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GM's triplets Venture, Silhouette, and Montana

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Comments

  • autolover3autolover3 Member Posts: 53
    Anyone know of any changes on the 2003's? (ie. color, options, etc). I know it won't be a redesign but wondered if there were any slight changes. Thanks in advance.
  • autolover3autolover3 Member Posts: 53
    I meant to ask this in the post above: for anyone who has the 8 seat configuration (3 across in the second row)how hard is it to get to the third row? I believe you have to flip one of the second row seats forward. Are the tether straps on the second or third row? Thank you in advance. Trying to decide if I want a Venture.
  • catamcatam Member Posts: 331
    It depends on who is getting to the back seat.
    My kids leave the middle modular seat in the 2nd row with the back flipped down as an arm rest/drink holder. They climb into the backseat over this opening, they have never complained. They are ages 13, 10, and 8.
    I have been in the back seat several times for various reasons, and I find it very easy. From either side door, just flip the back of the modular seat forward, and then tumble it forward. This requires only flipping 2 separate levers and takes about 5 seconds. Then you have easy access to the back seat for just about anyone.
    BTW, when I bought the van I was hoping to get the 2nd row captains chairs, now I wouldn't trade the 8 pass seating for anything. It is much more flexible and useful in my opinion, and I have previously owned a van that had captains in the second row. The versatility of the 8 pass seating setup makes the GM vans a best buy of any and all minivans in my opinion. The rear seat can fold flat to the floor, and I can load up with most anything, and I still have seating for my family of 5.
    Get the 8 pass seating you will not be disappointed.
  • offhamoffham Member Posts: 344
    This is the best possible seating arrangement from GM.

    We had the same config in the Lumina Van, although it was just two seats in the very rear.

    So when we went for the Venture in 2000, the eight seat was a no cost option.

    The flexibility of being able to remove the five seats or flip forward on a individual basis in my opinion beats the captain chair set up.

    The middle row seats at the doors flip forward quite easily as per the prvious posting.
  • dlubindlubin Member Posts: 66
    My 2001 has tethers in all three 2nd row seats and a single tether (that I've found) in the third row.

    Our last van had captain's chairs in the second row, and to be honest, I wouldn't trade for anything - with three children the van fills up quickly.

    One interesting note for parents with young children who have this configuration: If you use the tether and the isofix attachment (instead of the seatbelt) you can raise the whole seat forward to let folks out of the third row rather than having to disconnect the car seat.

    -Dan L.
    '01 Montana (w/ Montanavision!)
  • autolover3autolover3 Member Posts: 53
    Thanks for the advice. I appreciate reading the responses of owners. Sounds like the 8 seater is definitely worthwhile.
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    We only have 1 kid for now, but I like the captain's chairs in the middle for 2-2-3=7 seating. Works better for adults IMHO, and with the dual arm rests and fwd/aft adjustment and recline, nearly anyone should be comfortable. You can also walk the aisle to the rear seat, which is really neat like in a airplane. We have the Olds and the 3rd seat is split so you can still hold 5pssgrs and have one side folded forward for cargo. Mostly I use this feature now for acting as a cargo brace so stuff isn't rolling around the back.

    DD
  • lennxlennx Member Posts: 73
    We have the passenger seat side middle seat slid forward. The kids just flop the seat back down to slip by into the back.

    Putting the seat back down and then having to flip the entire seat forward and the reverse it all was too much of a chore for our smaller children.
  • bob550kbob550k Member Posts: 148
    Congratulations message #144! You very qualified and have fixed the delayed starting problem! I bet the majority of mechanics (factory or otherwise) could not have told you that EPA was the culprit for your delayed start up! And even if someone had told you that would you have believed such a response?
  • bob550kbob550k Member Posts: 148
    1) You may have a leaking intake manifold gasket which happens to some of these cars.

    2 & 3) Have the computer read.

    4) Are you using OEM wipers?

    5) Bummer, someone's gonna have to take that apart and look. Do you have a door slammer in the house?

    6) Paint bubbling on the front bumper? Painter sneezed at the factory?

    Your problems all seem to be up front. What are the three impacts in an accident?

    1) Vehicle hitting an object.
    2) You hitting the inside of your vehicle.
    3) Your organs hitting the inside of you.

    I always thought there was a 4th impact,

    4) All of the parts in a vehicle hitting the inside of the vehicle. Sort of a violent sudden impact jarring and stressing every part of the vehicle (something like your organs hitting the inside of you), it couldn't help computers, wiring, bearings, window motors or the paint on the front bumper.

    I have seen brand new cars at dealers that were damaged, repaired and sold as new more than once. Your problems are all up front, there may be another issue here.

    Just an observation
  • tauberjtauberj Member Posts: 61
    I have a 2000 Silhouette Premier and have a Reese Class III hitch. I had the dealer installed it (they sub-contracted out the work). the reason for the Class III is that it provides a much more stable towing platform for my pop-up. Plus I already had the 2" draw bar from my Jimmy. The cost was only slightly more than a class II hitch ($300 installed in NJ). The best thing about this hitch is that you can only see the receiver box under the bumper. The rest of the hitch is hidden behind the bumper.
  • jpwisemanjpwiseman Member Posts: 11
    I've experienced many of the same problems you have. Obviously there is a major problem with the coolant leaking. Does anyone know if GM has a formal response to this issue?
    I don't think the door window problem is associated with door slamming. This is my wife's van and starting about 6 months ago the window would stop about half way up. The window is pitching forward while it's going up. If you pull back on the front edge it goes up. I puuled the door panel off and nothing looked broken but everything is assembled on one big assembly (window, speakers, etc). I bet GM will want to replace the entire assembly rather than fixing the problem.
    The transmission will sometimes start sounding like a bad waterpump or P/S pump bearing after I come off a highway. After that the tranny shifts REALLY hard. Doesn't do it all the time, though.
    The last problem is the keyless remote. It stopped working one day. New batteries and using the reset procedures to synch the remotes to the receiver didn't do the trick. If I knew where the receiver was I might swap it out with a junkyard unit. The rest of the locking system works fine. Anyone know where the receiver is located?
    Other than these things we love our 99 Ext Montana with 76K miles on it. BTW, GM rebuilt the engine at 36K under warranty for a start-up knock that was still there after the rebuild.
  • catamcatam Member Posts: 331
    Well my wife got rear ended in our 01 Venture last night. From the looks of it I am going to need a new rear door, bumper, and right taillamp.

    I was wondering if anyone out there knows of a good place to get body parts for these vans. Since the other guys insurance is paying, I would like to do some of the work, and keep the change. Thanks.
  • mizeumlmizeuml Member Posts: 50
    We have a '99 Montana and the thermometer was not working correctly today. The thermometer reading is located in the overhead console in the driver information center. It was reading about 30 degrees F below the actual temp. I unplugged the electrical connector a couple times and wiggled the sensor that is mounted in front of the radiator. It seems to be working again.

    Has anyone seen this before? I wonder if the sensor is going bad.

    Thanks,
    Matt
  • letsgetmikeyletsgetmikey Member Posts: 82
    could be the transmission going out. I took our '97 Silo in for what I thought was a bad water pump, but when I opened the hood, the rattling/whining noise was coming from the other side of the engine. Mechanic said it might be the transmission, and recommended a transmission shop.

    They dianosed it as a bad transmission pump. Shaft and bearings of pump then proceded to take out many of the moving parts of the tranny, to the tune of an $1800 complete rebuild.

    Transmission shop says that GM is using a less robust pump than in years past, and is seeing more of these type failures. He showed me the internal damage once it was disassembled, and it wasn't pretty.

    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

    Mikey
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    I have the shop manuals and the same problem. I've researched it but been to lazy to fix this small problem on my own Olds.

    FYI - the sensor is located in front of the radiator and is small metal with wires coming out of it and a metal strap and single bolt attachment point. It looks sort of like a old condenser (if that doesn't make me feel old, describing a points-style ignition part). The manual shows how you can test it, you measure the Ohm resistance and at certain temps it gives the resistance. I don't have this in front of me to give you the data however. Obviously if your is like mine and shows sub-20deg F temps on a 80deg. day it will probably be far enough off that you will be able to tell. Also check the connections for corrosion. Sounds like you'll need a new one. ONlly other option was if that if the sensor was to spec, was to repace the DIC/Trip computer head.

    DD
  • offhamoffham Member Posts: 344
    This weekend took van to be washed and subsequently discovered that the brushes that come together in the front of the van popped the license plate including EZ Pass transmitter.

    Fortunately it had recovered by the car wash people, but it appears the the plastic bumper has two holes and a metal insert goes in and and the plate screws into those. It was just a push fit to put it back.

    Has any body else had this problem or any other solution.
  • missedbassmissedbass Member Posts: 48
    have the same problem with mine- about 20 degrees off. check the connection at the sensor and it looked ok. once I get on the road and get up some speed the temp goes back to normal. the problem started after cleaning the radiator with a hose. Maybe water damaged the sensor. Who knows? If I knew a dealer that cared about the job they do or knew what they were doing, I would have them look at it.
  • tomekktomekk Member Posts: 310
    I my case it was the alternator (replaced under warranty at 29,000 miles, that stopped the noise).

    Tomek
  • njgirl32njgirl32 Member Posts: 1
    I am planning on closing on the deal tomorrow if my mechanic agrees it's in good mechanical condition. It has 21,000 miles and seems to be in very good condition. Not only is this my 1st Van, but a Chevy as well. Please add any comments in helping me make a healthier decision as I have been reading all messages and am pretty comfortable in making the deal. All comments greatly appreciated. Thank you.
  • jpc47jpc47 Member Posts: 62
    The '98 seems to be a good year for the Venture. I bought one that my wife drives and she likes it. Consumer reports recomends the '98's also. If your mechanic approves, I'd buy it.
  • shifty4shifty4 Member Posts: 53
    njgirl, I have a 97 Olds Silhouette. It is the only vehicle I have ever owned which didn't have a single visit to the dealer for warranty work during the 3 year warranty period. The only problem I have experienced is a headlight lens falling off which required replacement of the entire headlight unit at >$200. Yes, this is a problem with these vans. Review this board for further details.
  • mizeumlmizeuml Member Posts: 50
    I just purchased a 2002 Montana and am planning to get an extended warranty for it. Has anyone had any experience with Warranty Gold? I am either going with them or the GMPP. The 5yr/100k mi Warranty Gold policy is going to run me $1100 and the same policy through GM runs $1890. I talked with the service department at the dealer and they had no complaints with Warranty Gold.

    Any comments would be appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Matt
  • centarforcentarfor Member Posts: 22
    I have an 8 seater. I don't really like the seats, they are way too small and close to the ground.
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    Well, regarding the accuracy of the computer's fuel MPG system. Ours was just below 1/4 tank and wife took it to drive. The "range" setting indicated 180miles left on the tank. She said after about maybe at the most 40 miles of city/freeway driving the gas light came on, and then the fuel gage dropped while she was looking at it followed shortly thereafter by the engine konking out on the freeway! The computer estimated range also dropped like a brick in about 2miles from 80miles on down. I'm not sure what it ended at. What happened? Well, we have hot weather here in Texas and when she ran in to the grocery store to get milk I idled the van with AC running to keep my infant kid from overheating. I did this a couple of other times recently although I hate to waste the fuel it seemed necessary. I think this idling screwed up the "range" estimate. Either that or the fuel level sender stuck and then all of a sudden dropped to show the actual fuel level.

    I have also compared the TC MPG to my manual method and came back with the computer giving consistantly .7 higher. If it was a "amount of fuel to fill" error, eventually if you did it constantly they would cancel themselves out, right? Overall its a neat feature.

    Wife was near work and she called the motorpool guys she knows and they came with gas for her. I was hoping the towtruck idiots wouldn't take advantage of her perdicament.

    I reminded her to use the fuel gauge, not the "range" - as that is an estimate! And I'm the one who usually is pushing the envelope on running out of fuel! We're tanking up a bit more conservatively now :~)

    ps. I have a '98 Olds and I think they are great vehicles. It has been hardest to convince my friends I've not lost my mind buying one instead of some SUV, but I don't care what they think really.
  • mizeumlmizeuml Member Posts: 50
    Well we just our '99 Montana in for another one. We liked our '99, but it had several problems fixed over the 3 yrs we owned it. It was in great shape when we traded it and still had about 26K mi left on the extended warranty. I was not too crazy about getting rid of it, but with the rebates right now and the GM Supplier Discount that I get, we could not resist since the dealer gave us what we were asking for on the trade in. I got $500 more than what this web site showed I should get for the trade in value. With the GM Supplier Discount, there is no hassling to get the price, the price is already set and ran about $460 under invoice plus we didn't have to pay the $250 doc fee and there was an additional $250 supplier rebate. We got the $3000 rebate and the $500 bonus cash so total rebates were $3750 which comes off the supplier price. We used our GM Card earnings and my credit union was running 5.1% interest. We got into the '02 for the same payments as the '99 only we picked up 3 more yrs on the loan. The '02 has much more features than our '99 which was fully loaded for that year. The new van has the Montana Vision with the DVD player which the 4yr and 6yr old just love. Plus it makes for a quieter trip to town with less fighting. The On Star is nice, but don't look forward to the cost to renew. The built in garage door opener is pretty cool and has better range than our old opener setting inside the compartment the '99 offered. Now we have the power doors on both sides which means no more slamming the driver's side door into the driver's door. The RH side middle captain seat had a couple holes and scuffs on the upper portion so the dealer is ordering a new seat cover.

    GM did take a few features away though like the third row 50/50 seat does not slide anymore. The middle captain seats are harder to climb around when getting into the back seat. The cup holders were moved to the dash and now block access to the switches and spillage may cause damage. The radio antenna on the front fender stinks. The grill on the new van is cheaper than the old van.

    Overall we are pretty happy with the new van and the "new smell" is nice while it lasts. I hope the reliability is better on this van and our old one was just a lemon. I did buy the 5yr/100k mi warranty through Warranty Gold yesterday just incase we experience some of the same problems like the intake manifold gasket leak.

    We looked at other GM vehicles, but the Bonneville is too small with 2 kids and 3 dogs. The Tahoes are smaller on the inside than the Montanas and much more expensive to buy and keep fuel in them. And the Suburbans our way too expensive.

    The MSRP sure went up from '99 to '02. The $3000 rebate helped bring the price back in line. We looked for the Oldsmobile Sil. but you can't find them around here.

    The DVD in the van is our first DVD player and all the kids movies are on VCR tapes. Has anyone tried buying a power converter and using a standard 110V VCR with the A/V jacks in the van? If so, what wattage power converter did you use?

    Thanks,
    Matt
  • cocoasmomcocoasmom Member Posts: 2
    We just recently purchased a 2001 Montana with only 16000 mi. It doesn't have alot of bells and whistles but does have one power door and the rear heat/air. We've had it about two months and have had it in once already. The dealer fixed something that made the ses light flash on intermittently but hasn't fixed the problem we're having with some hard forward jerking that occurs when going from a stop, and loss of power going up hills. Of course these things are always inermittant so I suppose will be hard to nail down. I have an appointment to have the transmission looked at tomorrow. Anyone have any ideas to help me get to the bottom of this. Thanks in advance.
    Also has anyone ever had a problem with the automatic lights not coming on? This has happened a couple of times to me. One time all the dash lights went off including the clock/radio while the headlights were on.Just another mystery- any clues?
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    re: message

    you should be concerned about your purchase in my opinion. If you have a 90 day return policy or lemon law in your state, I'd return it unless they offer some dang good warrenty on that vehicle. Not only do you probably have transmission trouble, but it sounds like there are eletronic issues as well. The eletronic control system is quite complicated and although most of it handled by a computer, trying to figure out what sensor or switch is bad could take a typical tech quite a while.

    I hope I'm wrong, but I'd hound the dealer to fix this stuff and no charge you a dime. They sold you a vehicle with troubles and they need to fix it.

    I don't know about loss of power but check fuel quality, air filter, knock sensor, vacuume leak, etc.

    The electronics - original equipment batteries are said to be junk and some dripped acid on the wiring harness just below the battery box. The service manual also will give techs a step by step diagnoisis of systems if they bother to follow it. The electric door section is about 30 pages in itself, with all the interlocks and whatnot.

    Good luck,

    DD
  • cocoasmomcocoasmom Member Posts: 2
    Well as I type they are rebuilding the transmission and are suppose to be done today. Thank heaven its still under original warranty. I'm not sure if I can return this vehicle as I purchased it from an auto broker and we signed some paper to that effect. I did purchase an exteded bumper to bumper 100,000 mi 7year warranty through Sam's Club for about $1400. I hope this will take care of any problems that will occur. If I continue to have many problems I may end up selling/ trading it in. I hope it doesn't come to that.
    On another note I had them rotate the tires and they said the brakes needed new pads and the drums or whatever turned. They offered to do this for 200 something. Not that I don't trust them but how often do brakes usually need to be done? I'm going to have a local brake place take a look. If it is true that they need replacing already (at 20,000 MI) Is there anything that could be causing this early wearing down on the brakes by a manufacturing defect? Just wondering.
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    Good to hear your van is under warrenty! $1200 isn't bad for a 100k warrenty. Sams...hmmm...I belong and didn't even know they did that.

    RE: brakes
    Well, hard to say if you really need brake work or not. If you take them at their word, its not unreasonable to wear that fast. The van is pretty heavy and with an automatic trans takes a lot of brakes to stop. My wheels get covered in brake dust fairly quickly from commuting in traffic - which shows you how fast its wearing the pads. It depends on the driver and where you are.

    Regarding if you actually need it or not, its hard to say. Some people will say anything below 1/2 way worn needs replacing, and that is the safer bet if you don't take the vehicle in for service regularly. But, since its typically only partially worn, its sort of a judgement call in some respects (unless they are actually measuring) and one way to look at is that its a good way to increase the cash-flow for the shop! Maybe they have a boat payment coming up at the end of the month? Turning the rotors is probably not really needed at 20k but you never know unless you look at it and all the techs are taught to turn them everytime. I seriously doubt your back brakes need anything, as they wear slower than the front. Much slower, I'd bet you get like 60k miles or more out of the back.

    You could have them measure how thick the remaining pad is on the worst one (they wear differently sometimes) and then ask for the parts when they finish the work to confirm. I do my own so I don't know about the cost but $200 seems a bit high for less than 1 hour of work, but not outrageous.

    Overall, people here are happy with their vans and the transmission has actually been a strong point over other makes with chronic tranny failures, so consider that and let us know how you fare in the future.

    DD
    98 Olds Silo GLS
  • redsox5redsox5 Member Posts: 22
    I have a 99 Silo experiencing the same cooling system problems as everyone else. I have to fill the coolant reservoir every 6 weeks or so, and even when it's full, the low coolant light will come on and off. Now, the temperature gauge is starting to act up when the coolant light is off, but as soon as the temperature gets too high, the low coolant light comes on and the temperature drops again. No visible leakage, so it's probably the intake gasket everyone is talking about. At 50,000 miles, I'm without a warranty. Is GM standing behind this or are we all stuck?
  • morris56morris56 Member Posts: 1
    I've had my Silo for three years and have numerous problems, started off with little stuff, seat splitting out, squeaks, etc. progressed to coolant leaks, blown head gasket and oil pump failure. The last 2 happened at 40,000. Olds basically told me tough luck it's over the 36,000 mile mark. Never owned anything except U.S. made vehicles, bikes, outboards etc, but after this piece of junk I'm done with at least GM. My friends told me to stay away from U.S. auto's before I bought this one, should have taken their advice. Car manufactures, all of them, want as much as one used to pay for a house, but won't back them up for at least the life of the lease or loan, bye bye GM, as soon as I can unload this thing, I'm going to learn how to speak Japanese or Korean.
  • bob550kbob550k Member Posts: 148
    My '99 Silo just turned 30,000 miles, it's been pretty much trouble free (except for a bad R/F window switch and a small tear in the rubber door seal on the power slider). The tires have never been rotated so I think I'll take it in and slap some new rubber on the front and have the original brakes checked.

    Really I'll probably toss the Generals and get 4 new michelins I think it'll ride and handle better.
  • kkollwitzkkollwitz Member Posts: 274
    Our 99 Venture just turned 50k...nothing has gone wrong. So far I have:
    Replaced tires and front pads; added just under 2 gallons of Dexcool/H2O to the cooling system; changed oil & filter every 4-5k miles.

    My wife's hoping for another 50k of trouble-free driving.
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    While anyone can get a lemon and breaking an oil pump is possible, it is very rare. I wonder what impurities and/or viscosity the oil was in the crankcase. Was the oil changed regularly? Was the engine abused? Over revved? Run w/o oil?

    Try a Toyota V6 like in the camery/highlander if you want to talk about engine sludge and engine rebuilds.

    I got my van used and while it does have the coolant problem, it has otherwise been very solid and is very reliable, comfortable, etc. If the Honda's are still overpriced when this one dies, I'd get another one.
  • jeberjeber Member Posts: 91
    Valuable info here! After much research, I've decided a venture is what I'm getting. Sil or montana are also possibilities, but only if i run into an awesome deal. Going with used, extended model, between 99 and 01, somewhere between 25 & 50000 miles...Don't need it right away, so hoping for the "deal of the century" to come along :)

    My findings, in a nutshell, on minivans:

    1. All the manufacturers have people who love 'em unconditionally, and people who say "I'll never buy another _______ product as long as I live!!!"

    2. Honda & Toyota are awesome vehicles, but extremely overpriced.

    3. Nissans (of which I'm a longtime fan) seem small.

    4. Fords & Chryslers seem to have more instances of major, high-dollar, strand-you-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-type problems.

    5. Venture seems to be a no-nonsense, functional vehicle without too much of the strange gadgets & silly, useless high-tech stuff. (Just saw on edmund's home page that lincoln navigator has power running boards........how ridiculous is THAT?!?!)

    With 3 small kids, my pathfinder is ok but getting cramped. Another year or so & it'll be way too small--a van will be ideal.

    The gas mileage on these seems to be around 20-ish (city/highway avg), is that right? (in past experience, epa mileage ratings are often way off base from "real world") 20 + is pretty good, if so. I've driven a couple & engine seems to have fairly decent power to get that kind of mpg. Engine/trans seem to have a decent reputation.

    Does anyone do their own oil changes? Can you do one on this van quick & clean, or, like so many cars built the last 10 years or so, is it a big messy headache, where the filter is accessible only to those who are contortionists with little bitty hands? How bout air & fuel filters? Plugs & plug wires? (I've had cars where this kind of routine maint. could be completed in about an hour's time--and cars where it was pretty much an all day project!) Just curious, in popping the venture's hood, it honestly looks a little daunting. I like to do my own routine maint., not only because I'm cheap, but because of a few instances of incredible incompetence I've encountered with auto repair "professionals" over the years!

    Lastly, what's this "coolant loss problem" being described? That's a little scary. Where's the coolant going, & what do you do to fix it?

    I hope to get my van in the next couple months (or maybe tomorrow, who knows...) & keep up with this edmunds discussion. Hopefully I can provide some occasional insights, or if not, I can at least keep everybody really confused!

    sorry for the long post!

    Thanks, jeb
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Welcome to Town Hall. Guess you're going to get the back of your pants legs dirty if you don't spring for those powered running boards, lol.

    The owners will be along shortly to give you their responses - I seem to recall that the triplets get even better mpg than that.

    Steve
    Host
    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • ems1ems1 Member Posts: 48
    Jeber,

    Have a 98 Venture with nearly 50,000 miles. I have no major problems except piston slap at 25k. That was repaired under warrantee. Front brakes lasted about 25k, rear should be good for about 75k. Driven mostly in city traffic and get about 19.6 mpg. It gets near 30 on highway. Interior holding up very well. No rattles. Do my own oil changes every 3000. It is no problem with the right oil filter wrench. Spark plugs are supposed to be good for 100k but are nearly impossible to get at back 4. Not worried about replacing them at the moment.
    No complaints about the performance.
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    I agree with your assessment of vans although the GM ones can have just as many bells and whistles. Can't remember if all 99's have dual doors but that's worth extra money, trust me. I have a '98 olds GLS, dual doors, leveling (neat feature), with full leather and nearly all options, but it was not flawless but neighbors still asked if it was new. I'm very satisfied for my $11K investment (six months ago). I'd look for a loaded one if you take long trips or drive a lot like we do here in Texas.

    I doubt the cooling seepage problem can't be fixed with a new gasket and some RTV, but I'm holding out until it gets worse, I just stick a gallon of h20 in the back just in case. Other vans have worse problems.

    Decide if you want 4 capt chairs or bench. chairs like I have are nice and make it easy to get to the back 3rd row, and you probably won't load 3 abreast in the middle often.

    I also got the extended. if you're going to drive a van, what's the use of having a shorter one? they drive about the same.

    I get 22-23+mpg and I commute in heavy traffic in it running the AC. Get REAR AC if you even think you have hot weather and might carry people in the back, otherwise they will suffer.

    I would not say toyota is awesum, its expensive and has its shortcomings, including less room, terrible soft handling and a motor that sludges up. I like the way Olds tuned the van, try one. Major difference between that and the pontiac I drove, but the tires were also different and that makes a big difference.

    Oil changes are easy, but the filter is above a metal engine cradle frame brace - however its not very hard to deal with and you can get your arm in there and the filter out no problem. putting a new belt on took all of 5 min. air filter box is not super easy but once you look at its design and make sure the lower tabs are engaged you'll be fine. Other stuff, like the alternator, will involve removing more stuff and possibly tipping the motor forward. All minivans are not easy to service, as you noticed, but the 3.4 is a compact motor thanks ot the much-malighned pushrod design.

    I doubt you'll need plug wires on it for quite a while, they have coil packs so wires are short and ignition is a no-brainer. Some poeple up north have had some corrosion on the wire contacts at the coil, but just clean it up.

    oh yea, some GM batteries were utter junk and leaked acid all over the place. Try to look at the wiring harness below the battery and see if its been patched. the acid on a few ate the wiring harness and repairs had to be made, and some people have electrical problems stemming from inadequate repairs of that problem. and the electrical systems on these is very complex compared to my '95 dodge. you don't want to get electrical problems if you can help it.

    some like mine had alternators replaced before I got it at 60k

    Good luck -
  • mvanmanmvanman Member Posts: 3
    Hi fellow GM MV owners.

    Bought our WB Venture in late April 2001, now it has about 10,500 miles as it's weekend and daytrip use only, plus it's our 3rd vehicle. No problems so far, on trips to BC Canada on I-5 while setting the cruise to 63 MPH, I've avgeraged about 28 MPG. My 1st choice when looking was the Olds because it looked the sharpest, but it didn't offer seating for 8 nor integrated child seats. A few questions here if anyone has the answers:

    1. How do you access the neg. terminal on the battery in case I want to jump start?

    2. When it's time to replace the orig. Firestone FR 680 tires, what should I use? From what I've read, it seems they aren't ideal though I have no complaints.

    3. Saw this in an old msg. from someone else but never answered. Any ideas to hook up a tv tuner to the VCP/video monitor? Any pocket tv's out there that will work?

    Thanks,
    MV man
    Seattle, WA
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    1. Cars have negative ground, so connect the neg to frame bracket or the engine of the car, and make that connection last. car batteries use lead/acid and that makes hydrogen gas, and some of it can collect around the battery ever so slightly and there have been cases of the spark of the jumpers causing the hydrogen to ignight and battery to explode.

    2. I got mine used with sears michelins on it and am very impressed with handling and wear, but they are probably about one of the most expensive tires you can put on it.

    3.?

    DD
  • mizeumlmizeuml Member Posts: 50
    I recently traded our '99 Montana for a '02 Montana. My experience with the '99 Montana was not the best since we had several problems, but I'm hoping the '02 we'll have better luck.

    Experience with '99 Montana:
    1. General tires worn out around 53000 miles. Replaced them with Futura's from Pep Boys. They are made by Cooper, 80k mi tire, $280 for the set installed. I went to a 225-70-R15. The van rode much better with the larger tire. I almost asked the dealer to swap tires when I bought the '02

    2. Front brake pads wore out around 65000 mi. Rear pads still had several miles to go. Also had xmsn oil & filter changed at same time.

    3. Replaced plug wires at around 68000 mi. because two of them were rusted bad at the coil end of the wires. We live in NC, don't know why they rusted, but engine was steam cleaned around 25000 mi. after a repair. I put the front tires on a set of ramps and was barely able to reach the back 3 plug wires. Had to reach along exhaust pipe coming from manifold. Long skinny arms were a plus.

    4. Had intake manifold gasket replaced around 65000 mi. Noticed it running down side of block around 24000 mi. Extended warranty covered it.

    5. Gas mileage was great, usually got around 25 mpg. Large tank was nice, could drive from NC to Jacksonville, FL on one tank.

    6. Leather interior with captain seats great for messy 4 yr & 6 yr old. Easy to clean up. The '02 has same seating, but also has Montana Vision. Trips to town have never been so quiet!

    7. 3.4L engine powerful and responsive. Much better than the '02 Grand Caravan rental that the dealer gave me when our '99 was in the shop. The visibility out of the Grand Caravan was horrible also. But the Grand Caravan was very quiet inside, tough to tell if the engine was running.

    8. Air pump in back also nice feature, handy for pumping up tires. Also used it to pump up spare tire as they tend to be flat when you need them.

    9. Trade in for '99 was not too good. Had the van for 3 yrs and it had 74000 mi. It was fully loaded and I managed to get the dealer up from $11000 to $12500. They are trying to sell it for $14000.

    10. The '02 has power doors on both sides and it is great. No more slamming the middle door on the drivers side into the drivers door.

    11. The built in garage door opener on the '02 has much better range than the '99 that used our opener inside the compartment.

    I did purchase another 100,000 mi extended warranty knowing the problems that could happen and the cost to fix them. Also with all the electronics on the vehicles now days, there is more to go wrong.

    Happy trails!
  • letsgetmikeyletsgetmikey Member Posts: 82
    I noticed that the power door locks on my '01 Silhouette are no longer locking or unlocking the rear liftgate.

    Found that out when I opened it when the other doors were locked and it set off the alarm.

    I locked and unlocked it repeatedly with no effect on the liftgate lock. Any ideas?

    Mikey
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Congrats on the new van! Sounds like you got better life out of your OEM tires and brake pads than I have on my Quest. You could check your resale value against the True Market Value, but few cars hold their value worth a hoot (maybe the Odyssey....). Enjoy the ride.

    Steve
    Host
    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • jpnmassjpnmass Member Posts: 45
    Got our 2002 Silo in May and have about 1600 miles on so far. Only problem off the bat was the steering wheel radio controls. They didn't work at all. Dealer had to order an entirely new head unit. Works fine now.

    What concerns me is that my gas mileage is terrible (in my opinion). Sticker said 19/26. If I do all highway at between 55-75, the best I get is 23. All local, stop and go, I get 15. My average right now is about 18 (DIC indicates 18.7).

    Is it normal to get this low mileage in the early days of ownership? Use the AC a decent amount, but really just recently.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Could be something wrong, but more likely justs needs to break in more, imo. My mpg kept increasing even past 10,000 miles. Wouldn't hurt to double-check what the computer says by keeping track of a couple of tanks the "old fashioned" way too.

    Slow around here on the holiday! Everyone else, feel free to jump im :-)

    Steve
    Host
    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • mvanmanmvanman Member Posts: 3
    But I 'm still a little confused with regards to my no. 1 question as the Venture is the first vehicle I've ever seen where the neg. terminal on the battery is practically not accessible, but since it has the balance of the 3yr./36K road service nothing to worry about till April of 2004.
    I know you're not supposed to, but in the past with other vehicles for jump starting, I've had to connect - to - and + to +, otherwise following the instructions never worked for me.

    As to mpg efficiency I believe the max. curve for efficiency is around 55-60 mph anything below or above that affects it tremendously. Using the CC also helps. Stop and go city driving is always a big drop-off.
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    FYI, if you go to replace the battery, you have to do some work and get a special tool. Off the top of my head:

    unsnap the fusebox from the fender support brace. Pull aside. Unbolt and remove the fender brace. Use side terminal special wrench to remove battery wires. remove battery.

    gas milage - You may have a bad thermostat "stuck open" keeping the engine cool and in "warmup" mode and burning a lot more gas. Or the temp sender could be bad, doing the same thing. You can have that checked.

    Also, try easing into the throttle from stops, don't "stab" it.

    DD
  • autolover3autolover3 Member Posts: 53
    Anyone know if the Pontiac Montana vision and the Chevy Warner Bros video screens are the same (ie. size, quality, etc). I was looking at a pic from this site of the Montana version, and the screen looked bigger. It is hard to go by pics, so I thought I would ask the group. Thanks in advance.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    The screen size was increased for 2002 with the switch to DVD. All GMs should use the same size. May be an older picture of the Chevy.
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