Maintenance stuff

[TechBoyJK]

Hi All,

I have a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer LT 4x4 i6 with 65,000 miles that I inherited from my step-dad about a year ago. It 'was' in good running condition when I got it, but after a lot of trips from moving from Illinois to Missouri, etc. I ran it down pretty good.

Just bought new tires (Destination AT's), changed the oil and moved to synthetic, installed a K&N air filter, changed the oxygen sensor as well as all the spark plugs.

Whoa! She's runs much smoother now. Acceleration is remarkably better, check engine light is gone as well as all of the fault codes I was getting (bad O2 sensor and spark #4 misfiring).

That said, she still needs some work and I'm trying to prioritize what i have done.

Here's my list in order of importance

1) Serpentine belt is starting to crack. Replace.

2) Rear brake pads and rotors are bad. Rotors are rusty and warped and pads are starting to squeak.

3) Front right wheel bearing is going bad. Makes a ticking sound.

4) Front brake pads are about 50% and rotors are fine.

5) Suspension is pretty bad. Very bouncy. It's driveable for now.

6) Lights dim fairly dramatically anytime you use any kind of electrical power. It's a very noticeable sag in voltage that sometimes makes it look like i'm flicking my lights or something. Going to investigate alternator/battery health.

That said, these are things I should be able to take care of or live with. Question is, is there anything else I should look at doing/changing to keep this vehicle healthy?

ie.. it's a 4x4, do I need to have the tranny flushed and cleaned out? Differential fluid? Any other fluids to replace? Anything to flush?

 

[jlee]

Changing all fluids would be a good plan (coolant, transmission, differentials, transfer case, brake fluid, power steering fluid).

Bouncy suspension is likely bad shocks.

 

[lxskllr]

I'd ditch the kn filter. I did. I also wouldn't flush anything. Drain, change filters, replace, but don't flush.

 

[olds]

I'd ditch the kn filter. I did. I also wouldn't flush anything. Drain, change filters, replace, but don't flush.

And replace the shocks.

 

[razel]

I'd order in terms of safety. It is an almost 2 ton metal hammer on wheels. Rear brakes 1st, then belt. Belt parts are cheap and if you're luckly (usually if it has a tensioner pully) easier to change than oil. Afterward is a toss up... Suspensiion does affect brake distance and in high speeds your stability. If your tires begin to rub up against your wheel wells, then change it ASAP.

I recently had to change my shocks. Ride was great for 170k miles. Car has been in a few fender benders. Then all of the sudden after I rotated that tires, the car just willow wallows over uneven gentle bumps over the road. I of course checked the shocks. No oil, then pushed down on the car. Nothing different about it's bounce. So I even rotated the tires back to original. Still the same. I guess when I rotated the tires and jacked the car up, that was enough to send the shocks over the cliff. I thought I could live with it for a bit, just drive more carefully, until I ran into a few situations braking when the ABS would kick in. The car's weight was all over the place.

TLDNR... Bad suspension can be as dangerous as bad brakes.

 

[Torn Mind]

You're a fool for believing a K&N filter will protect the engine. No, it sacrifices protection for performance. Better off with stock.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Belt is the last thing on that list I'd worry about.

Address the brakes and suspension first.

Remove the K&N filter, they suck and don't filter crap. Then when they get just slightly dirty they don't even flow that great.....put a nice stock one in there.

Address the alternator.

Fluids, definitely.

Anything else.

Then the belt. Belts can be cracked all to hell and be fine. They rarely break. Then again, they're cheap and easy so maybe do it sooner if you want....I certainly wouldn't have it as my #1 priority though.

 

[Gerle]

I had a similar electrical issue recently. The positive battery connector looked clean, but the inside of the clamp was corroded. I scrubbed it clean, no more issues.