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New Owner - What Do I Need To Know?

B

BigSteve

GUEST
As owner of 8-day old 2002 (haven't figured out yet when it was built) - I'm kind of looking for the basic need-to-knows (I did quite a bit of reading on this site a few months back before I started buying process, but now am not able to re-find some interesting info).

If it makes a difference: 2002 Z71, black, tan cloth interior, 1500, 4.11 reargear... I think it has some sort of trailer-towing package. Running boards and hard tonneau (some fool ordered it from factory with a soft one!?!?!?) on order. What it really needs is electric closing mirrors (at least on one side) to get into garage, but I was afraid to even ask about after-market price. Don't know that I got the world's greatest deal, but dealer seemed anxious to get rid of last 2002 (84 test miles) and GM had the 0% 5-yr financing. Walked out the door at $34K (incl. TTL).

Questions:
1. Get bug deflector?
2. How to clean (what to use) windows?
3. How to clean/what to use (and remove scratches from) body cladding?
4. Other key things I should be aware of?

Thanks!
Steve
 
Welcome aboard!
Your born on date can be found by looking at the data tag in your driver's door jamb. Yes, get a bug deflector. I'd highly recommend a deflector by DriverDesign. These can be found/ordered through www.waldoch.com. It will protect your hood plus it looks good on a black rig as it blends in well. Here's mine with additional graphics from the stripeman.

For additional information on mods to do, go here: FAQ's and links to all those mods (Advice)

Jamie
 
Welcome to the club! To answer your questions:

1) Bug deflector. Question - do you do highway driving? If the answer is yes then the answer is yes get a bug deflector, anyway it will look great on that black Z-71! You can go with the GM kit or an aftermarket solution. Check out the accessories page in the Resources section for the part numbers - our partners will give you great pricing.

2) Glass cleaning ehhh? Many of us use Eagle-1 20/20, really good stuff. Some others use a little water and vingear and others just use plain old water. The Eagle-1 seems to help slow down the vinyl haze on the glass.

3) Cleaning the cladding. This is actually easy and you have two choices. First, peanut butter - yes peanut butter gets a lot off. The other choice that isn't as messy is a white vinyl drafting eraser. You can buy them at Office Max, Office Depot, etc. usually in a package of three to five. The white ones work miracles on the cladding. I know others use Simply Green for tough grime. Finally to protect it you should use some sort of sealant, many are fond of 303 here. As far as scratches there isn't a solution.

BTW - if you have a tan cloth interior with the bench seats you have a very rare animal. Not to many tan cloth bench seats out there and early in production they were special order only.
 
Welcome to the club...as mentioned before..your best bet is to just hit all the forums in the owners area and start doing some searches on those topics that interest you...be aware that there has been a lot discussed over the course of the year so you may want to phone in late to work tomorrow....most of all have fun and join us in our daily events... ;D :B:
 
Welcome aboard BigSteve!! I haven't been here long myself but I have been bitten by the mod bug. All these folks here have great ideas and plenty of know how. But beware...the mod bug can be expensive and dangerous if yor wife finds out !! :B:
 
Welcome BigSteve~
I have been here since July with not much to say until I got one of these Beasts(it's been two weeks now and 480 miles). Here are my suggestions IMHO:

Deflector - Yes. Mine is a Lund, distributor had it in stock, dealer needed to order it(two weeks).

Cleaning - ZianoBros.com. Trust me on this one. Do the works to it. Claybar through tire dressing. You will be amazed :eek: I know I was. And I still am. Washed Av 4 times in two weeks and have Zainoed it 4 times..it's just incredible, fun and still amazes me to this day.

Other things to be aware of: Amber DRL's heading your way. Be prepared to wave and flash lights with a smile. The smile it not mandatory it just happens.... ;D

My $.02
 
Welcome BigSteve!

All you need to know is here on this site. These guys do a great job. Be sure and get some amber DRL's so other members can pick you out of traffic. I use the Eagle One 20/20 glass cleaner...works great without streaking.

Enjoy the AV!
 
I'm another new owner. (4 days) I too couldn't pass up on the 0%- 5yr. deal on the 2002's (Z-71, blue, beige leather) Absolutely love the ride. Have had a few problems that the dealer says they will fix with no problems (Cladding popping off the front left wheel well area, and the weather stripping coming off of the rear window area) I had heard that some of the hood protectors can direct the wind down and make cladding problems. Any thoughts on that. Also, did not purchase extended warranty but after reading the site and specifically the "Problem" pages I'm getting a bit paranoid. I must say though, that this is the first time I've excited about a new vehicle in a long time (much to the wifes dismay) and this fan club has been a tremendous asset in educating myself thus far.
 
Forgot to mention,...... I was at a dealership in central Maryland a month or so ago, looking at AV's of course, and met a husband and wife who had just purchased a blue 03 AV. They were literally just getting ready to drive it off the lot when I started talking to them. They said that the one they were purchaseing would be there 2nd AV, that they had gotten an 02 a year or so ago, and loved it so much that they traded the wifes car for the 03. They were very informative as well, and refered me to this website, so the word IS getting out! ;D
 
THANKS! for all the great replies and info. I will check out all the links to the specific areas.

Did verify yesterday this puppy been a Dealer Lot Queen for some while... was built in 8/01.

I test drove (same course) comparing to Ford XLT 150 (which surprised me how comfortable and powerful it was) & Silverado 1500HD 4-door pickup (Didn't drive any Dodges - they were too uncomfortable just to sit in!). The AV ride is head & shoulders over those 2. THe ride might almost be too cushy, but since the plan is for this to be a road (vacation) vehicle, thought the soft ride would pay off in the long run.

I have only one question (he said with a red face) - what is/are DRL (I'm assuming some sort of lights)?

 
DRL's are Daytime Running Lamps.
They are the more triangle lights down in the same housing as the round fog lights.
They're only on when the vehicle is not in park and headlights aren't on...unless you fix 'um.
 
BigSteve said:
Questions:
1. Get bug deflector?
2. How to clean (what to use) windows?
3. How to clean/what to use (and remove scratches from) body cladding?
4. Other key things I should be aware of?
Steve
Click to expand...
Welcome aboard! Here's my comments to your questions though it looks like they've mostly been answered.
1. Totally a preference thing, I like them, some don't. They seem to look and work well though. Just remember to check that the double-sided tape is installed on the edge of the windshield to stop the rattling from turbulence. Lots forget that part.
2. & 3. There is a long Detailing thread at the top of this Maintenance forum. Sit down and browse/read through it. It will take a while, but you'll learn a lot.
4. Can't think of anything random off the top of my head right now, except that you desperately NEED a pair of amber bulbs for your DRLs. :) Seriously, it seems to be the mod of choice of most members and really looks good too.

Enjoy the new ride!

 
Don't know if you have the roof rack, but if so, here's one thing that all new owners with roof racks should do:

Open all four doors, and gently pull back the rubber weatherstripping along the roof line. Look for any metal shavings trapped in the channel formed by the weatherstrip. If present and left alone, these shavings can rust and stain the rubber and paint. Also, these shavings are sharp and can abrade into the paint over time causing rust on the roof panel.

Check for these shavings. If present, remove the weatherstripping and clean everything up, or take it back to the dealer for warranty repairs. Just pulling back the flap is not good enough, as the shavings can get behind both layers of rubber.

This is a problem that GM is well aware of, and is caused by shoddy installation of the roof rack (which is a dealer installed option.) Installation of the roof rack requires drilling a series of holes in the roof. If the installer is not careful, these shavings get trapped in the weatherstripping and cause all sorts of problems.

If you have this issue, search here for more information, there is a lot on this topic.

My truck had it bad.
ugh.gif


-- SS
 
Thanks for that tip! I just checked and no shaving found.
Mine was "born" 05/02 so it evidentally sat on the lot a while as well. I have seen, while checking out the postings that some changes had been made through the year to correct little problems here and there. Is there any set date or timeframe that these changes were made?
Suppose to snow here this afternoon, WOO-HOO time to play with the new toy!! :cool:
 
Blulanche said:
I have seen, while checking out the postings that some changes had been made through the year to correct little problems here and there. Is there any set date or timeframe that these changes were made?
Click to expand...
For this particular problem, the date of the "change" doesn't mean very much. This is a dealer installed option, and the "change" in this case is a technical service bulletin (TSB) to warn dealers about this problem, instruct them to tape off the weatherstripping to prevent it from collecting shavings, and to carefully clean up after themselves.

The problem is that this is not a manufacturing change. It is simply information for the dealer. Just because a roof rack was installed after the date of the TSB doesn't mean they read the TSB before the install. Also, just because they read the TSB, doesn't mean they actually took the steps to prevent the problem.

So in effect, this one has no "safe" date, everybody with a roof rack should check it for themselves.

-- SS
 
Questions:
1. Get bug deflector?
2. How to clean (what to use) windows?
3. How to clean/what to use (and remove scratches from) body cladding?
4. Other key things I should be aware of?

My reply:
1. Deflector: I was getting one good chip a week on the hood until I got the Autoventshade Bug Deflector II. It has worked well with no rattles, wind noise, or need for tape. Installation was a snap.
2. Window Cleaner: My glass was "greasy" and never seemed to clean up. I started using Stoner Invisible Glass. I am impressed with its cleaning, but very unimpressed with the quality of glass in the windshield.
3. Body Cladding: I love the body cladding because I don't have to worry about scratches in it. Regular washing is all I do to it, although the Texas summers I need some type of sun blocker to protect the plastic.
4. Other things: Watch out for putting too many miles on the thing. I have 6,000 in three months! The good thing is that it goes so well that I don't even notice it.

Good Luck & Have Fun
 
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