Vue Maintenance

Discussion in 'Saturn VUE' started by C. E. White, Oct 31, 2005.

  1. C. E. White

    C. E. White Guest

    Well I did some pre-winter maintenance on my 2003 4 cylinder/CVT Vue today.
    I changed the front brake pads and have to say it was the easiest brake pad
    replacement I've ever had to do. I purchased replacement GM pads and they
    came with the proper clips. The original pads were not actually worn out
    (39k miles - maybe 40% left), but I had already purchased the replacements
    and figured it was better to do it now than next February, especially since
    my 16 year old son will be driving the car to high school starting next
    month. I also replaced the serpentine accessory belt. The old one was OK,
    but I figured I would put on a new one, and keep the old one for a spare.
    I've had the new belt for a few months, but couldn't figure out now to
    change it. With the right front wheel off to change the brake pads, I
    realized the belt was much easier to change from below. I also replaced both
    the cabin and engine air filters. The cabin air filter was far dirtier than
    the engine filter. So in the last few weeks I've done the following:

    - New front brake pads
    - New engine air filter
    - New cabin air filter
    - New serpentine belt
    - Four new Michelin tires
    - Changed the engine oil

    Any suggestion on what else I ought to take care of before I let my Son
    start driving the car (and nasty weather arrives)?

    Regards,

    Ed White
     
    C. E. White, Oct 31, 2005
    #1
  2. C. E. White

    Bob Shuman Guest

    Auto Trans or Manual? If auto, and you have not already done so at least
    once previously, I'd change the trans fluid and filter. Also, I'm not sure
    of this vehicle's maintenance schedule, but the potential "normal
    maintenance" replacement items to check in the table in the owner's manual
    are: fuel filter, spark plugs, and PCV. Not sure about GM OEM batteries,
    but if it is not permanently sealed, make sure it is full (do not overfill)
    and the posts and cable connectors are clean and tight. Also, most
    vehicle's today have throttle bodies that get pretty gummed up and cause low
    RPM/idle issues. Cleaning the TB as preventive measure makes good sense now
    before it gets really cold.

    Bob
     
    Bob Shuman, Oct 31, 2005
    #2
  3. C. E. White

    blah blah Guest

    He said CVT, Constant velocity transmission. Not sure what the service
    was on those. The TB on Ecotecs isnt apt to gum up. The Ecotecs run
    pretty clean.

    I would clean and coat the battery terminals with a protectant. Teens
    and suv's dont really mix but the 140hp Ecotec helps balance that
    equation. If you can, when the weather first turns bad, get him out on a
    slick empty parking lot and have him practice in bad conditions. That
    should help him know an suvs limitations.
     
    blah blah, Oct 31, 2005
    #3
  4. C. E. White

    C. E. White Guest

    The GM maintenance schedule calls for having more of the "magic" friction
    modifier added to the transmission at 50K miles. My plan is to just have the
    fluid changed at that point (with the magic ingredients added of course). At
    least so far, the car has led a pretty stress free existence (no towing,
    very little high speed driving, mostly medium length trips at 45 to 65 mph).
    This is a very nice engine. Easy to work on. Runs smoothly. Stays clean. It
    is probably the nicest 4 cylinder I've owned. BTW, in the Vue, the Ecotec is
    rated a mighty 143 HP - I don't want to loose those 3 extra horses. The new
    2.4L VVT Ecotec might be really nice - as much as 167 hp. Or the
    supercharged 2L Ecotec - 205 Hp. But probably, the CVT transmission would be
    toast with much more power. The Vue's CVT is probably the most worrisome
    feature of the car. When I bought it, I really liked the idea.
    Unfortunately, I've read too many negative things about it to be completely
    satisfied. Plus, after driving my Father's Ford Freestyle with a CVT, I am
    really disappointed with how much less refined the GM CVT is than Ford's
    implementation. The Freestyle's CVT hardly seems any different than a normal
    automatic. If you are looking for it, you realize there are no shift points.
    On the other hand, the Vue's CVT is obviously different. The results are OK,
    it just seems to be far less refined.
    I don't really think of the Vue as an SUV (no matter what Saturn claims). It
    is more like a station wagon. I am not sure what limitations I should be
    worried about. The vehicle has very good sight lines, decent brakes, a
    relatively low center of gravity, and is fast enough to keep up with
    traffic, but not so fast to encourage high performance driving. Mine has
    side air bags, and the rear suspension upgrade has been completed. I feel it
    is a much safer car than the sort of third hand compact cars I see a lot of
    kids driving. Winter weather around here is not really that bad (central
    NC). We will probably have a couple of "snow days." When that happens, he
    will just need to stay home - or I'll take him to school. And he hates the
    car - no "cool" factor at all. He keeps saying he would rather drive my 14
    year old F150. Hard to believe a teenager would rather drive a 14 year beat
    up truck than a 3 year old Vue in good condition, but that is what he keeps
    saying. If the F150 wasn't just an old vehicle with no safety features, I'd
    probably let him drive it. I'll bet after a month or so of 12 mpg, the Vue's
    23 mpg would start to look good.

    Ed
     
    C. E. White, Oct 31, 2005
    #4
  5. C. E. White

    blah blah Guest

    The GM maintenance schedule calls for having more of the "magic" friction
    I just wonder how it would react to new fluid. No towing is good though,
    I dont think the CVT is rated handle more than 5 adults in the cab.
    The 2.2 has so many various ratings I just estimate... Yes a 2.4 would
    be good in a vue if it can get the same MPG.
    Yeah I dont completely trust something under a constant state of
    friction. When a conventional automatic is in a gear the friction
    surfaces are no longer in a state of friction. I was thinking of putting
    a shift kit in my Pontiac just so the delay in engagement would be cut
    in half. Everytime it shifts when I'm punching it I think, eh there goes
    some more clutch material... You should get 200k out of that CVT with
    "your" driving though.
    I forgot the fact that its FWD, that helps because a RWD suv's butt end
    likes to get into a swinging motion that's difficult to recover from on
    bad roads. If you have traction control thats even better. The Vue is
    the only SUV I consider pratical. No Saturns in my family right now but
    I wish I could replace my mothers blazer with a Vue. Every SUV is a pain
    in the ass to service or work on except for that little Ecotec equiped
    Vue.
     
    blah blah, Oct 31, 2005
    #5
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