Greeting Amigos

I am seriously considering buying a 2005 H2.
It has done 140,000 KM......In old language that is a tad under 100,000 miles.
Outside it looks in mint condition. Inside it also looks very clean. leather seats etc etc.
Running costs for fuel is not a consideration out here.

Have you a link or a list of things I should specifically ask the mechanic to look for which may be of concern, be time to have repaired or about to break/wear out for a 140,000 km H2.

You wealth of advise would be invaluable

 

The usual stuff to look for on them for maintenance and issues;

1. 4x4 in good condition.

2. 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.

3. Regular maintenance, trans flushes, diff lube – see if there were any maintenance records kept. Consider getting a Carfax report.

4. Listen for major air leaks while driving 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.

5. Roof marker lights can leak into the cab if they get hit on top. If they are left alone, they won’t 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. That’s 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.

6. The traction control works properly.

7. Differential lock works.


8. No grinding when shifting through the 4x4's, going into 4lo locked will make a good clunk but that is normal.

9. The trans doesnt clunk or slip during normal driving.


10. Tight steering (ball joints, hubs, and tie rod ends are major wear items).

 

Fyr145 summed up some great advice. I would add check the A/C, the compressor works (if it has one) and any obvious signs of leaks on the undercarriage.

 

Thanks for all that information. I will give the list to the Indian mechanic at the dealers.
Alot of it, with any old car is common sense, but I was just wandering about anything specific to the H3.
So no major issues with a 100K miles on a H2 if it has been serviced regularly?
What about belts and hoses?

 

Some H2 issues are exhaust manifold bolts breaking off, front door panels cracking,

I would say but it if it checks out. I love my H2

 

In going back to your original post, you asked for info about the potential issues on the H2, it said nothing about the H3. I don't have any info on the H3, you might try going to the H3 forum on this site and ask there.

Otherwise, as far as clarification on the H2, I can explain this further for you;

Air Ride: Some older model H2's have the compressor and air bags that hold up the rear suspension. Newer H2 models switched to the coil type springs type that eliminated the need for any air bags and compressor. (These air system have notorious history leaking air bags.) Look under the H2 behind the rear wheels, look up and see if you note air bags or a big coil spring. The compressor is located in the center rear of the back bumper tucked up between the rear differential and the rear bumper, big square shaped thing with some wires and air lines connected to it. If you see coil springs, they the previous owner likely had the systems changed.

Carfax: In The US, when buying a used vehicle, it is sometimes wise to seek some research in the vehicles past. There is a service on the internet that provides such info for a nominal fee. The only thing to remember is that the info of the vehicle has to have been recorded for any of its damage or repairs at a place that had documented these issues. Its not a perfect source but it beats getting no history at all.

Rain: In some climates, precipitation comes more often than others. Of course where you are, it may not hardly rain at all. But when you wash your vehicle and spray a large enough amount of water on the roof of the H2, the clearance lights (mainly the orange ones) those seals at the bottom of the lenses tend to dry out which creates a non occlusive seal around the roof and thus cause leaks when the vehicle gets wet which drips to the inside of the cab area.

Belts/hoses: Like any standard used vehicle, a check for cracks and condition of the belts is always warranted at the 100K mark. I like to take the belts off and bend them backwards to see if there are any hairline cracks showing and replace accordingly. The hoses go the same way, I look for weak or leaking connections at the clamps, then look for any bulges in the hose that would indicate a potential future leak. I would also focus more on the coolant. How long has that coolant been in the system? GM does make a maintenance schedule of what to replace, it can be found on the internet in any search engine browser. They are usually in the owners manuals as well.

Hope this helps.

 

This !!! Think these are the 2 biggies.

Also check the driver door hinges. I am seeing more and more of them with worm hinge pins.

If the air ride is having issues more the likely you will see the "service air ride system" show on your display.

 

You said salesman and having the dealer check it out. Dont have the same dealer you are buying it from check it out as they will just say everything is great. The h2 had tranny issues from the rad trans cooler taking a **** which normally happens between 100-150k miles. I think the rad cooler fails because people did not service the rad like they should have and it corroded and made the cooler fail but that is just my opinion. I would check all service records. I would say if your rad has not been serviced and the rad transcooler has not been bypassed by an external cooler and your trans has not been serviced or replaced that within 50k miles you will need a tranny. The air ride suspension is better than the coils in my opinion as i tow alot and it will self adjust. If the airbags leak because of dry rot it is only a $380 cost for both bags and 30 min time with common tools and a floor jack. The miirors on pre 06 are known to fail you can tell if you have the 06 door mirrors by the h2 symbol on the front forward facing part of the mirror housing.

 

I would agree that the air bags are fairly inexpensive to replace, however if compressor should fail, then its game over. Replacing that compressor is BIG $$$!! The coils are just as inexpensive and there's no compressor failure to worry about.

 

The never ending argument, To air or not to air...that is the question. I prefer the air ride as well as fyr145. I tow a fairly heavy travel trailer and utility trailer with toys on it. the air ride will keep the vehicle level when you have excessive weight on the hitch. If you don't tow or plan on towing anything then I would probably replace it with coil springs if the compressor failed because of the cost. if the bags fail I just replace them. They cost me 165 dollars u.s. the last time I replaced them and took about 1/2 an hour to do the work myself.