2009 Chev Uplander Turn Signals

The front left turn signal bulb quit yesterday, but today it's working. It's probably designed to fail temporarily to give you a day or two to plan the service or buy a new bulb, hahaha.

It's 11 months old, so I called a local Chev dealer and was told "Yes, it is covered by warranty, but call a day in advance because it's a big job."

Big job???!!!

I usually do small service things myself because it's less trouble than taking a vehicle to the dealer for a day.

The nice lady on the phone told me that on some models they have to remove the bumper to change the bulb.

Can this be true? If so it has to be a new low point on GM automobile design.

She also suggested, if I do it myself, that I buy a high quality GM original parts bulb, not a cheap Canadian Tire one, because it is so much work to change, I'd want one that lasts as long as possible. Like the one that just failed after 11 months, I presume.

WTF's going on here - is this why GM is in the toilet, or is this just more dealer service bullshit?

Reply to
Happy Trails
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I own a 97 Blazer. Never GM again. Just an example of poor design: To change the fuel pump is $600 labor. The tank must be drained and dropped. The pump is $385, last one I had done (180k, on 3rd one counting the original).

There are many other examples, it would not surprise me at all the "remove bumper to change bulb" is true.

Thinks like these two examples save pennies or a few dollars at build time. Then, they make profit for dealers, since most of these repairs occur out of warranty. So GM is not motiviated to do things in a way that favor the customer - the current system favors the company and dealer network. Another example of great design [not]. The outside mirrors have3 bolts - which are plastic - and shear of the mirror hits an obstruction or pedestrian. OK, it's a safety deal. Fine.

To replace the mirror - one must remove the entire interior door panel. There is no access to the back side of the 3 plastic bolts holding the mirror on. Now, my old Mazda has one phillips screw, and I can then take a plate off and get to the mirror fastenor without removing the entire panel. Same old Mazda, the fuel pump can be changed with only a screwdriver to remove an access plate.

I gave GM a shot at time of purchase, specifically waving the flag, not wanting a "foreign" car. What I got was poorly designed crap, and less than 50% domestic content - so I gave my money to other countries, anyhow, and got crap in return. I'm considering Fort or Mazda for my next purchase. Not GM, not at all.

Reply to
Miller

On Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:32:05 -0600, Miller fired up the etcha-a-sketch and scratched out:

Um, let me guess. You let the fuel tank run down below 1/4 on a regular basis?

(I had a '95 Jimmy, which I ran for 158K miles with never a fuel pump issue. My current '06 Avalanche is at 65K miles with no fuel pump issues.)

Oh, and a fuel pump is typically located inside a tank. That's pretty common.

Can't speak for the turn signal.

Here's what twenty seconds on google got me...

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I just figured it out. There is a "L" shaped lever on the right top of the headlight (passenger side turn signal) (reverse left and right if you are on the driver's side)

  1. turn L shaped lever counter clockwise 1/4 turn and then pull it up; releasing the right side of head light.
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  2. there is a 10mm bolt on the left top of the headlight that needs loosened or taken out.
  3. swing out head light starting with the right side carefully. [IMG]
    formatting link

  1. signal is just below the headlight opening. 1/4 turn and it pops out. replace it with a 3157na that is orange in color.

  1. reverse process to put it all back together.
Reply to
PerfectReign

Thanks - you're a better Googler than I am.

As soon as the rain stops I'll go out and see if mine's the same.

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Reply to
Happy Trails

On Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:55:33 -0500, Happy Trails fired up the etcha-a-sketch and scratched out:

Rain?

What's that? :P

(It did rain here in So Cal a few weeks back, but that was the first time since April.)

Reply to
PerfectReign

snip

I don't know if you realize it or not, but dropping the tank is typical to replace the fuel pump for the last 20 years or so on damn near everything.

Your blazer should have been easy to do in a dealership, and $600 labor sounds like a dealer stuck it to you. That's about a two hour job out of the book.

I changed one in an "87 Dodge Caravan twice, once in an Autozone parking lot in Salt Lake City while on vacation, in August no less. Not much fun, but I still bought another Dodge.

I have a 2000 Astro van with 105,000 miles and its still running on the original pump.

Reply to
Scott

The stuff that you drink, wash with, and make the plants grow, when you don't steal water from 14 other states, hahahahaha!

Reply to
Happy Trails

It was a while ago, but they charged 3 hours labor, fees to dispose of the 10 gallons that were still in the tank, shop fees, etc. Yeah, a rip, but at the time of that change, I was 2 weeks out of surgery and couldn't do it.

The idea of tank drop for pump change sucks, in my view but yeay, most vehicles are that way.

Another poster asked - it's a 19 gallon tank. In the miles before that first pump failure, I put in 14 gallons ONE and typicall put in 10 gallons at fill up. So 4.75 gals remaining. So I got close to that ONE tank ful. That should not have caused pump failure.

Reply to
Miller

Sounds like the dealer took you for a VERY LONG RIDE!!!!!

3 hours labor around here would be about 180 bucks. The gas in the tank doesn't get "disposed of" it gets pumped into a tank and then put back in the vehicle when your done. Sounds like they charged YOU so the dealer could add gas to the lot... Shop fees would have been about 10 bucks.

VERY few that are not that way. Some of the ones that have "access panels" take longer to do using the panel than if you just dropped the tank.

The common cause of pump failure is heat. The pump starts to age and draw more current. The extra current causes the connector to heat up and fail. That is why the connector comes in most of the kits. If you don't replace it the pump will likely fail MUCH sooner than it should.

Now on the older vehicles that used the fuel to cool the pump running the fuel low caused problems. From about 1994 and up the Blazers have a fuel pump module. It has a well that the pump sits in which fills with fuel just to keep the pump cool. On those fuel level doesn't matter for pump cooling.

Reply to
Steve W.

At that price, you need a better shop. Sounds like you need a better parts supplier also, as the pumps should be lasting a very long time. I just looked at Advanced Auto and they list the pump for you Blazer at $459. OUCH Labor shold be closer to $200 though.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

The photo links are gone, but the process is almost exactly as described. Took about 20 minutes because I was gentle on the headlight assembly. At first I didn't want to use as much force as you really need to pop it out of its plastic surroundings. Next one shouldn't be more than 10 minutes. I wonder what the dealer charges GM for a warranty replacement? Once again a diy job is easier than a trip to the dealer, and they are only 1 km down the road!

Reply to
Happy Trails

Almost forgot. In addition to the items mentioned, there is a third point of attachment. The outside middle of the headlight assembly has a metal ball on a small post that pops in/out of a plastic socket on the car/frame. This is why it takes a bit more force than expected to get the rubber seal loose from the plastic surround.

Make sure when replacing the headlight assembly that this ball goes correctly back into the socket hole, and not off to one side, and pop it back in firmly. It goes in much easier than it comes out.

Reply to
Happy Trails

And that is basically horseshit.. Buy a good quality name brand bulb, from whomever you wish.

Reply to
hls

Dont you think they designed these modular pumps for a REASON....;>) You basically have no choice but to pay a higher price, and many people run to the dealership to worship before the GM altar.

Reply to
hls

I agree - her advice was basically horseshit. From start to finish.

But since it turns out it only takes 10 minutes to change - without removing any bumpers, hahaha - and it seems you can get a bad bulb from anyone, with any brand name on it, I decided the most cost effective solution, given that Can Tire is down the street and across the road, is just whatever off-the-shelf bulb they have in stock that fits the part description.

Reply to
Happy Trails

On Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:43:12 -0500, Happy Trails fired up the etcha-a-sketch and scratched out:

Good one!

(Actually we only steal from Colorado, Nevada and Arizona, but that's another topic.)

Reply to
PerfectReign

On Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:05:11 -0500, Happy Trails fired up the etcha-a-sketch and scratched out:

Glad to hear it worked!

Reply to
PerfectReign

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