advice for a non-mechanic?

[foxy]

Hi,
I have a 2003 Marauder, 60,000 kms. I am the second owner, and purchased full extended warranty on the car. I have
enjoyed 5 pretty much trouble free years with dealer service, until last
week when my steering went way stiff and they replaced the steering
shaft (covered under warranty). My coverage expires in about 6 weeks,
and from reading this website I have a sense of impending doom that
the car will turn into a chronic invalid as soon as the health insurance
is gone:) Could some of you who really know the vehicle suggest some
of the most common expensive problems I should get checked out
before the warranty is up? I have read about rear axles, wiper motors,
air conditioning, and windows/lights electrical problems-- so far I have
had no engine or transmission trouble at all, but what are the typical
problems in those areas? any advice would be appreciated
thanks,

[slickster]

Hi and welcome. Sounds like something to do with the speed sensitive steering. Have you check the steering fluid. Is there any noise when ur turning? If your saying that they fix the problem already then great. Does all your .lights. Air venting. Windows. Window switch lighting work. Is your air suspension pump loud. And when ever you need anything check here first never the dealer first

[SC Cheesehead]

Hi,
I have a 2003 Marauder, 60,000 kms. I am the second owner, and purchased full extended warranty on the car. I have
enjoyed 5 pretty much trouble free years with dealer service, until last
week when my steering went way stiff and they replaced the steering
shaft (covered under warranty). My coverage expires in about 6 weeks,
and from reading this website I have a sense of impending doom that
the car will turn into a chronic invalid as soon as the health insurance
is gone:) Could some of you who really know the vehicle suggest some
of the most common expensive problems I should get checked out
before the warranty is up? I have read about rear axles, wiper motors,
air conditioning, and windows/lights electrical problems-- so far I have
had no engine or transmission trouble at all, but what are the typical
problems in those areas? any advice would be appreciated
thanks,

You're right, it's terminal.

Sell me your car, for like $8.00 and take a load off your mind... ;)

BTW, welcome to the site! :D

Unless you have a really early '03 build, the axles aren't going to be an issue.

The other stuff is all pretty minor and easily repairable, with lots of info available here to help you out. I doubt that getting anything "checked out" will show any symptoms of pending failure, as items like the LCM, EATC, etc. have issues with internal component failure (e.g. relays, O-rings), and dealerships will typically pull out and replace the whole unit rather than tear down and fix the components; and unless you're already having problems with the units, I don't know of any diagnostics that will indicate pending issues.

BTW, both LCM and EATC can be fixed by folks on the site here for a very reasonable cost.

[Ozark Marauder]

Welcome to the site, I bought mine with 59,000 miles, now 72,000, no problems, except had to replace the LCM, (lighting control module), did it myself thanks to the info on the site, now misses a bit at WOT in the upper rpms (above 4000 rpms), assume its one of the spark plug wires, going to get it tested at the next oil change.

[foxy]

yes, they did fix the steering problem, thanks
there is a problem with the lighting on the driver's side door, but the power locks and
windows are ok
my airconditioning doesn't seem very cold, it's hardly been hot enough here to use it,
but I'm sure it's not as chilly as it used to be
I put 16" rims and snow tires on mine like the RCMP use, and I don't think I've heard
that pump lately - I remember that it used to be pretty loud when I had the factory
rims and tires on though-
thanks for your ideas

[foxy]

[QUOTE=SC Cheesehead;1057809]You're right, it's terminal.

Sell me your car, for like $8.00 and take a load off your mind... ;)

BTW, welcome to the site! :D

Unless you have a really early '03 build, the axles aren't going to be an issue.

That's ok, $8 is all the dealer thinks it's worth as a trade, so I'll
probably keep it forever:)
How do you know the car's birthday?
thanks

[kernie]

Hi,
I have a 2003 Marauder, 60,000 kms. I am the second owner, and purchased full extended warranty on the car. I have
enjoyed 5 pretty much trouble free years with dealer service, until last
week when my steering went way stiff and they replaced the steering
shaft (covered under warranty). My coverage expires in about 6 weeks,
and from reading this website I have a sense of impending doom that
the car will turn into a chronic invalid as soon as the health insurance
is gone:) Could some of you who really know the vehicle suggest some
of the most common expensive problems I should get checked out
before the warranty is up? I have read about rear axles, wiper motors,
air conditioning, and windows/lights electrical problems-- so far I have
had no engine or transmission trouble at all, but what are the typical
problems in those areas? any advice would be appreciated
thanks,

"60,000 kilo's, 5 pretty much trouble free years"

Sounds like a winner to me, relax, enjoy your fine ride for many more years!

:beer:

[RF Overlord]

How do you know the car's birthday?PM the VIN to RoyLPita and he can tell you everything there is to know about your car.

As far as impending doom, as SC Cheesehead said, there's little you can do other than to be aware of changes in sounds or vibrations or normal actions. You may catch something early while it's still easy/inexpensive to fix, but otherwise it's "the hand you're dealt".

The air suspension compressor is a known weak spot, but they usually give plenty of warning before failing entirely (they start getting louder) and are easy to replace yourself.

The lighting on the driver's door controls is a simple re-soldering job; there's a very detailed write-up stickied in the Shop Talk forum.

The A/C undercooling may mean you're low on refrigerant due to a leak. It's not uncommon for the accumulator to rust out due to its location. Take it to an automotive HVAC shop and have them put in the leak-tracing dye and check the state of charge.

As far as normal maintenance, have you had the fuel filter replaced? Again, easy and inexpensive and helps prolong the life of the fuel pump.

Transmission fluid ever been changed?