What are the issues after modifying the GL8?
3 Answers
GL8 is a business vehicle under the Buick brand. The following are the issues that may arise after modifying the GL8: 1. Abnormal noises while driving, which are mainly caused by the following situations. (1) The middle aviation seats have factory defects, with poor stitching causing the seats to rub back and forth. Additionally, if the screws fixing the aviation seats are not tightened properly, the seats will wobble while driving. (2) The welcome footboard and wooden floor are not perfectly fitted, or the screws fixing the welcome footboard are too long and come into contact with the car body, which can also cause noises while driving. (3) Carelessness of the construction workers, leaving objects under the decorative panels or wooden floor, can also result in abnormal noises. (4) Unprofessional installation of the overhead nine-grid lights, without using sponge or foam padding at the fixing points, causing them to wobble and hit the roof beams. (5) The small table board on the back of the seat is not firmly fixed to the original car seat, which can also cause abnormal noises. 2. Instrument failures, airbag light on, and occasional failure to start the car. (1) Instrument failures and the airbag light being on may be due to the modification workers not reconnecting the plugs or loose plugs when restoring the seats. This situation is rare; generally, pressing the main and co-driver seats will turn off the airbag light. (2) If the car fails to start, check the induction module under the middle row. If there is a wooden floor, it should be taken out and placed under the seat, as the wooden floor can block the signal, preventing the key from sensing the car body. Another point is that if the plug behind the air conditioning controller on the middle row is not connected, the car will also fail to start.
I've seen too many cases where GL8 owners suffered losses after modifications. The most common issue is electrical circuits—some install ambient lighting, power doors, etc., leading to circuit overloads. Last year, a new car even caught fire due to a short circuit from modified wiring. Seat modifications also frequently cause problems, such as installing airline-style seats without considering airbag positions, which can interfere with the safety system during critical moments. Another issue is incorrect driveline angles after lifting the chassis, causing the entire car to vibrate at high speeds. The most annoying are those who replace the infotainment screen—many have poor compatibility, affecting the original reverse camera, and some even burn out the mainboard. It's advisable to do thorough research before modifications, especially checking whether the wiring is independently installed with a voltage stabilizer.
I regretted modifying my GL8 right after the work was done. They claimed to upgrade it with airline-style seats, but the seat dimensions weren't measured accurately, causing the sliding rails to get stuck and squeak with every adjustment. The chassis was lowered too much, and it scraped the bottom three times in a row on rough roads when I went back to my hometown. To save costs, the modification shop used cheap wiring for the ambient lighting, which now overheats after just half an hour of driving. The audio system upgrade was the worst—all four door panels were removed and reinstalled improperly with sound insulation foam, resulting in wind noise at high speeds louder than a tractor. Recently, I've noticed strange noises from the steering gear, possibly because the steering column screws were tampered with during disassembly. My advice is to choose a professional shop if you're going to modify your car—don't make the same mistake I did by going for cheap options and ending up spending double to redo everything.
