I bought a 2006 Chevy Equinox with some problems! Can they be fixed? (part 1)

As usual I am always looking at cars and once in a while I bring one home as in the case of this 2006 Equinox. In this video I begin doing some maintenance on this car.

[@dosgos]

I liked these cars. We had a similar 3.4L engine in a Rendezvous. They do NOT like to be run at high RPMs or pushed hard! Drive them gently. Service that helped our 3.4L engine Cleaning the EGR and passages. Cleaning the throttle body. Replacing the spark plug wires. We had a lot of vacuum leaks to seal. The IAS and TPS needed replacement and they were not so easy to diagnose.

[@Mike-108_v_]

Apparently the AC compressor is not the greatest in these... and... your "driving gently" and not pushing these...could be related to this- for 2006 Chevy Equinox : Vehicles with a 6speed automatic transmission may develop one or more of the following faults related to a broken 35R clutch wave plate inside the transmission: Illumination of the Check Engine Light with code P0716, P0776, P0717, P0777, P2714, P2715, and/or P02723, loss of reverse gear, slipping or harsh 3rd or 5th gear shift. Removal and dis-assembly of the transmission will be required to replace the broken 35R wave plate. It is also extremely important that all debris from the failed part be cleaned from the transmission while it is disassembled in order to try and prevent future problems.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Thanks for the info!

[@matthewbowen5841]

This was an Aisin 5 speed auto, the Rendezvous had this engine hooked to a Hydramatic 4 speed. There was never a 3400 powered vehicle with a 6 speed auto (the rare Equinox Sport, Torrent GXP and Rendezvous Ultra hooked a 3.6 DOHC engine to a 6 speed, however).

[@Mike-108_v_]

@@matthewbowen5841 My Bad !! Yes it's the 3.6 that had the 6 speed , this is a 3.4 and has the Japanese tranny - it did sound decent when he floored it! The first-generation Equinox and Torrent were produced exclusively at the CAMI Automotive GM/Suzuki joint venture plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada. The 3.4 L LNJ V6 engine is made in China (by Shanghai GM), while the Aisin AF33 transmission is made in Japan. Starting with the 2008 model year, the Equinox Sport and Pontiac GXP were available with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that was made in the United States.

[@eyegrey48]

A big issue with the head gasket failure is often times the overheating of the engine due to the failed or burned up cooling fan connectors. Most times you won't know your fan isn't working until you get a check engine light for overheating or the AC cooling isn't working as well. This was an issue with mine, even after replacing the fans. I have since removed the connector and used a crimped connector. This issue caused me to have a bad head gasket that I replaced around 200K miles. I still have to check the fans every once in a while in the summer to make sure they are working properly. I had the heater door problem within the first 6 months of buying mine new. Luckily they covered it under warranty. I also had the issue of warped rotors three times in 6 months. The dealership turned the first set then replaced them the second time it happened. After that they told me it was my driving and they wouldn't do anything more. Turns out is was a seizing caliper. I also had leaking rear shocks before 40k miles. This was my sign to never trust a dealership service center or buy a Chevy again. I replaced all the shocks with KYB's. I learned the EGR needs to be cleaned periodically to avoid some codes so I do it every time I clean the air filter. The Aisin transmission is a plus for this vehicle. It has a high and low gear that you can use which has come in handy in Colorado on steep roads. Plenty of interior room; especially when all of the seats are folded down. I can fit 8ft. lumber in there no problem. It can haul quite a lot with the right suspension.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

That's great information! Very good to know about the cooling fan connection. Everything you mentioned sounds like a GM Equinox problem that is inherent. My rear shocks were making noise, I might have cleaned my EGR while I was at it, I can't remember haha. Thanks for the excellent comment!

[@HtownTejano713]

I had the same issue with the overheating and yea they are big if u wanna move a load of stuff

[@jdub976]

My favorite thing is to see the warning lights disappear one by one on something I am working on. A couple hours of work goes a long way. Thanks for the video.

[@jonathanstewart8512]

Have an 06 myself. 199,000 on it at the moment. Drives great. Only concern is the cooling system. I’ve had to replace the relays, pigtail connector, and thermostat. Burns a little oil but not enough to cause a huge concern. Other than that it is still going strong.

[@rylandspencer]

You ever have a problem with it starting when it's warm? Went in to the store the other day, came out about 45 minutes later and it started, but like gargled then shut off.

[@wineinbeautifulplaces1200]

Great buy and most importantly you do care about the car or who ever buy this car you always you dealer parts and quality and you fix everything but l lot of peoples never do what you do and l really like that fixing and tuneup and detailing honestly l will watch this than stupid 90days Fiance with the wife even last night l watched how big company make foods for the airline than junk on TV . So any buyers should be lucky to buy from you because you care about your cars and the quality you used on your cars . This is a big win buying this car .

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Thank You! I appreciate it, I do what I can to make the cars the best they can be within reason. A little bit of effort goes a long way. Thank you again!

[@matthewbowen5841]

I have the same kind of mirror in my 99 Avalon as a dealer installed add-on. It was a generic Gentex model sold to OEMs and dealers. Same set up, but mine only displays either temp or compass at any time. Hitting each button either changes it to the other display or turns it off. Both buttons are just cycle buttons on-compass-temp-off. These aren't great cars but they aren't terrible, either. The 3400 had lower intake gasket issues throughout its run. Dexcool was terrible all along. Rear springs like to rust through and break on these even outside of rust country. Cheap and not that bad to install. Rear alignment requires adding eccentric bolts for adjustment - GM saved about 3 cents a car by putting straight bolts into the inner mounting holes that are there to adjust toe in rear control arms. These have inadequate brake cooling and warp rotors badly. The brake hoses love to swell inside and seal shut in their routing clips, keeping the calipers engaged and boiling the fluid inside them. Wheel bearings are a wear item. Front lower rearward control arm bushings are too. Wiper transmissions brea regularly. The muffler rusts out regularly on them, it was a cheaply made Walker component from the factory and jammed unceremoniously under the rear bumper. The interior is cheap, cheap, cheap but cleans up really good (classic GM deep pile carpet and hard, ultra cheap plastics). EGR valves love to stop up. Power steering pumps, lines, and racks are often an issue. I remember driving a ton when they were new. GM dumped Equinoxes and Torrents into rental fleets by the tens of thousands. The headlight bulbs are a huge pain to replace. The cheap plastic chrome strip has to come off (it always breaks) and then the housing comes out of its body cavity. Wheel speed sensor wiring harness ends are really easy to replace on these and often get pinched. A few aftermarket companies make replacement harnesses. W Body cars have the same issue - Impalas, GPs and Lacrosses. The WSS costs $80 and the harness costs $12.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Thanks for the great information! That's great to know about the mirror, and the overall cheapness of the vehicle. You definitely know what you are talking about, thanks again.

[@kennygee2715]

Dexcool was always the excuse for these lower intake gasket problems, but it wasn't. I recently went down the antifreeze rabbit hole in the last few years. It turns out that most coolants are now dexcool. Not actual dexcool brand, but the same ingredients per the SDS. If you buy the regular yellow Prestone at walmart that will work in any car... look at the SDS, it has the same ingredients as dexcool. The Mopar stuff in my wife's 2013 Chrysler is also Dexcool. The old yellow/green coolant from the early 90s and prior is not even available anymore as far as I know.

[@matthewbowen5841]

@@kennygee2715 That is correct. The EPA regulated the heavy metals that were the corrosion inhibitors in old coolant out of use some years back, so everyone switched to acid-based corrosion inhibitors. Between 2000 and 2010 basically all of them became this type, GM was just first into the pool in '95 with Dexcool. The issue was that GM began using it in engines developed for regular coolant, using gaskets developed for regular coolant. The acid ate through the gaskets and created the well known GM coolant issues, which affected 3400s, 4300s, the Opel 32 degree V6 in the Catera and Saturn line, and even the vaunted 3800. It even caused cooling system issues in Northstars. Later on, after they had attempted to fix some of the engineering reasons that Dexcool caused failures, ownere continued to ignore the 5 year part of the 5 year/150k mile coolant lifespan. And while regular coolant was still the common one in autoparts stores, many engines got killed by owners or mechanics mixing Dexcool with regular. Now, you can hardly find 3 year coolant anywhere, so mixing isn't much of an issue.

[@kennygee2715]

@@matthewbowen5841 I think this might be true... BUT, I had a 1995 Grand Am with a 3100 V6 that did not come with Dexcool from the factory. It was filled with old school green/yellow coolant. intake manifold gaskets still had to be changed at 5 yrs old and 90k miles. So the LIM failed even w/o dexcool.

[@rich5223]

Nice looking car. I've never heard of these cars.

[@alpaljl]

She's coming along nicely.

[@MrHeem94]

Good job!

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Thanks!

[@stoveguy2133]

I had one. Same color. Paid $375. Sold for $1800. Got backed into at gas station. Got $980.00 for cracked bumper too.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Nice job! Sounds like you did pretty well with it.

[@brianmichaelortiz9140]

The Chev equinox I love those cars it’s My Favorite Suv/Jeep/Truck one(1)Of!!!!!Them!!!!! @High Mileage Hopes

[@highmileagehopes9860]

I definitely like these over the newer ones!

[@ghouliesgarage3922]

Always kewl to see one of your videos!

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Thank you!

[@gary6372]

I have the same car and year and I would not trade it for anything The problem at why the check engine light is on is because he needs a new catalytic converter.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

I had that code in mine too for the Catalytic converter. I ran some lacquer thinner in mine (one gallon to about a half tank of gas) ran it with lots of freeway driving until it was almost empty and refilled with gas. light turned off within a couple of months of normal driving. Not saying you should do it as there may be some risks but it worked for me.

[@isaackinghan2556]

U should do wee video of cleaning head lights and washing the carpets and cleaning the seats 😂 love car cleaning vidoes lol god bless thsnk u foe new video

[@highmileagehopes9860]

I'm looking forward to doing this video in the near future, hopefully it'll turn out. God Bless!

[@whatamisupposedtoputhere]

They aren’t great cars, but the 3.4 is far better than the engine the Acadia and later generations had. They’re somewhat reliable if they’re maintained well; which many aren’t. They have some electrical issues from what I’ve heard. I always loved the way these looked.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Thanks for the feedback! I thought they had a nice look to them as well and do have to agree that this engine is better than the later ones.

[@gary6372]

My abs sensor came on and all I did was push it back on and it has not come back on.

[@kamilnowak623]

Wow, I'm shocked by those spark plugs.. As for ABS fault, personally I check if the sensor I intend to replace has power to it, instead of replacing a good sensor with another good sensor, but I may be strange

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Not strange, logical! That's what I should have done in the beginning. I get ahead of myself sometimes.

[@christinesommerfeld9815]

I was always under the assumption these were piles of SHIZ. No 1st hand experience though.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Exactly! Same here.

[@MrHeem94]

They'll go for a while, but they do have their share of problems.

[@paulsheehan5010]

Some years, the 3.4 litre motors, were built in China and the tran. in Japan.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

I knew about the engine but did not know about the transmission, thanks for the info!

[@user-zx8kd8xe6e]

I have a 3.4 and it’s alright

[@highmileagehopes9860]

That's good to know. This one seems pretty solid as well

[@paulsheehan5010]

My rotors have warped a number of times in my 2020 Corolla.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

I wonder why that keeps happening, cheaper materials?

[@paulsheehan5010]

@@highmileagehopes9860 alot of highway driving, Toyota says.

[@paulsheehan5010]

Equinox/ Torrent and Terrain, burn oil.

[@danberg1018]

Hello. I just was channel surfing and came across your channel. I noticed that you're from Washington State. So am I. I'm in Spokane. Getting to my point. Do you sell any of the cars you buy? Except for the Buick of course I wouldn't get rid of her either she's a beautiful car. I'm interested in the Saturn because that's my wifes dream car. Hopefully you can get back to me soon looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing your finds out there. Have a blessed day. Dan is my name.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Hi Dan, Just the other side of the mountains then. I really appreciate the comment. I do sell some of the cars I acquire. Your wife is pretty fantastic to have a love for these Saturns. My wife is currently driving it herself, in fact she just got home with it. I am in the process of getting her other car back on the road and have considered selling the Saturn when that happens to someone that would appreciate it because they are getting harder to come by. My name is Nate.

[@danberg1018]

@@highmileagehopes9860 Thank you for replying to my message Nate. I have a friend that lives in Aberdeen. Planning on going to see him in a few weeks. If you wouldn't mind I'd love to check out the Buick. About 10 years ago I had a 87 Cutlass Cirerria I bought it from a car lot for $200.00 and it had 266000 on it drove it until I couldn't anymore. Got 347000+ out of it still running but not moving Transmission went belly up. Only thing I did to it was keep the fluids changed and put tires on it. Great car. Again thank you for replying to me. Have a blessed day.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Sounds great! You got a great deal on that Cutlass Ciera, definitely got your money out of that car. I remember when those cars were everywhere, now you hardly ever see them anymore.@@danberg1018

[@paulsheehan5010]

In Mass., that car would have been rotted out, especially underneath.

[@Bishopspipes]

How much was this junkbox? Just tell us!

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Will go over everything in the next video.

[@ryzen397]

The car WiZard says not to walk away from a chevy equinox... but RUN AWAY lol

[@highmileagehopes9860]

The Car Wizard knows his stuff and is a good person too! Luckily I didn't pay much for this one.

[@ryzen397]

@@highmileagehopes9860 thats true

[@user-zx8kd8xe6e]

Well he said any with 3.6 V6 idk about The 3.4 Engine And also I think he probably doesn’t recommend the Saturn Vue either

[@bradleysteeves3291]

AC DELCO ROTORS COME FROM CHINA NOW PROBABLY SAME FACTORY AS THE WHITE BOX ROTORS FROM CAR QUEST AUTOZONE

[@Phil-nc5mw]

Buying a Chevy Equinox is the first mistake you made.

[@highmileagehopes9860]

Well for $400 I couldn’t lose. I wouldn’t pay a lot for one.

[@Mocha-pv8hn]

Come fix my car