• If you currently own, previously owned or want to own an Avalanche, we welcome you to become a member today. Membership is FREE, register now!

Hydroboost leaking into Driver's Footwell

A

AbbyRNC

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2003
Messages
23
Location
Raleigh, NC
Hey guys, new to the forum. Just got my Z66 Arrival Blue 04 Christmas Eve Eve (23rd). And it's such a nice ride. Lots of good info from the forum helped me get exactly what I was looking for at a great price.

Here comes the however... Right at 1000 miles, i get a loud whine out of the front end. It's tied to the revs and it's making the steering wheel vibrate in sync w/ the noise. I'm trying to figure out what's going on and determine that if I brake and turn at the same time, it kicks the noise in high gear. Let the engine cool down and check the Power Steering fluid. It's not reading on the dipstick at all. There's visible fluid in there, but it's way too low. So, I figured that the fluid was low from the factory and it wasn't caught at PDI. Wrong. Service checked it out and there's PS fluid all over my driver side rubber floor mat. He shows me, and sure enough I go under there and there's PS fluid all over the firewall in there.

So he tells me that they've got to replace the Hydroboost system.

Then he tells me about 4 hours later that it's on Nationwide backorder and they have no idea when they're getting new ones.

Truck, with only 1000 miles, is undriveable till then. :E:

Similar experiences? Advice?
 
It's hard to be without it! It's such a beautiful truck. Pic attached.
 

Attachments

  • 04AvZ66ArBlue.jpg
    04AvZ66ArBlue.jpg
    64.2 KB · Views: 37
Thats odd as hell. Could it be just a broken hose? Loose fitting? Trying to figure out how PS fluid would make it into the cab. I thought the resevoir and all line were under the hood only. Maybe are more machanically inclined could comment further.

Nice rig and congrats on getting the "Limited Edition" color especially in 04
 
I'm going to try to talk to the Tech today to find out exactly that. How can it be leaking inside the footwell? Doesn't make much sense to me.

Thanks for the compliments. Yeah... I was torn between ABlue, DarkBlue and Dark Gray. The day I was headed to the dealership to pick out what I wanted, an Arrival Blue pulled up next to me at the gas station and my mind was made up for me.
 
As you may or maynot know as of 12/31/03 they stopped making the Arrival Blue. Your 04 was manufactured before the cut off so you have one of the last. Congrats fellow Arrival Blue AVer.

Hope you enjoy our little family we have here no matter how dsyfunctional we get ;D
 
Yeah.. I was aware that Arrival Blue was on it's way out (thanks to the forum). Actually, I believe my Av was manuf before the Nov 15th price increases as well. Cause the invoice price the dealer had was less than the invoice I had listed from gmpricing as of Nov 15th. I wasn't going to argue w/ a lower invoice price.

And look, you can't get more dysfunctional than the Off Topic crew at CorvetteForum, my "other forum".
 
Here is the deal.....

For 2004 they redesigned the brake booster to use the Power steering pump to provide oil under pressure to assist when braking....so the power steering pump pumps some oil to the brake booster....and there should be a return line as well.....

so when you brake you open a proportional valve in the brake booster which allows some of this pressurized PS fluid to act on a some part of the master cylinder plunger ....this is all to make the pedal effort less for braking.....

So if you have leak inside...it seems the center shaft seal probably leaked...and everytime you were braking PS fluid would leak past seal and into cab until PS pump was empty......

above all based on your description....

So for a fix they could rebuild it....but dealerships do not do this they replace parts......My question would be why did it leak so early...was it a defectivce unit or is this something other 2004 owners should look for?


PS welcome to the club and good luck
 
Thanks for the info. I'm trying to get as much information as I can so I can provide it to other owners.

oh yeah.. Geaux Tigers. (from an LA native)
 
AbbyRNC said:
oh yeah.. Geaux Tigers. (from an LA native)
Click to expand...
Coooooooool....

where from?

When ya get it fixed ask them if you can see part and take picture...I would like to see and I am sure a few others would...

THanks
 
Born at Baptist Hospital. Lived first 27 years in Metairie. Family is still there, so I come back a few times a year. WAS going to drive the Av down possibly for Mardi Gras, but don't know about that now.

I am going over to the dealer today to get some stuff out of the truck. Going to try to get photos of the oil inside now and I will talk to them about seeing the bad parts. I think it's policy over there that they're available on request.
 
Lol you think you got it bad? I blew a fuel pump 125 miles in!

They checked and the '04 parts weren't in stock, I had to wait 3 days for a replacement and they gave me a crappy escort as a replacement.
 
Ok, minor update. I went over to the dealer at lunch to get some stuff outta the truck, and had a look under the dash again. Indeed, the leak is coming from where the brake goes thru the firewall. A single stream can be seen coming down from there only. I lifted the carpet and sure enough, it's soaked the carpet underneath, so that's going to have to be replaced as well.

Still no word at all on time for replacement parts.

GM's paying for a rental. I told em it'd better be a truck. I get to Enterprise and they've got a Ford F150 4x4 sitting outside. Told them that I'm going to leave it till about 5:30 and they said, good, maybe they can find me a Chevy. I asked why bother, this thing is fine. The reply was that the dealership didn't want to take someone out of a Chevy and put em in a Ford.

They initially wanted to put me in a small car and I told em it wasn't going to fly. They weren't too disagreeable when I said I wanted the truck.

Forbin: You shoulda gotten a Focus. They eat gas cause of the gear ratios, but they're fast little buggers cause of it too.
 
Almost forgot to ask... How much damage can you do to the power steering system, or any of these now connected systems, by driving without enough PS fluid. I probably put 100 miles on the truck since first noticing the problem.

Always concerned about the long term effects on the truck.
 
AbbyRNC said:
Almost forgot to ask... How much damage can you do to the power steering system, or any of these now connected systems, by driving without enough PS fluid. I probably put 100 miles on the truck since first noticing the problem.

Always concerned about the long term effects on the truck.
Click to expand...

well it depends...if the PS pump went dry...then it would lose it's lubricant and could start to wear out quick and send metal particles into the system which could then trash seals and clearances in other PS components....

 
I figured about as much. I backtracked on the forum and found references to Power Steering fluid running out and 'the noise that it makes'. Won't really know till it breaks.

BTW, checked your site. Like the switch in the bed for the cargo light. That's the same RadShack switch I used in the vette for the antenna kill. Cool.
 
[UPDATE] Hydroboost went OFF backorder last Friday. They got the new part in and the truck is repaired. I have to go to the dealership to determine if I want the carpet replaced. They say they'll do it, but want to advise about it cause of the amount of work involved. I just can't see having the underside of the carpet soaked with PS fluid being a good thing. I expect summer heat to stink it up nicely.

Go Panthers! Go Jake!
 
[Update again]

So I get the call that the Av is done. Head down to the dealership. It's cold. It's starting to get dark. I'm not talking about my mood here, but by the time I left that purgatory, both were pretty accurate. What they were supposed to do was fix my brake booster and replace my carpet. What they did was insult my intelligence and try to pass of shoddy work as finished. The new brake booster was in, and so was this new flooring material that they called carpet that was not at all like what was originally in my truck when I took delivery not 600 miles and just under a month ago. Oh, yeah, and on top of that, they ruined 7 of the trim pieces. Most were scratched up, one was wholly punctured. Heck, one of the trim pieces was just sitting in the place it was supposed to be. Not clipped down, nothing. Well, there was nothing to clip it on to, the retaining clip was nowhere to be found. Oh yeah, and both front seats were catching on something when sliding them forward and back. Let's see, what else, oh yeah, there was still oil left over on the firewall, and therefore probably under the new carpet, that my service writer assured me was going to be cleaned up. The brake / power steering system whines. The brake pedal itself had about an inch and a half of play before it would do anything at all, although this has gotten better.

All of this started cause one part went bad. Now, because of the service department, I've got multiple problems. And they were going to give it back to me like this. As if this was acceptable.

My blood boils, and the inner fury is seething with malicious desire. The worst part of it is, you're supposed to be able to enjoy a new car purchase. That's why you buy a new car. I got 13 days. It's not new to me anymore. It's a giant 3 ton albatross. It will take weeks to recover from this damage.

Congrats on your new truck. Hope you enjoy it. Hope you're happy with it. You deserve what you get.
 
have you gotten customer care involved yet? I know in Washington State, if your vehicle id out of service for 15 or more days,... they can refund your purchase price and all associated costs back to you,.... check out the lemon laws of your state.
 
I am currently researching the validity of Lemon Laws as it applies to this vehicle. I want my truck. I just want it right. I believe that no court in the land would grant me restitution cause I'm not 'happy with my new car'.

I haven't contacted customer care. This dealer screwed it up, so this dealer is going to fix it. I will be appropriately escalating this problem as needed.

I won't name names just yet, but Sir Walter Raleigh probably wouldn't want to take his new Chevy to this dealership in North Carolina.
 
Hopefully you will be happy again.....

It is amazing as one crappy service department can ruin a good vehicle for so many.....

Stay on them...and call Chevy too to let them know you are PO.....get them involved.....make the local Chevy rep meet you there so you can show them.....
 
Abby,

I feel for you! :6: My Av has been in the shop 35+ days and I'm currently in mediation. :-X It is not a fun process. My brake booster was one of the issues and they just don't seem to address it. Jiffy lube failed me on my annual brake inspection!

I received a call from GM recently asking to bring it in again re: brake booster (they are willing to check it this time), but I've had to stand my ground. There's just no dealing with them, you have to explain explicitly what you want (and give it to them in a formal letter - every appointment).

Type the letter. Hope this helps! :0:
 
Tiger: Sorry to hear that it's gone this far. It's hard for the little guy to get fairness.

GM Customer Service is now involved. A file # exists.

Dealer said that the only available part replacement is what's now in the truck, and that's simply unacceptable. I want what I paid for.

Orig GM Part # 93441033
Replacement Part # 15107976

You know.. Gateway tried to do this to me on a laptop once. Paid about $4000 for a new laptop. It was DOA. I sent it back, and they sent me a refurbished laptop. How did I know it was refurbished? Well, all the cat hair in the keyboard was a pretty good indication. The serial number being already registered to an owner was the other. Gateway balked at me and said that's all I could get from them. After escalation of the matter, and about a month of nightmarish arguments, they finally shipped a new replacement.
 
Abby,

That's ridiculous. I've had the carpet replaced in my Av this summer (water leak related) and the carpet was exactly the same as what came in it. No difference! Hang in there and get it fixed properly.

I had a similar problem once when my S-10 was vandalized and then repaired at a dealership. They put the wrong grill on 3 separate times (painted it gold - I swear). I finally went down there and went through the boxes myself and told them what came on the truck. Embarassing, but true. ;D :D :eek: Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top