Its decision time. Need help!

[Kyle]

okay i have a concern i need help with, ive gone and looked at an h3 that im hopfully going to get on tuesday. Now the first time i went to drive it the guy brought the keys out and it started right up and we drove it around. about 3 weeks later we went to go look at it again and test drive it one last time and the battery was dead, some one probably left the light on said the salesman, okay ill take that as answer. The dealer called last week and said they were willing to work a deal with me and i asked them i would accept if they took out the after market alarm system, so they did. i went back over there wednesday and checked out the un-install, went to turn the key and the car turned over barely and clicked. dead battery again. its an optima red top battery if that matters. I dont want to buy a car with electrical issues and be stuck somewhere because the battery drained. Am i just being paranoid? Could it have been because the car has been sitting and no one has been driving it?

 

[06 H3]

Optimas suck balls...it's probably the battery

 

[Kyle]

and the length in time its been sitting there

 

[3Hummers]

Make them put in a new battery and warrant the starting issue for 90 days. That should give you plenty of time to figure it out.

 

[chaos254]

I would keep looking around. Don't settle for one just because its there. Especially one that could have mechanic/electrical issues. I actually just picked up my h3 2 weeks ago. Mint 08 adventure with 45k. Good luck

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[Kyle]

Make them put in a new battery and warrant the starting issue for 90 days. That should give you plenty of time to figure it out.

I would keep looking around. Don't settle for one just because its there. Especially one that could have mechanic/electrical issues. I actually just picked up my h3 2 weeks ago. Mint 08 adventure with 45k. Good luck

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

Okay ill have them put a new battery and issue a warranty for as long as they can. and i dont think it has electrical problems, i just think its because its been sitting there for a couple months and no one has been driving it or anything. i just wanted others opinions and thoughts

 

[H3-ING]

Optimas suck balls...it's probably the battery

I disagree with you Chris. :wink: , on the first part.
My dual yellows have given me piece of mind for a couple years now and I haven't worried about running power for hours at a time not running.
Definitely have had battery issues in the past when it was sitting idle for a few weeks. So have other H3 owners I know.
Definitely recommend a battery tender if sitting idle. H3 seems to have a hidden drain when not in use:huh:

 

[06 H3]

I should rephrase that. Optimas IMO are very hit or miss. I know guys who have the best luck with them and others who go through 3 within a year under warranties. I wonder what the quality control is like lol

 

[Kyle]

ive decided ill just keep a battery jumper in the back incase there is an electrical problem, i just dont want to be out wheeling somewhere and the battery dies and im ****ed. also, if i do buy the car, i want to someone check the car out and make sure everything is all good. should i go to the local gm stealership and have them check the whole car over for anything? i dont mind paying for one of there mechanics to look over the car and make sure its all good. or should i go somewhere else? options?

 

[Zach]

See if they will let you get it checked out by a dealer before you buy it. Most dealers will probably charge a hour time for this. If there is something big wrong with it, at most you're out a hundred or so. Rather than buying it and being stuck with it

 

[06 H3]

Go to the power Chevrolet dealer down the road from that Kia dealer where the h3 is at and ask for Jerry hicks, tell him you know me and want to get it checked out. He will probably do it at a discounted price...just avoid parkway hummer. They used to be great then went to ****. They recently got rid of their service manager and some employees so they may be honest and reliable again but why take the chance when Jerry is the same distance away and treats you and your vehicle well and can help you out when you need it.

Also, I think this is a good H3. The biggest downside is the head and vin. If you do get the problem I had Jerry replace mine and haven't had an issue since. For your price range and the quality of H3s you have been looking at this ones pretty good. Most of them at 15k in price are base models with over 100k on the clock this one has 81k and adv package with the lux package it's fully loaded. While everyone says wait for the one you want I think it is tougher to do for your price range as it can be tough to find an 07 lux adv with low miles around 15k.

 

[4speedfunk]

Some things to keep in mind while you're shopping...

IMO...the 2008-up models are the way to go. You get the larger 5-cly. (allegedly with the head issue fixed) or the V8 option. 2009-up models have the upgraded front axle. As an off-roader...I would immediately dump any non-Adv.Pak models from my short list. This package is well worth looking for, and many owners have no idea what it is. Some sellers advertise them as "AP" models when they're not...while other sellers have no idea that their "AP" model is anything special, and make no mention of it at all. A simple look inside at the dash cluster will tell you all you need to know...if the locker button (or buttons on 09-up models) are there, its good. If not...move on to the next one. There is nothing rare or hard-to-find about the AP. Stick-shifts are not rare either. The base-model H3 is still a great offroader but, the lower t-case ratio of the AP really shines when you bolt-on 35"s and run in low range. The crawling ability is greatly improved.

Of course budget is always a concern, and I frequently see 06-07 models for $10K-$15K...and 08-10 models for $15K-$20K. I don't think there is an H3 on the planet worth more than $22K or so (including the rediculous T-prices). If you are paying cash...price is everything and you need to find an older one for a deal. However, if you are financing...you should consider buying the NEWEST, LOWEST MILEAGE one you can find. The difference in your monthly payment will be minimal (like $10/month). Also, most lending institutions will give you better terms for a newer model, compared to an older one. So you can often times get a 20K-mile 2009 for the same monthly payment as an 85K-mile 2006. So for the extra $10/mo...hold-out and get the newest one you can afford. The H3 is a very high-maintenance vehicle, and this increases sharply above 60K miles. Whatever deal you think you are getting can come back and bite you, if you get a lemon.

I'm sort of shopping for a project H3 myself, and I'm a little scared of the early 3.5L motors. I'm looking at 08-up AP models only...and no moonroof. I'm finding out that this is actually the rarest of any combination! Nearly every AP has a sunroof, and I've only seen four of them that didn't.

 

[06 H3]

It may help you to move your shopping radius out of so cal. Prices are higher here. If the deal is good enough it still may be cheaper to throw it on a truck and have it shipped out.

Maintenance gets worse for any vehicle with higher mileage but offroad vehicles obviously need extra care. Half my maintenance is from offroad abuse.

CJ makes a good point about pricing with financing the vehicle but he's buying in cash IIRC

 

[Kyle]

chris ill take it over to your friend at the chevy dealership and have him look it over. also 4speedfunk, im paying cash for my first car, i dont want a car payment. The reason i set my max out the door price at 15-16k is because ill have plenty left over for repairs, head issue, or any other problems that may come up! Thats why im not to shy and turned away by getting the 06 with the AP and 81k miles and hey come tuesday and they cant work any sort of deal with me ill drop it from my list and continue looking for an 08 and up model if i can find one.

 

[4speedfunk]

Kyle...I like the way you think. I'll be paying cash too. The maintenance and repair cost is a non-issue for me. I'm like Jeff Spicoli...

[video=youtube;A5cneCgNA9U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5cneCgNA9U[/video]

 

[Kyle]

hahahahahahahahahahah!!!:asoff::asoff::asoff:i cant count how many times i say that. "bro, its okay i can fix this, lets just go to my house i have a giant tool box full of awesome tools!"

 

[06 H3]

Most **** we can fix Kyle.

CJ, have you checked out that thread that was posted the other day? It's a guy selling his alpha for 75k

 

[Kyle]

yea Chris i bet 99% of it we can fix. and 75k is a steal!! lol

 

[4speedfunk]

I saw that...$75 grand? He's gotta be high on something.

Maybe he got into that shoe box under Spicoli's bed?

 

[alrock]

Some things to keep in mind while you're shopping...

IMO...the 2008-up models are the way to go. You get the larger 5-cly. (allegedly with the head issue fixed) or the V8 option. 2009-up models have the upgraded front axle. As an off-roader...I would immediately dump any non-Adv.Pak models from my short list. This package is well worth looking for, and many owners have no idea what it is. Some sellers advertise them as "AP" models when they're not...while other sellers have no idea that their "AP" model is anything special, and make no mention of it at all. A simple look inside at the dash cluster will tell you all you need to know...if the locker button (or buttons on 09-up models) are there, its good. If not...move on to the next one. There is nothing rare or hard-to-find about the AP. Stick-shifts are not rare either. The base-model H3 is still a great offroader but, the lower t-case ratio of the AP really shines when you bolt-on 35"s and run in low range. The crawling ability is greatly improved.

Of course budget is always a concern, and I frequently see 06-07 models for $10K-$15K...and 08-10 models for $15K-$20K. I don't think there is an H3 on the planet worth more than $22K or so (including the rediculous T-prices). If you are paying cash...price is everything and you need to find an older one for a deal. However, if you are financing...you should consider buying the NEWEST, LOWEST MILEAGE one you can find. The difference in your monthly payment will be minimal (like $10/month). Also, most lending institutions will give you better terms for a newer model, compared to an older one. So you can often times get a 20K-mile 2009 for the same monthly payment as an 85K-mile 2006. So for the extra $10/mo...hold-out and get the newest one you can afford. The H3 is a very high-maintenance vehicle, and this increases sharply above 60K miles. Whatever deal you think you are getting can come back and bite you, if you get a lemon.

I'm sort of shopping for a project H3 myself, and I'm a little scared of the early 3.5L motors. I'm looking at 08-up AP models only...and no moonroof. I'm finding out that this is actually the rarest of any combination! Nearly every AP has a sunroof, and I've only seen four of them that didn't.

Amazing amount of great info in this post. This might be the best and quickest summary for buying an H3 that I've seen.

 

[Kyle]

good news i drove passed the dealer today and they still have the hummer, so im waiting for the charity event to be over on tuesday and ill go get it hopefully!

 

[08SolarFlareH3]

If you expand your search, you might be able to find something more like what your looking for or a better deal or be patient and maybe something locally will pop up.

here is an example from cars.com. 2007 Adventure Package with leather, sunroof, monsoon, etc with 67k miles for $16,800

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detai...pp=50&feedSegId=28705&aff=national&listType=1

 

[Kyle]

Well the only problem i have with a car out of state is i like to look at the car in person and i like to test drive it before i make any choices.