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Anybody having problems with the rear quarter windows not opening or with annoying squealing noises ??? one of mine don't open after squealing and the other squeals loudy (ie like it
need greasing) .. Is there a recall or service
recall for this ?
Please EMAIL me with answer: pbalich@netzero.net
I don't get time to read the replies here.
THANKS IN ADVANCE .. Looking forward to hearing
from you all in email. Thanks!!!!
Paul
Anyone have any info on the squealing window? I have to take the van in to get the intake manifold gasket replaced and plan to ask about the window while it is in.
Thanks,
Matt
So if you have had the stinky A/C fix done you might just hear a new noise the drivers compartment, from time to time.
All other fixes have been done, the vans running great, now just cross my fingers for the next 100K Kms or so.
I also had the power door latch replaced on the right side for the second time due to the recall. Cost GM about $100 each time for that screw up.
I had the intake manifold gasket replaced during the visit, just over $300. You might take a close look at each side of the engine block and inspect this gasket area. Mine started seaping about 21,000 miles and slowly got worse. I am at 65,000 miles and now the overflow bottle was losing about 1 inch every 4000 miles. This one is worth fixing while under warranty because it will get worse and could cost you $300-$400. I was a little disappointed with the clean-up job the dealer did after making a real mess changing the gasket. Their excuse is that the GMPP does not pay to clean-up. That is BS in my book and I may just have to try another car manufacturer when I decided to buy again. They would rather save a dollar than try to please the customer and try to win another sale. It is bad enough that I had to be inconvienced to go get the repair done in the first place. Had GM built the engine correctly the first time, it would not have been an issue.
This surprised me as I had gone through my van a bit after I got it and changed the belt, oil, filters, cleaned everything off, brakes, etc. The motor looked so perfect my neighbor thought the van was new. I noticed the coolant was spotlessly clean - but a bit low -- however I've never seen it leak any on the pavement.
Did you happen to see where it was leaking, around the part of the intake where the thermostat is, or down the side of the heads on the block?
You might have a check of things under the hood to make sure that guy replaced all the fasteners. I have seen some mech's not bother with "extras" that are too hard to get to. Not all guys are that messy, I had a guy in a dodge dealer who was slow but he did a neat job.
The dealer mentioned that 2 of my spark plug wires were rusted at the distributor. I checked this out today and will be replacing spark plug wires tomorrow. The engine had been running fine, but two of the post (#1 ) on the distributor were rusted and the wires did not snap on very tightly. Somehow moisture got in there or something. The dealer cleaned the engine at about 30,000 miles to try and find the oil leak that was seaping on the oil pan. I bet they did some kind of steam clean and got moisture in the connection. They wanted $140 to replace wires. I'll do it tomorrow for $30, but the back plugs are going to be tough to reach.
One other thing they mentioned was that I needed to change the fuel filter. Have you ever done this on your van? I located the filter, right in the center of the van and has clips on each side for the fuel lines. Are the lines under pressure? I wonder if I'll be taking a gas bath? Called around to find a replacement fuel filter and alot of places don't carry them. I did find that Advance Auto Parts can get them in 1 day and they cost $15. The van runs fine, don't know if it needs replaced or not? I don't know how often this item needs replaced.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I usually check this site every couple days. Its a good place to find out info about what to lookout for on these vans.
You also need to avoid storing the vehicle with old gas; don't get fuel from a station that is getting its tanks filled (that will stir up the dirt); keep your tank filled reduces condensation, that sort of thing.
The line is under pressure but the technique mentioned will work.
On the plus side, if you don't mind getting dirty messing with it, its cheap and peace of mind results. If you do it, cut yours open and tell us what you find!
DD
I got the plug wires changed. The ones on the back are very difficult to reach. I made some 7" tall ramps and drove the front tires on the ramps so I could easily crawl under the van. There is not much room to reach up along the exhaust pipe to get a hold of the plug wires. My wife did say the van was starting much better since I cleaned the rust off the distributor posts and put the new wires on. If anyone is having problems with the van not wanting to start quickly, pull the plug wires off the distributor cap and check for rust. Somehow moisture got to two of my posts on the distributor cap and they were pretty rusted along with the plug wires. I used sandpaper and steel wool to clean the rust off the posts and put new plug wires on.
How the engine is running ? Takes oil, shake, etc ,please describe, I truly beleive that what is blown is not your engine but your mechanic's brain...
And 80000 is not a lot, lots of 3.1/3.4/3.8 makes 200000 miles.
The fact that it makes a engine-speed clatter and it goes away, that points to hydrolic lifters.
See what they say when you suggest that as a idea.
DD
98 Olds Silo
Supposedly it is nothing to worry about but any kind of ticking to me means metal against metal and that is not a good thing. Anybody have more info on this?
I remember reading on this on a past message, and basically, I think the bullitin explains that a supplier got a tolerance on the fit of the piston slightly off, but when the motor heats up and metal expands, it fits fine. I belive its just a noise issue and not a motor problem.
DD
Thanks in advance,
Matt
I recently bought a Hayne's manual for the vehicle and was amazed at the completeness of the information. For the $17 I paid, it'll pay for itself in the first service DIY job. Operations are covered in detail. Get one if you like to tinker yourself. You won't be sorry. This month's project is a replacement of the rear shocks.
And I have nothing to do with the book-selling industry. ;-)
We bought the van in June 1999, but the dealer got it in April 1999. Our van has 66,000 miles now and has been in the shop at least 15 times, I lost track. I tried to get GM to take it back under the Lemon Law when it had 20,000 miles, but they would have no part of it. They had tried to fix an oil leak 5 times and were not successful. In fact, it is still leaking today, I just learned to live with it and crawl under the van every couple thousand miles to wipe it clean. Their attempt to make me happy was to give me the GMPP extended warranty up to 100,000 miles. That has been ok for now considering they have spent over $3500 in warranty repair, but after 100,000 miles, the repairs will be on me and I'll be looking to unload this lemon.
In fact, the Air Bag light has started coming on intermittently again. This has been fixed 3 times already.
You can see some of my previous postings for the problems we have had. Here's a quick summary of the one's that come to mind. Replaced power mirror twice, replaced oil pan twice, replaced rear main seal on engine, replaced intake manifold gasket, replaced both rear vent window motors, replaced third brake light, replaced A/C compressor, installed electronic dryer module for stinky A/C, fixed Air Bag light three times, replaced knobs and other plastic pieces on seats, unplugged drain hole in rear quarter panel for rear A/C unit, replaced passenger door interior panel. That covers most of it. We owned a 1996 Grand Caravan before this and it had problems also, but not as many as this Pontiac. Our 1992 Honda Accord was a dream car, I didn't even know how to get to the Honda dealer.
Good luck!
Good luck,
Matt
Also, my 98 is losing coolant, but I can't see it. Has anyone seen other signs that go along with the manifold leak problem, such as water in the oil, discolored spark plugs, etc? I'm trying to narrow down what it might be. Could be heater core(s) and associated plumbing as well. Thanks for help. I plan on getting a cooling system pressure tester soon and see if I can ID what is going on.
DD
I've got to believe that there is some sort of design problem here. Those gaskets looked like swiss cheese so something is fishy. This should not have happened to a 2 1/2 year old van with 45K on it. Do you think it would help to complain to some GM regional office?
The whole front bumper/air dam needs to come off or cut holes in the back fairing. We took ours to dealer after looking it over carefully and since we didn't have the time to do ourselves it went to the dealer. $115 labor...OUCH, but I watched and they earned it. If you have a dealer do it, the labor price is the same for one or two lights so it makes sense to replace both or wait until the other one is dark too. Venture and Siloutte are the same but maybe a better labor rate at Chevy ? Another big surprise about having to disassemble your Montana is just to replace the battery....have lots of tools....the cross member plus other parts must come out just to access the battery. Lastly, if replacing front struts, go to a shop who has never seen a Montana and hope they quote $30/40 each labor...same problem, no room, have lots of special tools.
1) Partially remove the front fender liner to gain access to the fog lampb assembly( two screws inboard of the lamp)
2) Remove the fog lamp bulb/socket from the fog lamp by rotating counterclockwise.
3) Disconnect the electrical connector from the fog lamp bulb
4) To intall reverse steps. Careful no to touch the new bulb.
I wonder if this is covered under the GMPP warranty coverage?
Thanks,
Matt
I did hear back from GM to my e-mail. They assigned a case number to me and said they'd get back to me by 3/22 with a decision on the coolant leak. They responded in 1 day. I was pretty impressed so far. Wish me luck.
I contacted GM who offered to pay for one third of the cost. After the repair was completed, the car runs as quiet as it did when new.
This type of problem should not happen to a modern computer-designed engine with only 60,000 miles on it. Toyota...here I come!
Not under warranty and not taking chances; I traded it in for a new Acura.
That and the lousy IIHS offset crash scores were the final straw. Has anyone here ever visited the IIHS website and viewed the scores of the Pontiac Montana/Trans Sport Death Trap?. Look at the side by side pictures with the Toyota Sienna....Scary.
My Air Bag light started coming on intermittently again, 4th time. It has been fixed three times already. Has anyone else had this problem repeatably? The problem seems to go away for about 10k to 15k miles after being fixed each time. What did they do to fix the problem each time?
For anyone planning to purchase this van, you may want to consider a 100K warranty. It will be worth the money and piece of mind.
I sure would like to know what the folks at Pontiac are doing. My other vehicle is a 1995 GMC 1500 EXT cab pickup and has 51k miles. I drive this truck 4 miles total each day, get in, crank it up and go. Knock on wood, it has been virtually trouble free since going out of the standard GM warranty. I had the intake manifold gasket and ABS module & modulator valve both replaced under 36K but just outside of the three year period. Both times the dealer was good enough to fix it under warranty even though it was just past three years. Maybe Pontiac should talk to the GMC folks.
-Dan L.
'01 Montana, Montanavision
Should I:
1. Ignore the sound?
2. Replace only the offending shock?
3. Get a second opinion?
BTW, this is the first major complaint I have had with this otherwise flawless (for GM) minivan.
TIA,
Phil