Oldsmobile Silhouette

indrgb

Bob - This has happened to me 3 or 4 times. The next time try moving the driver's seat a few times to see if the light goes out. I read this from someone else last year and it worked for me. I agree it might be a bad ground. Also, sometimes I hear a little static coming from the radio speakers which might be another sign of a poor ground connection.

smithpa

I had a 95 Blazer with a stuck window. The fix was removing the interior door panel and hitting the window motor with a wrench to "unstick it". One swift knock with the wrench fixed the problem. Same problem happened to a different window in same truck later and the same solution fixed it as well. Must be some sort of stiction problem.

tdwill

This is first time posting a message. I have read many of the previous messages and find them very useful and interesting. My question/message is this: I have been hearing a strange noise from the back of my 2000 Olds Silhouette GLS. The noise is like a high pitched groan. The only thing that comes to mind when describing it is, like that of a whale or some other marine creature. the noise only lasts a short time and seems random. My wife says she only hears it when a/c is on. Does this sound right ? The only other thing I can think of is that it might be the auto-leveling compressor back there. I'd like to have somewhat of an idea of what it is or might be before I take it in. Any help will be much appreciated.

jeber

my auto level compressor etc. makes noise (kind of a whirring "compressor" noise) in the rear of my silo...I assume that might be it. If you ever fill your gas tank from E to Full it listen for it, ususally it will come on then due to weight difference

good luck

artgpo

My '03 Silo makes the same noise from the air compressor coming on to level the back. Runs for a short time and then is off.

bob550k

The prior owner of our 99 Silo had the fuel pump replaced under warranty. Now I've had a few electric fuel pumps go bad, from the silent pump that wouldn't run over 3,500 feet elevation, one that sounded like a blender and one that howeled like a dog! I think the fuel pump is the likely problem, but the air compressor is back there to.

bob550k

I'll check on moving the drivers seat and see what happens. I read the old post on that and I'd bet that's the problem (Loose ground under the drivers seat). It seems to happen more to my wife when the seat is cranked all of the way forward. The speakers are not hissing, they just sound like crap, just the way they should.

LOL

Thanks

Bob

galyenlg

I need advice on purchasing a 2003 olds silhouette. With the rebates they are a good buy. Should I be concerned about low resale values when Olds stop making the vehicle in 2004? I usually keep a car for over 100,000. Any advice you can give ASAP will be appreciated. Thanks.

baveux

<<<<<<<? I usually keep a car for over 100,000<<<<

Why being worry about the resale value then ??

<<<< With the rebates they are a good buy. <<<<<

Why asking, you wrote the answer !!!

 <<<<Any advice you can give ASAP will be appreciated. Thanks.<<<<<<

Go ahead and get one, one of the best value for the money, I own a Montana and I am more than satisfied. Those vans are cheap to buy and to maintain, they are not perfect, but the price is rright

Good luck and congrat for your new Baby ;-)

stever

I try to drive mine at least that many miles too, Galyenlg. Resale is only a concern if you get hit and the van is totalled in the first few years. The insurance company is only going to give you what the van is worth, so you'll eat some depreciation in that scenario.

Otherwise, I don't worry about it (89,000 on my '99 van - not quite ready to drop the collision coverage however).

Steve, Host

artgpo

I think the financing will save you more than will the rebate. You need to get a loan calculator and figure it out.

My '03 Silhouette has been flawless through 13,000 miles. I drive a mixture of scenarios. In the morning it is 65 for 25 miles. In the afternoon it is 60+ and about 9 miles of stop and go.

bob550k

For resale I'm betting the Honda is tops and the Olds is close to the worst.

I went to kbb.com and ran a 1999 Honda top of the line with lots of options, put in 120,000 miles with an excellent condition rating it returned a value of $15,715. I ran the 1999 Olds Silo top of the line with the same options and 120,000 it returned a value of $13,365. This was on the private party value and I think the values returned are very high and unrealistic but it does give you the idea that the identically equipped Honda might be worth as much as 20% more than the Olds when it's worn out.

We purchased a 2 year old Olds Silo Premiere with 22,000 miles on it for $18,000 (that's 48% off the original window sticker) with a fixed rate of 0% interest using a check with no fees from one of my credit cards. We will run it to 120,000 - 140,000 miles and I expect the Olds to be pretty much worthless when we sell it at that time. The comparably equipped Honda would have been at least $27,000 at that time. Tie up an additional $9,000 up front to get back $2,500 in higher resale value? If you are financing don't forget all of the interest you will pay if you don't get 0% from another maker.

juliesaline

My light came on intermittently, then continuously. I assumed the problem was with a computer, but it turned out to be only a loose connection on the seat belt pretensioner. The buckle on the seat belt is connected to the air bag system. Upon a crash impact, a signal is sent to the seat belt buckle, where an explosive device ignites and pulls the seat belt tight by about 3 inches. My problem was a loose connection.

bob550k

That sounds like a reasonable explaination, I'm going to have a look at wiring diagram for the SRS and see what grounds are in the area of the Driver seat that could affect the system and tighten them up! The other answers I have read were "there was a loose ground under the drivers seat". The pretensioner is under the seat (more or less) so I'll go with that! The light coming on is very seldom so nailing down the cause would be very difficult without some input.

Thank you

tauberj

Hi, I have a 2000 Silhouette with a buzzing turn signal. I bought a new one from the dealer, but cannot locate it under the dash. I assume it is behind the guage cluster or there abouts because that is where the buzzing comes from. Has anyone had this happened to them to confirm my diagnosis. If so, how do I get to it to change it. Thanks.

jarrettw

Good morning all, I have a 98 Silo GLS with the factory alarm. Recently, for no apparent reason, the alarm will sound. I went through the manual and decreased the system sensitivity but it hasn't helped. Has anyone else had this problem. Any information is greatly appreciated.

ddessi

Check Engine Light kept coming on after repeated visitsd to GM Dealer. Gas cap was replaced twice due to code 440 to no avail. In contact with GM customer service, is there a defect with the OBDI or is the service center not competent. Stay tuned. Love to hear from other owners with same problem, maybe we have a case?

roband

I purchased a used Olds Silhouette last July. What a mistake, original mileage was 56000km. now 86,000km. I have had this van in the shop 5 times. Gas gauge,door trim, front wheel bearing, compressor for air conditioner,Transmission.Total repair bills over $4000.00. At time of purchase I did buy extended warranty, but this vehicle is a dud!!!

artgpo

Pretty broad statement. What year is your van?

just4fun2

Did you check out the history of the vehicle before you bought it? I see "program" cars advertised all the time and that can mean anything from a rental to a buy back before it's classified as a lemon vehicle.

Yes, I too would be upset in your situation but, without being the original owner who knows what has happened to that vehicle.

$4000.00 is that Canadian money? That would work out to about $1.50 American wouldn't it?

bob550k

Now that $4,000 canadian is worth $1.50 U.S. just isn't a nice thing to say!

It sounds like you bought a rental return, the Mileage is right for a rental company to dump it. You can call GM and ask about the warranty repair history of the car and they will have much of it available to you by telephone. They can even tell you if it was a lemon buy back.

Or maybe someone just spun the odometer back!

Either way it sounds like you got HOSED! EH?

ddessi

I just wanted to update message # 886. After bringing the van in to Sholtz Auto in White Plains, NY, five or was it six times? The light problem was finally fixed. It seems that the gas cap was not really the problem but instead some kind of solenoid piece that burned out and needed replacement. I'm left very dissappointed by the service however I'm glad I don't have to drive the van to Sholtz any more. In the end I still don;t know if the dealer was incompetent, if the van has inherent defects or both. The manual that came with the van says that serious trouble may occur if the light stays on, not true accroding to the dealer. Maybe the dealers and GM should be on the same page. GM Good-bye, Foreign cars here I come.

stealth1992

Does anyone know if you can interchange a 2002 or newer rear seat equipped with the LATCH child restraint system with a 1999 rear seat?

tsghost

I have a 2002 Silhouette Premier with AWD. My problem is this. When pulling my boat out of the water on a sand ramp my front wheels spin and spin and dig into the sand while the rear wheels just sit there and never spin. No idiot light for the AWD light comes on. Dealer says AWD is fine. I am not happy!!! Can anyone give their opinion on this or their experience with the AWD.
Thanks

jeber

I've had a few 4 wheel drives, never an "AWD" vehicle, but I do know that any awd system should direct some power to wheels that need traction...that's the whole purpose of having it.

If neither of the rear wheels is turning/pushing whatsoever, it seems that obviously it ain't doing what its designed to do...

you might need to call another dealer, talk to service manager somewhere else. if you tell him there's no power to rear wheels, and all he can say is "system is fine" well, goodbye!

vidmaner

I bought a 2002 premiere awd last week. I am so in love with this van (buyers remorse has not set in yet)! I am thinking about putting a k&n air filter in this van. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts about this?

Thanks

stever

Why do you want one is the question to ask I guess:

K&N Air Filters, bolt-on power?

Steve, Host

bob550k

The transmission in my wife's '99 Premiere started shifting hard again. It started at 40,000 miles so I had the Trans power flushed. It seemed to help but the problem came back as summer got hotter and 42,000 miles approached. The trans would shift hard in 95+ degree heat or if I tried to drive the van fast in stop and go traffic. Anyway, the dealer replaced a $50 sending unit (plus $250 labor) and it works like new. I know I got a great deal on this repair and the wife is happy again. This is the first repair this van has required that I had to pay for other than normal maintenance. Not bad considering how cheap this van was, I'm still $8,700 better off than if I had bought a Honda.

vidmaner

Why? I would like to have free extra horsepower and better gas mileage. My dad has one and likes it and I've heard the hype about these. After reading the k&n message board I think I will stick to regular disposable paper filters. The concerns about them not filtering dirt as well as the disposable filter worries me because we are planning on keeping this van a long time.

Thanks, Tom

letsgetmikey

My 01 just flipped over 100k miles Sept. 9, now on 103k (been travelling a LOT!). Owned the van for 32 months.

Total maintenance:

20 oil changes

Two transmission fluid changes

Tires at 53k miles, will need new tires again around 120k.

Never been aligned. Doesn't pull, no uneven tread wear on this set of tires. Original tires were cupped very badly early on.

Sliding door actuator recall (TWICE)

Service Engine light - dealer recalibrated system, $100.02 (all labor) still a little ticked off that the warranty didn't cover it.
When the light came on, I called Onstar (the one and only time I ever used it). They were nice, but couldn't diagnose the problem. Didn't renew Onstar.

Rear door latch actuator replaced under warranty (power door lock system wouldn't lock or unlock it, had to use the key)

Front brakes and rotors at 89K miles ($327.72 at Sears, ouch!)

Other than the usual rotation and balance, that's it. Not bad at all. No sign of any leaks or oil usage.

Has anybody else had the fan speed selector button break? I've had this happen on this van and the previous one, too. A little super glue fixed that.

I figure the resale value of this van is totally shot, so I might as well keep it till it dies. Only 4 more payments!

25 mpg on the highway.

Blew right through the 5 yr/60k mile warranty in 18 months.

Only other thing I can think of is that the neighbor's cat chewed off the end of the OnStar antenna.

Mikey

stever

Not bad at all indeed. This is the kind of reliability we all hope for when we buy a car. Here's hoping it doesn't die for many more miles to come.

And the way you're piling the miles on, that won't be many more years!

Steve, Host

pbeck2

tdwill - I have the same problem with my 2003 Premier. The noise (whale sound is right on the mark!) seems to come from the driver's side rear of the vehicle, but there are times when it sounds like it could be coming from the front end. It doesn't sound mechanical...although it could be. Since the sound is random I haven't had any luck when taking it to the dealer for service. Have you identified the problem???

artgpo

There is a TSB for the front air vents. The noise it makes could be similar to that which is made by a whale. The TSB requires the servicing dealer to take off the grill and use adhesive to secure the foam padding around the duct. The vibration of this foam is what causes the whale noise. I have heard the noise a couple of times on my '03 Silo but not in the past few months.

jeber

that's good news! especially since I have the same van, except with only about 48k. interesting that sliding door actuator was recalled twice...ours has worked fine, no problems, and a printout from the dealer a few months back showed that no factory warranty fixes have been done on mine (?)

good to hear that not everybody's intake gasket leaks. mine's not, I watch the coolant level closely.

nice that someone is relating positive experience, too often you hear of bad things/lemons, and none of the good...I remember years back in a couple "Marketing" classes, learning that studies show if someone has a bad experience with a product or service, they will often tell several friends/acquaintances, while if someone loves a product/service, they're not too likely to do the same

anyhow, our silo is also going along without a problem. My wife is main driver, and she's (unfortunately) quite a bit harder on vehicles than I! lol

pbeck2

artgpo - Thanks for the advice. I hate to show my ingnorance on cars, but what is a TSB? Also, the sound that I hear only lasts a second or two and is completely random (may happen twice on a thirty minute drive or not at all for several days). The sound level also varies -- sometimes pretty lound, other time soft. Is this common w/ the TSB?

Again...I very much appreciate your help! I was concerned that it might be something major, but it sounds like it could be a very minor fix.

letsgetmikey

Actually, the sliding door has never given me any trouble, I just took it in when I got the recall notices.

The original recall was for a faulty door actuator, whatever that is, and the second was for a recall for the replacement actuators that had some kind of manufacturing defect. On the second recall, they just inspected it and said it was one of the good ones!

Mikey

stever

You, Your Vehicle and the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB)

Steve, Host

bob550k

I wouldn't put one in the mini van myself, I don't want that thing to go any faster. I wouldn't want to risk getting dirt in the injectors for 5 or 10 horsepower that you won't even notice (other than it will sound faster with the added noise).

We love our van '99 premiere so far

artgpo

Sorry I did not respond quicker.

The noise in van happened twice and only for a very short period of time with different intensity.

Steve: Thanks for explaining TSB.

jrdwyer

Our 2001 Silo GL with 26K miles just got back from the shop after the dealer rebuilt the transmission. It runs great again.

The symptoms were fairly constant hard downshifts and upshifts. These were very noticable at even slow speeds, like backing out of the driveway. Also, the transmission fluid was very dark and smelled bad when I checked it before taking it to the dealer.

We still like the van, but I am dissapointed that the engine(intake manifold gasket replaced at 16K) and transmission have had problems. My previous experience is with a 1988 Olds Delta 88 that has 193K miles on its original engine and tranny. What gives? Did I just get a poor one or has quality declined in 15 years on engines and transmissions in GM vehicles?

We still plan on keeping the van for another 180K miles, so I hope the mechanic who rebuilt the tranny was good at it.

If you do buy a new GM van, then definitely make sure the dealer provides free loaner cars. Ours does and it made the experience less of a problem.

coachrip

I've had a 99 Silo for just one week... and so far so good, after reading through all the discussions, I feel I am pretty knowledgeabe about mini vans, in addtion to my experience, ...........95 Windstar......

History: bought 95 Windstar in 96 only had 20k miles, took it in for head gasket warranty at 22k, ............no problems until we hit 80K last spring, head gasket blew, tranny was dying, water pump was going, ..........AC switch, AGAIN was acting up, ............time to get another car..........and I have my vehicles service regularly, and we are not very hard on them either!

Looked at new ones, ..........Toyota, very nice, ....the best, but not willing to wait, Honda, very nice but they have some tranny problems,.......Chrysler, .... not for that kind of money, can't compare to the new Toyota or Honda, ....Ford, .........you must be joking! GM's didn't interest me until I got in a nice Montana, then a Silo...........Long story short, .........I got my 99 Silo with 62k for $8900.00 that's for everything taxes, tags etc..... It is gold with tan leather interior and pass. power door, very clean inside and a couple of light scratches in exterior, inpected in July, previous owner had the 60K service done already.

I checked the jack well and other areas in the back for leaks I had read about, ...........looks brand new back there, .........so far I'm very Happy, ............I hope it lasts....

I hope GM comes out with a Silo'd version of one of its other vans, ..........as I found the Venture to be plain, and the Montanna to be on the Sporty side, the Olds seemed to be the plush luxury version, .....it's a shame because if this van is dependable over the new two years, I would definately look at a new Olds, I love this one, .....however, I know I'm still in the honeymoon stage!

One other thing, I saw last spring's edition of Consumer Reports on new and used cars, .................I think they are too biased towards the foreign cars, after reading their evaluations of used mini vans, there is no mention of Honda's Ody's tranny problems, and they were really down on the GM's, especially the Silo.... their evaluations had the Silo about the same or worse than the Windstar! What a joke! I say this because my good friend is a car dealer, and he said "no one (other dealers) wants to touch a ford 3.8L engine............you are just buying problems"

  I'm glad I found this forum as I feel the real life posts are more valuable than CR's evaluations. Just research some of the other mini Vans on this board, ......... I know it takes some time, but I feel it gives one more realistic information for one to make his own evaluation.

artgpo

You do know that this is the final year for Oldsmobile? Rumor has it that Buick will take up the luxury end of the next generation of GM minivans due in 2004.

coachrip

I thought my statement............ "it's a shame because if this van is dependable over the new two years, I would definately look at a new Olds, I love this one, " .........made it clear that there were going to be no more Oldsmobiles.

If true that Buick will take it over, ........which I think would be a good fit, then I may be looking at Buicks in a couple of years, if this Olds proves to be a worthy vehicle.

bigfig

Lately my remote control has been giving me problems opening and locking. I replaced the battery but still have problems. Sometimes it will unlock but not lock. I spoke with the service advisor and he tried to re-calibrate the remote to no avail. Since I did not take the extended warranty(the remote I was told is covered under the extended warranty)I will have to purchase another remote. Has anyone had a problem with their remote and are there any after market remote that can be purchased. The service advisor said one from GM cost about $75.00

montanafan

1) Does the car work properly with the other remote? If so, then it very well could be the remote. If the problem is still there, then it would be the reciver or something else in the car.
2) The dealer should have a tester for the remotes. You place the remote on the tester and push the buttons, the tester will light to should if the remote is sending a signal. The advisor might be able to do this without any charge.
3) Can sometimes find remotes for less then GM list on eBay.
4) WIth a 2000. you could only be out of warranty by three months at most, try to talk the dealer into covering it.

nkairns

Reply to message 913 - bigfig

Original equipment remotes are available from www.keylessride.com. I purchased mine there when my wife lost hers. They cost about half of what a dealer charges, are original equipment and they also supply you with the programming instructions. If you get screwed up in the programming, they have telephone support to help you out.

Good luck!

stever

You can also find OEM ones on eBay now and then.

Steve, Host

paulie9

Hi, I'm new here and need some help....

I just bought a 2000 Olds Silhouette Preimere with 72000 miles on it. All seems to be fine except with the VCR/LCD entertainment system. When I play a VHS tape the audio plays fine thru the rear speakers and the LCD screen lights up when I pull it down but get no video (switch is set to vcr). Hooked up my digital camera to the video-in plug and set switch to aux and still no video on the LCD screen.

Any ideas on what to check? Like I said, audio plays fine with a VHS tape but I get no video on the LCD. Also, what might the dealer charge to fix this problem? Thanks.....

letsgetmikey

Just started looking at 04 Silo's for my wife...

The leather seats have the line "3rd row vinyl seats". My wife saw the word "vinyl" and about went ballistic. She has visions of the kids sticking to vinyl seats on hot summer days.

Is this all that is available, or can the third row be leather, too? Her 97 has leather in the third row seats.

Mikey

just4fun2

I think that starting in 03 the 3rd rear seats are vinyl. My 02 is leather. Bean counters will drive you crazy.