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New Guy from South Carolina

Ademily87

Active Member
Messages
27
Location
Charleston SC
Hello all! Would like to start off by saying thanks to all of the members of this forum for all the posts and years of info being readily available while I researched my new H3 before purchasing it.

With that being said, this is my first Hummer, and first GM vehicle actually. I've been a ford person my whole life (still am), and this is the one exception haha. I've had 3 full size broncos, a handful of F150's, F250's, a ranger, 4 thunderbirds (2 turbo coupes and a 4.6 and a 5.0), 4 mustangs, the latest of which (2003 cobra) was recently flooded by a bad rain storm here in the low country back in October. The list goes on.

Well I was in the market for a new vehicle, and saw an H3 parked in my girlfriends parking lot. I'd always liked them, just never really looked at them as an achievable vehicle to have. That being said, after seeing that one a few weeks ago in person and looking it over, I spent the next 4 days and nights researching and shopping. I HAD to have the Alpha. Nothing else really mattered. Well it just so happened the only H3 local to me was a Boulder Gray 2008 H3 Alpha with the adventure pack. I went and looked at it the following day after finding the night before. As soon as I saw it (it was at a dealership), I knew she was coming home with me! The only thing holding me back was the $22k price tag, and I wasn't going to spend nearly that. Well after a few attempts to walk out when they wouldn't give me a price I liked, I eventually got em down to $18.5k. I know it's a little steep, but this was the best I could do without having to travel for a potential dud and wasting my time and money.

It has 110k miles. Was a trade in from the original owner at the Chevrolet dealership. Clean carfax, all service records.

It has the Adventure package (which wasn't advertised, but after researching I found out on my own) which makes me very happy after reading how sought after the Alphas with the adventure pack. are. Backup camera, stock DVD/nav. monsoon unit, power heated seats, step bars, new Bridgestone dueler at tires, sunroof, yada yada yada.

I won't do much wheeling, mainly because there's literally almost nowhere to do that here in Charleston SC, but she will be hauling my 18' center console fishing boat. Ski trips to the mountains, camping trips, things like that.

And I must say, I absolutely LOVE THIS THING! I look forward to getting to know all of you. Here's a couple pics.

When I first walked up on it at the dealership


Day after I got it
 

05Mudiak

Well-Known Member
Messages
731
Location
Lake Charles, LA
great price for a Alpha adventure, is it a lux or an adventure w/ rear locker? Only reason I as is because the locker is usually the first thing people mention on the adventure. Either way congrats!
 

Ademily87

Active Member
Messages
27
Location
Charleston SC
Thanks everybody. That does make me feel better that I didn't pay too much haha

And I'm sure it's the Adventure package because it does have the rear locking differential. It was a pleasant surprise. I saw it when the salesperson opened the truck for me, but I made sure not to mention it :)

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Ademily87

Active Member
Messages
27
Location
Charleston SC
Well she's already in the shop

Started making a sound in the front end after you give it a lil bit of gas (okay a good bit of gas, like merging onto the interstate, which I do daily).

It was hard to describe, but luckily it did it while the service advisor was driving it. It's after you "goose it" a lil bit, squeaks start coming from what sounds like the center console, then comes what sounds like a rubbing/grinding/vibrating noise from the front. Even after you come to a stop it continues the noise for a few seconds then it stops.

They gave me a rental car and I'm not having to pay anything, but hopefully they find out what it is soon. I miss it already!

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rascole

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,852
Location
Bellflower, CA
Welcome from So Cal. There is plenty of places to off road in SC, you just never owned a Hummer before. No go explore. So the noise was still there even after you were completely stopped? PS pump going bad?
 

Ademily87

Active Member
Messages
27
Location
Charleston SC
Yea the noise continued after stopping, only for a few seconds and it stopped. Seems to do it worse after turning left, as well.

So the dealership had it 3 days and called me and told me the hood was loose, or needed to be adjusted or something like that. They said that fixed the problem. I knew it was a crock of crap so I'm just gonna take it back up there tomorrow and make em look at it again. It made the noise on the way home Friday after picking it up.

Also I have water coming in on the drivers side near the kick panel when it rains or when I wash it. Not just a slight drip, but puddles up my rubber floor mat even. All the electronics and wires and stuff down there have water dripping off them. My radio quit working (the sound quit, the display and everything was still on) also after washing it at a touchless automatic car wash. When I got home I turned the truck off and started it back up and my sound worked again. I dunno.

I'm in a hard place because I plan on spending the entire holidays up until right after the new year 200 miles away with my family, and I'm supposed to be headed up that way on Wednesday. I'm in a pickle lol

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Ademily87

Active Member
Messages
27
Location
Charleston SC
And after hearing the noise a few times now, it's more of a slapping around sound. Like something is still spinning and very loose.

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rascole

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,852
Location
Bellflower, CA
Well, there are only a few things spinning when you are stopped. Sounds like my Silverado when the power steering pump was going out. When you turn is is worse? Gotta believe it's the pump. Not hard to replace, I did mine in my truck in under an hour, the 3 is tighter space so maybe a little tougher to get in there. When you start it up cold, does it make a noise?
 

Ademily87

Active Member
Messages
27
Location
Charleston SC
Well, there are only a few things spinning when you are stopped. Sounds like my Silverado when the power steering pump was going out. When you turn is is worse? Gotta believe it's the pump. Not hard to replace, I did mine in my truck in under an hour, the 3 is tighter space so maybe a little tougher to get in there. When you start it up cold, does it make a noise?
No noises on start up. No noises when turning that would sound like a power steering pump, to me at least. When I hit hard bumps a pretty good rattle comes from the front right too.

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cowboy_tech

Well-Known Member
Messages
78
Location
Avondale, CO
When my t case was going out, the GM dealer didn't find anything. I took it to the local NAPA shop and they found the issue and fixed it up right.

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