Hi all, newbie here!!

Sorry, if language seems odd..I'm from Finland.
But maybe for better results, I need to write in english rather than in finnish.. ;-)

I finally found right forum.. ;-)

I am looking for 2005-2006 H2 to buy..
Would H2 owners be kind, and give some tips, what to look for before buying?
Is there any major issues with H2?

What I have heard:
-Gauges not working (stepper motors)
-Gearboxes broken, because on fluids mixing at radiator
-Check engine light because of various reasons, e.g. voltage drops.

But are those issues just bad luck, or typical for H2?

I would appreciate, if someone could share some experiences of problems and opinions..

 

Welcome to the forum.....

Most newbies here ask the same thing. You can easily do a search on here and see what the previous members came up with. Here is one example from another member..........


the usual stuff to look for on them for maintenance and issues

4x4 in good condition,
if it has air ride, make sure it is in good shape, if it is not working properly or has a slow leak, it is an expensive item to fix.

regular maintenance, trans flushes, diff lube

listen for major air leaks around the mirrors or doors, the glass along the pillars on the front glass can really whistle if it is leaking. replacement of the windshield would be needed or have it removed and sealed. the mirrors will always have a bit of noise in them and the h2 is a box on wheels so it has wind anyway. the windshield will be noticeable right away if it is leaking. the rest of it would be normal noise.

roof marker lights can leak into the cab if they get hit on top. if they are left alone, they wont leak but if you hit them while washing hard or something they will leak. simple fix with either new gaskets or silicone on the bottoms of the gaskets. Thats how a bunch of us have done ours when they leaked. I hit mine with a scrub brush this summer and had them leaking in a hard rain one day.

the traction control works properly
diff lock works
no grinding when shifting through the 4x4's, going into 4lo locked will make a good clunk but that is normal.
the trans doesnt clunk or slip during normal driving
tight steering (ball joints, hubs, and tie rod ends are major wear items

 

Thank You for quick reply!

Actually, I did try to search, because I guess I'm not first one, who is planning to buy H2..
But maybe I had wrong search terms.

After short while, I did found some topics, related to buying used H2 ..

I was just afraid about the rumor of transmission problems (coolant mixed to oil).
Other issues what I have heard, are not so big deals.

 

I would look to make sure it has not spent most of it's life off road. I have not had any problems with my 2006 and it's my favorite vehicle I have ever bought. The only thing I do not like on mine is the door panels rattle a bit and the fuel mileage is bad. Those are minor and I luv my H2

 

Maybe your door panel clips are old and loose. here is a website that might have some new ones for you. Hope this helps.

General Motors Clips And Fasteners

 

fyr145 hit the nail on the head...those are the major "quirks" of the H2's. I love mine. The forum is a great resource/tool to use for future questions! Welcome!

 

so the tranny cooler that's built into the radiator goes bad inside and the fluids mix? there isn't an external tranny cooler? guess ill buy an external if this is the case, that is if I ever find a black one to buy that isn't out of my price range or that doesn't have 100,000 plus miles or that hasn't been lifted or offroaded to death or driven in the rust belt and looks like my Tahoe underneath....ya im STILL looking for one

 

You already have an external trans cooler from the factory. no need to replace it. the transmission lines go from the transmission, through the radiator to an external trans cooler.

they run the lines through the radiator to help warm up the transmission fluid in the morning or in cold weather.

Pop your hood an look, see the little black radiator in front of your radiator mounted to your grill? it has steel lines running into it from the top. that is your trans cooler.

 

so where they go through the radiator is where the leak happens that people are referring to where fluids mix and take out tranny?...probably can bypass where they go through radiator and just run tranny lines to and from extrernal tranny cooler to eliminate this "common problem".....

 

Are you kidding me, this design "feature" is what cost me almost 8 grand in repairs?