4 New and Improved Parts for Your GM Vehicle

The past few months, our machine shop team has been hard at work designing new and improved parts for your GM! All our parts are made in our facility in Atlanta, Georgia by some of the best machinists and TIG welders in the industry using state-of-the-art Haas CNC mills and lathes. You won't find many shops working at our level, and you won't find higher quality anywhere! ⁠

Check out these 4 upgrades for your vehicle today:

Brake Pedal Adjuster Gear

We redesigned the gears for the brake pedal adjustment mechanism found in many 2007-2011 GM trucks. The OEM brake pedal adjuster unit in these vehicles uses a small, brittle plastic spur gear which is powered by an electric motor and serves to control the brake pedal position. The gear typically cracks apart rendering the brake pedal adjuster mechanism useless. That’s why we crafted a solution made from bulletproof solid brass! The installation process is simple and does not require dash removal.

Lumbar Support Parts for Schukra Units

We offer upgraded solid brass pinion gears as well as high strength polymer cable drive wheels for both the drivers and passenger front seat lumbar support mechanisms found on most GM vehicles from 2000-present with the Schukra 2016902 electric cable driven lumbar adjustment unit. Don't buy an expensive new OEM unit when you can fix and upgrade your existing Schukra 2016902 unit using high strength parts!

Air Door Actuator Gear

Were correcting another common issue with your Impala, Corvette, Gran Prix, Allure, Lacrosse, XLR, Monte Carlo, and other GM models. The air door actuator which controls the HVAC flaps within the dash due to a cheap plastic gear which drives the flap actuator. When this gear chips, you don't get proper HVAC ventilation. Up until now, you would need to buy another unit from GM and take the time to remove and replace it. We designed this replacement combo spur gear from solid gear brass to permanently fix the air door actuator once and for all!

Rear Lift Gate Lock Actuator Strengthened Gears for 2006+ GM Trucks

We carry a replacement strengthened brass helical spur gears and motor worm gears to replace the problematic plastic gears found in the rear lift gate lock actuators on 2006-Present GM trucks including Acadia, Traverse, Enclave, Escalade, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, Denali and other GM trucks with a power rear lift gate. As many have learned the hard way, GM’s replacement comes with yet another cheap, plastic spur gear and motor worm gear which will also soon fail. Save your time and money and upgrade to our indestructible solid brass gears today!

Nothing will kill your summer fever faster than an underperforming car due to a cheap or poorly-designed part failure! When our team of expert engineers, machinists, and TIG welders hears about the issues you’re having with your GM parts, we set out to find a better way with quality product solutions.

Want to know the best part about all these products? They all come with our signature lifetime guarantee! Not only do we save you time and money with our indestructible, high-performing parts, but we empower you with everything you need to do the installations yourself.

Learn more about the GrüvenParts.com difference!

When you purchase your parts from us, you’ve got at least three reasons to feel good:

You’re getting superior quality and excellent service.

With each purchase you make, you're getting design and support by some of the best machinists and TIG welders in the industry, using state-of-the-art Haas CNC mills and lathes. Not only do we save our customers time and money with our indestructible, high-performing products, but we empower them with everything they need to do the installations themselves!

You’re buying American-made products.

Our parts are crafted in our FAA approved commercial aviation shop facility in Atlanta, Georgia. You simply won't find many shops working at our level, and you won't find more reliable parts anywhere else in the world!

You’re supporting a small business.

That means with every purchase you make, someone in our facility is doing a little happy dance!

We want to hear from you!

When our team of experts learns about the issues you’re having with your OEM parts, we set out to find a better way with better product solutions. Your feedback fuels the design of more indestructible parts for your vehicle! Reach out and let us know how we can help you repair, upgrade, or enhance your ride!

Learn More About the GrüvenParts.com Difference Today!

To us, nothing is more upsetting than when a car underperforms due to a cheap or poorly-designed part failure. So when our team of expert engineers, machinists, and TIG welders hears about the issues you’re having with your GM parts, we set out to find a better way with quality product solutions. Our machine shop has been hard at work lately. We’re proud to offer these 3 new upgraded parts for your GM vehicle:

Lumbar Support Parts for Schukra Units

We now offer upgraded solid brass pinion gears as well as high strength polymer cable drive wheels for both the drivers and passenger front seat lumbar support mechanisms found on most GM vehicles from 2000-present with the Schukra 2016902 electric cable driven lumbar adjustment unit. Don't buy an expensive new OEM unit when you can fix and upgrade your existing Schukra 2016902 unit using high strength parts!

Rear Lift Gate Lock Actuator Strengthened Gears for 2006+ GM Trucks

We are pleased to carry replacement strengthened BRASS helical spur gears and motor worm gears to replace the problematic plastic gears found in the rear lift gate lock actuators on 2006-Present GM trucks including Acadia, Traverse, Enclave, Escalade, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, Denali and other GM trucks with a power rear lift gate. As many have learned the hard way, GM’s replacement comes with yet another cheap, plastic spur gear and motor worm gear which will also soon fail. Save your time and money and upgrade to our indestructible solid brass gears today!

Air Door Actuator Gear

Were correcting another common issue with your Impala, Corvette, Gran Prix, Allure, Lacrosse, XLR, Monte Carlo, and other GM models. The air door actuator which controls the HVAC flaps within the dash due to a cheap plastic gear which drives the flap actuator. When this gear chips, you don't get proper HVAC ventilation. Up until now, you would need to buy another unit from GM and take the time to remove and replace it. We designed this replacement combo spur gear from solid gear brass to permanently fix the air door actuator once and for all!

Ready for the best part about all these products? They all come with our signature lifetime guarantee! All our parts are made in our facility in Atlanta, Georgia by some of the best machinists and TIG welders in the industry using state-of-the-art Haas CNC mills and lathes. You won't find many shops working at our level, and you won't find higher quality anywhere! ⁠

Not only do we save you time and money with our indestructible, high-performing products, but we empower you with everything you need to do the installations yourself. Reach out and tell us how we can help with the care and customization of your vehicle.

Experience the GrüvenParts.com difference today!

Check out the #swag section of the site for some newly released trucker caps, decals, poker chips and more !

These wont be your run of the mill cheaply made garbage that you end up using to wipe off the oil pan and driveway after a messy 4 beer oil change...this is the stuff you will actually want to keep and show off.  High thread counts, brilliant colors, quality stuff that will keep up with a backflip into the lake or that accidental front brake squeeze on the mx track.  

We're open to suggestions and will keep adding to this category, so let us know what Gruven stuff y'all want.  Hoodies, t-shirts, polos ... ?  Hit Contact Us to let us know !!

Let’s play a quick scenario. You go out in the driveway and hit the unlock button on your fob. Or maybe you go to the keypad on your door and type in the code.

Nothing.

It’s an uncommon, unfortunate occurrence, but it doesn’t always happen this way. Many times - perhaps most of the time - there are warning signs before there’s a complete failure of door lock components.

By the way, the culprit is likely your GM’s door lock actuators. These are small devices inside of the door that electronically controls the locks. Each door has one, and there are a number of things that can make them fail.

However, before you actually get to the point of failure, there are usually some signs that the operation of these electric components is flagging. Here’s what to look out for.

1.Off sounds coming from inside the door.

This is probably the biggest warning sign of GM door lock actuators that are going to fail. In this instance, we’re not talking about the normal noises that the actuator links make when they physically latch or unlatch the door.

Instead, keep your senses tuned for weird sounds like buzzing coming from inside the door, or other laboring noises like clicking or scraping. Also, if the normal noises your door lock actuators make are suddenly louder or it seems as if the volume is growing, the motor may be struggling. Since the motor is a common failure point, this may indicate that your actuators are soon going to fail.

2.Power door locks will lock but not unlock, or vice versa.

In some instances, a faulty door lock actuator might lock the doors but be unable to unlock them. The reverse may also be true; you might be able to unlock the doors using a button but not lock them.

If this is inconsistent - as in, the problem happens sometimes, but not others - it’s a definite warning sign that something is wrong with your door lock actuators.

3.Some door locks will work, but not others.

If you go to lock or unlock all of the doors, but one of the doors either does not respond, behaves erratically, or exhibits a delayed response, that is almost certainly a sign of a door lock actuator that’s on the fritz.

4.Delayed responses from the door lock in response to you hitting the lock/unlock buttons.

On the topic of delayed responses, that is also another big warning sign of failing GM door lock actuators.

Have you ever gone to lock or unlock your GM’s doors, but it takes a second or two before it happens? Sometimes, what happens is you press the button and the locks unlock or lock and then go through a few cycles, erratically and unpredictably.

This is more likely than not a sign of an electrical problem that can underlie issues with the door lock actuator. Either way, if your locks take a moment to seem to respond to what’s happening, or go through lock/unlock cycles a few times, that’s a bad sign.

5.Door locks engaging/disengaging without being activated.

If you’ve ever been sitting in your car and the locks start going without you touching anything, those random signals may belie an electrical issue or a problem with the door lock actuators themselves.

Sometimes, the symptom is similar to the one mentioned above - only, the doors will lock and unlock in random succession without you touching anything.

Either way, if the locks start engaging and disengaging without being activated, it’s something you should look into before your actuators just quit completely.

6.The door open light is on, even if the doors are closed.

Electronic door locks contain sensors that activate the “door open” warning lights on the dashboards of some cars. This sensor is typically an integral component of door lock actuators.

So, if you’re in your car, and can’t help but notice that the “door open” warning light comes on, even with all the doors closed, then there may be a problem with the door lock actuator.

This does not automatically presage a failure of the actuator’s ability to lock and unlock the doors, but an electrical malfunction is never an indicator of something good. It’s better to replace potentially faulty door lock actuators before they fail, anyway.

The GruvenParts Solution to Failed GM Door Lock Actuators

Many GM models produced between the years of 2007 and 2014 were made with notoriously unreliable GM door lock actuators. Primarily, the following models are affected:

• Avalanche
• Escalade
• Sierra
• Silverado
• Suburban
• Tahoe
• Yukon
• Malibu
• As well as certain Cadillac sedans with affected part numbers (see the link in the previous paragraph for a full list of faulty power door lock actuator part numbers).

These vehicles were produced with GM door lock actuators with weak motors that are prone to burning out. Many units suffer motor failure which makes locking and unlocking the doors difficult at best.

So we developed something better. Our replacement door lock actuator has an updated high-torque motor with the factory-correct wiring. We also extensively tested it over the course of two weeks through 35,000 lock and unlock cycles.

There are four options at your disposal for replacing or repairing your GM door lock actuator.

• You can buy the door lock actuator motor and install it yourself.
• You can buy a repaired actuator.
• You can send us your actuator for repair.
• Or, if you’re near Atlanta, Georgia, you can have our Certified GM Master Technician perform the repair for you.

For additional details, please consult the link at the beginning of this section. You can also find detailed information on the previous four options at the same link, as well as videos and instructions on how to complete the installation if you plan to do it yourself.

Do you have questions about your vehicle’s door lock actuators or about our replacement parts? Either contact us online or reach out to us directly at Paul@GruvenParts.com for more information.

Apparently, nearly three-quarters of Americans park their cars outside routinely, if not every day. Evidently, as much as 20% of cars parked outside will at some point or other be struck by gravel or other road debris.

Many others are subject to incidental damage, either scraped by delivery vehicles or clipped by vehicles passing by (when parallel parked).

Here are our best tips to follow when parking outside to help you minimize your chances of making an unfortunate discovery when you walk back to your car.

1.The best advice: park smart
The most important advice we can offer you to help prevent incidental damage to your vehicle is to park smart and avoid risky areas.

For instance, avoid construction zones where damage is more likely to occur by thrown or falling debris or by construction vehicles. Don’t always park closer to the entrance of a building where there is the most traffic. You might do better a few lanes back.

Avoid parking too close to other cars, and try not to park behind cars that have poor rear visibility that might not see you when backing out.

Preventing damage by parking wisely is better than repairing it later.

2.Engage your emergency brake
Engaging your emergency brake can help prevent two potential problems. One is brake failure which can cause your car to roll into a building, obstacle, or vehicle, causing damage.

The other is that it can help prevent your vehicle from being towed or moved against your will. Not quite the same as damage, but can still protect your vehicle.

3.Get close to the curb
If you’re parallel parking, or just parking on the street, parking close to the curb is a good idea. It will keep you as far away from passing traffic as possible, and if there are other vehicles in line with you, if you can park closer than they are (comparatively) they will serve as a buffer between your vehicle and passing traffic.

4.Lock items out of sight
Sometimes damage is not incurred by passing vehicles, but by others with more nefarious intentions. If you want to protect your property and your windows, keep all of your valuables stored well out of plain sight whenever you leave your vehicle outdoors.

Place important items in the trunk or well out of view and always keep your doors locked. Replacing a smashed window is not an enjoyable project.

5.Don’t park under trees
If you’re thinking you can clean off bird droppings and fix dents left by falling acorns or walnuts, that’s not where we’re going with this.

While trees can shade your vehicle and keep it cool, it's never a good idea to park under them. Trees can topple and lose limbs unexpectedly during storms, which can incur serious damage to vehicles parked underneath them.

6.Fold your mirrors
Sideview mirrors are common casualties of incidental contact. Getting clipped can easily break a sideview mirror or damage its internal components.

Here’s the kicker. Some mirrors don’t even need to be hit by another vehicle to fail. For instance, select GM vehicles have power folding mirrors that have a thin plastic spur gear mounted to the main drive shaft.

One too many open-close cycles, or simply being walked into or whacked can break the spur gear and prevent you from using the power fold/unfold function or worse.

Our advice is to replace the parts in affected vehicles with our GM power folding mirror parts that include metal gears and internally grounded high-torque replacement motors - but you should still fold your mirrors when you park on the street.

7.Avoid spaces at the end of rows
Generally speaking, you’re more likely to get clipped if you park at the end of a row, where vehicles make frequent turns and where your car will stick out. This includes avoiding spaces at the ends of streets, where the same problems can arise.

8.Keep your wheels straight (unless parked on a grade)
Straightening your wheels after parking (except when parked on a grade) can help you avoid the possible mistake of starting the vehicle up and accidentally turning one of the vehicles parked next to you as you go to leave the spot.

9.Consider leaving your hitch installed
This one might invite some controversy. We know some people like to remove their hitches from their trucks after parking because people like to steal these.

However, if you leave it in and someone gets a bit too close to the back of your vehicle, instead of hitting your bumper, they’ll probably just run straight into your hitch, which may prevent additional damage to your truck.

10.Bonus: clean and wax your car
While it might not seem like an instrumental way to protect your car, cleaning and waxing your car will protect its finish.

This is because many waxes protect the car against UV exposure, and some will also prevent damage incurred by acid rain, accumulated pollen and pollutants, and even minor damage and swirl marks left by particulate abrasion.

Got a Broken GM Mirror? Pick Up New GM Power Folding Mirror Parts
Hopefully, you observe these tips whenever you need to leave your car or truck outside overnight.

However, if you’re already dealing with a problem with GM power folding mirrors, we may be able to help.

We’ve created replacement GM power folding mirror parts including a stronger, updated brass spur gear and an internally grounded, high-torque motor replacement for select, affected GM trucks and SUVs produced from 2007 to the present (see the previous link for details on auto part numbers and for whether or not our mirror gears will fit your vehicle). We put them through rigorous testing and can confidently say that they’re far superior to the OEM mirror parts.

We suggest making the replacement before you have a problem, though, as our replacement is a cost-effective solution to the problem.

If your GM is one of the affected vehicles, save time, money, and a headache down the line and make the repair today - and contact us if you have any questions.

For many of us, washing the car or truck is something we enjoy doing. It’s a pleasant form of recreation the benefits of which we can personally identify with and take pride in.

For others, keeping the vehicle shiny is more of a chore than an enjoyable hobby, and that’s fine, too. You have busy lives out there.

So, while you can potentially save time and effort by taking your car or truck to a drive-through professional car washing or detailing service, there are still some best practices you should observe before you do so.

These are some of the most important. Keep these in mind, they’ll save you from potential headaches down the road.

1.Park in the shade beforehand, especially if you have a car with a dark finish.
It’s actually more important to observe this if you wash your car at home, on your own, because there’s not much you can do if you’re going to drive somewhere to a car wash, but it’s a good habit to observe, anyway.

Keeping your car in the shade will keep it cool by helping to prevent it from absorbing too much energy from the sun.

But why would you do that, don’t you want your car to dry after the wash?

Well, yes, but not too fast. If your car is covered with soap and water residue and very hot from the sun’s residual energy, all the water will evaporate right away, which can leave hard water spotting and soap residue on your car - meaning you’ll have to wash twice, which is not an option at a commercial carwash.

Another good idea is not to take your car to the drive-through carwash on hot, sunny days - it’s best to do so on cool, dry days with a little bit of cloud cover.

2.Double-check to make sure your doors are all shut tight.
This is self-explanatory. You don’t want to find out you have a door ajar while you’re going through the car wash. Opening and closing it in the middle of the wash will only ruin the interior of your car.

3.Check (and double-check) your windows and moonroof. Close them!

Also fairly self-explanatory. Save your car’s expensive interior, double-check to make sure all the windows are closed.

And double-check the moonroof, too. You would think this would be obvious but apparently, it is not. There are enough viral videos out there of people that forgot to check their car’s windows and moonroofs that illustrate how easy it is to actually forget.

Don’t be the next internet sensation. Check your doors, windows, and moonroof, and then check them again.

4.Remove your antenna and any other external, removable devices you don’t want to be damaged.
Some older vehicles still have fixed, immobile metal antennae. If you have one, it’s a good idea to remove it before you enter the car wash. Otherwise, it might be bent or damaged by the car wash’s brush or rollers.

Otherwise, if you have a short retractable one, just pull it all the way in to prevent the same issue. Cars or trucks with small, fixed antennae don’t need to worry about this one.

5.Important! Fold in your power-folding mirrors to prevent them from being damaged by rollers or other equipment.
This is without a doubt one of the most important pieces of advice we can offer. If your car has power mirrors that fold in and out, bring them all the way in against the body of the vehicle before entering the car wash.

Many vehicles have small, sensitive motors that power these mirrors. For instance, GM power folding mirror motors of select vehicles contain a small, low-torque motor with a plastic spur gear mounted to the main drive shaft.

Impact, stress, and a variety of other conditions can cause the plastic mirror gear to crack, which will incapacitate the power-folding/unfolding function. Roll them in!

Welp, I Think I Need a New GM Power Folding Mirror Motor
If you’re getting to this just a touch late and your GM’s power folding mirror motor has failed and you can no longer roll your mirrors in or out, we have some good news for those of you with select 2007-2014 GM trucks and SUVs, including but not limited to Tahoe, Suburban, Sierra, Escalade, Silverado and other models.

We sell not only the replacement metal gears (that may have broken due to impact or some other stressor) but we also sell a replacement high-torque motor.

And be aware: you cannot simply install a new brass spur gear if the motor itself is still intact. Contact with brass will short out the OEM motor. You need to replace the motor if you’re replacing the plastic gear, too.

Take a look at our GM power-folding mirror motor replacement options via the previous link (which, like all our parts, come with a LIFETIME WARRANTY) and if you need special assistance or want to be assured that a part will fit your vehicle, please feel free to get in contact with us, we can help.

You know what gets a lot of attention? Blacked out wheels, engine displacement, torque, and tinted window treatments.

You know what doesn’t get a lot of attention? Your car’s cooling system - specifically the car cooling system parts that are doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

And no, we don’t mean the HVAC system that keeps you comfortable in the cabin when the temperature outside is on the rise. We’re talking about the engine cooling system, you know, the one that keeps your engine from overheating and literally failing.

The temperature in the combustion chambers of a car’s engine can reach very high temperatures, hitting nearly 5,000 degrees. Aluminum alloys can melt at 1,200, and iron and steel just about 2,000 at about 2,100. Whatever your engine is, it’s made mostly of steel and aluminum. You do the math.

A cooling system failure can literally cripple an engine, leading to warped cylinder heads, blown head gaskets, or worse - all of which inevitably lead to labor-intensive (and costly) repairs.

However, there are meaningful cooling system upgrades you may be able to make right now to replace potentially failure-prone car cooling system parts in your vehicle - including some of the following.

Coolant Hose Fittings
You probably know you need to replace your hoses before the rubber hoses start to get old and brittle or leak, but the hose fitting? Isn’t that supposed to be more of a “permanent” component of the cooling system?

Well, yes, but no. Unfortunately, many OEM hose fittings and Y pipes are made from plastic and prone to cracking and thus, leaking. If one of these hose fittings fails, it can result in rapid loss of coolant and total failure of the cooling system.

We offer a variety of hose fittings made from stainless steel and 6061-T651 aluminum for a range of different vehicles (including VW, Audi, Ford and GM) that are much more reliable than the OEM plastic parts. Being made from higher quality materials, they are resistant to cracking and leaks that can cripple your car’s cooling system.

Auxiliary Water Pump Brackets
Certain Audi, and VW vehicles use a rubber donut to support the auxiliary water pump and hoses. The pump and hoses, which help to circulate coolant, are very expensive. Unfortunately, the cheap rubber donut (OEM P/N 035-959-209E, 035959209E) that supports them neither exhibits high quality nor is reliable.

The OEM part is effectively useless and is prone to vibration, shifting, bouncing, or breaking. If it fails, your auxiliary water pump and hoses will be under undue stress and at high risk of failure.

Our billet aluminum auxiliary water pump bracket requires no modification for installation into compatible vehicles (see the link for a list) and is a direct bolt-on part.

Spend a dime today to stabilize your aux water pump by replacing a useless OEM part with this machined billet-aluminum replacement and save yourself a dollar in the future.

Heater Core Coolant Tees
Many GM SUVs and pick ups come from the factory with cheap, plastic coolant tee fittings and couplers to the heater core. These plastic tees and couplers are prone to cracking and breaking, which results in rapid coolant loss which can be devastating to the engine.

If the heater core tee or coupler experiences a catastrophic failure (which does happen), you have about a minute to pull over and kill the engine before you do serious damage. If you’re towing or climbing a steep grade, even less time. You might have just scored a very expensive, very large paperweight.

This all-too-common problem is entirely preventable with the installation of a quality heater core coolant tees and couplers and we took it upon ourselves to deliver one.

We recreated the crack-prone GM plastic heater core connections in fully-barbed, precision CNC machined solid 6061-T651 aluminum, TIG welded by our licensed A&P mechanics in our Atlanta machining center. They are pressure checked for performance to check the weld’s integrity.

Make these replacements now to save yourself the trouble later. Some vehicles may require two; for a full list of GM vehicles with which these billet GM heater core coolant tees and couplers are compatible, please see the previous link. Call us to verify the part number before you order.

Oil Cooler Tubes
Certain VW and Audi vehicles are finished at the factory with plastic oil cooler tubes. These plastic OEM tubes are prone to stress from exposure to heat and may crack as a result, losing coolant.

We’ve created a new Audi and VW oil cooler tube from a billet of aircraft-grade 6061-T651 aluminum complete with Viton O-rings for superior durability.

Replacing these oil cooler tubes is very labor-intensive but can be worth the upgrade to safeguard your engine against failure resulting from the breakdown of the seemingly innocuous plastic OEM part.

If your Audi or VW contains a 4.2L V8 engine with the following part, P/N 077-117-411A (077117411A), our part will serve as a direct replacement.

Questions About Compatibility? Contact Us s for More Information
Interested in making cooling system upgrades with any of these car cooling system parts, but not sure about compatibility? Get in touch with us, let us know about your vehicle and we’ll connect you with the part you need to make the replacement.

You can also consult the page links throughout this article for detailed DIY articles on how to make replacements.

You may have experienced door lock actuator failure. Back in the day, vehicle locks were intended to be locked and unlocked manually with keys. This is no longer the case.

Instead, the locks on modern vehicles contain small electronic devices that enable the locks to be latched or unlatched remotely or electronically.

It’s convenient when it works. When it doesn’t, you won’t be able to unlock the doors remotely until the issue is fixed. The issue may be the door lock actuator motor. Here’s what you need to know.

How the Door Lock Actuator Works
An electronic door lock actuator is a small electronic device contained within the door of a car near the door lock. It typically contains a latch mechanism that attaches to the door lock via cables or some other mechanical connector, as well as a sensor that alerts the system to whether the door is locked or unlocked. The actuator contains a motor that, when activated, either latches or unlatches the door lock by manipulating the mechanical links.

The actuator itself can be controlled remotely, usually either by the button on the keyfob or through the power switches on the inside of the door panel or on the center console.

Symptoms of a Failing Door Lock Actuator
While there are many factors that can cause or accelerate door lock actuator failure, recognizing the symptoms of a problem is somewhat more straightforward. These are some of the more common signs that a door lock actuator is failing or may soon fail.

1.Slow or no response (either using the interior buttons or the keyfob)
One of the biggest signs of door lock actuator failure is the inability to lock the doors using the power locks. You will still be able to use the keys to manually lock the door, but the buttons or keyfob will no longer work.

2.Lock only moves partially when activated
Another sign of a weak actuator is one that is able only to partially lock or unlock the doors, or does so inconsistently.

3.Inconsistent or delayed response from the actuator
If the actuator works perfectly - some of the time - that’s cause for concern. A delayed response can also indicate an actuator that’s on the way out.

4.Locks will engage but not disengage (or vice versa)
Sometimes, a door lock actuator is able to lock the doors, but not unlock them. Occasionally, the reverse will be true - you can unlock the doors but not lock them. Manual operation will still work but not power locks.

5.Doors lock or unlock without active operation
A component of your door lock actuator may be failing or faulty if the door locks lock or unlock randomly without being activated by an operator. This can potentially happen whether the car is running or not.

6.“Door Open” warning light activates even when the doors are closed
If the “door open” warning lights come on even with the doors closed, there could be a problem with the door lock actuator sensor, although the door lock actuator motor may still work.

7.Sounds from inside the door
When operating the door locks electronically, buzzing or abnormally loud sounds may indicator problems with the gears inside the actuator motor.

How Do You Know If a Door Lock Actuator Is Bad?
Since the door lock actuator contains several parts, in order to fix the issue you may need to take the door cover off, check the mechanical links attached to the actuator and test the voltage available to the door lock actuator motor.

If the mechanical links are intact, and there is voltage at the actuator, then there is something wrong with the actuator and it should be replaced. (If there is no voltage, the problem is separate and electrical). There are several factors that can cause a door lock actuator to fail.

One is corrosion. Over time, moisture, oil, dust, and debris can enter the actuator or the mechanical links. These will react to form rust, which will weaken the mechanical links and can cause failure of the actuator.

Accidents and other physical stresses can cause door lock actuator failure as well. If your door has been struck or dented, it can damage the actuators to the point that repair is not an option and replacement is necessary.

Door lock actuators can also fail from excessive use or simply from old age. For instance, a variety of GM models produced after 2007 were made with door lock actuators that are prone to a host of problems.

Which Vehicles Often Have Problems with Door Lock Actuator Motors?

GruvenParts has been repairing and replacing faulty door lock actuators for select GM vehicles since 2007 Specifically, the following vehicles are known for problems with their actuator assemblies:

●Avalanche

●Escalade

●Malibu

●Sierra

●Silverado

●Suburban

●Tahoe

●Yukon

In addition, several Cadillac sedans have been known to have problems with their door lock actuators. These vehicles often suffer door lock actuator motor failures that make it impossible to use the power locks.

GruvenParts has developed a new, high-quality GM door lock actuator motor with a high-torque motor and the correct wiring. We put it through more than 35,000 lock/unlock cycles and can confidently report it is superior to the OEM part. They are not only more reliable, they also drive the lock unit much faster, resulting in that satisfying, crisp click. They’re also backed by a lifetime warranty.

We also offer multiple options for fixing a failed actuator. You can buy the motor only (which includes a pre-installed brass pinion gear) and replace it yourself, buy a repaired actuator, or send in your actuator for repair. You can learn more about your options for repair or replacement at the previous link, where you will also find detailed instructions for replacement.

For more information, consult the previous link where you can find additional materials or get in touch with us online.

It’s an all-too-common plight. You go to adjust your GM power folding mirrors (especially those on some trucks or SUVs) and nothing moves. Or, perhaps, the mirror starts to move but then stops. Is it jammed? Is it broken? Has the motor itself burnt out?

It could be a whole lot of things, but more often than not there is one specific culprit to blame, and it’s an innocuous little plastic gear that, for some reason, GM used in conjunction with the main drive shaft.

It’s a common problem faced by many GM vehicles, but fortunately, there is something you can do about it.

What’s Wrong with Factory GM Power Folding Mirrors?
There are two main problems with some GM power folding mirrors. One is that GM outfitted these mirrors with weak motors that die quickly. When the motor burns out, you need to replace it to restore operability to the power folding mirrors.

More troubling is the fact that GM outfitted many of these power mirrors’ motors with a weak, thin plastic spur gear that engaged the main drive shaft. These plastic gears will crack or fail under even the slightest stresses, resulting in a loss of operability to the power folding mirrors. Worse, they wear down over time, so even without abrupt failure, the result is the same: power folding mirrors that are dead in the water.

Making matters worse is GM’s official response. They will only sell you the entire mirror assembly, which, depending on year, make, and model, can cost upwards of a thousand dollars to install.

We have a better solution.

What You Can Do About It?
We recreated the faulty GM folding mirror parts and paired a much more durable spur gear to the more reliable, high-torque motor.

Our strengthened metal gears are many times stronger than the flimsy plastic OEM spur gears that GM sent off with affected models. They are much stronger and also have a thicker cross-section; this helps to eliminate stresses that cause cracking or failure.

We also paired these higher-quality metal spur gears to an upgraded electric motor which is necessary to solve another problem with GM’s OEM configuration.

Their factory power mirror motors are not compatible with metal spur gears. The OEM motors’ body control module will short out on contact with a metal spur gear; our replacement motor is internally grounded, compatible with metal spur gears, and engineered for much higher performance.

We thoroughly tested our new motor and metal gears, putting the samples through more than 5,000 open and close cycles to test performance and durability. The metal gear showed almost no wear after testing. Testing also included a variety of intentional stresses - including manual stress, striking the mirror during folding, and intentionally jamming the mirror during operation in an attempt to cause it to fail. None of these tests fazed our upgraded motor or gears in the least.

We offer two convenient options for you to solve these problems associated with GM power folding mirror parts. Either you can buy a set of the metalgears pre-mounted to a new steel main spiral shaft, with a new high-torque motor, or you can buy a complete motor drive unit with the metalgears and high-torque motor pre-installed and tested.

These GM power folding mirror parts also come with a lifetime warranty so you can enjoy peace of mind. They’re guaranteed against defect, so if the gears or motor fail, send it back to us (you pay for shipping only) and we’ll replace the gear assembly.

GM Vehicles Affected
Many different GM vehicles suffer the deficiency of inadequate power mirror motors and plastic spur gears, including the following:

●Acadia

●Escalade

●Traverse

●Enclave

●Avalanche

●Silverado

●Sierra

●Yukon

●Denali

●Suburban

●Tahoe

The vehicles affected were produced between the years of 2007 and 2022.

In addition, many other GM vehicles have been produced with similarly inadequate power mirror parts. For instance, many GM trucks produced beyond 2015 were created with power folding towing mirrors that also contain small plastic spur gears that are also prone to breakage, deformation, and failure. Fixing the towing mirrors can be an expensive venture costing as much as $1,500 each, but we’ve produced high-quality brass replacement gears and high-torque motors that are much higher quality and cost less to replace.

How Do I Fix My GM Power Folding Mirrors?
Whether your issue has to do with your GM power folding mirror parts or its towing mirrors, we offer plenty of resources to show you how to make the repairs.

Consult the link above for a wide range of to help you with repairs. We have both written instructions and a video detailing the process for installation as well as supplemental materials for Traverse and Acadia owners.

Keep in mind that we offer much more than just the power folding mirror parts themselves. We also carry a wide range of other auto parts that you might need to make repairs or replacements,

If you need another part for your power folding mirrors that you want to replace when upgrading the motor and gears, contact us a Paul@GruvenParts.com and let us know what you need. If you know the part number, great, if not we’ll help you find what you need that will fit your vehicle.

Questions Before You Start the Project? Contact Us
Whether you’re driving around with a Tahoe or Suburban with mirrors that won’t adjust or you just want to fix the problem before it manifests, we have the GM power folding mirror parts you need.

These folding mirror parts are designed to serve as a perfect fit for the vehicles of the corresponding years mentioned above, but if you are unsure of exactly what parts or tools you need you can contact us for more help before taking on the project.

Contact us to let us know how we can help and we’d be happy to help.

STAR House Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Roswell, Georgia. They provide after-school tutoring and mentoring for at-risk children throughout North Fulton County.

Help us give a Gruven send off to a group of very special 5^th graders at the STAR House Foundation who have worked so hard this past year as they head off to middle school. We are looking to raise about $1,000 to purchase their binders and backpacks and hoping you can help. GruvenParts will match ALL donations 1:1 for this fundraiser.

For more information on STAR House, visit https://www.starhousefoundation.org/. To make a donation, Venmo @Tina-Poland or PayPal Tina@mckennamediagroup.com. For questions, email events@starhousefoundation.org. 

IF YOU DONATE, PLEASE LET US KNOW ! WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODES AND FREEBIES TO ALL THOSE WHO CAN HELP ! 

Thanks,

The GruvenParts Team

GruvenParts gives thanks to those who serve and protect this GREAT COUNTRY !  We are blessed by your hard work, sacrifice, and dedication helping to keep us all safe.  

If you are a Veteran or currently serving in the Armed Forces, Police, Fireman, or other 1st Responder, please hit Contact Us above before your order and tell us about yourself so we can offer you a much deserved discount.

Please stay safe out there.   We are lucky to live in the greatest country on earth and GruvenParts will continue to support you !

Please note GruvenParts.com is open and operating fully at 100% !!

Our machining facility also manufacturers critical medical equipment and as such our employees are allowed to continue working their shifts at a normal schedule. 

Your order will be processed and shipped in the same timely manner you have grown to expect over the 20+ years we have been in business. 

We will update our customers as this progresses but we expect to be fully operational throughout this difficult time.  As always, please contact us directly with specific questions via the "Contact Us" link on the home page.  We will respond usually within 24 hours.

Lets all be safe and get through this together.  Use the down time to work on your vehicle and spend some much needed time with family.  Be safe, get outside responsibly, and help one another.  The GruvenParts team is always here to help so please let us know if there is anything we can do to support our great community !

Take care, God bless, and be safe !

GruvenParts.com is happy to sponsor URO-Tunings's infamous FIXXFEST on November 16, 2019.

The show will be held at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, FL.

If you are in the area, stop in and enter to receive some free GruvenParts !!

Visit www.urotuning.com for more info.

Got a R32 or Golf R ?  Live ANYWHERE near the southeastern US ?  Then you gotta check out this awesome event !  GruvenParts.com is proud to continue to sponsor Wookies in the Woods April 12-14. There will be a raffle to all attendees, you can win some FREE GruvenParts adjustable rear control arms!

Check out all the details here

GruvenParts.com is excited to to extend a warm invitation to all customers in the Atlanta area, or visiting the Atlanta area to check out a new auto shop near downtown called Autohaus Social.

If you have been in this game as long as we have, you know that working with good people is absolutely essential to your projects success. We have known Nash for nearly as long as we have been in business, and we know that his dedication to his work is what sets him apart! So make sure to take your Porsche, Audi, VW, Land Rover, Benz or Mini to see him whatever work it needs - routine maintenance to wild mods, he can handle it all !

Click Here for an interesting article about this exciting new shop !

GruvenParts.com has teamed up with a local supplier of hydraulic hoses, including A/C, power steering, transmission, oil cooler hoses.  

We can now repair or build new hoses for your application.

Did you pop an expensive A/C line ?  Have a hard to find power steering or oil cooler line that has sprung a leak ?

Send it to us and we can likely repair it !  

Email Paul@GruvenParts.com with pictures and OEM P/N of the hose in question, along with brief description of what you're after.  We can normally repair hoses in 1 or 2 days !

We've all used his legendary limited slip differentials for years.  

GruvenParts.com is proud to team up with Gary Peloquin to become the newest distributor of these great front and rear limited slip diffs for a wide range of vehicles.  If you dont already have 1 installed, trust us, YOU NEED 1!  These limited slip diffs improve acceleration, braking, and cornering.  Win-Win-Win.  

GruvenParts.com has the best pricing and customer service, please contact us for more info on these great limited slip diffs !

Gruven Heim Joint Boot Pliers  

and 

Order Here

Your knuckles will thank you !!

This one got hit on the left fender in a parking lot full of all of 3 cars total.  Never a scratch from counteless times entering turn 10A at 100 mph with the brake pedal in the floor mats.  Its those YMCA parking lots that get ya.  At least now the Corrado signature hood dent from where the front motor mount lets go will be fixed, and that pesky side molding removed.  Bryson even found some side skirts to throw on.  

This work is being done by Wagenwerks, LLC 404-839-3359.  Bryson and his crew are somehow finding the time to push all those Lamborghini's aside to work on an old VW.  Skylines and Gallardos are a dime a dozen anyways :)

In the booth !

We are looking for some part time help maintaining our web presence on the various forums.  To be considered, please email us your resume in Word or .pdf format to paul@gruvenparts.com.   Please be sure to provide some examples which highlight the following required attributes :  :

• Have a positive, self starter attitude with a genuine desire to help others
• Possess a significant mechanical understanding of VW and Audi vehicles, including various models, engine types, years, chassis designations. 
• Use VWvortex regularly (please include screen name on vortex and other relevant forums).  Are well versed with the methods of posting threads, and understand the rules and etiquette of creating and maintaining posts on the various automotive forums. 
• Capable of maintaining a positive, professional attitude regardless of the other posts in a given thread.
• Able to dedicate a maximum of 2 hours per weekday (maximum 10 hours per week).

This is a part time position which you can work from your own computer.  The pay rate will be commensurate with experience and will be discussed during the interview.  This will be a great way to make some extra cash!

Please email your resume to paul@gruvenparts.com to be considered.

GruvenParts.com is happy to release a brand new website  - Same great service and owners you have known since 2001, just a new look ! 

As many of you told us, the old website was becoming difficult to navigate due to the ever increasing number of products being released.  We heard you loud and clear, so we made a brand new site to provide a unique online shopping experience.  The new site is easier to navigate, more up to date, and includes features such as a powerful product search engine on the home page upper right corner, as well as a blog section to help provide pertinent news regarding our products.  A Featured Customer Car Section is also coming soon, so if you would like your ride displayed in it,  just email Paul@GruvenParts.com

We hope you enjoy the new site!  Please do not hesitate to call or email with feedback or questions!

The following pics are from the Road Atlanta March 2005 driving school put on by the Peachtree Chapter of BMWCCA. If you live in the Atlanta area and own ANY type of track worthy car, you simply must do this school. Its sorta like sky diving, but more fun. If you are lucky enough to own Corrado, you will be amazed by the handling of the car.

I was easily able to keep up with the onslaught of BMW's (everything this side of E46 anyways). Enjoy the pics, a brief description follows...

Some set up notes about Corrado. According to the digital scales, the VR6 weighed in at around 2800 lbs. Over 65% of that weight was riding over the front wheels. Ordinarily, this would not make for a very track worthy car. But my set up proved to be somewhat of an anomaly. You see, Corrado has a fairly wide track - I also dropped the suspension and set the Bilstein PSS9 adjustable dampeners to full hard. The low slung C.O.G. combined with the wide track up front and lots of weight actually makes Corrado E-X-T-R-E-M-E-L-Y capable on track. So much so, that whenever I got into a turn under brakes, a quick blip of the throttle and opposite steer got things back on track instantly. Where the RWD cars need to worry about the tail sliding out, Corrado is simple to get back in line. On to the brakes -- this is one area of Corrado that just doesnt cut it. I was running Hawk HP Plus, and while they initially bite very well, the single piston Girlings up front were no match for even a 20 min session here at Road Atlanta. Ofcourse, I drive the shit out of my car, trying to break all these billet parts I design! I think with some venting, I can make braking much better. Stay tuned on that...

This was one of the most fun areas of Road Atlanta. Just passed the infamous "Esses" you descend into a valley only to rise up sharply into a sharp left hander. You dont get this kind of elevation change at most tracks, and if you run this section fast enough your gut goes from your throat to hips! This turn claims victims every school, Im told. But the FWD prowess of Corrado was more than capable of blasting thru this turn. Estimated speed : 80mph, gear : 3rd. RPM : 6000.

The right handers are the most fun! Even on street tires the Corrado was capable of great exit speeds!

Got brakes?! This is a shot coming to the end of the back straight into turn 10A. Speed : 120 mph, Gear : 5th, RPM : ~5500. Here is where you will find out whether or not those single piston Girlings are up the task. You need to be apexing this turn at ~55mph, flat out into 10B. As you can see from the tire marks into the wall, steady application of brakes is very important!!

Successfully exiting 10B, up the hill, under the bridge and back down the front straight to do it again. This is 1 turn where you dont want the FWD car to understeer too much. Those gators on the outside of the track are MEAN. I accidentally pushed too hot into this turn on 1 lap. Went 4 off into the gators and rattled the dash so hard the tilt wheel mechanism came apart in my hands. Needless to say, I paid far more attention to this turn on subsequent laps!!

A close up view of those gators. OUCH!

MORE DRIVING SCHOOLS TO COME!! KEEP BUYING PARTS SO I CAN TEST THE NEW ONES, TRY TO KILL THE WEAK CORRADO PARTS SO YOU DONT HAVE TO!!

The complex shape of the housing requires multiple alignments and hundreds of points. Even still, the CMM makes quick work of the faulty VW plastic design. Next step, importing the iges file to Catia for creation of the solid model.

Oops. This machine is tricky! Chalk that one up to development costs...If at first you don't succeed....

STAY TUNED !!!