First Hummer Anniversary Report

[MAC]

Today is our first anniversary. It has been exactly one year since I picked up my shiny new black on black Hummer on 9/25/2002, it is only fitting that I give a brief Hummer anniversary report.

Rating: 5 stars, A+, 10.
Mileage: 17,428 miles. 4 miles when new.
Gasoline used: 1,613 gallons.
Average MPG: 10.8.
Average speed: 33MPH.
Top speed: 88MPH.
Hours: 516.1 hours.
Defect: Zero.
Rust: Zero.
Rattle or strange noise: Zero.
Leak: Zero.
Air Suspension: Perfect.
Visibility: Excellent.
Offroad: twice.
Ski, river rafting, camping, San Diego Zoo, Disneyland, etc..: Many times.
Seats folded to carry big stuff: many many times.
Wax: Never.
Washed: 50 times, faithfully almost every weekend and more. Always by myself.
Sold on eBay: Hummer tool kit and first aid kit, $215.
Bought: Hummer T shirt, belt. Backup alarm, never installed.
Upgrade: 6 excellent xenon gas light bulbs, $7, $15, $30.
Modification: none, don’t want and don’t need any.
Added: 3rd row single seat, very useful occasionally for the extra teenager. $300.
Oil change and lube: every 3,000-4,000 miles at the dealer. $900 3 yrs contract.
Extended warranty: 60,000 miles/6 years, $2,000.
Dealer service: excellent.
Parking: Super easy, except low garages.
Autos backed into: 2, damages $7,000. Hummer damage $700 bumper.
Spare tire: in my garage, even on 1,000 miles trips.
On*Star used: twice, accidentally pushed it. On*Star phone never used.
Stereo: Excellent stock system.
Wind noise: most times not noticeable at all, only hear it in strong wind area.
Gasoline usage, what can I say? You pay for what you get. Pretty bad, to be honest.
Negative comments or vandalism: none.
Positive comments, screams, smile and waving: too many to count, still happen daily.
Anti-SUV ticket: got one.
Scratch and accident: none.
Where: Hummer was driven to and parked at almost every neighborhood in San Francisco and dozens of other California cities. Never really look out the window or walk over to check on the Hummer.
I reserve the right to add more good stuff later.

It has been an absolute joy and honor to be a Hummer owner.

[MAC]

Today is our first anniversary. It has been exactly one year since I picked up my shiny new black on black Hummer on 9/25/2002, it is only fitting that I give a brief Hummer anniversary report.

Rating: 5 stars, A+, 10.
Mileage: 17,428 miles. 4 miles when new.
Gasoline used: 1,613 gallons.
Average MPG: 10.8.
Average speed: 33MPH.
Top speed: 88MPH.
Hours: 516.1 hours.
Defect: Zero.
Rust: Zero.
Rattle or strange noise: Zero.
Leak: Zero.
Air Suspension: Perfect.
Visibility: Excellent.
Offroad: twice.
Ski, river rafting, camping, San Diego Zoo, Disneyland, etc..: Many times.
Seats folded to carry big stuff: many many times.
Wax: Never.
Washed: 50 times, faithfully almost every weekend and more. Always by myself.
Sold on eBay: Hummer tool kit and first aid kit, $215.
Bought: Hummer T shirt, belt. Backup alarm, never installed.
Upgrade: 6 excellent xenon gas light bulbs, $7, $15, $30.
Modification: none, don’t want and don’t need any.
Added: 3rd row single seat, very useful occasionally for the extra teenager. $300.
Oil change and lube: every 3,000-4,000 miles at the dealer. $900 3 yrs contract.
Extended warranty: 60,000 miles/6 years, $2,000.
Dealer service: excellent.
Parking: Super easy, except low garages.
Autos backed into: 2, damages $7,000. Hummer damage $700 bumper.
Spare tire: in my garage, even on 1,000 miles trips.
On*Star used: twice, accidentally pushed it. On*Star phone never used.
Stereo: Excellent stock system.
Wind noise: most times not noticeable at all, only hear it in strong wind area.
Gasoline usage, what can I say? You pay for what you get. Pretty bad, to be honest.
Negative comments or vandalism: none.
Positive comments, screams, smile and waving: too many to count, still happen daily.
Anti-SUV ticket: got one.
Scratch and accident: none.
Where: Hummer was driven to and parked at almost every neighborhood in San Francisco and dozens of other California cities. Never really look out the window or walk over to check on the Hummer.
I reserve the right to add more good stuff later.

It has been an absolute joy and honor to be a Hummer owner.

[Steve R]

Oh sure....that all sounds good...but all these things can completely be attributed to "driver error" http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Great report MAC! If only our stocks performed as well!!!

[cmb31078]

Mac,
I am glad to hear all of the good things. I am picking mine up today but mine is a 04. Our H2's will have the same bday http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[cmb31078]

Mac,
Where did you get your bulbs from and have you been happy with them. Thanks for the input.

CB

[TJ]

MAC,

Just wondering since you also have one of the earlier production models...are your emergency brake cables routed underneath the frame of your H2? I have looked at some of the later production 03's and GM evidently changed the way that the emergency brake cables are routed at some point mid production. Mine are routed underneath the frame and with use, they get loose and end up sagging way down below the level of the frame and skid plate, just in front and behind the driver side rear wheel.

[Zing]

Good report MAC and congratulations. Even for backing up into others cars for which I think you are a record holder on this forum. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[JSA_3]

MAC - Great Report

Mine will be 1 in three days, and can say my report would be similar to yours. Nothing to complain about at all. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

John

[AL MOORE]

Thanks for the encouragement, my one year will be here in 2weeks.

"Follow the white rabbit..." Morpheus 1999

[Kevin W]

Excellent report, love the attention to details large and small!

Kevin

2003 Pewter H2, Tire relocator, painted hard tire cover, billet gas cover, MC2 chrome hood handles, stainless bumper letters, 15% tinted front windows,pioneer nav/dvd, xm sat, headrest monitors, tv tuner, defenderworx hood latches, side vents, marker bezels, and chrome MC2 factory style wheels .

[Doug]

My one year was 8/1/2003..

Miles - 16200
Off Road - 5 times
Mishaps - None
Washes - To many to count
Sevices - every 3k
Enjoyment - Always
Problems..
Power Steering booster leak (replaced)
Water Leaks (fixed)
Broken Valve on Gas Tank (replaced Tank)
Stereo Failed (replaced)
Amp Failed (replaced)
Air Suspension failed (fixed, relay)
Weather stripping pealing (fixed)
Power Seat failed (fixed)
Heated Seats failed (fixed)
Cieling rattle (fixed)

Tolerance Level (High) it's a good thing it's like nothing else!

Doug
2003 Metalic Red H2
Adventure Series. w/navigation/Sat Radio/Winch

[MAC]

TJ, I only used the parking brake once or twice in a year, except valet often used it. I have not look at a brake cable for 10-20 years, but I took a flashlight and went out to look for that cable for you. In the end, frankly I don't know which is which, everything looks like is tightly in their proper places, nothing is sagging. I also took another look for rust, none.

Alec, both times I backed into other vehicles on my driveway happened during the first month of Hummer ownership. Both times I did not look back but just backed out of garage, or swinged to turn around on my driveway, forgetting there are visitors' vehicles outside my garage or on my driveway. Simple stupidity. Since I did not even try to look, it was not caused by Hummer visibility, except to note that such accidents never happened to me before. One of these days, I will sell that backup alarm/sensor on eBay.

Xenon bulbs. Love the cold super white light. $7 DRL bulbs from Kragen auto store, 1 year still working. Off road light, $12 from eBay, still working great. Head lamp, $30 @ BestBuy, 2nd set; first set $25 somewhere online, lasted 6(?) months, one bulb went bad, no big deal. Note, I did buy another pair of head lamp bulbs on eBay whcih claimed to be much hotter and brightest ($10), but turned out to be very weak and bad.

I have no complaint about gas usage, but it does use a lot of gas. If you are thinking about buying a Hummer, you just have to keep that in mind, a lot of gas and a lot of money. Going to work(36 miles round trip) costs me $7 in gas, if we go back to the City for a dinner or banquet, that will be another $8-$10 gas. Everyday, and that adds up. $3,000 of gasoline in one year. I keep a brave face about it and pretend I don't care, but it is on the back of my mind all the time.

[rpflex]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MAC:
Oil change and lube: every 3,000-4,000 miles at the dealer. $900 3 yrs contract.
Dealer service: excellent.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Our dealer (Gerry Lane in Baton Rouge, LA) offers FREE LUBE, OIL & FILTER service for as long as you own you vehicle! Now that's dealer excellence!

2003 Yellow H2
2002 Millenium Yellow ZO6
Valentine 1, CAGS defeat, Donaldson, Mallet shifter, LG headers on the way

[TJ]

Thanks for taking a look for me MAC, sorry to make you get out the flashlight http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Maybe they made the switch between your build date and mine...or maybe mine is the only one like this http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif

Here's a couple of pictures of what I'm talking about

[TJ]

Second picture

[MAC]

TJ, thanks for the photos, learned something new today. I thought they are lawn sprinkler hoses, I kept on pushing those strange looking buttons on my dash but no water came out. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

rpflex, if your gas is $2.25 a gallon, tiny 3 bedroom houses are $1 milion and your dealer charges you $150 for an oil change, then you will think $900 for 3 years of oil changes is pretty good deal. Every time I think living on SF Peninsula is too expensive, all I have to do is to talk to one of my sisters-in-law who just moved back from NYC, where everything is even far more expensive than here, the price you pay to be in the center of the Universe. I have to drive as much as I can to get as many oil changes as I can in 3 years to get my money's worth. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[Big Z]

Mac, you forgot to mention one your upgrades. Didn't you have a blue light of some sort? http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[MAC]

Oh yeah, the Disco Light. I forgot all about that one. I don't think you can call it "upgrade" by any stretch of imagination. It is still in my garage, once every few months I'd accidentally touch it, the disco light faithfully lighted up. "What in the world is that?!!!" You know what, I still fantasize putting some neon light tubes under my Hummer, don't think I'll ever do it.

I have H2HIGH's big yellow Hummer as my PC background these days, the more I look at it, the more I like it. I think I have some soul searching to do, I maybe a closet bling bling low rider or high rider. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

[Rosco]

Well I went out and took a look.
The cable is routed differently it goes over that metal bar instead of under it (Re. 2nd pic) , and nowhere underneath is there any sign of sagging that I could see.

[Texas Red]

My one year anniversary was 10 days ago. I have right at 12000 miles at 11.4 mpg avg.

My report is almost as good as Mac's. Rating 5 stars. No engine problems, no leaks, no body integrity problems, no air compressor/suspension problems, and so on. Only notable problem was failure and replacement of R/H folding mirror.

Jim
Red H2

[TJ]

Many thanks to all who checked the routing on their brake cables for me...I'm just glad that I noticed it before going off road and getting them caught up on something.

I did check the other 2003 Hummers on the dealer's lot (and it was probably quite a sight to see me down there crawling around under each and every one http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif). All of them had the brake cables fastened tight, flush against the frame, and then routed up and over the top of the frame, no sagging whatsoever. But my H2 is one of the early production models, so that's why I thought that maybe some of the other early production H2's might be the same. Oh well, so much for that theory. I guess that maybe someone was just asleep at the wheel when my H2 was rolling down the production line.

At any rate, I have it scheduled to go into the shop, but I'd still be interested in hearing from any others with one of the earlier production H2's, build dates in July, August or September of 2002. Please please don't tell me that I'm the only one! http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif