Well if you saw my posts my daughter had an accident and the Saturn Vue I sold her got totalled. Well a month ago she finally got the insurance payout and we found a good priced Chevy Cobalt 2006. Well we found out why it went cheap ($2500). Brakes were screwed. Now I knew they were bad from the test drive. But brakes is one of the first repairs I learned in the late 80's. Anyway. after new break shoes and a good bleed, we've spent this past week with her rear brakes locking up. After doing some under the car and hood digging come to find out the metering valve (proportioning valve) was clogged. No it did not have ABS, which probably would have rendered this issue moot.
So I did some online sluething. Come to find out the Cobalt shared this part with the HHR (we had one, crap) and the Pontiac G6 (love pontiacs, hate G6's) So I figured this would be a common enough part and easy enough to find and even maybe CHEAP! WRONG WRONG WRONG! Not only has THIS part been discontinued there is no superceeding number. In other words, there is no chance in HELL of finding it new anywhere! I mean COME ON! You can still find online a new brake cylinder for the drum brakes for a 75 Grand Prix but you can't find a simple metering valve for a lowly 14 year old car????!! WTF??? I'm so pissed I could spit. I lucked out enough. I went to the local pick a part lot. They had 12 cobalts on the lot. 1 had abs, and I pulled the valves from two (playing it safe). All the rest...the valves already scavenged. I mean I see these damn cobalts everywhere here. And HHR's, don't get me started. So what in Gods name were the brains at GM thinking when the went and just discontinued this part without a replacement??? HMMM? I've read online a few posts I've found on the subject. unless you are lucky like me and find a couple used ones your car is rendered useless/unsafe/defunct if this part goes bad, which it seems happens with alarming frequency. Love my GM's but now you see why I prefer my old-school iron!

 

Well, there's one thing you can thank GM engineers for.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by cage47
I lucked out enough. I went to the local pick a part lot. They had 12 cobalts on the lot.

LOL

 

So when people ask me about GM vehicles, I tell them that after they get 15 y.o., it can be a crap-shoot when it will fail.

I've addressed what I think are the big issues on mine with the criteria for when I'll get rid of my Blazer being when the engine goes or the electrical system starts to deteriorate.

Untill then I keep up with the preventative maintenence along with doing my repairs myself.

Then someday I'll get a 4Runner.