and verified this.

Frustrated by this...sometime around 11am this morning..I swap the "new" compressor for another "new" compressor at Autozone and buy another accumulator and orifice (not really needed but I was annoyed at this point). I swap all of these parts out and replace all the o-rings in "record time" compared to the first attempt.

It was sometime around 6PM when I had stuff together enough to start the truck just to see if the serpentine belt was ok and if the new clutch was ok. The truck started and it all looked good. I felt victorious. I shut the truck off, admired my work, and decided to start it up one more time. I hit the starter and CLICK. No crank.... WTF.

I busted out the multimeter, checked all the electrical connections relating to starting for corrosion and couldn't find anything wrong. I checked the starter relay and it worked correctly. I bypassed the starter relay and it did no good. The starter simply wasn't cranking.

I go and buy a new starter and pull the old one off. Getting the old starter off was a pain because there is a terribly placed bolt on the top that you can't see but must remove. I bench tested the old starter and it didn't work. The damn thing actually failed on me. I couldn't believe it. Put the new starter in and the truck started right up.

So. My first AC compressor was bad. Then while replacing the compressor with another one the damn starter failed. Not the best luck, but better to happen at home while all my tools are out then on the road I suppose.

Waiting right now for my AC vacuum to run another 30 minutes before I charge with r134a. After that test drive and hope for the best.

 

[AggieMike88]

FYI, I offer a lifetime warranty on most parts, and much cheaper than the big box places.

For example, on Greg's trailblazer, $100 gets the compressor and the big warranty.

 

[jesse]

FYI, I offer a lifetime warranty on most parts, and much cheaper than the big box places.

For example, on Greg's trailblazer, $100 gets the compressor and the big warranty.

Used off a salvage vehicle, rebuilt, or new?

I always pretty much go for new parts because the cost of the part isn't the killer for me - it's the downtime of a used part failing on me and my labor of dealing with it again that frustrates me the most.

 

[SCCutler]

Do you still have your Eldo?

Indeedy. It runs marvelously well, now, and no longer pukes out gasoline onto the intake manifold. Fuel injection works great.

Have a little more suspension work to do (rear shocks, which are amazingly difficult to remove without a lift), radiator to a shop for overhaul, new seals in the A/C, some paint touch-up, and we call 'er done.

Oh yeah... swap the old 8-track deck back in.

 

[AggieMike88]

Used off a salvage vehicle, rebuilt, or new?

I always pretty much go for new parts because the cost of the part isn't the killer for me - it's the downtime of a used part failing on me and my labor of dealing with it again that frustrates me the most.

Mostly recycled... harvested off of a vehicle I've purchased at auction. If I am unable to provide from my inventory, or broker from a trusted recycling partner, then I will search reliable new part sources.

If the customer desires, I can also sell a installation labor guarantee. This is a popular upgrade many of my mechanic shops purchase.

 

[AggieMike88]

Indeedy. It runs marvelously well, now, and no longer pukes out gasoline onto the intake manifold. Fuel injection works great.

Have a little more suspension work to do (rear shocks, which are amazingly difficult to remove without a lift), radiator to a shop for overhaul, new seals in the A/C, some paint touch-up, and we call 'er done.

Oh yeah... swap the old 8-track deck back in.

If you ever decide to sell, let me know. I've always wanted to own something that was large enough for it's own zip code.

But in seriousness, that year of Eldo Convertible is a nice vehicle.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Pull the clips on top of the headlight assembly; the light, lens ect. comes out as an assembly. Look for two horiziontal tabs about 6 and 15 inches from each side of the fender...pull up on them...
Remember to swab the bulbs with mineral spirits or alcholol to remove any oils from the bulbs. Failure to do so will limit the life of the bulb..

Hope this helps...

Chris

Changing the timing belt on a Mercury Villager (A.K.A. Nissan Quest). I have to get an idler (and bracket) for the accessory belt out. Get the bolts loose, not enough room to get the real long one out, wiggle, twist, try... Won't go out the bottom almost goes out the top. Must have spend an hour just getting the stupid thing out of the space between the engine and the inner fender.

Putting it back together, I disregard the shop manual order and decide to do all of the "from the top" stuff first before I crawl under the car.

About 15 minutes and I have the idler actually in place. I'm trying to start a bolt, and it slips. Tink, tink tink, clunk. The whole assembly is sitting on the pavement. Hardly even slowed down on the way out. Took about 60 seconds to re-install from below with the damper and a couple other things out of the way.

I hate front wheel drive.

 

[jesse]

Changing the timing belt on a Mercury Villager (A.K.A. Nissan Quest). I have to get an idler (and bracket) for the accessory belt out. Get the bolts loose, not enough room to get the real long one out, wiggle, twist, try... Won't go out the bottom almost goes out the top. Must have spend an hour just getting the stupid thing out of the space between the engine and the inner fender.

Same issue on my Pontiac Sunfire. Extremely annoying. You could back the bolt all the way up to the inner fender and it still wouldn't be loose yet. You have to support the engine with the jack and mess with teh engine mounts then jack the engine up quite a bit to get the right angle to get it out. Upon looking at the bolt I couldn't come up with any reason as to why it had to be that long. So I cut some length off the bolt and put it back in. Still running today, and will be a hell of a lot easier the next time around.

 

[Hiperbiper]

"...I decided to replace the AC compressor, which means that I also needed to replace the accumulator and the orifice. I started the work around 6PM Friday and was fighting ONE bolt for 7 hours. It had already been partially stripped. I hit it with PB blaster, heated it with a torch, then stuck a 6 point socket on it. I turned and hoped for the best, it didn't work out, bolt rounded into a perfect circle. I messed around with a vice grips for quite awhile with no luck. I finally drilled the head of the bolt off.

Drilling the head of the bolt off really did me no good, as the bolt's stud was so long that you couldn't slide the compressor over the entire thing since it'd hit the frame. Lacking any serious tools, the only option I could come up with, was to cut the ****ing AC compressor apart with my dremel. It took me like 4 hours worth of solid dremelling to cut it up enough to get it out of the truck.

I finished that job after working all night around 7am Saturday morning. I vacuumed and charged the system successfully and drove it for about a hour. Everything worked great.

Job completed. I slept for a few hours then went outside and started the truck up and heard an odd whine that was way more obvious inside my garage then outside. After a lot of troubleshooting I finally determined that the clutch on the NEW autozone compressor was ****ting out. I pulled the compressor AGAIN and verified this..."

Jesse;
I've found that if the compressor isn't leaking and the rest of the system is tight it's far easier to pull the electric clutch off the compressor and replace just that piece. Much cheaper you don't have to do the vent-purge-fill thing...

Last Autozone part I bought was a starter for my El Camino. I found out their "Lifetime Warranty" meant I would spend the rest of my lifetime replacing their crap part. After the third one in 4 months I gave up and got an AC Delco online. YMMV!
and
Chris

 

[jesse]

I've found that if the compressor isn't leaking and the rest of the system is tight it's far easier to pull the electric clutch off the compressor and replace just that piece. Much cheaper you don't have to do the vent-purge-fill thing...

There is absolutely no way on the 5.4L F150 that'd you'd get the clutch off the ac compressor without removing it from the truck. Well, maybe if you removed the front end, but otherwise no.

So since the ac compressor had to come completely off, seemed like a good idea to replace it and the other parts.

 

[AggieMike88]

Speaking of the 5.4L F150's, if you're out to change your sparkplugs, PLEASE read the tech document carefully and follow the instructions.

We've sold many 5.4L engines because someone didn't and snapped the sparkplug in half, and the design makes getting that out impossible without doing major damage to the cylinder head. And demand for the motor is strong enought that we're getting $2200-$2500 before we add the extra warranty.

 

[jesse]

Speaking of the 5.4L F150's, if you're out to change your sparkplugs, PLEASE read the tech document carefully and follow the instructions.

We've sold many 5.4L engines because someone didn't and snapped the sparkplug in half, and the design makes getting that out impossible without doing major damage to the cylinder head. And demand for the motor is strong enought that we're getting $2200-$2500 before we add the extra warranty.

I already changed all the spark plugs. The issue you're referring to is on the 3 valve 5.4Ls which is 2003 and up I believe.

Mine is a 2001 which can have spark plug issues as well. Essentially Ford didn't put enough threads in and the plugs would work themselves out and finally blow out on a power stroke destroying the thread. To correct this Ford added more threads on '03 or '04 and up and NOW they have issues with plugs getting stuck and breaking while being removed.

And. Yes. It totally sucks if you bust a plug removing it. But Ford does have a "special tool" now to where you can fix it without removing the head and I believe it works on all of the cylinders. But I haven't looked into it much since it doesn't apply to my truck.

 

[bigblockz8]

I go and buy a new starter and pull the old one off. Getting the old starter off was a pain because there is a terribly placed bolt on the top that you can't see but must remove. I bench tested the old starter and it didn't work. The damn thing actually failed on me. I couldn't believe it. Put the new starter in and the truck started right up.

So. My first AC compressor was bad. Then while replacing the compressor with another one the damn starter failed. Not the best luck, but better to happen at home while all my tools are out then on the road I suppose.

If it's any consolation the brake rotors on my mom's SUV keep cracking and somehow fused to the brake caliper. Last time I opt for the $180 set with lifetime warranty over the $210 set with a two year warranty. Sixth set now! I put the old rotors on the front (they weren't really worn and no metal to metal) for a test, nothing happened. I have no clue how metal fractures and then bonds to carbon. I'm going to check them today and see how they are. I got these parts from Autozone as well.

 

[bigblockz8]

Speaking of the 5.4L F150's, if you're out to change your sparkplugs, PLEASE read the tech document carefully and follow the instructions.

We've sold many 5.4L engines because someone didn't and snapped the sparkplug in half, and the design makes getting that out impossible without doing major damage to the cylinder head. And demand for the motor is strong enought that we're getting $2200-$2500 before we add the extra warranty.

Anything like that for a trailblazer? I'm learning by trial and error here.

 

[jesse]

If it's any consolation the brake rotors on my mom's SUV keep cracking and somehow fused to the brake caliper. Last time I opt for the $180 set with lifetime warranty over the $210 set with a two year warranty. Sixth set now! I put the old rotors on the front (they weren't really worn and no metal to metal) for a test, nothing happened. I have no clue how metal fractures and then bonds to carbon. I'm going to check them today and see how they are. I got these parts from Autozone as well.

You sure the caliper isn't sticking? If you're going through rotors at that rate something is wrong and bolting new ones on isn't going to fix it. I'd take a close look at the calipers. Is it both sides or just one?

 

[mikea]

I'll trade you. I've been working on my truck since Friday evening. ... I started the work around 6PM Friday and was fighting ONE bolt for 7 hours. It had already been partially stripped. I hit it with PB blaster, heated it with a torch, then stuck a 6 point socket on it. I turned and hoped for the best, it didn't work out, bolt rounded into a perfect circle. I messed around with a vice grips for quite awhile with no luck. I finally drilled the head of the bolt off.

Drilling the head of the bolt off really did me no good, as the bolt's stud was so long that you couldn't slide the compressor over the entire thing since it'd hit the frame. Lacking any serious tools, the only option I could come up with, was to cut the ****ing AC compressor apart with my dremel. It took me like 4 hours worth of solid dremelling to cut it up enough to get it out of the truck.
...

Maybe you shoulda made a trip to Sears?

In my endless buying bargain stuff I may never need I got these:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00952166000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

Of course, per usual, when I need the set I won't be able to find it, or better, I'll buy a new set and when I put it away it'll be next to set I already bought.

 

[jesse]

Maybe you shoulda made a trip to Sears?

In my endless buying bargain stuff I may never need I got these:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00952166000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

Of course, per usual, when I need the set I won't be able to find it, or better, I'll buy a new set and when I put it away it'll be next to set I already bought.

I did make a trip to sears, and I bought those, and they didn't work at all. I can grip a bolt better with a vice grips than those can.

What I needed was a welder...

 

[Hiperbiper]

There is absolutely no way on the 5.4L F150 that'd you'd get the clutch off the ac compressor without removing it from the truck. Well, maybe if you removed the front end, but otherwise no.

So since the ac compressor had to come completely off, seemed like a good idea to replace it and the other parts.

Fair enough. 99% of my work is on Chebbies...
Replacing a throwout bearing is mere childs play:


Chris

 

[bbchien]

In 1997 I looked at the starter installation on my 1985 Toyota Camry, almost puked, and sold the car. It was hanging occasionally, and I just didn't want to pull the whole engine to get to it.

What are these young engineers thinkin?

 

[Hiperbiper]

In 1997 I looked at the starter installation on my 1985 Toyota Camry, almost puked, and sold the car. It was hanging occasionally, and I just didn't want to pull the whole engine to get to it.

What are these young engineers thinkin?

Of a corner orfice where they don't have to think no mo'...

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

In 1997 I looked at the starter installation on my 1985 Toyota Camry, almost puked, and sold the car. It was hanging occasionally, and I just didn't want to pull the whole engine to get to it.

You are quite mistaken.

Japanese auto engineers never make mistakes. It's only U.S. engineers that are stupid.

 

[steingar]

You are quite mistaken.

Japanese auto engineers never make mistakes. It's only U.S. engineers that are stupid.

I had to replace an engine sensor on my ten-year-old Nip sports convertible recently. I shelled out the money (the light showing on the dash made Mrs. Steingar nervous) and became cognizant of the fact that this repair was first I'd had to do outside of wear items (brakes and tires).

The Toyota I'd had before the convertible needed about as much. I can't remember sending it into the shop for anything more than a loose shock absorber in fourteen years.

My Nissan truck performed similarly for a decade sitting outside.

But what do I know. I'm just trying to build myself up on the internet.

 

[bigblockz8]

You sure the caliper isn't sticking? If you're going through rotors at that rate something is wrong and bolting new ones on isn't going to fix it. I'd take a close look at the calipers. Is it both sides or just one?

It's only the rear drivers side that does this. When it brakes it vibrates and then the ABS kicks in and just makes you wonder if you will have brakes or not. In a low speed test the car tried to ground loop and I was stupid and added "right rudder" (gas) and then got a great idea. I'll try it in 4WD. Did it again and it didn't pivot/lock up thanks to the front wheels having some tractive effort.

In testing it again I got all of these issues:

1. Pulling to one side-Piston issue
2. Skidding- Pad locking up + piston issue
3. Locking- Same as above
4. Pulsating pedal- Brake rotor
5. And finally I hit the brake...It traveled to the floor!-Piston seals virtually non-existent.

I checked it today and figured out what's up. It's the master cylinder. Looks like someone took a 12 gauge to it. The pistons on the rear drivers side were defective (should have caught this but I'm no mechanic) and to add insult to injury, I took a good look at the (new) brake pads. The coating is extremely thin and uneven. I got a different set with about 12x the coating! Then come the discs. The left (driver's side) had a bit of lateral travel and then while looking at the new rotors, I noticed that the old ones had ovular holes, not perfect circles yet they were an "exact match." As to why the pax side was fine? No clue!

It was a chain of events I guess. Drove it for an hour and no issues. Had my step father check it, given the okay. My mom drove it to work, all is fine.

Great vehicle,beaten and driven past 150k miles and no major issues. Sure one driving mode doesn't work but who needs 2HI?

 

[mikea]

...What are these young engineers thinkin?

They're thinkin' that it's all is perfectly accessible on the line if you lower the assembled engine in one piece and/or put the body on last.

 

[Anthony]

They're thinkin' that it's all is perfectly accessible on the line if you lower the assembled engine in one piece and/or put the body on last.

And/or purposely forcing you to bring it to the dealer's repair shop for a big $$$ replacement.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

And/or purposely forcing you to bring it to the dealer's repair shop for a big $$$ replacement.

No.

If the repair is expensive, the company will get stuck for the bill if it is done under warranty.

You have multiple people fighting over the same limited space - and somebody lost resulting in a hard to get to part.

 

[Anthony]

No.

If the repair is expensive, the company will get stuck for the bill if it is done under warranty.

You have multiple people fighting over the same limited space - and somebody lost resulting in a hard to get to part.

A lot of work is done after the warranty is over. I agree with the space issue though. You'd think they must take into account the probable frequency of removal, but I remember some cars where you practically had to remove the engine for an oil filter change. Fiero???

Maybe it's because of the unions?

Your kind of a curmodgeon, aren't you?

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

A lot of work is done after the warranty is over. I agree with the space issue though. You'd think they must take into account the probable frequency of removal, but I remember some cars where you practically had to remove the engine for an oil filter change. Fiero???

One would hope...

Maybe it's because of the unions?

Your kind of a curmodgeon, aren't you?

Who? Me? It's not my fault all you people can't get with the program.:wink2:

 

[mikea]

A lot of work is done after the warranty is over. I agree with the space issue though. You'd think they must take into account the probable frequency of removal, but I remember some cars where you practically had to remove the engine for an oil filter change. Fiero???
...

Which is why you never buy a car the first few years of production. They will fix that sort of stuff to address the complaints but it takes a few years to work its way through the design, testing and red tape into the assembly line.

 

[jesse]

Mine is a 2001 which can have spark plug issues as well. Essentially Ford didn't put enough threads in and the plugs would work themselves out and finally blow out on a power stroke destroying the thread. To correct this Ford added more threads on '03 or '04 and up and NOW they have issues with plugs getting stuck and breaking while being removed.

27 thousand miles after replacing all the spark plugs with genuine motorcraft plugs, and torquing everything with a recently-calibrated torque wrench to factory spec, I blew out my number 3 spark plug taking out the COP with it.

I then left on a trip...asked the tow company to tow it to the dealer...also told them I wouldn't mind if it fell off the truck on the interstate.