Hi all,

I started this thread to post some information regarding what to check when picking up a new Solstice from your dealer. It is what I intend to use to check my Solstice before I accept delivery of the car from my dealer. Most of this is common sense, but sometimes in the excitement of seeing and actually getting hold of you new Solstice (after months of waiting), you pick up the car and take it home only to find something wrong a day or two later and a trip back to the dealer is required. Also if there is something wrong, I want the dealer to fix it before I take possession.

Not having a Solstice in my possession yet, I’ve attempted pulling this list of checks based upon information that I’ve found in threads throughout this forum and in the Sky forum. Hence, I know that they are probably things I’ve missed or perhaps I haven’t got 100% correct. I’d appreciate those of you that already have your Solstices perhaps correcting or contributing. I've also tried to organized the checks into categories: visual and operation inspections.

I hope this is a help to my forum colleagues that are waiting for their Solstices.


What to check when picking up your Solstice

I. Overall

Check that all options /accessories you ordered came with the car or are at the dealership ready for installation


II. Vehicle Visual Inspections – Perform the following inspections

A. Alignment Check of Body Panels - lines and gaps on the whole car should be nice and even.

1. Check Alignment of Hood with left and right body panels (even spacing along panels and both sides)
2. Check Alignment of Trunk Deck (clamshell) with left and right body panels (even spacing along panels both sides); Check if Trunk Deck is flush with the rest of the car

a. With top up

b. With top stored

3. Check Alignment of Left Door with front and rear body panels (even spacing along panels and both sides)
4. Check Alignment of Right Door with front and rear body panels (even spacing along panels both sides)
5. Check fit of Top with front windshield (full engagement, no gaps, and even seating)
6. Check fit of Top along left and right windows; and upper left and right rear body panels (full engagement, no gaps, and even seating)
7. Check fit of Top’s Buttresses with Trunk (even seating along trunk surface and no gaps)

a. Right side

b. Left side

B. Condition of Body Panels

1. Visually inspect and check all body panels for dents/dings/damage and paint scratches

a.Nose/Hood - especially paint under extreme front bottom of nose;
Including headlights and side marker lights on both sides; and grilles

b. Lower Left Front Panel

c. Lower Right Front Panel

d. Right Door

e. Left Door

f. Left Rear Body Panel

g. Right Rear Body Panel

h. Trunk Deck (clamshell) including taillights and backup lights

i. Rear Body panel and bottom fascia

j. Front windshield glass

k. Rear window glass

C. Tire and Wheel Well Interference

1. Check spacing between tires and inner wheel wells and splash guards (if equipped) for interference (turn front wheels fully left and fully right)

a. Left Front Tire

b. Right Front Tire

c. Left Rear Tire

d. Right Rear Tire

2. Check if front hood is rubbing wheel well on the front driver and passenger side.


D. Condition of Vehicle Interior

1. Visually inspect interior for damage (scratches/dings/tears/grease marks/missing parts)

a. Right door panel (interior)

b. Left door panel (interior)

c. Dash board (panel, gauges, trim, glove box)

d. Center console

e. Driver’s seat and seatbelt

f. Passenger seat and seat belt

g. Rearview mirror and visors

h. Carpet (tears, stains, etc)

i. Middle cup holder and CD storage

E. Condition of Convertible Top

1. Visually inspect top for damage

a. Fabric Tears

b. Stitching (incomplete)

c. Seals (driver window, passenger window, windshield) gaps/missing

d. Front latch (bent or broken)

e. Rear window ( loose or not completely glued/sealed)

f. Liner Tears

2. Not sure of this one… Source Sky Forum …Check for presence of grey foam cubes in trunk on the leading edges of the trunk (both sides), directly below the back window (when the top is up), there is a part of the roof that is designed like a pocket. Inside this "pocket" are about 5 foam cubes glued in place. Intent of cubes is to keep the "pocket" opened so that water drains out properly through the trunk. Without these, water will enter the trunk. (Source: Sky Forum)

3. Check condition of deck seal in trunk – evenly seated all around, not folded, or incomplete




III. Vehicle Operational Inspections – Perform the following inspections

A. Check operation of all lights

a. Head lights – Low Beam and High Beam

b. Tail Lights

c. Back-up lights

d. Dash board lights

e. Rear license plate light

f. Fog Lights, if equipped

g. Yellow/Orange side marker lights (both sides)

B. Check operation of powered accessories. Also listen for excessive operational noise such as rattles, squeaks, grinding, shuttering, etc

a. Air Conditioning

b. Heater

c. Blower or fan (all speeds); air coming out all vents

d. Power windows (driver’s & passenger’s)

e. Power door Locks (driver’s & passenger’s)

f. Horn

g. Radio and associated controls; presence of antenna

h. Rear Defroster

i. Driver Information Center

j. Windshield wipers and windshield fluid pump operation

C. Operation of Trunk Deck and Convertible top

a. Opening - Buttresses release properly (pins release/disengage)

b. Opening - Trunk Deck pops open - With top up and With top down

c. Opening -Top folds up, Windshield pins engage, Left and right side pins engage, top latch engages and locks

d. Closing – Trunk shuts and locks - With top up and With top down

e. Closing – Buttresses pins push in and engage

f. Closing - Top folds down and stores into trunk area without hitting underside of Trunk Deck

D. Check operation of seat belts (extend, retract and lock)

E. Start engine and listen for excessive operational noise such as rattles, squeaks, grinding, shuttering, vibration, etc

F. Check for fluid leaks on underside of vehicle

G. Check all fluid levels – oil, coolant, auto trans fluid (if equipped), windshield cleaner, etc etc

H. Check closure of Nose/Hood – both sides should latch down and be even

a. Driver’s Side

b. Passenger Side

I. Check tire pressures are set to the placard pressure. Placard is on the door jamb of the driver's side and reads 29 PSI for front and rear tires.

J. Drive car and check transmission shifting for smoothness and listen for noise clunks, etc when shifting. Same for automatic transmission

Great list, very well organized This one is going in the bookmark index at the top of this forum!

__________________
2006 VIN #30, first 1000 series, black exterior, sand/steel interior
Index of useful threads: General, Tech

The dealership has a "completely satisfied new vehicle delivery process" That covers every base you just touched on and a few more. The salesman is supposed to have you sign it, but they usually pass it off as "stating that the car has all the equipment" or something.

Good work on your list, make the salesman work for his money, I would!!!!

__________________
"Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."
Mark Twain


CadillacCricket's Website

Before your Sol arrives at the dealer tell them:

1) Do not mount the front plate bracket. Saw a post where the dealer drilled
two holes in the front fascia and bolted it on.

2) Do not put any dealer trim labels on the car (very popular with dealers in
the mid-west). I don't advertise any thing for free!! First thing I do
replace the cheep dealer license plate frames.

3) Do NOT detail the car!! Some high school kid is going to wash the car and
scratch the clear coat.

4) Do NOT put door guards on the doors. My dealer put them on my Sol
when it was dirty and put deep scratches in the back edges of both doors.


These are the things I have learned from this forum and experience.

Look forward to getting your Sol, its great fun!!!

__________________
Future so bright I have to wear shades!!!

Mean GXP (VIN 117835 11/06 )
Name: Growler
Name: Growler (Vin #4878) Traded for Mean GXP 3/19/07
Mean, dark side, ebony leather w/red stiching, LSD, ABS, AC, Monsoon 6CD changer, mats , headliner, stability control, XM, power pkg., convenience pkg., chrome wheels, sport peddles, Fiam Air Horns, Magnaflow, De-badged, shortened waste gate rod mod.
Garage Mates: 2005 Yamaha FJR1300, 2003 Yukon w/K&N CAI, 2003 Honda CRV

mceb, Cadillacricket, and David - Thanks for the comments and the added items.

make sure both key fobs work too....lock ,unlock, trunk

__________________
Sly / Steel-Sand
#9957 / "U4EA"
We have enough YOUTH!!!!!
How about a fountain of SMART!!!!!!

Check the center latch on the top and make sure it isn't already bent.

Check the clamshell for dents, check clamshell for dents again.

Check the adjustable ball and socket threaded connecting rods on sides of the top. Make sure they do not pop off when closing and opening the top.

That is True, check that the foam blocks are in place to keep the flaps open for drainage. 4 or 5 to a side.
.............
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__________________
8408 Black on Black

"I used to seize the day but I built up a resistance, soon I was seizing whole weeks just to get the same buzz."

we had a similar list I was keeping track of - I added this one also as the second link - it's here

"How To" Index

Good work!

__________________
All of the animals except for man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it.-- Samuel Butler

You can find me at the lake -- RODEOSOLSTICE @ YAHOO.COM