Spring 2024: What to Check on Your GM Vehicle

Spring is the repair season. Whatever winter did to the suspension, the body and the wipers is now visible in daylight. Spring is also when the pollen arrives and every cabin air filter in North Texas gives up at once.

Suspension

The usual tell is the body keeps moving after you cross a dip instead of settling once. Shocks and struts are wear items. Plan on inspection at 50,000 miles and replacement somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 depending on road quality and load.

Parts in this group: shocks, struts, control arms, ball joints, sway bar links. Trim and package content matters enormously here. Off-road packages, air ride and adaptive or magnetic damping all use different parts than the base vehicle wearing the same model name.

Glass and Wipers

The usual tell is wipers that park in the wrong position. Blades every six to twelve months. In North Texas, summer heat kills blades faster than winter does.

Parts in this group: wiper blades, wiper transmissions, wiper motors, washer pumps, rain sensors. Driver and passenger blades are frequently different lengths on the same vehicle.

Heating and Air Conditioning

The usual tell is air that is cold at highway speed and warm at a stoplight. Cabin air filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, or annually. In North Texas with construction dust and cedar season, annually is the honest number.

Parts in this group: cabin air filters, blower motors, blower motor resistors, A/C compressors, condensers. Rear climate content, heated and cooled seats, and tri-zone systems all change the parts list.

Body and Exterior

The usual tell is a door handle that pulls with no resistance. Not a scheduled item. These are damage and failure replacements.

Parts in this group: mirrors, door handles, grilles, bumper covers, headlamps. Trim level changes almost every exterior part. Take a photo of the connector on the part you are replacing before you order.