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Oldsmobile Silhouette

145791026

Comments

  • deuce56deuce56 Member Posts: 46
    We're 3 days away from our 1st big trip w/ our '01 Silo Premier. Round trip will be in the neighborhood of 1500 miles. The VCP has been replaced (actually the module to the screen?) and I just changed the oil at 1750 miles. (I know that some recommend even earlier on a new engine.) I can't wait to test it on the PA turnpike with mountains and curves. I will report back on the comfort level of 6 occupants including 4 adults. We will have to use a cartop carrier for the golf clubs and a few other things. Happy motoring!
  • missedbassmissedbass Member Posts: 48
    anybody have a problem with water under the drivers side floor mat and if you did, where was the leak?
  • thelauriasthelaurias Member Posts: 1
    I bought my Premier in August of 1999 and don't have too much confidence in it. I definately like the entertainment center! That has more than paid for itself with our long trips. And it drives very much like a car. Other than that, given it is a fairly new car, I've had some major problems with it that just won't go away. 4 months after we bought it, I started hearing an intermittent, rhythmic noise coming from the back passenger wheel. It was associated with braking. To make a long story short, after 5 trips to the dealer (where they just said, 1) can't hear it, 2) adjusted brakes, 3) adjusted brakes, 4) new brakes and finally after 10 months), they narrowed it down to a bad wheel hub bearing. The noise went away for 2 months and I am now hearing the noise again (same wheel). Then at 26K miles my power steering started going and there was a 'known problem' - and now I have a new steering rack. Again, that problem is starting to come back and the message from the dealer is - once the rack is replaced, no one has that problem again. I guess I'm just the lucky one! Has anyone else seen these problems?
  • dhintzddhintzd Member Posts: 12
    We traded a 99 Silo GL for our current 01 GLS. We also had steering problems develop overnight with the 99, right around 21k miles if I remember correctly. We also ended up having a new rack installed. We traded our 99 due to little things starting to go wrong...such as the horn honking when I turned on/off the flashers. Can't say that we had wheel problem though. At 12k miles we had to have our wiper motor replaced. In a driving rainstorm, the wipers "t-boned" each other, striping the gears in the motor. So far we have been extremely happy with the '01, cept for the am/fm problems that showed up right after we bought it(reference my earlier postings). They finally have that figured out, but it has to go in for cosmetic problems that were created from the radio problem.
  • martytmartyt Member Posts: 1
    2000 Silhouette
    Yes I've had the same rear boot water leak. Also have moisture around VIN number when it rains-dealer still can't find that leak. The body seams between the firewall and passanger compartmet had leaked for some time. Had sever mold and rust problems even the VCR went out as result. The entire interior (dash, trim ect.)were gutted in the van to attempt to fix problem. Fenders were removed as well. It took them more than a week to gut and reassemble. Trying to get a new van out of the deal but hit nothing but brick walls.

    I would be intrested of hearing about similar problems in the Sil, Vent, Mont.
  • aaabatteriesaaabatteries Member Posts: 1
    About 1 week ago our '01 Silo started with this noise. There are 2 posts that I can find revering to this in this board, but no answers. The van has been brought in for service, and of course, the dealer says they can't find anything wrong. The problem will only occur at a stop and it will continue to make this noise for anywhere from 15 seconds to a minute. I doesn't sound like the compressor. I have been on the outside of the van when this is happening and it seems to be coming from the front of the van. If anyone has had this problem and found a resolution, please let me know.
  • dlubindlubin Member Posts: 66
    Just about to pick up our new 'family truckster' - a 2001 Montana with Montanavision, and was wondering if you can add a TV tuner to the system. Also, what have you used to play DVD's? Is there a player that can be mounted under and wired into the VCP?

    -Dan
  • tag9tag9 Member Posts: 39
    Don't have any information concerning mounting and wiring. However, you can do a search on Yahoo for players. For example, "dvd players for cars" will turn up a bunch, ranging from around $299 to well over a grand in price.
  • yzfyzf Member Posts: 65
    Just got my new '01 Silhouette Premiere. Seems pretty nifty with dual power sliding doors, tow package and gold trim. Couple of things I've noticed though. (1) the steering wheel seems skewed to the right a touch - is this normal? Also, (2) the rear bumper molding on the driver's side doesn't seem to be bolted down. The shape of the rear bumper as it wraps around to the side seems to be the only thing keeping it in place. As a result, I can pull the side of the rear bumper away from the rear quarter panel. Is this normal? The other side seems firmly mounted. Any help from fellow Silhouette owners MUCH appreciated.

    JC
  • wupingwuping Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone had any problems with oil consumption?

    I am currently forced to do an oil consumption test since I change my own oil and the dealer has no documentation. There is just over 37,000 miles on it. My wife was driving and a light came on. She thought it was the low coolant indicator and drove it immediately to the dealer(roughly 35,500 miles). The service advisor also thought it was the coolant light. Checking the coolant and finding adequate level a tech looked and the problem and said it was the oil light. ( glad the service advisor does not work on cars any more).

    They dumped 2 quarts in and told her to keep an eye on the oil level. The oil had only been changed only 1500 miles prior to this happening. I had to bring the van in a few weeks later after the light came on again.

    Currently the car has about 800 miles on the test and shows a little more than 1/2 quart low. I found no evidence of oil in the coolant and no leaks. Olds says that "normal" consumption should be no more than 1 qt per 2000 miles. This is per their service bulletin. That's insane! My Buick Skyhawk with 150,000 miles on it didn't burn that much.
  • mark2001mark2001 Member Posts: 1
    I have 500 miles on my 2001 Silhouette GLS and I find the suspension is very soft and bounces vertically too much on bumps, and sways laterally too much on turns. The ride on the highway is nice, but overall it is far too soft for city driving. Are there dealer adjustments that can tighten the suspension, or do I have to start replacing shocks, springs etc? This van has the load levelling rear suspension and the trailer towing package.

    Has anyone used after-market shocks, springs or suspension dampening components to tighten up the ride? Would tires with a firmer sidewall improve the ride? Brand names and model numbers of these components would be appreciated.

    Thank you.
  • guodguod Member Posts: 10
    Anyone know for sure if you can delete the leather on the GLS. Carsdirect is the only site that has this listed as an option.
    Thanks
  • q124q124 Member Posts: 3
    "missedbass"

    I posted about a month ago with the same question to the board. I brought my 2001 in for inspection and repair and they supposedly found leaks about the fender (front, driver side) and the windshield (by the vin number). I removed the flooring prior to this 4 day "visit" and there was puddled water about the rubber and sponge insulation/flooring including rust about the middle console support. I'm bringing it in again for another look and will fill you in next week. I bought the van in December; maybe when it was built a body seam was not formed/folded or welded correctly. Let us know if you have (had) any luck finding the origin of your leak.

    Q1234
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    I couldn't find your earlier post, so not sure if this may be silmular to your water leak. On the 2001 Vans & SRVs, if water is found on the passenger floor (not sure if it can work its way to diver's side), it could be caused by a plugged evaporator case drain or a leaking evaporator case drain to cowl seal area. This is new information, so your dealer may not have known to look in these areas last month. My friend who I share Patriots season tickets with got his Montana in Novemer I think, and just had it looked at now that school is over last week.
  • q124q124 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the quick response. I mentioned that scenario (AC unit) and he checked, no leak though. I'll provide him your info to check again and retain for others. Prior to bringing it in I noticed quite alot of mud and debris from the emergency cable to the console. I had the dealer install mud flaps all around. Have you heard of any door seal defects? Found a puddle underneath the door threshold (driver side, plastic molding) there after the Memorial Day rains. It didn't seem to wick to the console area where it's still wet... again. Two leaks now! Will inform later this week. Go J.E.T.S JETS.. JETS
  • bigmcbigmc Member Posts: 1
    How can I determine how much of a discount would be fair for a 2001 GLS that has 5,200 miles? My local dealer has two vans with the same options but different colors. One has 50 miles and the other has 5,200 miles. He wanted the same amount of money for both vans. I think he is crazy. Naturally, we prefer the color of the one with the most miles, but we don't intend to pay what he is asking. Can anyone give me some guidance on how to figure how much of a discount I should get?
  • offhamoffham Member Posts: 344
    Re above and dealer who wants same price for the two vans with differing mileages.

    Somewhere, there is a article as to what consitutes a new van in terms of mileage on the clock such as 250. This van must have be used as an employee demo and your warranty miles are reduced to 31800.

    I should determine how these miles were accumulated and also ask that if he wants new van pricing he should put in writing that he will cover the warranty until 41200 miles.

    Worth checking around Edmunds site to see if you can find anything
  • bigfigbigfig Member Posts: 35
    Recently the temperature has been showing about 20 degrees lower than actual temperature outside on my 2000 GLS. Have re calibrated to proper zone according to owners manual, but still not showing correct temperature. I have about 16000 miles on my GLS which was purchased March,2000. Have not had the chance to take it back to dealer as of yet and was wondering if anyone else has had this problem.
  • jackjtjackjt Member Posts: 178
    I had a brief problem with outside temp. reading about 2 months ago when I went from about 60 degree weather into the hi 90's all with in a matter of let's say 2 hours..... The sensor was reading about 75 when the outside temp was closer to 94. However, after the Silo sat overnight and I started it up in the AM, no problem. I have not experienced it again. Though my compass has had to be reset once in the last 10,000 miles.

    Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
  • missedbassmissedbass Member Posts: 48
    the temperature reading on my '98 GLS also sometimes is 20 degrees lower. I don't know what causes the false reading. the sensor is by the bottom of the radiator on the drivers side. the connection is good. maybe washing the car or getting water on the sensor throws it off.
  • bigfigbigfig Member Posts: 35
    Thanks for the info. My temperature on the overhead started malfunctioning shortly after Tropical Storm Allison here in the New Orleans area and perhaps the wind and rain knocked it out of balance. Will take vehicle to dealer and see want they say. Again thanks for you input.
  • hardestyhardesty Member Posts: 166
    In CA, a car is new until it is first titled (a strictly demo is still new), but CA law says that the warranty date and miles begin on the date first sold, so a demo would come with full warranty. I would start bargaining at the fed $0.33 milage rate or the lease added mileage rate for figuring price reduction on a demo (providing that the new car warranty starts when you buy it), but no price reduction is out of the question.
  • 6shootr6shootr Member Posts: 1
    Last night I picked up our new van, a '01 Silo Premier. We traded in a '99 Astro conversion and I can say that the Olds has the Astro beat in every department hands down! Whether it be the three sets of leather captains chairs, the video system (very impressive), the chrome trim (wheels included) or the 30 mpg we got on the way home, this van can't be beat. If we don't have any problems with it, this van should be in our family for a very long time.
  • salesrepmnsalesrepmn Member Posts: 6
    Had an interesting problem come up on my 01 GLS.
    At 1500 miles I took it to the dealer to check the alignment. They said it was off and adjusted it. At 3500 miles I noticed the tires starting to get uneven tread wear. Back to the dealer and they checked it again and found that the alignment was off again. (toe & camber) Reset again. They said that the alignment rack was misadjusted. At 5000 I took it to another Old's dealer and they found the alignment was off (toe & camber). They reset it. At 7500 miles I went back to the first dealer and complained that they had caused my tires to wear uneven and they replaced the entire set with new tires.

    Throughout this ordeal the factory service people at Old's were not much help. They claim warranties don't cover workmanship problems caused by the dealer and wouldn't even try and help me out as a negotiator.

    Other than that I have not had the water leaks everyone else seems to be having. But do get a fair amount of road/wind noise along with cheap plastic type rattles coming from the rear part of the van.

    By the way I drove the Honda van before buying the Old's and it had more road/wind noise. Plus the dealer had stuck $5k worth of junk on the van as dealer added extras. This is over the sticker price which they would not budge on.

    So far so good with the overall value of the Olds. Trade in value in 2 years may be a different story.
  • jbennett34jbennett34 Member Posts: 7
    2000 Silhouette. Anyone had this problem? The clear plastic lens that covers the instrument panel keeps cracking. Broke in four places now. Been replace twice. First time I thought someone at a car wash braced themselves on it causing it to break. Second time just last week - knowone touched it. We are not hard on vehicles or drive on bumpy roads.
  • jbennett34jbennett34 Member Posts: 7
    2000 Silhouette. You may want to check for water in the jack storage area the next time you drive in wet weather. Open the jack cover and check down in the area just to the left of the jack. When I drive in the ran about 1/2 gallon of water builds up and leaks out in my garage over a 3 day period. It is at the garage as I write this to have it sealed up. I have also seen other posts about this problem as well.
  • haroldommertharoldommert Member Posts: 3
    We've had ours for about 3 months now and really love it. In response to "plastic type rattles" coming from the rear, I noticed something like that the first trip we drove on, and it was simply repaired by tightening up a couple of loose screws on an area right above the mud flaps. Dealer handled it without a problem. Other then that, it has been very trouble-free for us. The transmission seems to shift effortlessly, and the gas mileage seems to be very good although I haven't officially checked exact mileage yet. My father in law has an Odyssey and he also stated the wind noise on his is much more than in the Silo.
  • jackjtjackjt Member Posts: 178
    If that rear rattle gets too bad, it could very well be the set of rear speakers inside of the rear hatch door. The speakers are not well attached, only clips are used to hold them in place. They are loose and do rattle. I had the problem and fixed it by screwing the speakers down.
  • missedbassmissedbass Member Posts: 48
    when you screwed down the speakers, how easy was it to remove the rear panel and did you have to replace the panel clips. I want to remove the panel to check out a rattle but I want the panel to go back on tight. if it is a big deal to do, I'll live with the rattle.
  • jackjtjackjt Member Posts: 178
    my son took the rear panel off and fixed the speakers. He didn't seem to have a problem and the panel still fits fine!
  • salesrepmnsalesrepmn Member Posts: 6
    Just returned from a 1500 mile road trip in my 01 Silo GLS. First time for a long trip. I averaged 25 MPG according to the overhead display driving at 70+MPH. Not to bad.
    But I have to spend some serios time checking for the rattles and stuff coming from the rear area. Drives me nuts!!
    I am checking out the speakers and side panels. The rear bumper seems to be OK. But I did find the front bumper screws were loose and had provided some irritating noises.
  • dhintzddhintzd Member Posts: 12
    When we had our 99 Silo, we also developed a nasty rear rattle. Took it to the service body shop, and they discovered that part of the clip, or screw, or whatever, that was holding the rear wiper motor in place had worked loose. They tightened everything up and didn't have another rattle. In our 01 Silo, so far everything has been quiet with no water leaks.
  • salesrepmnsalesrepmn Member Posts: 6
    I was at the dealer today for some routine maint and I was talking to the salesguy. He said that Old's will not be stopping at 2001 for production on van's. In fact the 2002 should be available in an AWD version. This new AWD version was also mentioned in an auto review magazine I was surfing at the book store last week.
    He said that Old's sales are stronger than ever.
    Maybe GM over reacted by creating it's demise?
  • mrushingmrushing Member Posts: 5
    My wife's driving our new Silo (2100 miles). She says there's an annoying rattle in the back. Today she thinks she figured out that it's the rear windows; rattle was there with the windows closed and stopped when she opened them. For what it's worth...
  • yzfyzf Member Posts: 65
    Have a new 2001 Olds Silo. Great van - very pleased! One thing I'd like to add is a top bumper step. I noticed that a lot of other minivans have rubber pads on top of the rear bumper (i.e., DC, Toyota) and that older GM's did. Anyone know where to get one that will fit the 2001 bumper? Tried the GM dealers and they claim nothing out there - even prior MY's.
  • salesrepsalesrep Member Posts: 17
    Try some of the auto accessory catalogs like JC Whitney. I think they have a web site.

    I know what you mean. If you stand on the bumper it will scratch. A nice pice of ribbed rubber would stop that and also give some "traction" when standing on the bumper.
  • letsgetmikeyletsgetmikey Member Posts: 82
    My 01 Silo had an annoying squeak when driving over rough pavement. Traced it to the window rubbing against the weather strip on the drivers side sliding door. I opened the window and sprayed some silicone lubricant on the rubber all the way around the window, and haven't heard the squeak in over four months.

    Mikey
  • hardestyhardesty Member Posts: 166
    Well, I just got back from the dealer. We ordered a 2002 Silhouette Premiere AWD. The dealer says that it should be here in 3 or 4 weeks. Here is the breakdown:

    Item...............MSRP.....Invoice....GMO(my price)
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    Base ......... 35450.00 .. 32082.25 .. 30487.00
    Options ........ 675.00 .... 580.50 .... 560.25
    Destination .... 655.00 .... 655.00 .... 655.00
    Advertising ...... 0.00 .... 361.25 ...... 0.00
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total ....... $36780.00 . $33679.00 . $31702.25

    Plus, we get to use one of our $1500 Oldsmobile loyalty coupons and get the 5 year warranty (we normally drive about 10,000 miles a year).

    Options List (we got literally everything)

    YF5 - California emmisions
    ABG - 6 passenger seating (all captains chairs)
    UC6 - 6 CD in-dash changer
    V92 - towing package
    Y11 - gold package
    VK3 - front license plate bracket
    K05 - engine block heater

    Indigo Blue exterior with Mocha Two-Tone leather interior
  • missedbassmissedbass Member Posts: 48
    check the fit of the rear quarter window to the body of the van. if the glass is too close to the body it will touch when you are driving. Had that problem on mine. the dealer made the adjustment. end of rattle.
  • missedbassmissedbass Member Posts: 48
    bigfig, what did the dealer say about the problem with the temperature not being accurate.
  • jeff002jeff002 Member Posts: 3
    Did you see where any 2002 Silhouette pictures are ?? I can`t find them on any web sites.
  • harris5kharris5k Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2000 Silhouette GL with 15,500 miles and absolutely love it. I have had only the typical small problems( pull down strap on hatch and passenger seat cupholder) that were covered under warranty.. Now I have been noticing a pronounced wind noise around the driver's side door edge and windshield. It is noticeable even in light breezes, but is more pronounced with a strong crosswind. The door was made to close tighter, but the problem persists. This isn't the black cowl at the base of the windshield. I'm sure it's around the door or mirror.(Happens on passenger side too). If anyone has had this problem and has a solution, please post a message.
  • jackjtjackjt Member Posts: 178
    You may need new seals around the doors. Have the dealer check all the rubber seal around all doors. I had a similar problem thought it was the cowl---wasn't. Was the seal area..
  • dolan2dolan2 Member Posts: 1
    Either I am going crazy, or the horn on my '01 Premier is honking for no reason. It has happened 4 or 5 times when I am just driving along. I am positive I am not squeezing the steering wheel and just inadvertently honking it. Has anyone else experienced this?
  • salesrepmnsalesrepmn Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2001 GLS w/10K miles and I have noticed lately that when I make a hard right or left turn that the steering doesn't want to center itself back to normal. As a result the van will want to pull to the right or left for a mile or so. Then it is OK. Dealer says that it sounds like a steering rack.

    Has anyone had a similar experience with their Silo?

    Thanks
  • judypazjudypaz Member Posts: 1
    My 99 Premier's horn honked every time I hit a bump in warm weather. Even without hitting any bumps it was ultra sensitive and went off if you just brushed by it - I just took it to the dealer today and had the "horn pad" replaced. It was covered under the warranty - the dealer was aware of the problem.
  • yzfyzf Member Posts: 65
    salesrepmn:

    I didn't have your exact problem with my 2001 Olds Silo Premiere, but when I picked it up from the dealer, I did notice the steering wheel was cocked slightly to the right even when the vehicle was tracking straight. I had the dealer realign the steering wheel. Now it seems fine.
  • bigfigbigfig Member Posts: 35
    Missedbass, just saw your request about the sensor. Brought to dealer and they changed the sensor. So far no problems.This vehicle is mostly driven by my wife and she hasn't complained that it hasn't been working. I spoke to service manager and he told me that a few vehicles have come in for this service. Resetting the overhead readings per owners manual are only for the compass.I will be driving the vehicle tomorrow and will try to check the reading. If any problems will advise. I keep all copies of the work orders that the dealer gives me and it states that vehicle was inspected by service manager to assure your concerns were addressed and corrected. The service advisor even called me at home about three days after the work was performed to see if everything was okay. I have gotten to know the service advisor and he seems to look out for me when I go for service. I only have about 17000 miles and have been there just about every 3500 miles to have oil changed. I know the owners manual says 7500 miles, but I feel $19.95 is pretty reasonable and like to keep the oil fresh since the vehicle is hardly driven that much.
  • dhintzddhintzd Member Posts: 12
    We had a 99 GL that developed the same problem, cept it was when we turned the flashers on or off. It was just one honk, not continuous. It was around the same time we noticed that when we moved the HVAC controls from defrost to vent, or something along that line, it made an awful groan from under the dash. With about 4000 miles left on factory warranty, we traded it in on an 01 GLS. So far we have had no problems 'cept with the radio reception when we first got it. Turned out that the onstar wiring was interferring with radio signals, and had to have new coax installed.
  • fschoefflerfschoeffler Member Posts: 7
    For those who are interested, I lost a remote and purchased another from the dealer. I successfully used the following instructions previously posted in another discussion to reprogram two remotes including an original and the new remote. The dealers will sometimes charge to perform this task. I believe this procedure is from the shop manual and can not be found in the owners manual.

    -----------------------------------------------------

    Once the remote control door lock receiver enters the programming/diagnostic mode, the programming of the first transmitter erases all previous transmitter programming information, requiring the programming of all transmitters.

    Program only 1 vehicle remote control door lock receiver at a time. If more than 1 receiver is being programmed at the same time, it is possible that the same transmitter could be programmed to more than 1 remote control door lock receiver.

    Perform the following steps in order to program the transmitter:
    · Remove the ignition key from the ignition lock cylinder.
    · Remove the BCM PRGRM fuse from the fuse panel. Refer to Fuse Block diagram.
    · Close all of the doors.
    · Close the liftgate.
    · Turn the ignition lock cylinder to ACC.
    · Turn the ignition lock cylinder to OFF, and then back to ACC within 1 second. Open and close any vehicle door. A chime will be heard when the system enters the BCM programming/diagnostic mode.

    Important
    After 7 seconds, a chime may be heard confirming successful synchronization. It is necessary to wait approximately 14 seconds for a second chime that will confirm successful programming.

    · Press and hold the transmitter LOCK and UNLOCK buttons simultaneously for 14 seconds.
    · Repeat the previous step on each additional transmitter to be programmed.
    · Remove the ignition key from the ignition lock cylinder.
    · Install the BCM PRGRM fuse back into the fuse panel. Refer to Fuse Block diagram.

    Important: Be careful and be sure which fuse you pull.
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