Misc Questions

[tyrelirwin]

Ok, I have a variety of questions and querries, and I know you guys can help.

1: Got LED front signals, need a resistor so the manic clicking stops. Where to buy?

2: Can you tell '04-'05 RL's by the bezel color on the headlights? Mine ('04) is grey, saw what I assume was an '05, theirs were chrome.

3: Need new shocks/struts (front). Can I get the entire assembly in a lower (than RL) ride height? Or do I buy the struts and springs separate?

4: Having a bit of engine 'stutter' on idle and a possibly imaginiary loss of power and lag when I step on the gas, worse than usual city mpg. Spark-plugs or O2 censor fix this?

5: Best place to get bug + window deflectors (black), rear bumper cover?

6: Best way to keep VHT niteshades tint from fading off?

Thats all for now, if you have answers, please post the question #, if its not too much trouble.

Thanks everyone!

[tyrelirwin]

7: Any way to beef-up the hatch cylinders, mine can barely lift it?

8: Does anyone else's hood get a bit of vibration and highway speeds? I put some weather stripping on top of the headlight assembly to stop so much air getting underneath. Helped a little...

[tyrelirwin]

Also:

9: Does anyone know the rated 0-60 mph time for the 3.5 L engine? Mine did about 8 seconds, good or bad?

10: Same question for mpg.

[XRL]

1) Ebay sells nice ones with integrated heatsinks.

2) Not sure on what the difference is, but I've seen 05s with the gray bezel. I think it may have been a late change, not too sure.

3) No, it all comes seperate unless you get custom coilovers made.

4) No idea, could be any number of things.

5) I think I got my bumper cover on Amazon.

6) Best way to avoid that is to not use it at all. Use a tint vinyl. Outside of that, maybe a clear vinyl over the tint, but at that point you're better off just using tint anyways. Some people have had luck with professional tinted clearcoat paint, but I can't say how long that lasts.

7) Get new ones, if yours can barely lift it they're worn out. Mine lift it with enough for that it has to bounce back.

8) Yes, it's a cheap car made by a cheaper company, you will get these sorts of things. And you probably should remove the weatherstripping, the engine bay in the Vue is terrible about heat extraction, so cutting off a source (albeit small) of cool air is a bad idea.

9) Yours is slow. 0-60 was claimed as under 7 seconds. a FWD with good tires and a nice burnout is probably in the 6.5ish range, whereas an AWD or FWD with good tires but no burnout is in the 6.8ish range. FWD with bad tires and no burnout is probably 7.5ish range.

10) YMMV. I averaged 21 with a mix of city and highway driving at 118k, but have seen as high as 30 with all highway driving and driving respectably. Worst tank ever was in the 16-17 range, which was all city, beating on it a lot. Others complain about significantly worse fuel economy than me, the logical reason would be they drive like teenagers, but they may also have other issues.

[RedGeminiPA]

My '04 has black trim inside the headlights, while my '05 is chrome. From what I've seen, '05 was the only year for chrome in this style headlight. Any years before it had black trim inside.

Your hatch struts are shot.

My '05 AWD gets about 17 city and I've pushed 27 highway, but I plan to beat that on my trip to Florida next month (hopefully).

I haven't done any 0-60 in either of mine, but I'd say they both feel about a 7-ish second launch. Keep in mind, my '04 is FWD with oversized tires with early '04 programming which made them launch a little more swift. It rarely shifts out of first under normal acceleration under 3,000 RPM. My '05 AWD Red Line has correct size tires, and it's very common for it to shift to 2nd under normal acceleration by about 2,600 RPM - this is with the revised programming after the torque converter campaign.

I usually always check eBay for things first. You may have luck finding things like the rear bumper pad, vent shades and hood deflector on saturnparts.com or saturnparts.net.

Yes, I noticed my hood vibrated on the highway. You can try adjusting the bump stops under the hood. That seems to have worked for mine.

[tyrelirwin]

Thanks so much guys, that was way better than I was hoping for. It seems my mpg is fair to high, though I may be a bit shy on power. Thanks again!

[tyrelirwin]

Originally Posted by XRL

8) Yes, it's a cheap car made by a cheaper company, you will get these sorts of things. And you probably should remove the weatherstripping, the engine bay in the Vue is terrible about heat extraction, so cutting off a source (albeit small) of cool air is a bad idea.

About that...

I found a piece of plastic under my hood that was shaped like an inverted 'U', and all I could tell that it did was divert as much air as possible AWAY from the intake bong. It almost seemed to circle the grille area, and block off the air flow to the intake.

Anyone have an idea which part I'm talking about, or what removing it may do?

[BobbyP]

Originally Posted by tyrelirwin

Also:

9: Does anyone know the rated 0-60 mph time for the 3.5 L engine? Mine did about 8 seconds, good or bad?

10: Same question for mpg.

9. Starting manually in Low and shifting to M or Drive should shave off a second... This will bypass the traction control on takeoff.

10. Stop and go city mileage is 17-20 mpg, mixed city is around 24 mpg, 55mph highway can give over 30mpg, 70+mph gives about 24-25 mpg.

[tyrelirwin]

Originally Posted by BobbyP

9. Starting manually in Low and shifting to M or Drive should shave off a second... This will bypass the traction control on takeoff.

This makes sense, I was just flooring it in Drive.

I'm still on winter tires (new ones on Friday), and have AWD, so i should shoot for 6.5-7, I guess.

[tyrelirwin]

Originally Posted by RedGeminiPA

Yes, I noticed my hood vibrated on the highway. You can try adjusting the bump stops under the hood. That seems to have worked for mine.

Ah-ha! Seems I'm missing a bump stop on the passenger side.

That would be the problem!

Anyone have a part number?

[BobbyP]

Originally Posted by tyrelirwin

This makes sense, I was just flooring it in Drive.

I'm still on winter tires (new ones on Friday), and have AWD, so i should shoot for 6.5-7, I guess.

I'd say 6.9 secs would be about the best case... AWD slows it down a bit...

[tyrelirwin]

Speaking of hoods...has anyone gone for a non-stock hood, for weight reduction, etc?

Do they even make aftermarket hoods for the vue?

Maybe some rice-bowls with scoops, etc?

[RedGeminiPA]

Originally Posted by tyrelirwin

Speaking of hoods...has anyone gone for a non-stock hood, for weight reduction, etc?

Do they even make aftermarket hoods for the vue?

Maybe some rice-bowls with scoops, etc?

I really doubt you'll find an aftermarket hood that isn't a near exact replacement. Hell, we can't even get clear corners (anymore) or exotic headlights for the Vue! And, it seems, we don't even have much choice for taillights, either. LOL

If you can't create your own, your "custom" look will be like everyone else's... There's just no variety in aftermarket available.

[tyrelirwin]

Originally Posted by RedGeminiPA

I usually always check eBay for things first. You may have luck finding things like the rear bumper pad, vent shades and hood deflector on saturnparts.com or saturnparts.net.

Oh the joys of living in Canada...

Either it isn't available to ship (eBay) or costs double the product in shipping (everywhere else).

Any good Canadian site options? Or should I just check a Part Source?

Originally Posted by RedGeminiPA

I really doubt you'll find an aftermarket hood that isn't a near exact replacement. If you can't create your own, your "custom" look will be like everyone else's...

DJTricky...are you listening? Make me a sweet fiberglass hood!!

[tyrelirwin]

having no luck finding a bug deflector...and its getting buggy up here!

[Hoagrod]

Move to the U.S. Problem solved!!

[tyrelirwin]

Originally Posted by Hoagrod

Move to the U.S. Problem solved!!

haha!

oh, so many reasons why not...

[Tom92SCm]

Originally Posted by Hoagrod

Move to the U.S. Problem solved!!

Or make friends with someone in the US and buy stuff through the US channels and have it shippped to the US address. Then plan a road trip to that address, install the stuff, drive home.

Eh?

[tyrelirwin]

Eh!

That does sound like the cheapest option at this point.

Anyone from Great Falls, Montana looking for a friend?