New H3 Owner. Have some questions?
 

So I just bought my 2006 Boulder Grey H3 with 78k miles on Wednesday. I did end up getting the 4 year 48,000 mile warranty, which I'm glad I did as I'm already noticing some problems, but I'm not sure if they are normal or I'm over analyzing everything. Noob questions incoming! :D

1. First thing I noticed was a few of my heat/ac control knobs were not illuminating. I did search the forum and found that I will have to take it in and get the control module replaced? Hoping my ASC warranty covers this. :eek:

2. I am getting a slight RPM drop when coming to a stop. Mine isn't quite as bad as the ones I found in the forum. It drops from 600rpm to about 550-500rpm. Will this eventually get worse over time? I've read the throttle body and MAF sensor could need cleaned. Will a warranty cover the cleaning?

3. I understand this question may be difficult to answer as you can't hear it, but I've noticed that my exhaust seems rather loud. Have any of you had past exhaust problems? It could be that I'm not used to a truck. I was driving a crappy 94 Lexus before this.

4. Steering wheel shakes slightly when I'm at a complete stop. Is this normal?

5. I hear a slight ticking noise coming from the passenger side floorboard when accelerating. I'm thinking this is just the motor and I'm not used to the sound. It's not very loud.

P.S. I LOVE MY H3! I'm just being very anal and picking out every little thing since I spent good money on a warranty. The timing on buying it was spot on though, we had a huge snowstorm the day after I bought it. This thing is unstoppable in the snow! It's so new that I don't want to take it back to the dealer to fix these problems and be without it for even a day, but I know I need to. :(

Not sure if the warranty will cover the a/c control or not, but it should be a simple diy fix if not. I just checked ebay and saw one listed for $87. If I remember correctly from when I installed my new head unit, you just remove a couple screws and pop the plugs off the back.

Getting your throttle body and maf cleaned will definitely remedy the vibration when coming to a stop, and will most likely suppress the rough idle as well. Not sure if the warranty will cover that either but it is also a relatively simple diy project that you can accomplish for the price of the 2 cans of cleaner (throttle body and maf) and about 30-45 minutes of your time. There's a great write-up with pictures of this process on another forum that I can link for you if you need it.

I don't know what to tell you about the other issues. Get it in there and see what they'll do for you and keep us posted. Welcome to the family!

Thanks a lot for the reply! Glad to be apart of the H3 family!

I will make sure to keep everyone updated once I hear back from the service shop. I have a feeling I will have to fix some of these problems.

One other question. Do you think the rough idle could be from the type of gas the dealership put in? I'm sure they use the cheapest available. What type/octane do you use in your H3?

I suppose it could be, but cleaning the throttle body will definitely help. I run on regular and dump in an occasional bottle of lucas or gumout without any problems to speak of. I've never noticed much of a difference in performance or mpg using midgrade or premium fuel. I had the same symptoms (quick rpm drops when braking and rough idle) around 70K miles. I cleaned out my throttle body and sprayed off the maf and it was running alot smoother. Dont get your hopes up too high, though. In my experience the I5 runs inherently rougher than most engines anyway!

regular to mid, depending on the fuel cost @ fillup, sometimes premium.

Only top tier though:

Top Tier Gasoline


The I5 can be a touchy engine, however if taken care of, it's a beast, considering the size of it, and what it's moving around. GL

ive put 80000 miles,2 hummers, cheapest gas I find. so far zero trouble,zero maint. I don't find it fussy, yet!
good synth oil changes/ 5000 miles.

41000 on this one.
gas n go!

Step back, wait a minute... carbon buildup, takes alot of miles to cause driveability issues... Please update when you get to 60k+ miles...
I bought mine at 70k, and when I decarbonized it, I smoked out the neighborhood.. Obvious neglect by the previouse owner.. :eek:
It don't matter what oil you use, it's the fuel you are burning that eventually causes the driveability issues...:cool:

We've got 163,000 miles on ours and put what it recommends. 87 octane, and always the cheapest we can find. Never a problem because that is what is recommended for this engine. Clean the TB about once or twice a year.

the loud exhaust is probably the exhaust manifold. Look for a cracked manifold, or the other common problem is the rear bolt for the exhaust manifold breaks off in the head