02 T/B electrical problems?

[Crazygirl]

I just bought an '02 Trailblazer LT (Friday, 6/30), I believe it's a 4.3, and have literally had nothing but problems with it. It test drove okay, so I bought it, and 5 minutes from the lot the SES light came on. Checked the code, P1870, transmission component slipping, so I freaked out. I decided to start with the tranny fluid to look at it's consistency, and believe it or not, the dipstick was BONE DRY. I put fluid in, erased the code, and took off. No more SES light.
However, A/C only blew hot air, so I took it to a shop to be looked at. Says the A/C compressor is defective and needs to be replaced-for $900. So, I decided to take it instead to where we normally get our repair work done, and asked if he could also look at the rattle coming from underneath while they are working on it. The guy I bought it from said it was some gravel that got bumped up inside the engine compartment and not to worry.
Repair shop calls back the next business day (which was Monday of this week), and says they can repair the A/C, but the rattling is the front stabilizer links being very loose, and the rear stabilizer bars were broken. Not loose, broken. AND, the tensioner belt was really loose. All in all, I spent $1450 on repairs.
Confident they fixed what ails my new buddy, I drive it home. Here's where it really gets weird. When I turn on the turn signals, it makes a "buzz" sound every time it blinks. I'm praying it's not an electrical short in the system. PLUS, when the engine is running, there is a ticking sound coming from the rear winder wiper armature. Like, you can put your hand on it and feel the tick coming from it. But it only does it while the liftgate window is closed, it doesn't do it when I raise it.
All I can say is, W.T.F.??? Can anyone offer any advice other than to immediately sell the stupid thing again and let it become someone else's problem, which I'm leaning towards?

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by Crazygirl

When I turn on the turn signals, it makes a "buzz" sound every time it blinks. I'm praying it's not an electrical short in the system. PLUS, when the engine is running, there is a ticking sound coming from the rear winder wiper armature. Like, you can put your hand on it and feel the tick coming from it. But it only does it while the liftgate window is closed, it doesn't do it when I raise it.
All I can say is, W.T.F.??? Can anyone offer any advice other than to immediately sell the stupid thing again and let it become someone else's problem, which I'm leaning towards?

Rear wiper is probably trying to run, but the mechanism is seized or broken. I bet the wiper is automatically turned off when the liftgate is opened--which is why the noise stops. Is the rear wiper on a separate fuse? You could pull the fuse and end the noise--although you'd have no rear wiper.

No real ideas on the turnsignals buzzing. Maybe a defective flasher??? Worth a try--they're not expensive. The worst part will be finding it under the dash.

[Crazygirl]

It was the rear window wiper. Apparently it doesn't actually work, and the dial was turned to ON, so when the engine was running it was trying to engage, causing the sound.
I still don't know about the turn signals since it stopped buzzing and hasn't come back since.

[Tech II]

Are you crazy, Girl?

When you left the lot, and the SES light came on, and it was low on tranny fluid, you should not have added any.....you should have turned around and returned the vehicle! You have no idea of how long this vehicle was driven like this,,,and if it was low, there obviously was a leak.......

Obviously, this vehicle was NEVER safety inspected before selling it.....rear stabilizer bars broken? Are you kidding me? A/C not working?

This is why, whenever a used vehicle is bought, you should ask if it has been inspected, oil changed and fluid levels checked, and road tested.....if they say it has, then you ask them If you can bring it to a garage to be inspected, and if they will make any repairs if anything is found....

[Crazygirl]

I know, and thought all was ok since I test drove it the day before and nothing seemed amiss. Be prepared to really chew me out, because this morning my husband was going to change a TCC solenoid since we discovered that a defective one is a common reason for the P1870. (He test drove the SUV for a couple of days and the SES light came back on, throwing the same code). He found that a transmission pan bolt was MISSING and all other bolts in that area were loose.
Predictably, it started to get low on fluid again because it was leaking while he was driving it and he could see where the fluid had leaked out and blew back all over the place. He now has all bolts on and tightened, and replaced the lost fluid. We've erased the code and I'm going to take it easy the next few days to see if that solved it.
A couple of days ago I did, however, take the invoice for the repairs to the owner of the place (who I had not met previously), and advised him that I was going to file a report with the BBB and spread it all over social media that his company deliberately sold me a vehicle with flaws his "certified techs" should have been able to see, and could have caused me to have an accident and kill me. Because the vehicle was sold As-Is, I admitted I honestly felt it wouldn't have mattered anyway if I had contacted them.
Car lot owner, Mike, blamed me for not calling him before I put the TB in the shop before he had a chance to look at it (I wouldn't have let them anyway because clearly the techs were stupid, lazy, or uncaring, or all 3, and I doubt they would have done the job right), and admitted that "it's possible it may have had significant problems" because the techs don't do the same kind of inspection the big boys do because they don't have time with the volume of cars they put out.
But because I raised a stink about it, he said he was going to talk to his salesman, who he said didn't know about the problems because, well, he's just a salesman, to get his side of the story. Then he claims he's going to call me in a couple of days to see what he can offer me to make me a satisfied customer and gain my confidence in him. I told him I wanted nothing from him besides an assurance that they don't do this to anyone else, because next time it could result in the injury or death of the person that buys his vehicle.

[Blue Bowtie]

You can't hold it against the guy for wanting to make it right. I'd say take his (your?) money and run.