Pontiac Montana

balich · January 2002

Hello Tranport owners -

Anybody having problems with the rear quarter windows not opening or with annoying squealing noises ??? one of mine don't open after squealing and the other squeals loudy (ie like it
need greasing) .. Is there a recall or service
recall for this ?

Please EMAIL me with answer: pbalich@netzero.net
I don't get time to read the replies here.

THANKS IN ADVANCE .. Looking forward to hearing
from you all in email. Thanks!!!!

mesazone · January 2002

Thanks for the information. That really stinks that I have to have the shop look at it. I debated whether or not to say distributor since I didn't know if it had one. Hopefully I can get it fixed this time.

Paul

mizeuml · January 2002

I have the same problem on my '99 Montana. The LH rear window squeals when you go to close it. My RH rear window had the motor replaced several months ago because the motor had a dead spot in it. Sometimes the window would quit working for no reason. That window never squealed, just worked intermittently.

Anyone have any info on the squealing window? I have to take the van in to get the intake manifold gasket replaced and plan to ask about the window while it is in.

Thanks,
Matt

rmillar3 · February 2002

Well since my last post(see 585), the van has turned over 60 K Kms. Warranty is over. I took it in to the dealer just before she turned 60K for one last check of things including a very unusual problem. For the last 4 months or so the odd time when I'd open the vehicle with the fob, upon entering the van, I would find the heater motor(or so I thought at the time) running. The fan switch was in the off position and when I'd put the key in to startup, the sound would stop. This happened intermittently but had been going on since last fall. I had the boys at the dealer look into this but with no resolve until one of the technicians asked whether the stinky air conditioning Service Bulletin #???? had been done. They looked into this to find that in fact it had been done about 4 months or so ago. Further investigation indicated that the parts call for the A/C fix included a part called a "dryer". It turns out this "dryer" was a small fan put into the evaporator compartment to purge the area of undo moisture after the A/C had been on, thereby reducing or eliminating the stinky A/C. The fan runs intermittently from hot power and sensed from a humidity sensor. Sooooo it sounds like this could be the mysterious fan I'd been hearing.
So if you have had the stinky A/C fix done you might just hear a new noise the drivers compartment, from time to time.
All other fixes have been done, the vans running great, now just cross my fingers for the next 100K Kms or so.

mizeuml · February 2002

I had the electronic dryer module installed over a year ago. I heard about it on this web site. There is a GM Service Bulletin out for it and I told my dealer about it. They installed it on my van because we had the stinky a/c, but it has not done much good. We still get the stinky a/c and the dealer has disinfected the system again, but it came back. We live in NC where the humidity is pretty bad and may be partly to blame. It may still be worth having installed, and hopefully you can get it done at no cost.

gm02 · February 2002

Just got word last night that GM is sending me a "Component Letter" that will give me a 5year 60K mile extended warranty only on the engine & drive tran of my 99 Montana due to the engine knock. Seems like a lot of folks were getting the Major Guard which is bumper to bumper. Even mentioned to GM I wanted to upgrade to the Major Guard and pay the difference....no can do.

mizeuml · February 2002

Well I had our '99 Montana in for some warranty work and they replaced the left rear 1/4 window motor because it made a squealing noise when you closed the window. I was surprised they replaced it, maybe GM does have a problem that they may not be admitting to. Now we have had motors replaced on both sides and we rarely ever use the windows.

I also had the power door latch replaced on the right side for the second time due to the recall. Cost GM about $100 each time for that screw up.

I had the intake manifold gasket replaced during the visit, just over $300. You might take a close look at each side of the engine block and inspect this gasket area. Mine started seaping about 21,000 miles and slowly got worse. I am at 65,000 miles and now the overflow bottle was losing about 1 inch every 4000 miles. This one is worth fixing while under warranty because it will get worse and could cost you $300-$400. I was a little disappointed with the clean-up job the dealer did after making a real mess changing the gasket. Their excuse is that the GMPP does not pay to clean-up. That is BS in my book and I may just have to try another car manufacturer when I decided to buy again. They would rather save a dollar than try to please the customer and try to win another sale. It is bad enough that I had to be inconvienced to go get the repair done in the first place. Had GM built the engine correctly the first time, it would not have been an issue.

dirkdaddy · February 2002

I have a '98 olds with 65k on it - I just got it a few months ago and have been stoked about how good it is (especially for the price), but the coolant level light came on the other day.

This surprised me as I had gone through my van a bit after I got it and changed the belt, oil, filters, cleaned everything off, brakes, etc. The motor looked so perfect my neighbor thought the van was new. I noticed the coolant was spotlessly clean - but a bit low -- however I've never seen it leak any on the pavement.

Did you happen to see where it was leaking, around the part of the intake where the thermostat is, or down the side of the heads on the block?

You might have a check of things under the hood to make sure that guy replaced all the fasteners. I have seen some mech's not bother with "extras" that are too hard to get to. Not all guys are that messy, I had a guy in a dodge dealer who was slow but he did a neat job.

mizeuml · February 2002

Hello dirkdaddy. Mine was leaking down side of the heads on the block. It was on both the left side of the van and the right side by the serpentine belt. There were small streaks down the head and on the right side it was collecting in a small horizontal area on the block. On the left side, it was just behind and below the bracket with the eyelet that you can raise the engine with. You need a flashlight to really see down in there and you have to look around a large electrical harness on the right side of the engine. Mine never leaked bad enough to run on the ground or down the engine much. I think it may have burnt off the block as it leaked out. Most people probably would not detect the leak, but like you, I look over the engine closely every time I change the oil. My overflow bottle would drop about 1 inch every 4000 miles and I kept adding coolant to bring it back to the full line.

The dealer mentioned that 2 of my spark plug wires were rusted at the distributor. I checked this out today and will be replacing spark plug wires tomorrow. The engine had been running fine, but two of the post (#1 &#2) on the distributor were rusted and the wires did not snap on very tightly. Somehow moisture got in there or something. The dealer cleaned the engine at about 30,000 miles to try and find the oil leak that was seaping on the oil pan. I bet they did some kind of steam clean and got moisture in the connection. They wanted $140 to replace wires. I'll do it tomorrow for $30, but the back plugs are going to be tough to reach.

One other thing they mentioned was that I needed to change the fuel filter. Have you ever done this on your van? I located the filter, right in the center of the van and has clips on each side for the fuel lines. Are the lines under pressure? I wonder if I'll be taking a gas bath? Called around to find a replacement fuel filter and alot of places don't carry them. I did find that Advance Auto Parts can get them in 1 day and they cost $15. The van runs fine, don't know if it needs replaced or not? I don't know how often this item needs replaced.

Please let me know if you have any other questions, I usually check this site every couple days. Its a good place to find out info about what to lookout for on these vans.

catam · February 2002

Yes the fuel is under pressure. I am not sure about this engine specifically, perhaps another poster can help, but in fuel injected engines that I have worked on, you generally must pull a fuse that controls the fuel pump, and then crank the engine for about 5 sec. this relieves pressure in the line. You can probably look at a Haynes or other repair manual in any Auto Zone. It will specify the correct fuse to pull, and any other needed info specific to the GM vans.

dirkdaddy · February 2002

Well, like many things, my answer for need to change fuel filters is "it depends". My last car I changed the filter out of sheer guilt of procrastination at about 100,000miles because I was doing other preventive maintence. Afterwards I couldn't tell a difference. And the car was a semi-performance turbo shadow. I did not cut the filter open to see if it was dirty or not (it was metal sealed type), but you might not want to bother with it so soon. I belive that most gas stations now have filters for the gas (the reason some run so darn slow).

You also need to avoid storing the vehicle with old gas; don't get fuel from a station that is getting its tanks filled (that will stir up the dirt); keep your tank filled reduces condensation, that sort of thing.

The line is under pressure but the technique mentioned will work.

On the plus side, if you don't mind getting dirty messing with it, its cheap and peace of mind results. If you do it, cut yours open and tell us what you find!

DD

mizeuml · February 2002

Thanks guys for the info on how to change the fuel filter. I looked in the owners manual and found a fuse and a relay for the fuel pump. Seems like it would be easy to do. I'm not going to mess with it for now. I talked with other folks about changing the fuel filter and got the same story that it did not seem to make any difference. It is also a pain to get a new one because the parts store don't stock them and have to order them. I'll be sure to cut it open when I do decide to replace it. Is there any special procedure in getting the air out of the fuel line after putting a new filter in, or is this not a problem?

I got the plug wires changed. The ones on the back are very difficult to reach. I made some 7" tall ramps and drove the front tires on the ramps so I could easily crawl under the van. There is not much room to reach up along the exhaust pipe to get a hold of the plug wires. My wife did say the van was starting much better since I cleaned the rust off the distributor posts and put the new wires on. If anyone is having problems with the van not wanting to start quickly, pull the plug wires off the distributor cap and check for rust. Somehow moisture got to two of my posts on the distributor cap and they were pretty rusted along with the plug wires. I used sandpaper and steel wool to clean the rust off the posts and put new plug wires on.

denise925 · February 2002

Approximately 80K miles. The engine started "clicking" when cold (the sound would quicken as I accelerated). After it warmed up, no sound until the next morning. This happened for about 3 days -- just when I was going to take it in, it stopped. 1 week later, it started again. I took it in the next morning. They say that the top of the engine wasn't getting oil and it's blown. $6,500! We've always done regular oil changes and maintenance. I realize 80K is a lot but should I really expect the engine to blow? Can anyone help with this? Any info out there about the 97 engine? Thanks!

baveux · February 2002

What is "blow" exactly, ask for a written estimate of the damage and bring your car somewhere else for a second opinion.

How the engine is running ? Takes oil, shake, etc ,please describe, I truly beleive that what is blown is not your engine but your mechanic's brain...

And 80000 is not a lot, lots of 3.1/3.4/3.8 makes 200000 miles.

denise925 · February 2002

Thanks for asking...The only other symptom other than the "Clicking" in the a.m. was I thought the engine felt like it lost a little power. We did talk to another mechanic and described the symptoms. He was doubtful also -- said if it really was the engine that it wouldn't make the noise just some of the time. We took it to him late Friday and he's going to look at it on Monday a.m. By the way, to get to the 2nd mechanic we had to drive it on the freeway for over 15 miles (65+ mph). My husband said after it warmed up he couldn't hear the noise and didn't feel any change in power. I have never really trusted this dealership and will definitely contact the better business bureau if my 2nd mechanic finds the engine to be fine. Either way, we're trading it in as soon as it gets a clean bill of health.

dirkdaddy · February 2002

This 3.4 motor uses the old fashioned pushrods and hydrolic lifters to adjust valve lash. Sometimes lifters can fail, and the excessive valve lash gets loud. When eventually oil pressure pumps up the lifter (if this happens at all) it will make the engine run normally. THis sounds like what is happening. Unfortunately, the way the motor is crammed in there, they would probably have to take the intake manifold off to get a good look at what is going on on both cyl banks. If by chance the lifter is for the front bank of cylinders, bingo that's easy to check.

The fact that it makes a engine-speed clatter and it goes away, that points to hydrolic lifters.

See what they say when you suggest that as a idea.

DD
98 Olds Silo

missedbass · February 2002

This ticking noise you hear when you first start up the van seems to be happening to more vans than many people think. It is not an isolated problem. GM calls it "piston slap" and I think there is a bulletin out on it but not a recall.
Supposedly it is nothing to worry about but any kind of ticking to me means metal against metal and that is not a good thing. Anybody have more info on this?

dirkdaddy · February 2002

I don't have GM's info in front of me, but basically new motors are engineered for gas milage and low friction. Piston skirts have been reduced, as well as piston rings are lighter and there are less of them. This is part of the cause, as GM makes them a bit "loose" so that you get better gas milage. You certainly can't argue with the milage of these things. I get 23-24 around town/commuting.

I remember reading on this on a past message, and basically, I think the bullitin explains that a supplier got a tolerance on the fit of the piston slightly off, but when the motor heats up and metal expands, it fits fine. I belive its just a noise issue and not a motor problem.

baveux · February 2002

And if it is the diagnostic made by your second mechanic I would suggest to ignore the noise and do not have your engine open for that,it is a very common thing for this engine to make the ticking noise,that last 5 mn and many GM mechanics said that they cannot found unusual wear in cylinder during overhaul.

catam · February 2002

The problem is very likely either piston slap or valves. Either way as long as the problem goes away when the engine is warm, it is probably not worth trying to fix. No real damage is likely, and the cost or repairs are huge.

dirkdaddy · February 2002

A mech should know the difference, but for the record, IMHO piston slap (in my van) sounds a little bit like a very quiet diesel. Valve train problems like a bad lifter or excessive lash, is very loud and at higher engine speeds sounds like a machine gun, or a very fast guy wailing on a big spike in the ground with a sledgehammer every engine revolution. it should also give you less power when the valve is not opening enough. I don't think the slap decreases performance at all, except a cold motor won't have peak performance.

DD

denise925 · February 2002

Thanks everyone for your input. As I said in my previous post, we took it from the dealer (who said it needed new engine -- $6,500) and drove it to 2nd mechanic on Friday p.m. He started it on Monday a.m. and no sound at all! The dealer had added oil (they said it was about a quart and a half low) and the 2nd mechanic said that possibly that was all that it needed. As far as the loss of power, he replace a bad spark plug and thinks that should do it. We'll pick it up tomorrow and I'm very curious to see how it is. Thanks again for all the encouragement. I hate to think that we might have just taken the dealership word on it and shelled out the 6 grand! I think my husband might have a few things to say to them...

dave231 · February 2002

I have replaced my fuel filter several times. I think it is a good idea to change every 50K or so. Got fuel everywhere, but what else are you going to do? I have 130K miles and have heard a little engine slap but nothing I will lose sleep over. I use X1R, I really believe in that stuff. What oil do you use, I live in Fl and use 10W40, I may change this year to something thicker though?

mizeuml · February 2002

Hello Dave231. Did you use any special procedure while replacing the fuel filter? For example, remove fuel pump fuse and crank engine to relieve pressure in gas line? How about when you finished replacing the filter? Do you need to do anything special, or just get in and crank up the engine? How was breaking the lines at the filter? It looks like there is some kind of clip on each side that you squeeze and pull back to separate the line from the filter. Is there any kind of gasket or any problems with this joint leaking after mating back up?

Thanks in advance,
Matt

michgndr · February 2002

'97 Montana owner here.

I recently bought a Hayne's manual for the vehicle and was amazed at the completeness of the information. For the $17 I paid, it'll pay for itself in the first service DIY job. Operations are covered in detail. Get one if you like to tinker yourself. You won't be sorry. This month's project is a replacement of the rear shocks.

And I have nothing to do with the book-selling industry. ;-)

bob550k · March 2002

That doesn't sound like "piston slap" it sounds like a sticky lifter. The quart and a half low could partially explain it. Have you been going to Jiffy Lube or one of those quicky oil change places? Many of those use recycled oil and that will cause sticky lifters. Don't let any one sell you an engine flush, that will make it worse and possibly clog the oil passages in the heads. You can ignore it and see how far it'll go, it may go a 100,000 more miles. If you've go the nerve you could do what I do, put 1 quart of transmission fluid in the crank case, drive the car 300 miles and change the oil within 48 hours of adding the trans fluid, do not leave the trans fluid in for very long! In my GM products with sticky lifters that usually quiets them down for a good 10,000 miles then I do it again. I haven't had to do this since I stopped letting mechanics use recycled oil. I had sticky lifters in a Cadillac for well over 100,000 miles and the sticky lifters and trans fluid didn't hurt a thing.

dirkdaddy · March 2002

I should have looked at the Haynes. I got the GM manuals from Helm. Over $100 and three volumes. I have had two dodges, and their manuals are excellent. You can actually read them for fun. The GM manual doesn't have as good of an indexing system, and is complex in some parts..but these vehicles are complex. The computer controlled info is neat but takes pages and pages. Just the brake ABS diagnosis takes tons of pages. I can't seem to find the same stuff in there, like a wiring guide as to where the wires go (want to patch in a subwoofer off the rear speaker wires) that sort of thing.

carnatic · March 2002

I have a 1999 Pontiac Montana. It Has only 22,000 miles on it and it has been nothing but trouble! It has been in the shop over 1 DOZEN times. 3 times for problems with the power sliding door, brake problems, anti-lock problems, transmission fluid leakage, coolant leakage, excessive oil consumption, electrical problems, drivers seat came apart, and more squeaks and rattles than a YUGO w/ a hundred thousand miles on it. Does GENERAL MOTORS OR THE DEALER CARE?? ANSWER: They could care less!! Moral here of the story: I have purchased my last piece of GENERAL MOTORS JUNK!! I would like to hear from others who also have had numerous problems with their Montana. BY the way, my second car is a 2000 DAEWOO LANOS-- 22,0000miles on it--not one single problem. The Daewoo cost $9000-- the Montana $25,ooo-- GO FIGURE!!

bcd99 · March 2002

Prior to buying my 2001 SiloI had a 99 VW Passat Wagon. Loved the car, sunroof, tiptronic tranny, great gas milage, fast turbo 4cyl. Everything I expected from a German engineered car, except the repeated problems that made any American look like a gem. Every 1000 miles the check engine light came on, it lost oil (not leaked), it was in the service manager possesion more than it was in my garage. After 2yrs of repleacing eveything except the engine they said it was the gasoline causing carbon build-up. They said the oil comsumption was normal. Three weeks after it was changed by the dealer (2 yrs of free maint) there was no oil in the pan at all. So to sum it all up there can be a lemon from any carmaker.

mizeuml · March 2002

Don't think you got the only bad apple of the bunch. I am having a similar experience with mine and got the same response from the GM Area Vehicle Manager. They could care less if you bought another GM from them. Your van must have been built the same day as mine. Check your VIN and see how close it is to mine. 1GMDX03E7XD268031
We bought the van in June 1999, but the dealer got it in April 1999. Our van has 66,000 miles now and has been in the shop at least 15 times, I lost track. I tried to get GM to take it back under the Lemon Law when it had 20,000 miles, but they would have no part of it. They had tried to fix an oil leak 5 times and were not successful. In fact, it is still leaking today, I just learned to live with it and crawl under the van every couple thousand miles to wipe it clean. Their attempt to make me happy was to give me the GMPP extended warranty up to 100,000 miles. That has been ok for now considering they have spent over $3500 in warranty repair, but after 100,000 miles, the repairs will be on me and I'll be looking to unload this lemon.

In fact, the Air Bag light has started coming on intermittently again. This has been fixed 3 times already.

You can see some of my previous postings for the problems we have had. Here's a quick summary of the one's that come to mind. Replaced power mirror twice, replaced oil pan twice, replaced rear main seal on engine, replaced intake manifold gasket, replaced both rear vent window motors, replaced third brake light, replaced A/C compressor, installed electronic dryer module for stinky A/C, fixed Air Bag light three times, replaced knobs and other plastic pieces on seats, unplugged drain hole in rear quarter panel for rear A/C unit, replaced passenger door interior panel. That covers most of it. We owned a 1996 Grand Caravan before this and it had problems also, but not as many as this Pontiac. Our 1992 Honda Accord was a dream car, I didn't even know how to get to the Honda dealer.

Good luck!

mjb56 · March 2002

We've got a 1999 Montana with 45K mi. and just found a coolant leak which the Pontiac dealer diagnosed as a leaky manifold gasket. Price of repair $500. Has anyone else experienced this or know of any secret recalls involving this problem? The garage told me that they've seen a few of these but I find it troubling that this happened with only 45k. We're about to head south, so I'm glad I caught this in time but I'm still not happy about it. Just happier than if I would have discovered it in the middle of the night somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Any help is appreciated.

mizeuml · March 2002

Hello mjb56. I just had my 1999 Montana fixed about two weeks ago. It was covered under my GMPP 100k warranty and cost GM about $320. Scroll up 20 messages and checkout my postings #608 and #610. I noticed mine started leaking around 21k and didn't start dropping the level in the overflow bottle till around 55k. If you are not adding any coolant to the overflow bottle, then you are probably alright to take the trip and go for a while. I ran a long time with mine, from 21k to 66k. But if it is running out on the ground, then get it fixed. I added some coolant the last couple of oil changes, but just decided to go ahead and get it fixed while it was in for other warranty work, it has 66k on it now. Let me know if you have any additional questions after reviewing #608 and #610.

Good luck,
Matt

montanafan · March 2002

You mention heading south, what state do you live in? When did you purchase the van? The Intake Manifold and Gasket are covered in the Northeast Emissions States for 36 months and 50,000 miles. If the leak had been occuring for a while you could make a case for coverage if older then 36 months.

mjb56 · March 2002

Thanks for the advice. I'm in Wisconsin so I doubt that the warranty would cover. We are in the 36 month window though. I've had to add coolant twice in a month and there's been a little coolant sitting on top of the engine so it really needed to be fixed. We just had the "low coolant" light come on about a month ago. I'll try to pursue the warranty angle, just out of principle. Thanks.

dirkdaddy · March 2002

Hey folks, how about we all start posting on the GM tripets board instead of the chev/olds/pont van boards?

Also, my 98 is losing coolant, but I can't see it. Has anyone seen other signs that go along with the manifold leak problem, such as water in the oil, discolored spark plugs, etc? I'm trying to narrow down what it might be. Could be heater core(s) and associated plumbing as well. Thanks for help. I plan on getting a cooling system pressure tester soon and see if I can ID what is going on.

DD

mjb56 · March 2002

Well, we got our 99 Montana back today after having the lower intake gasket replaced along with the following items: spark plug wires and 2 coils (replace due to severe corrosion), 2 hepa filters and an oil change. Final tab: $743.00
I've got to believe that there is some sort of design problem here. Those gaskets looked like swiss cheese so something is fishy. This should not have happened to a 2 1/2 year old van with 45K on it. Do you think it would help to complain to some GM regional office?

dirkdaddy · March 2002

agree something is fishy regarding intake gaskets. If designed right and made from proper materials, these should last the life of the engine! I'm not sure if its a engine design problem or saving $1 on each gasket (that would be the GM way), but they should not be failing. I also have coolant leak, but will be investigating the cause before tearing into the motor.

jeff_serviss · March 2002

The drivers side fog light went out on my 1999 montana. Has anyone changed it themself? I bought the bulb but can't find out how to remove the old one.

georgio · March 2002

REGARDING # 639

The whole front bumper/air dam needs to come off or cut holes in the back fairing. We took ours to dealer after looking it over carefully and since we didn't have the time to do ourselves it went to the dealer. $115 labor...OUCH, but I watched and they earned it. If you have a dealer do it, the labor price is the same for one or two lights so it makes sense to replace both or wait until the other one is dark too. Venture and Siloutte are the same but maybe a better labor rate at Chevy ? Another big surprise about having to disassemble your Montana is just to replace the battery....have lots of tools....the cross member plus other parts must come out just to access the battery. Lastly, if replacing front struts, go to a shop who has never seen a Montana and hope they quote $30/40 each labor...same problem, no room, have lots of special tools.

montanafan · March 2002

From the 2001 Montana Service Manual.
1) Partially remove the front fender liner to gain access to the fog lampb assembly( two screws inboard of the lamp)
2) Remove the fog lamp bulb/socket from the fog lamp by rotating counterclockwise.
3) Disconnect the electrical connector from the fog lamp bulb
4) To intall reverse steps. Careful no to touch the new bulb.

mizeuml · March 2002

Hello mjb56. What were the symptoms for the corroded coils? We replaced plug wires due to corroded posts on the distributor cap. I sanded the rust from the distributor cap posts and left it. Once in awhile the van does not want to start easily and today it died after starting, but the a/c was on. Are the coils under the distributor cap, how many are there and how easy is it to get at them?

I wonder if this is covered under the GMPP warranty coverage?

Thanks,
Matt

jeff_serviss · March 2002

Thanks for the info on how to change the fog lights, that is a major pain to change just one bulb!!! I guess that's why the manual doesn't mention them at all. It seems like someone wasn't thinking when they designed the lights there, $115 labor to change a bulb?

montanafan · March 2002

Jeff, I think you will find that the Service Manual procedure gets it done in less then 10 minutes.

mjb56 · March 2002

mizeuml, there are 3 coils and they are towards the back of the engine. Quite hard to see much less get to. They could not tell me why they were so corroded but,indeed, they were. Oddly enough, only two were corroded. The third was like new. I must say, the van runs great now. It was beginning to run sort of rough but that's all changed. It, too, was starting to start roughly but now just fires right up. I don't believe there's a distributor on this vehicle.

I did hear back from GM to my e-mail. They assigned a case number to me and said they'd get back to me by 3/22 with a decision on the coolant leak. They responded in 1 day. I was pretty impressed so far. Wish me luck.

bernieatlas · March 2002

Reading with interest the stories about coolant leaks on Pontiac Montanas. Just went thru the same experience. Seemed to be filling up coolant reservoir about every 3-4 weeks but could see no evidence of a coolant leak. Engine started to make valve ticking noise which was quite pronounced. Thought I had a sticky hydraulic valve lifter, so I put in some aftermarket stuff in the oil. When i opened the oil filler cap, the cap was filled with a brownish gluey substance which I had never seen before. The additive did nothing to stop the valve noise, so I took it to my GM dealer who diagnosed the problem as a leak in the Intake Manifold Gasket. Approximate cost to repair $950 Cdn. My car has 60,000 miles on it (100,000Km). The explanation for the valve noise is that the manifold leak reduces oil pressure in the engine enough to affect the hydraulic lifter performance and thus the valve noise. I was lucky enough to have caught the problem before the coolant could contaminate the oil and destroy the bearings.
I contacted GM who offered to pay for one third of the cost. After the repair was completed, the car runs as quiet as it did when new.
This type of problem should not happen to a modern computer-designed engine with only 60,000 miles on it. Toyota...here I come!

spartanman2 · March 2002

In late January I took my 98 Trans Sport (55,000 miles) in for a routine oil change at the Pontiac dealer. Afterward, the service manager advised that my coolant level was very low, excess steam coming from the crankcase and I would need to keep a constant eye on the oil to make sure it didn't appear "milky". He gave me a few horror stories about what he had seen with this particular van, coolant leaks mixing with oil, etc. I was thinking $$$ were going to soon be out of my wallet.

Not under warranty and not taking chances; I traded it in for a new Acura.

That and the lousy IIHS offset crash scores were the final straw. Has anyone here ever visited the IIHS website and viewed the scores of the Pontiac Montana/Trans Sport Death Trap?. Look at the side by side pictures with the Toyota Sienna....Scary.

mjb56 · March 2002

I'm now waiting to hear what the verdict will be about covering this problem. I think I caught the problem in time and, I agree, the engine and vehicle now run great. Just like new. It seems like this has been a bigger problem on Montana's than Ventures or Silos. I hoping for the best because we really like our vehicle. I'm supposed to hear by Friday 3/22 what action, if any, will be taken.

mizeuml · March 2002

Sounds like the GM dealers really stick it to you for fixing the intake manifold gasket. I had mine fixed last month under the GMPP warranty plan and it cost GM about $320. I think the labor was about 4.5 hrs at $60/hr with about $50 for the parts; oil, oil filter, gasket, coolant... This seems to be a very poor design considering the number of folks having the problem. I think mine only ran down the engine block. I never noticed any coolant in the oil.

My Air Bag light started coming on intermittently again, 4th time. It has been fixed three times already. Has anyone else had this problem repeatably? The problem seems to go away for about 10k to 15k miles after being fixed each time. What did they do to fix the problem each time?

For anyone planning to purchase this van, you may want to consider a 100K warranty. It will be worth the money and piece of mind.

I sure would like to know what the folks at Pontiac are doing. My other vehicle is a 1995 GMC 1500 EXT cab pickup and has 51k miles. I drive this truck 4 miles total each day, get in, crank it up and go. Knock on wood, it has been virtually trouble free since going out of the standard GM warranty. I had the intake manifold gasket and ABS module & modulator valve both replaced under 36K but just outside of the three year period. Both times the dealer was good enough to fix it under warranty even though it was just past three years. Maybe Pontiac should talk to the GMC folks.

dlubin · March 2002

My air bag light came on a few times on my '99 (we have an '01 now), they never found a solution...

-Dan L.
'01 Montana, Montanavision

psg · March 2002

My 2000 Montana now has 48k on it and has developed a creaking noise in the rear end. You can hear it when driving or if you bounce the van up and down. The dealer lubed all the bushing and concluded the noise is coming from the driver side rear shock. It does not appear to effect the shock's function but they could not eliminate the noise. Since I have air shocks they want close to $300.00 to replace the one shock.

Should I:
1. Ignore the sound?
2. Replace only the offending shock?
3. Get a second opinion?

BTW, this is the first major complaint I have had with this otherwise flawless (for GM) minivan.

TIA,
Phil

Pontiac Montana

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