I just realized after watching your videos on the Envoy XUV that someone a couple miles down my road has one lol. I never thought anything of it before
My friend had to with a taillight for the now discontinued Cadillac XLR. With 3D printing, anything is possible. I’d actually start selling those pieces if I fabricated them.
@@chefcjnobles1680 It won't be long until we can 3D print parts using metallic media, I'm so sure there's a market waiting to blow up with computerized drawing software and 3D printers. It's time to say goodbye to ridiculously expensive and hard-to-find spare parts!
@@tennysonjames2969 My wife has used public access printers at the local library....Even good models are painfully slow. Not sure about the content value hehehehe
Studebaker did this in 1963. If it was such a great idea it would have caught on. before GM tried it again and failed in typical fashion. The studebaker was a better design with far less plastic and flimsy garbage.
Brought to you by the very model of a modern major general; he has information vegetable, animal, and mineral! He's very well acquainted too with matters mathematical. He understand equations, both the simple and quadratical...
11:52 I completely agree: a computer which helps you diagnose is always a good thing, especially when there is one which works / talks with many brands, vehicles, and systems.
This is why I am an old VW guy.. there are absolutely no computers and no frills! lol.. I love to see you fixing things though! When you get old like me.. your OCD will be worse than mine is! :p
Nice project. Darby Autoworld shaping up. Wow, who knew an Envoy was a unique vehicle. Tailgate reminds me of those power tailgates of the early 70s station wagons
The tailgate has more in common with the 68/69 Chevy wagons, which borrowed the idea from the 66 Ford LTD. 72-76 full sized GM wagons had the clan shell gate. The upper, glass, part was always electric, but the lower part was manual unless you paid extra for the electric motor. That was even the case on the most expensive factory clam shell, the Buick Estate Wagon Limited. There are two quick ways to tell if one has the manual gate. The trim at the top of the gate is smooth with the electric option. The key switch is also smooth and almost flush with the body. Manual gates had a handle formed into the trim and the switch had "ears" to turn the mechanical locking mechanism.
JR, you really made me appreciate what I have had for years and now JJ (My 2004 Envoy XUV) needs a new home. She costs more to fix than her BB value. She is my primary vehicle so I need to purchase a new one. Want her? LOL...wait, I am serious. She would only be appreciated by an enthusiast. Robin
When you fix or replace the track should you spray those tracks with silicone? You are probably correct, previous owners tried to open the roof with snow and ice on top.
Yeah I think you got that backwards, JR will fix it on the cheap, Hoovie would get the Wizard to fix it for the price of a new boat... using JR's method. :P
Maxisys Elite is the best thing I've bought for working on cars shy of a cordless 1/2 impact - bought it after watching all the things you've used yours for and it has saved me major $$ at the mechanic/dealership
I have fixed the sunroof in 1987 mercedes 300e, it had worn out track. No fancy tablet was needed. Found a donor vehicle at LKQ and took the headliner and roof out through the door. Was 2500 for the job. Did it myself for few hundred. You forgot to wear your own merchandise, I just watched Jr not go, lol
It takes 2 people for the sunroof, you can leave the roof open 24-7, there are drains in the floor, I recommend pulling floor panel up to check and clean the drain system
GM trucks of that era don't use limit switches for the moonroof, they just count the turns of the motor. I imagine it's the same for that roof. When I disconnected my battery with the moonroof open on my Tahoe it had to recalibrate to work properly again.
There are no limit switches, it's all based on learning the ranges through motor output. That's why any time you have a problem with a motor that controls something over a range, the first thing you should do is look for a relearn procedure and try that first. Obviously it won't do anything if the part is mechanically borked, but it's usually just a matter of holding down the operation buttons in sequence.
Next time I buy one of them XUV I will tear the roof apart and take the parts out I never knew how pricy they were . I’ll take every part for all the windows and stuff out and put it on CZcams while I’m doing it to sell them!
A previous owner probably had a load up top and thought they could open the roof and stripped the gears and then forced it and broke the retract cables.
That is actually a felt material in there as well, not just plastic. Its to minimize friction. Toyota sun roofs work the same way with the same parts. More than likely the grease in the track hardened after not using it for a while and the motor slipped on the cable at that point. See at least one a year for the sunroofs on the toyotas.
Time to find a 70's Bel Air wagon with power clamshell rear tailgate to demonstrate next to this. I think 1975 was the last year. Really old cool tech.
it probably doesnt have limit switches, just uses the motor amperage as there are a lot of things that could get in the way (kids hands, anything that was carried in truck mode, etc) so they just used amp reading as a free moving vs obstructed guage
I have an XUV that luckily has all its moving parts functional. I recently learned that they offered a Trailblazer about the same year in a SS trim. I wanna see someone drop an LS2 in the XUV.
Hey JR, do you have a buddy who could machine some of those broken plastic parts out of aluminum so you could replace the easily breakable plastic versions with durable aluminum? Plastic on parts like that? WOW, what engineering! 😖
I'm seeing a 3-D printer in JR's future! Am I not seeing something?? Looks like you could wire-brush the worm screws and size up a new motor gear...problem solved. Not to mention a through lube on all sliding or rotating parts could help? Sorry, I'm cheap!!!!!
Just had to redo brakes and bearings on mine. Problem with bearing is rust causes sensor to lift and abs kicks in at low speeds. Good for another 3 years and my roof still works but mine has bolts secured 😂. This was definitely A vehicle made for the south. I’m sure that’s exactly how The roof broke was snow and ice. That roof and rear window doesn’t work when frozen. There’s a trick in the winter time leave the window rolled down about a Half inch or so then the tailgate will open without the window needing to roll down. I never touch the roof when there’s snow on it though or it will be broken common sense. Ive Had mine for about seven years now and almost up to 200,000 miles , And about 500 hours of work LOL, oh yes if you own one you will be working on it a lot.
Literally saw one of these today. Was like it would be funny if that was an xuv and then it turned out to be one. Walmart has all sorts of crazy things
I tracked down Maxisys elite on amazon from what he showed. Around $2400 Thing costs more than I paid for my old beater. I guess if your working on many cars be a good investment though.
Well, are thw tracks gummed up - the grease all dried up? Only asking as is there any type of preventive maintenance the might need to be done with the replacement to ensure it'll last the rest of the Envoys life.
Hey, how about a video on the Autel range. I might have bought one by now but they are quite expensive and there are a lot of variants so I don't want to buy the wrong one. They even have what looks like a software-only version for use with a tablet etc.(Maxi AP200). Any guidance you can offer ?
Hey, it's got a wicked big remote to control it! LOL This video will be very helpful to the XUV lovers out there, because that's all that would consider doing what you just did. Awesome! Guess the computers weren't THAT smart back in 2004...or they would have sensed when the owner was an idiot and said "Roof INOP due to ID10T error" haha.
You could 3d print new parts vs replacing the entire mechanism. Would be more interesting and it's getting popular 3d printing the more obscure parts. And bonus publish the files for others to use.
This GM vehicle wasn't the first to use this idea - Studebaker did it around 1960 with the Lark Wagon (?).....also - that motor is EXTREMELY similar to one I pulled out of 1993 Mercedes 300e rear door....in case you need to find a replacement
It’d be sweet if you could figure out a way to be able to operate the roof manually in case it breaks again in the future. I think you gotta invest in a 3D printer. How many times have you come across little broken plastic parts that ruin everything but if you could just make the part yourself it would solve everything? Especially if you could print it in metal?
The first generation 3-series (E21) had a manually cranked sunroof, and for some generations of BMW's after, there was a manual backup in which you could use an emergency crank or a philips head screwdriver to manually close the sunroof if the power mechanism failed.
You really should track down a Studebaker Lark Wagonaire so you can compare the two roof systems side by side. I would imagine the Stude is all metal parts.
Wagonaire. JR would not care for it. It uses no computers to do a simple function. JR seems to prefer electronic complexity for the sake of being complex.
I'm having a really hard time understanding how that motor can drive those worm gears... unless the worm gear is actually just a really long toothed rod and operates more like a rack and pinion.
Well did anybody claim the X5? I have a cheap Autel Maxicheck Pro that does quite a bit for the money spent but it's not on that level. I'd love to have one but it costs more than most of the cars I've owned.
seeing these old rigs come back to life in full function just hits the spot. thank you for keeping these old cars alive
I just realized after watching your videos on the Envoy XUV that someone a couple miles down my road has one lol. I never thought anything of it before
There's got to be a way to replicate those broken plastic pieces using 3D printing
My friend had to with a taillight for the now discontinued Cadillac XLR. With 3D printing, anything is possible. I’d actually start selling those pieces if I fabricated them.
@@chefcjnobles1680 It won't be long until we can 3D print parts using metallic media, I'm so sure there's a market waiting to blow up with computerized drawing software and 3D printers. It's time to say goodbye to ridiculously expensive and hard-to-find spare parts!
Theres an xuv at the pick a part in my town. Its unmolested too. Barely any parts have been taken off of it.
You can tell JR worked in IT :
He bought a car with a freakin' computer for the *roof*
Looks like some of that could be 3D printed as replacements.
another reason why i really think jrgo needs to get a 3d printer set up of sorts in house. it would make some freaking awesome content as well.
I was thinking the same thing.. Watched the Wheeler Dealer dude get some unavailable sunroof parts printed
@@tennysonjames2969 My wife has used public access printers at the local library....Even good models are painfully slow. Not sure about the content value hehehehe
Instead of plastic gears, get metal replacements.
Better yet, print them!
@@ryanm4319how would you print metal replacements?
Yeah replace all of the plastic bits w metal.
Not only does JR fix stuff n whatnot in her channel, he educates the viewers about oddities like this thing. Thank you sir for your hard work.
All fixed, you'll have the modern version of a Studie Wagoneer!
Wagonaire.
The Studie's better looking.
Studebaker did this in 1963. If it was such a great idea it would have caught on. before GM tried it again and failed in typical fashion.
The studebaker was a better design with far less plastic and flimsy garbage.
Brought to you by the very model of a modern major general; he has information vegetable, animal, and mineral! He's very well acquainted too with matters mathematical.
He understand equations, both the simple and quadratical...
11:52 I completely agree: a computer which helps you diagnose is always a good thing, especially when there is one which works / talks with many brands, vehicles, and systems.
This is why I am an old VW guy.. there are absolutely no computers and no frills! lol.. I love to see you fixing things though! When you get old like me.. your OCD will be worse than mine is! :p
I’m sorry, I laughed pretty hard when the screws fell out of that motor. 😆
"the motor's loose!"
bolts: *ABANDON SHIP*
happens to all GM products, they fall apart
Could say the same for modern day Fords
@@michaelduffek2866 some fords
Nice project. Darby Autoworld shaping up. Wow, who knew an Envoy was a unique vehicle. Tailgate reminds me of those power tailgates of the early 70s station wagons
The tailgate has more in common with the 68/69 Chevy wagons, which borrowed the idea from the 66 Ford LTD. 72-76 full sized GM wagons had the clan shell gate. The upper, glass, part was always electric, but the lower part was manual unless you paid extra for the electric motor. That was even the case on the most expensive factory clam shell, the Buick Estate Wagon Limited. There are two quick ways to tell if one has the manual gate. The trim at the top of the gate is smooth with the electric option. The key switch is also smooth and almost flush with the body. Manual gates had a handle formed into the trim and the switch had "ears" to turn the mechanical locking mechanism.
@@michaeltutty1540 Thank you, I recall a friend's dads Olds Vista Cruiser - button on the dash and tailgate slide underneath
J and J coming in clutch again! Can’t wait to see this thing perfect!
What model of Autel scanner you recommend.
He uses the MaxiSys Elite
@@zappy595 tks
That motor sounds like a lonely single lady's bed side table.....
... companion.
Massager
😂🤣
😂😂
Ah a vulva pulva!
3:25 "This is the happiest day of my life!"
Girlfriend seeing this: *Uhuh?*
She's gone! Now we know why... =P
Computers add so many tools to our lives. I'm 64 and enjoy the technology.
JR, you really made me appreciate what I have had for years and now JJ (My 2004 Envoy XUV) needs a new home. She costs more to fix than her BB value. She is my primary vehicle so I need to purchase a new one. Want her? LOL...wait, I am serious. She would only be appreciated by an enthusiast. Robin
This thing was waaaay over-engineered. Too many small parts expected to move too may big things too many times.
Too many small PLASTIC parts, if it had used metal components I’m sure it would of faired much better!!
@@B0xlife1 But then they can't make money selling you replacement parts and labor to install.
That is one sweet ride.
When you fix or replace the track should you spray those tracks with silicone?
You are probably correct, previous owners tried to open the roof with snow and ice on top.
Or was pissed about something else and tried to force it.
Additive manufacturing, please do it!!! There has to be a 3D printing guru on here, help a guy out!
WatchJRGo: my Envoy is completely WORTHLESS and BROKEN
Hoovie's Garage: I bought the CHEAPEST Envoy XUV in the USA and FIXED IT for 3$!!!
More like Hoovie fixed it for $3,000
Yeah I think you got that backwards, JR will fix it on the cheap, Hoovie would get the Wizard to fix it for the price of a new boat... using JR's method. :P
@@Bicketybam68 That was, exactly my point.
@@Bicketybam68 "Wizard you bought a new house?"
"Sure did, let's go discuss the total on that Envoy you brought in"
@@lightning95sc Which is why I didn't direct my response directly at you (like this one is). It was in response to the original post.
There’s currently one of these cars at one of the LKQs near me. The Mount Airy, MD lkq
Probably can make some money stripping the rare parts off it
Maxisys Elite is the best thing I've bought for working on cars shy of a cordless 1/2 impact - bought it after watching all the things you've used yours for and it has saved me major $$ at the mechanic/dealership
Knowed squat about this truck when I gots here . . . Now I's a X spurt. Thanks JRGo.
Typical GM excellent engineering - poor execution (or cost cutting).
I have fixed the sunroof in 1987 mercedes 300e, it had worn out track. No fancy tablet was needed. Found a donor vehicle at LKQ and took the headliner and roof out through the door. Was 2500 for the job. Did it myself for few hundred. You forgot to wear your own merchandise, I just watched Jr not go, lol
I know it's broken, but that XUV is pretty cool. Everything you didn't realize you wanted in a crossover.
You've got to be the luckiest guy in the world, finding a complete replacement part!?!?!?
Bro-law in the background just wants to know when you're fixing his truck! Lol
It takes 2 people for the sunroof, you can leave the roof open 24-7, there are drains in the floor, I recommend pulling floor panel up to check and clean the drain system
You need a 3D printer for the roof track parts... It'd pay for itself between this one and the next German pano sunroof you encounter
Man, this roof looks so flimsy. Still better looking than the Aztek.
Think about it though. It's just a cover for a pick-up bed. It's not structural at all so all it has to do is keep stuff dry.
I can't wait to see the roof work
Yaaasss! After missing a free bmw by one letter ( Adrian C congratulations! ) this video is exactly what I need.
you can get a new repair kit for $40 plus shipping and gm still sells the cables
Just seen one of these in the salvage yard. Nice gray interior in a dark blue color.
GM trucks of that era don't use limit switches for the moonroof, they just count the turns of the motor. I imagine it's the same for that roof. When I disconnected my battery with the moonroof open on my Tahoe it had to recalibrate to work properly again.
You were definitely right about someone having been in that roof before.
@4:27: The moment you know you are working on a Trailblazer.... XD
fine gm quality plastic parts everywhere surprise they not perfected plastic crank bearings yet or heads lol
You're a smart fellow, so you'll be very successful in your future. Our compliments on these videos. Thanks for that!
Would make a great camping rig⛺️
I saw one of these the other day. Was pretty cool to see it in person.
Low budget approach - convert to manual motion. remove the power drive junk and just push pull on top panel
I'm happy to see you enjoying a project.
There are no limit switches, it's all based on learning the ranges through motor output.
That's why any time you have a problem with a motor that controls something over a range, the first thing you should do is look for a relearn procedure and try that first. Obviously it won't do anything if the part is mechanically borked, but it's usually just a matter of holding down the operation buttons in sequence.
Next time I buy one of them XUV I will tear the roof apart and take the parts out I never knew how pricy they were . I’ll take every part for all the windows and stuff out and put it on CZcams while I’m doing it to sell them!
previous owner definitely tried to fix it, gave up and unplugged it.
A previous owner probably had a load up top and thought they could open the roof and stripped the gears and then forced it and broke the retract cables.
That is actually a felt material in there as well, not just plastic. Its to minimize friction. Toyota sun roofs work the same way with the same parts. More than likely the grease in the track hardened after not using it for a while and the motor slipped on the cable at that point. See at least one a year for the sunroofs on the toyotas.
Time to find a 70's Bel Air wagon with power clamshell rear tailgate to demonstrate next to this. I think 1975 was the last year. Really old cool tech.
it probably doesnt have limit switches, just uses the motor amperage as there are a lot of things that could get in the way (kids hands, anything that was carried in truck mode, etc) so they just used amp reading as a free moving vs obstructed guage
I hope you make a video of the guy coming to get the BMW!
I have an XUV that luckily has all its moving parts functional. I recently learned that they offered a Trailblazer about the same year in a SS trim. I wanna see someone drop an LS2 in the XUV.
Love the videos man! I bought one of these a few months ago. Had to replace the tailgate window rails. Fairly simple.
Hey JR, do you have a buddy who could machine some of those broken plastic parts out of aluminum so you could replace the easily breakable plastic versions with durable aluminum? Plastic on parts like that? WOW, what engineering! 😖
I'm seeing a 3-D printer in JR's future! Am I not seeing something?? Looks like you could wire-brush the worm screws and size up a new motor gear...problem solved. Not to mention a through lube on all sliding or rotating parts could help? Sorry, I'm cheap!!!!!
3D print those plastic parts!
I thought about that too. It seems like a person could pump out a few of them and sell them to the folks who are attempting this repair.
Just had to redo brakes and bearings on mine. Problem with bearing is rust causes sensor to lift and abs kicks in at low speeds. Good for another 3 years and my roof still works but mine has bolts secured 😂. This was definitely A vehicle made for the south. I’m sure that’s exactly how The roof broke was snow and ice. That roof and rear window doesn’t work when frozen. There’s a trick in the winter time leave the window rolled down about a Half inch or so then the tailgate will open without the window needing to roll down. I never touch the roof when there’s snow on it though or it will be broken common sense. Ive Had mine for about seven years now and almost up to 200,000 miles , And about 500 hours of work LOL, oh yes if you own one you will be working on it a lot.
I wanna see JR tackle a wonky roof on a Kennedy era Lincoln Continental. Can't use the Autel for that one lol.
Great job again! Computers are great, but what can we expect out of plastic gears and shuttles? Time for some custom upgrades!
Literally saw one of these today. Was like it would be funny if that was an xuv and then it turned out to be one. Walmart has all sorts of crazy things
Wow, very interesting episode. I will be tuning in to see how you fix that thing
Man I just want to see the roof getting fixed but I guess have to wait for the next episode
I personally don’t like computers but I worked on them for 7 years. But others using them I am all for.
What model number autel?? There are way too many choices on their website??
I tracked down Maxisys elite on amazon from what he showed. Around $2400 Thing costs more than I paid for my old beater. I guess if your working on many cars be a good investment though.
If you couldn't find the parts needed at J&J would you considering trying to recreate the parts needed either out of resin or even 3d printing?
its an all out commercial for Altel lol sneaky haha
Can you create a second channel about the shop? Or add more on here? I really enjoy those videos.
Great job.
Really enjoy the video can t wait for the next one this was a cool design too bad the parts were not metal
Really cool truck JR!!!!
I wanted one of these years ago but always steered clear just for this reason. Shame they couldn't set it up manually like an Avalanche/Escalade EXT.
Well, are thw tracks gummed up - the grease all dried up? Only asking as is there any type of preventive maintenance the might need to be done with the replacement to ensure it'll last the rest of the Envoys life.
i just realized JR's triumph shirt says 69 on the side. nice.
Hey, how about a video on the Autel range. I might have bought one by now but they are quite expensive and there are a lot of variants so I don't want to buy the wrong one. They even have what looks like a software-only version for use with a tablet etc.(Maxi AP200). Any guidance you can offer ?
I LOVE THIS TRUCK
Never seen one of these pretty cool
That truck is super cool
Hey, it's got a wicked big remote to control it! LOL This video will be very helpful to the XUV lovers out there, because that's all that would consider doing what you just did. Awesome!
Guess the computers weren't THAT smart back in 2004...or they would have sensed when the owner was an idiot and said "Roof INOP due to ID10T error" haha.
You could 3d print new parts vs replacing the entire mechanism. Would be more interesting and it's getting popular 3d printing the more obscure parts. And bonus publish the files for others to use.
The slide mechanism is made with a felt like material in it its not full of plastic its made that way.
Just bought a 04 xuv for $400 bucks, nothing in the back works.... Biggest CAR I ever owned.
This GM vehicle wasn't the first to use this idea - Studebaker did it around 1960 with the Lark Wagon (?).....also - that motor is EXTREMELY similar to one I pulled out of 1993 Mercedes 300e rear door....in case you need to find a replacement
It’d be sweet if you could figure out a way to be able to operate the roof manually in case it breaks again in the future. I think you gotta invest in a 3D printer. How many times have you come across little broken plastic parts that ruin everything but if you could just make the part yourself it would solve everything? Especially if you could print it in metal?
The first generation 3-series (E21) had a manually cranked sunroof, and for some generations of BMW's after, there was a manual backup in which you could use an emergency crank or a philips head screwdriver to manually close the sunroof if the power mechanism failed.
When you need a Diagnostic Tool that costs more than the vehicle that you are working on, you are a CZcams Star!
AMC did a wagon that did that trick too.
gm went all out with quality product LOL
JR, you can convert it to an Avalanche style truck, angle grinder!
You really should track down a Studebaker Lark Wagonaire so you can compare the two roof systems side by side. I would imagine the Stude is all metal parts.
Awesome brother
You should also like the Studebaker Wagoner from the sixty era. The same type of roof idea.
Wagonaire. JR would not care for it. It uses no computers to do a simple function. JR seems to prefer electronic complexity for the sake of being complex.
You are probably correct.
7:48 two white screws look like eyes to a "why me?" face
I'm having a really hard time understanding how that motor can drive those worm gears... unless the worm gear is actually just a really long toothed rod and operates more like a rack and pinion.
Plastic gear, steel worm drive. I wonder why it failed...
3D printing time? The shop needs one!
Well did anybody claim the X5? I have a cheap Autel Maxicheck Pro that does quite a bit for the money spent but it's not on that level. I'd love to have one but it costs more than most of the cars I've owned.