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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
We had to take our new Terrain into the dealership today for it's first warrantied part replacement. After 2 days of -39ºC weather the pump has just given up and died. No warning, just went out to start it this morning and was greeted by an awful grinding/whining.

Strangely enough, there are no parts available in Canada, so it'll be a week or so until they can ship something up from the US.
 

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You have the V6, right?
 

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I have a -1 with the I-4 engine. This model has the electrically-assisted power steering. I took it to the dealer today to have a 'surge' in the system diagnosed.
There is no center to the steering, just a constant wander and a reaction to lane position inputs-the 'surge'. This malady appears whenever enough pressure to adjust lane position is used, but short of a deliberate snatch or lane change move.
The condition has gotten progressively worse over the short term of ownership - 7200 miles and 6 weeks. Today, the surge turned into a ratcheting action in a sustained, 4/10th mile-long curve.
I have every confidence the dealer will fix it; we have a Lemon Law!

Update:
Just today (19Jan2010) got the Terrain back from the dealer UNREPAIRED after a week! Steering pump is coming via Bicycle Messenger from Flint, Michigan. This is the second visit to the dealer.
The diagnosis is a faulty E-Steering box. The box will not calibrate, nor accept a re-flash. So they want to replace. The T has 8500 miles and II have owned it for two months.
Pretty much like the SUV though.
 

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Discussion Starter · #8 ·
Well, the Terrain went back to the dealer again for a power steering related issue. The power steering lines cracked and dumped fluid all over the engine bay. Aside from replacing the lines, they're also going to replace the pump again as well. However, that will be a 2+ week downtime as they try to find replacement parts. Last time it took around 2 weeks to get a replacement pump.

I remember reading something about power steering sleeves being a recall?

They also mentioned that there was an emissions system recall out for the Terrain, and that there also may be something wrong with the transmission (I don't know the details on this as my fiance was the one who talked to the technician and she didn't understand what he was talking about).

Edit: I just read this thread: http://www.terrainforum.net/index.php?topic=220.15 , and apparently it's a transmission calibration. Whatever that is supposed to mean. And I imagine the emissions system recall is the fuel vent line recall.
 

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Mobius said:
Edit: I just read this thread: http://www.terrainforum.net/index.php?topic=220.15 , and apparently it's a transmission calibration. Whatever that is supposed to mean. And I imagine the emissions system recall is the fuel vent line recall.
Sorry to hear about your issues with power steering. I had issues with an early production acadia and they did the right thing. Hope it works for you.

Do you have any info on the emissions system recall?
 

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Discussion Starter · #10 ·
NY_Joe said:
Sorry to hear about your issues with power steering. I had issues with an early production acadia and they did the right thing. Hope it works for you.

Do you have any info on the emissions system recall?
No info on it as of yet.
 

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Discussion Starter · #11 ·
Update:

After my post on February 4th, our Terrain sat in the shop until the 23rd. This was quite inconvenient as I was due to leave for school on the 21st, and had to borrow a vehicle for at week and a half (I was doing distance modules, and just had labs and exams to do). I couldn't really use the courtesy car because we had no idea when they were going to be done fixing the Terrain, and making a 6 hour round trip to return the car just wasn't in the cards. As it was my fiancee wasn't impressed with driving a base G6 for a month.

Anyways, the problem breakdown:

There was a leak in a line (undetermined), and all the fluid had bled out while the vehicle was parked for the day. The dealership ordered a new pump, new line set, and new fluid (apparently they don't carry GM spec ATF?). The parts arrived the week of the 15th, but they forgot to order one of the lines. Turns out they didn't forget, it just didn't ship with the rest. This part arrived on the 20th. We thought, "Sweet, just in time." I guess they had higher priorities, because even though it had sat there for most of the month, and they knew I needed it on Sunday, it didn't get worked on until Monday.

Which is just as well I guess, because the new pump had a broken valve of some sort, and they couldn't get the air out of the system. They swapped the reservoir from the previous pump, and we got the vehicle back on the 23rd.

While the Terrain was in the shop, they also fixed the Evaporative Emissions Recall:

They replaced a hose, and reprogrammed the PCM and TCM. That is all I know.

Now, 2 weeks after the fact, my fiancee noticed that the power steering had started to whine a little louder than usual. I checked the fluid, and it was right on the minimum mark. The dealership tech checked it, and basically told my fiancee that I'm an idiot and don't know how to check the power steering level. mhmmm, not exactly rocket science. In any case, they topped it up, and we will keep an eye on it and see what happens.
 

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Thanks for the update. Is the whine you are referring to continual or only when turning?

Mine whines while turning at low speeds. It doesn't seem too serious and I haven't actually checked the fluid.

I also follow Acadiaforum and it seems there are steering system problems galore with that platform.

Hope our platform doesn't exhibit the same problems as time goes on...
 

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Discussion Starter · #13 ·
The whine is hard to hear when not turning, but does get louder when turning. Definitely louder at slow speeds.

The vehicle I borrowed to go to school was an Acadia (first generation), and it also had a problem. Reservoir was nearly empty when I borrowed it, it had a slow leak. I kept topping it up while I was away, and then the dealership fixed it when I got back. It was the first problem with this particular Acadia though.
 

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Hmmm almost wish the V6 got the electric power steering system. I bet there's no whine with that system!
 
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