Chevy Venture

lct1

Gm vans are rated highest I believe. The only time I ever noticed a large drop in mileage in winter was when lot of time spent on warmup. 26 -27 is good and they are rated 26mpg. I am getting 21-22 highway under normal conditions.
  
  I have heard about BP gas being bad. Have always owned GM cars and have used BP 90% of the time with no issues. By no means am I saying it is not possible.

jints2282

Was wondering why I had to top off my wife's Venture's washing fluid tank once a week. Thought maybe of all the snow we had in the northeast. Noticed a leak in the tank dripping fluid onto the garage floor. How difficult is it to replace or fix this tank???

cameramatt

Why hasn't Chevy put the hatch handle as a recall.
Seems that many people like myself have replaced the hatch handle.
This van is a lot better than the previous Lumina mini van. I decided to go with a Dodge during that era. Has anyone experienced a vibration a high speeds. Sometimes it happens and then again not. When it was time for new tires on the Venture the vibration is still there. Is it the roof rack cross bars?

slow95z

I would like to add my sad story to the saga of leaking intake manifold gaskets - but frankly I'm seeing some one for it and they prescribeds meds .....

To be blunt though I wish that I had seen this discussion sooner. My van has apparently been leaking for some time (van eventually died with 65000 miles on the odo). I believe that GM is doing a dis-service to everyone who owns this engine by not informing them of the potential problem. The only signs that I saw of a potential internal engine problem, were those that could easily be related to an external leak. Light dusting of a 'sticky substance' on the outside of the engine and the occasional refill of coolant in the coolant container that couldn't really be otherwise accounted for. Never once did any signs of antifreeze show up in the oil or any other signs of internal issues. My engine just suddenly and quite simply died an unnatural death. Started it up a few months ago to a nasty 'clacking' noise from the bottom end. A sign of 'spun' crank bearings most likely amongst other things.

The problem I believe, at least for me, was that the leak never became large enough to cause an major short term signs. Partilay I believe this is due to the way that the 'newer' radiator fluids evaportate and what they leave behind. Pulling apart the engine partially, it became obvious that the damage was more long term then could be fixed by simple replacement of the gaskets could not fix (I do most/all of my own car work, including things like building up of the top end of an LT-1 engine with new cam, rockers, etc.). Basically the radiator fluid had evaportated inside the rocker covers, leaving behind a vasolline like sludge at the top of the covers. Many ports were also clogged by this material. I would guess that similiar sludge was at the bottom of the engine although by that point I figured it was a lost cause and said forgetaboutit. Again though, I would repeat that at no time did any residual gunk, sludge, or the typical signs of radiator fluid in the oil that I would have expected to see show up under normal oil changes.

My experience with this particular vehicle, as well as a 1995 Buick Regal whose paint is almost completely off (which I had brought to the attention of both dealer and Buick prior to expiration of warranty but for which now post warranty they want nothing to do with), has led me to resist the purchase of any more GM vehicles. And I am in the market to replace the Regal at this point. I simply no longer trust GM with my hard earned, no raise for the last few years, cash. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice - see ya later.

THNX
BRAD

lct1

Your not alone. I have a 02 Venture 23k with bad intake gasket. AC hasn't worked right since last Aug. along with many other problems. I too have been a Long time GM customer. I have owned a least 1 GM vehicle since 1975, I currently own 3. It is unbelievable what I have gone through trying to get GM to fix my Van. I went from Luxury van to sweat box on wheels to expensive lawn ornament. There may be extended warrentees that may relate to your problems. Also gasket has been redesigned in case you didn't know. Good Luck! Len

fear_hope

Has anyone had trouble with their power windows working intermittantly or going up and down slowly. If so what was the fix? A clip was replaced in one about a year ago, helped for a while but now the problem is back. Also passenger side is acting up now. Thanks!

catam

My driver side power window would roll about halfway up nearly stop then finish going up very slowly to not at all. Ended up having the electric motor replaced under ext. warranty.

cameramatt

The same thing happened to me but it finally stop working a week before my 5yr warranty was up. I was able to replace the motor before it expired. Seems like the driver side window was sluggish and it never really worked well since I bought it new in 98.

billwfriend

I'm going to be selling my 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and purchasing a 2001-2002 GM minivan...

I'd like atleast 7 passenger seating and I noticed the base Montana only has 6 seats.

Does the Venture LS have 7 passenger seating standard? I also liked the switch gear (radio/air system knobs) better in the Venture.

What are the other differences in the base models of the triplets?

montanafan

The vast majority of the triplets built have been 7 or 8 passenger. Oldsmobile in some years offered a three rows of captain chairs 6 passenger seat up. Pontiac built a small amout of value vans in short length in 2000-2001-2002 that had 6 passenger. If the Chevrolet appeals to you, concentrate on finding one with the right equipment-price-condition for your needs.

venture97000

Boy I feel like Ive been taken to the cleaners!
Replaced tranny for 2500 with a jasper transmission.

Now the window regulator took a hike and Ill have to replace that.

My question is the low coolant light. Every 8k miles I have to add coolant. Is this the dreaded manifold gasket?

baveux

That looks like.... get an oil analysis as soon as possible and look carefully at both end of the Int.manifold.

vanman1

I recently leased a 2004 Montana with Sport package, power sliding door and traction control. So far we love it. It seems very well put together and rides smooth as silk.

My one complaint is the fuel mileage. So far we have 2800 kms on the dial and the fuel consumption is not getting better. I realize sometimes that the first few tanks are bad but I was kind of hoping for some improvement. Can anyone shed some light on this situation for me? Will I ever get close to the 19/26 I'm suppose to?

agt_cooper

I've got a 2000 Montana which has always achieved pretty good gas mileage numbers, around 20 in mixed driving and 25 on pure highway.

What mileage are you actually getting?

Much of the variability in mileage comes from driving style. How hard do you accelerate from a stop? How fast do you drive? Do you have a rooftop carrier on the van?

I don't recall much of a break-in period on ours, so I don't think you should expect something to change in the near future. You could always have it checked by the dealer to see if something is wrong with the computer that controls the engine.

vanman1

I am getting about 15 mostly city and our 1 highway trip doing about 65-70 mph, we got a whopping 21. We do have side rails but I took off the cross rails as they are removable.

I don't have a leadfoot and I'm not aggressive at all in my driving. The weather is warm now so mileage should be at it's peek and that's what scares me. I will bring it in to the dealer if things don't get better soon. I just thought there mite be a break in where other's saw their mileage get better after a couple of months. We love the van otherwise and we got a great deal on it which makes it even better!

theclimber

I'm looking for an 8 passenger minivan. I'd prefer around 2 years old, and I'd like leather seating. I know the Venture Warner Brothers has the leather accents, but the seating surfaces have cloth inserts. Does anyone know of an 8 passenger van with full leather seating? I know the new Sienna has 8 passenger, but it's not available in leather.

BTW - I know leather is available as an aftermarket, but I'd rather not go that route.

stever

2005 Chevrolet Uplander

Talk about it in the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander/Pontiac Montana SV6/Saturn Relay/Buick Terraza discussion.

Steve, Host

cptplt

Is the Uplander going to have 8 seats though? My dealer and the people at the Chicago autoshow said it will not be offered with 8seats.Which has got me looking at the Sienna for my 00 replacement. My ext warranty runs out soon, have made almost 3x what I paid for it already! Maybe a Toyota won't be so bad an idea!
I know someone who got after maket leather in their Odyssey. It looks really good and its lasted very well for 3 years! In fact , if GM original leather seats are like anything like the cloth ones in our present Venture which are falling apart, these aftermarket ones are probably better!

sleblond

A couple of weeks ago, I started to add engine coolant about twice a week. After readings some postings on the internet I had the engine checked for internal leaks. As a matter of fact the intake manifold gasket had to be replaced (for the second time). The first time was at 59,000 km and now it's 76,000 km. After discussion with the service manager at the dealership he agreed to call GM to see if they'd accept to pay part of the repair. About 2 hours later the service manager called me and confirmed that GM would pay all the bill related to the leaking gasket... I must be one of the lucky few...

tomekk

You guys are scaring me... sometimes I think it is better not to know about those problems. My van is almost 5 years now and it has been very good to us - despite that I feel like we own a volcano waiting to erupt with problems!
Most recent problem was my wife's parking ticket, that's about it.

vanman1

The problem is not as wide spread as it may seem. It happens to some 3.4L engines, but for the most part the 3.4L is fine. I think the 03 and newer ones have some changes that make "leaks" less likely. We just bought an 04 Montana and I would never have done so if I thought it was that big a problem. A mechanic friend told me not to worry, especially with the newer ones.

offham

I have a 2000 Venture with 76,000 miles and no sign of the leaks. However, I do feel the Dex Cool is not all it is cracked up to be. My local dealer said it can cause a build up of sludge in the system. I have had the system flushed out and refilled at the dealership every two years.

offham

Leather seating was a factory option on the 2000 LT, but only with Captain Chairs in gray or tan.

The Warner Bros version had it as standard but with cloth inserts and 7 passenger seating only.

Not sure if they continued this after 2000

kkollwitz

Our 99 has cloth seats which still look new and we haven't taken any special care of them except to use a gentle soap when scrubbing vomit off of them.
Our Venture turned 86k miles this month. I took it to replace original plugs & wires, fuel filter & AC compressor (ouch). Anyway, the new plugs & wires made an immediate difference in the engine, it feels like it did when we bought it.
Still happy with this car.

mckernaniii

2002 Venture Extended Plus 1SB 78,000 miles. Had water on floor mat driver side. Took to repair ship and they could fine only one drain tube that GM bulletin said may be plugged and causing the problem. Took to dealer and he installed an second AC Drain Tube that dealer said was missing. How could it fall off? Maybe it was never there in the first place. Anyone else have this problem?

arr2

Bought 99 venture with 35600 miles,a lease turn in. At 42500 head and intake gasket replacement. 47500 front wiper motor. 59800 rear wiper motor. 60200 right power widow motor replacement. Now at 71000 A/C not blowing cold air. Interior fit and trim good, mileage and power out of engine good, CD player skips so I play tapes, and I like the interior size as I cary ski equiptment in winter and kayak, camping and rollerbladeing stuff during summer. Can't fit all this stuff in an S.U.V. so the mini van is perfect for me. I have had other older GM, Ford, Dodge and foreign vehicles and I can't remember parts failing at such early mileage. GM is just putting crap in ther vehicles and money in their pockets. Oh ya the headlights suck, they need brighter bulbs or something. My girlfriend just got a new honda and the headlights make you think it's daylight out.

kid robinski

Bought a 2000 Venture in July of 2000 (rental, already had 12,000 miles on it) as our family vehicle. Put 93,000 miles on it, traded it in on a 2003 Camry last August, and have been regretting it ever since (not because the Camry is bad, but because the Venture was GOOD).

Maybe we were lucky to not have the problems listed on here, but if so, we weren't alone, as we know two other happy Venture owners in our crowd. Routine maintenance, a brake job, a temporarily balky drivers side window, and an alignment is all I ever had done (there were two recalls, one for the rear hatch and one for the power side door).

I am 50 years old and have owned quite a few vehicles, and can say without hesitation or doubt that the Venture was overall the best of all of them, and I miss her sorely. The comfort, functionality (tv's, lumber, pvc pipe, whatever; just about anything fits in this van) and reliabilty of this vehicle was top notch, and better than anything I had before.

From my observations, you can do a lot worse than a Venture.

offham

Both our key fobs no longer lock/unlock the doors. One has a new battery. Does this mean the tranmitter in the van has gone bad or needs resetting. Any thoughts would be appreciated

1panky

Yes, it appears the transmitter may be gone. I have a 2000 model and my unit went out about 6 months ago. It started working intermittently over several weeks and then completely died. I believe the cost of replacement by the dealer was $400.00 and some change including the customary troubleshooting, etc. It has been working o.k. ever since the replacement.

offham

Thanks 1panky for your advice and suspected that this would be the case. Will get it checked out sometime, but using keys right now...!

Rgds

lct1

2002 Venture WB Van purchased 5-24-02 List of repairs since new.
7,380 miles: Belt squeal, serpentine belt replaced.
12,130 Miles: Pass. Rear door motor assembly replaced, door opens while driving (recall), Driver side rear door latch replaced, Serpentine belt and tensioner replaced (belt squeal), Rear brakes replaced, Rough idle, can’t duplicate. Front suspension bushing replaced(noise) alignment checked.
14,473 miles, Serpentine belt replaced(squeal,chirping).
14,990 miles, Water leaking at rear hatch, Rear intake leaking oil( oil pan bolts, oil filter, drain plug tightened) Questioned fix and was told that’s how they fix Honda’s., Front alignment( Paid by me)
17,578 miles, Serpentine belt squealing and chirping( belt replaced) Water in LR taillight(replaced)
19,696 miles, AC pressure valve blew out.(replaced) AC air is warm and spitting water out vents. This is Aug. 2003
19,826 miles, Told AC is working Fine, use recirculate to cool Vehicle. Water coming out of vents normal. Was told no problem with serpentine belt, tensioners, pulleys etc. Belt squealing and chirping normal. Some belts do this(This is 4th belt since new) At this time I made the mistake to contact GM Customer Service, then the BBB. Both said they would help me neither did. All I have ever got is to be told to take it in for repairs. Dah! That’s what I have been doing.
20,752 miles, AC recharged, Vents stopped spitting water, Air cool at times but not close to what it was, mostly warm and humid. Belt squeal was used on belt many times and did not fix. Belt noise to be fixed for last time Per area Service Manager. Dealer saturated the belt with belt lube, then told me they could not duplicate problem. Belt still squealing and chirping. E-brake not holding, brakes not stopping van. Rear brake parts fell apart.
21,380 miles, Belt problem addressed again, pulleys not lined up properly, seems to fix. AC still not working right, told cannot fix unless hot outside. Begged them to fix so I could travel to Arizona and Florida, they refused. Pleaded with them to compare to other like vans( I did) they refused. 60 degrees outside, drive all day long will AC full blast and not be cold.
Arbitration Hearing, IMPARTIAL Tech. Determines AC is working properly( 35 Degrees outside) Failed to mention noise in vent for which there is a TSB on. Offered extended warranty, Told GM I couldn’t get it fixed with the one I had.
23,296 miles, Loss of power, bad gas mileage, Oil leak, anti-freeze in oil, rough Idle( intake gasket replaced) engine oil overfilled 3/4 Qt. AC checked(warm outside) No Problem found. Although dealer claims they did not work on AC, works a little better.
24,000 miles to current 25,600 miles, Oil leak continues, Oil dripping from engine since May 2003. Engine stumbles or bucking while driving, Transmission slams into gear and slips. Driver window slow or almost stops midway. AC Blows warm humid air with moldy smell. Before AC was repaired you could have made ice-cream and van smelled new. I had to turn rear unit off cause kids were too cold. Dealers have never driven Van more than 2-3 miles. Vehicle never wrecked or abused and serviced above normal. Luxury Van to Sweat Box to Expensive Yard Ornament. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

just4fun2

Yes, it sounds like you are having your problems and it is mostly with your dealer. Try another dealer.

2k1olds

Recently, our 98 Venture has been diplaying the airbag light on the dash. This is not all the time, but most of the time. Is this a short in the wiring, or a true airbag problem. Has anyone experienced this???

stever

An intermittent airbag light could be caused by several things - a wiring problem or a problem with the clock spring assembly in the steering wheel or a problem with the cruise control. The only way to know is to get a diagnosis and pull the airbag codes with a scanner.

One or two people have had the issue with their Venture and traced the cause to the seat belt buckle:

schumaker Mar 30, 2001 6:10pm

Meanwhile your airbag may not work right in an accident.

Steve, Host

just4fun2

Check the connectors under the front seats, sometime they come loose from moving the seat back and forth.

vanman1

There are always a few bad apples. We have friends with Ventures and Montanas and they are all happy, especially with the refinement and mileage. We bought a Montana in April and we love it. GM has a great van for the money. No it's not quite a Sienna, but it's also much less $$ and that fits our budget much better with a second kid due any day.

arr2

As per above venture with problems, it sounds like more the norm. But for the lucky ones who get a GM van with no problems, count your blessings. Some good parts and wide awake assembly line workers do happen and some people get a vehicle made the way it should/used to be. New buyers should be aware of the problems and bad dealer service in a lot of cases.

stever

Did you wind up with a new van? Want 15 minutes of fame? Any other recent Michigan buyers feel free to reply too:

A newspaper reporter would like to talk with recent minivan buyers who live in Michigan. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com or swebster@freepress.com with your daytime phone number by Thursday, June 17, 2004.

Thanks, Jeannine Fallon
PR Director, Edmunds.com

Steve, Host

offham

As per above check all connections under both seats. No need to take them apart but just wiggle them by holding the two halves.

I also found moving the drivers seat (power assist) to the very front and down to floor, then bring up vertically then full back horizontally.

My airbag warning light blinks 7 times and then goes out. I also found if I stop the van with engine running in Park open power passenger sliding door. Once door closed the airbag light comes on and generally goes out. If not I restart the engine and it goes out.

glenn41

2000 Venture, 28,000+ miles.

I'm having trouble starting my motor. The starter motor always works. After attemping to start the motor for 5 or 6 tries I don't smell gas under the hood. After waiting for about 1 or 2 minutes I'll try again and the car will start. Can anyone resolve my problem, could this be the "electronic fuel pump"?

Thanks....

stever

Sometimes it helps just to turn the key to on for 5 to 10 seconds to prime the fuel injectors and then crank the engine.

Steve, Host

indrgb

I had a GMC truck that was hard to start like yours. Turned out to be the fuel pump. It takes a certain amount of fuel pressure to start the engine. If you have a little less than the minimum, it may take several tries before it builds enough pressure to start. Does it start okay after it's warm? Mine was only a problem if it was off more than 30 minutes. Caution: if it's the fuel pump, which can be verified with a fuel pressure gauge, it will be expensive. Shop around.

tomekk

It states in the manual that sometimes it is necessary to give it a little gas while cranking (especially when warm) if the engine doesn't start right away. And it really works. If it cranks and nothing happens for 3+ seconds, just blip the gas pedal and the motor will catch right on.
Hope this helps,
Tomek (2000 venture, 46K miles)

jkc1

2001 Venture / Sliding Power Passenger Door with 38K miles (no longer under warranty). The lock on the door will NOT open either manually or by the automatic unlock feature. ALL of the OTHER doors unlock EXCEPT for the power sliding door. Oddly, once in a very blue moon it may unlock but it will not unlock the next time.

How do I get the power sliding door opened? What is the problem? I can't even unlock the door manually.

just4fun2

Look at GM Trio's section and post 882.

stever

dirkwork "GM's triplets: Venture, Silhouette, and Montana" Jun 30, 2004 1:29pm

Steve, Host

jkc1

Looks like a really tricky and complex job (for a van w/ only 38K miles), so I probably will bring back to dealer to fix. Thanks Steve and just4fun2 for the previous reference.

lct1

2002 Venture WB Van purchased 5-24-02 List of repairs since new.
7,380 miles: Belt squeal, serpentine belt replaced.
12,130 Miles: Pass. Rear door motor assembly replaced, door opens while driving (recall), Driver side rear door latch replaced, Serpentine belt and tensioner replaced (belt squeal), Rear brakes replaced, Rough idle, can’t duplicate. Front suspension bushing replaced(noise) alignment checked.
14,473 miles, Serpentine belt replaced(squeal,chirping).
14,990 miles, Water leaking at rear hatch, Rear intake leaking oil( oil pan bolts, oil filter, drain plug tightened) Questioned fix and was told that’s how they fix Honda’s., Front alignment( Paid by me)
17,578 miles, Serpentine belt squealing and chirping( belt replaced) Water in LR taillight(replaced)
19,696 miles, AC pressure valve blew out.(replaced) AC air is warm and spitting water out vents. This is Aug. 2003
19,826 miles, Told AC is working Fine, use recirculate to cool Vehicle. Water coming out of vents normal. Was told no problem with serpentine belt, tensioners, pulleys etc. Belt squealing and chirping normal. Some belts do this(This is 4th belt since new) At this time I made the mistake to contact GM Customer Service, then the BBB. Both said they would help me neither did. All I have ever got is to be told to take it in for repairs. Dah! That’s what I have been doing.
20,752 miles, AC recharged, Vents stopped spitting water, Air cool at times but not close to what it was, mostly warm and humid. Belt squeal was used on belt many times and did not fix. Belt noise to be fixed for last time Per area Service Manager. Dealer saturated the belt with belt lube, then told me they could not duplicate problem. Belt still squealing and chirping. E-brake not holding, brakes not stopping van. Rear brake parts fell apart.
21,380 miles, Belt problem addressed again, pulleys not lined up properly, seems to fix. AC still not working right, told cannot fix unless hot outside. Begged them to fix so I could travel to Arizona and Florida, they refused. Pleaded with them to compare to other like vans( I did) they refused. 60 degrees outside, drive all day long will AC full blast and not be cold.
Arbitration Hearing, IMPARTIAL Tech. Determines AC is working properly( 35 Degrees outside) Failed to mention noise in vent for which there is a TSB on. Offered extended warranty, Told GM I couldn’t get it fixed with the one I had.
23,296 miles, Loss of power, bad gas mileage, Oil leak, anti-freeze in oil, rough Idle( intake gasket replaced) engine oil overfilled 3/4 Qt. AC checked(warm outside) No Problem found. Although dealer claims they did not work on AC, works a little better.
24,000 miles to current 25,600 miles, Oil leak continues, Oil dripping from engine since May 2003. Engine stumbles or bucking while driving, Transmission slams into gear and slips. Driver window slow or almost stops midway. AC Blows warm humid air with moldy smell. Before AC was repaired you could have made ice-cream and van smelled new. I had to turn rear unit off cause kids were too cold. Dealers have never driven Van more than 2-3 miles. Vehicle never wrecked or abused and serviced above normal.
25,848 miles, Engine problem caused by spark plug wires not attached properly when intake was done. Bracket not connected and wires shorted out on egr tube. Had AC checked by a private tech. To confirm AC was not working properly. Then had GM dealer check again. Both agreed it was not right and has low charge. After 3 last chance to repair and 5 attempts to get fixed in almost a year I had an attorney file for repurchase under lemon law. GM refused my claim on that primary concerns have been fixed and AC problem cannot be duplicated. GM has flat out refused to fix the AC and properly diagnose problem since Aug. 03. At times AC vents look like a steam iron and now Recirculate/outside air switch will not work. I have gone to different dealers. Yes this is a true story, I wish it wasn’t.

tony17112acst

I am going crazy trying to get an answer to the simple question: "What items make the towing package on the 1998 Venture?"

1st Dealer's Answer: Call Chevrolet.

Chevrolet's Ans: Call the dealer.

2nd Dealer's Ans: Swaybar/stableizer and engine oil cooler.

3rd Dealer's Ans: Just a hitch and wire harness! (I'm not joking ..an actual dealer told me this even after I proposed oil coolers, transmission oil cooler, air shocks, etc).

4th Dealer: Heavy duty Alternator and large capacity radiator.

Now, the www.Chevrolet.com site allows you to choose options to purchase a new van and for the 2005, it lists the towing package as: Heavy duty Alternator and large capacity Radiator.

BUT! WHen you go to the GMCanada.com site and pull up the towing package, it lists: touring suspension, heavy duty radiator, alternator, and signal flasher, transmission oil cooler.

Is there some who knows the REAL answer to this and can back it up?

There was a post somewhere in here that suggested it is the larger radiator which includes a larger transmission cooler (that must imply that the transmission cooler is within the radiator), and a water-cooled engine oil cooler.

THank you for any help ...even if you suggest where I can find the answer would be appreciated.

THanks!

lct1

On the 02 trailering provisions or package included wire harness, and maybe larger rad. On the 03,04 trail pkg included trans cooler, larger rad, alt, and harness. Hitch was not included. This was available with touring suspension pkg. This consisted of auto level, air inflater, trac control, upgrade on tires, and possibly larger sway bar. What the trailering pkg included varied on different years. Are you trying to add or find out what you have on your 98? Parts dept at dealer should be able to look up what your van has or was available for that year. I think GM web site will only detail opts for 2 or 3 yrs. Trans cooler is by Trans or rad, and can be added easily. Hope that is of some help.