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Pontiac Montana

1151618202129

Comments

  • baveuxbaveux Member Posts: 175
    Hi,how high is the gauge pointing at normal engine temperature.

    In winter mine never goes above the third line on the gauge, I think that I'm running cold
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Montana SV6

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

    Steve, Host
  • veestarveestar Member Posts: 16
    Can someone share with me the method for rocking the engine foward. My Haynes manual recommended doing this in order to change the rear spark plugs, but failed to mention how this is done. Any help would be greatly appreciated
  • jeberjeber Member Posts: 91
    I've never done it, and I would also like to hear specifics on how...I assume you would loosen a motor mount or two, and get a floor jack with a block of wood under tranny and slowly move until sp plugs can be accessed

    dontcha love when manuals do that - they say, "first do 'THIS'... and just leave you to your own devices? lol kind of defeats the purpose of having the manual sometimes! good luck. Put in some good, long-life platinum plugs!
  • dlubindlubin Member Posts: 66
    We're on our second Montanta (2001, 8 passenger, lots of goodies including the video system). We re-surveyed the market for 'ideal vehicles' and still didn't like the Chrysler's, didn't love the new Nissan, or the Ford.

    We did like the Toyota, but they can't be had at any reasonable discount, and the Honda but didn't feel it did a whole lot different for us.

    Add in the fact that trade-in value on these is horrendous, and we decided to put new tires on the Montana (only 24000 miles but we never rotated them), and with new Toyo Ultra 800's it's a whole new vehicle.

    It's not a great vehicle, but it is a solid 'OK', and hasn't had any larger failure so far than squeaking and rattling. We do have MajorGuard for another three years though, and I don't intend to keep it past there...
  • veestarveestar Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for the link. Now that's what they should have in the manual. I, like you, have thought seriously about selling my '97 Montana because of how hard it is to get reasonable access to the most basic engine related repairs. Thanks again
  • jimbeejimbee Member Posts: 3
    Mine sits at the 11 o'clock position and always looks like it is running cool.

    I guess thast is normal. Lots of heat from the heater.
  • baveuxbaveux Member Posts: 175
    I"ll know for sure Monday !!

    However thanks for your input
  • attackedbyjawsattackedbyjaws Member Posts: 1
    Has anybody ever been hurt by a 2000 Montana power door closing on them and not reversing? I suppose the recalls took care of the accidental opening problem, but nothing has been done about the excessively forceful closing door. Is it possible the 2000 doors were made more forceful as the initial attempt at fixing the accidental opening problem? GM's secret? [Note: we no longer have the van]
  • baveuxbaveux Member Posts: 175
    The gauge and my assumption were right, the thermostat was defective, they changed it today and now the hand on the gauge is just below the halfway mark Yeah !
  • veestarveestar Member Posts: 16
    I just installed new wheel cylinders, brake shoes, and new brake drums on my '97 Montana. I noticed that the manual says to mark the location of your old brake drums if you are going to re-use them. Can someone tell me why this is and is there a certain way that new ones should be put on, other than the obvious? After putting on my new shoes and drums, I'm now getting some pulsation from the rear brakes. I thought that it may be connected to the drum position. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Looking to possibly pick up a 2004 Montana this year. I figure with it being the last year there should be some great deals coming.

    Do people generally like their vans? How are they for rattles after a few years? Any major issues? We have had 3 GM cars lately and all have been very good but I really don't know much about vans. We have #2 kid on the way so we need a hauler.

    Any help would be great. We are thinking of an SE short wheel base as I want it to fit in the garage and I want the alloys ect.
  • jeberjeber Member Posts: 91
    Just scroll through and read a bunch of messages on this discussion, and also the Silhouette, Venture, and "gm triplets" discussions (all are pretty much identical, mechanically). You're gonna find a mix of people who love their vans and sing their praises, and people who think they have the biggest piece of &#*% lemon ever built...and everything in between! I did a bunch of research into minivans before getting a used 01 silo, and really the only (potential) thing that commonly affects these vans (with 3.4 V-6) is a tendency for the intake manifold gasket to start leaking coolant. GM won't, as far as I know, take care of that if out of warranty, even though IMO it is an obvious flaw/defect.

    I was pretty much leaning towards a toyota or honda minivan, but I weighed the tradeoffs, and decided the gm's would suit my purpose perfectly, for way, way less $. After driving a few gm's, toyotas, and hondas, I determined that performance, ride, interior space, etc. etc. were pretty comparable to the toy & honda, and I haven't been disappointed. I have about 55000 miles now, with no problems. I plan to keep until 125 or 150K miles, so resale ain't a big factor there. I know it won't be much! Oh, and don't be too put off by the "horrible/dismal offset crash test results" that some people will argue makes these vans rolling deathtraps...these vans are proven to be quite safe in a "real world" accident, IMO.

    mine hasn't developed any strange rattles or squeaks yet! good luck
  • baveuxbaveux Member Posts: 175
    I bought a Montana in 2002 and I would do the same again.
    There not perfect but they are a good value.
  • peteragoldpeteragold Member Posts: 6
    I believe what you are referring to is where you need to mark the lug nuts studs in reference to the drum before removing it. This way it gets put back on at the same spot. Why this is that critical I am not 100 percent sure. You would think with new shoes and hardware it would not matter that much. As far as why the brakes are pulsating I am not sure if this is related or not. Sounds like another issue.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    jber : Ya, I know about the possible intake manifold gasket on the 3.4L. I guess that has not been addressed for 04? Is it covered by the powertrian warranty? I see than GM is offering 5 years for Montana powertrains in Canada now.

    baveux : Ya, I think they are a great value, they look sporty (for a van) and they seem to drive really well. I will wait for the deals to hit up in the spring / summer. Baby is due in June so it can wait.
  • c11166c11166 Member Posts: 4
    What is happening here is related to the drum itself and how it sits in relation to the studs(and the studholes in the drum itself). This will cause the pulsation of the pads to some degree. I find you get what you pay for. Go for expensive pads and rotors and if this doesn't work, replace the drums--if the car is over three years old.
  • c11166c11166 Member Posts: 4
    It is probably the computer chip on the wiper motor that is the culprit. You can replace these separately--look around for a good price.
  • c11166c11166 Member Posts: 4
  • c11166c11166 Member Posts: 4
    Can somebody tell me if these vans will really injure driver and passengers in a crash. Offset crash scores and scores in general indicate this
    Thanks
  • jeberjeber Member Posts: 91
    Re. 883, above: "Thanks for the link. Now that's what they should have in the manual."

    Uhhh, I must have missed something?!? what's the link? I'll probably do plugs/wires this spring or summer; I, too would like to see how to best access those back sparkplugs. thanks
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I think there was a link to a competing forum that was removed. Free ads for the competition drives our beancounters nuts and doesn't add to the knowledge base around here.

    Steve, Host
  • veestarveestar Member Posts: 16
    Here is the method for rocking the engine.
    (1) Block the rear wheels and put the transaxle in neutral(Remove the negetive battery terminal)
    (2) Remove the air cleaner duct, the air cleaner, and the accelerator and cruise control cables from the throttle body.
    (3) Remove the driver side torque strut by removing the two bolts. Remove one bolt from the passenger side torque strut and pivot the strut towards the engine.
    (4) Attach a ratcheting strap to the engine removal eye bolt on the drivers side and the other end to the radiator support. Slowly ratchet the engine forward.

    I hope this will be of some help.
  • transportmomtransportmom Member Posts: 1
    We have a 98 transport, the power door is forever needing to be reset (fuse under the hood). I understand about the recall for the latch but the latch is not our problem the continuous failure of the door and the door handle (from the outside) has broken off so it is a real problem. We are not covered under warranty does anyone know if GM has a recall on this? If not anybody have an idea how much it cost to repair?
  • jeberjeber Member Posts: 91
    veestar, thanks for the info!

    when connecting the throttle & cruisecontrol cables after you've taken them off, do you have to adjust or calibrate them, or just put 'em back together and its good to go?
  • veestarveestar Member Posts: 16
    The info I posted is what I found listed in the Haynes manual under Rotating The Engine Forward, however, I haven't actually done this myself. As for your concerns about adjustments, I would think that marking the position of what has to be taken loose would work. (That's just my opinion)
    Hopefully someone with actual experience will post
    a reply.
  • hapgoluchapgoluc Member Posts: 1
    anybody have problems with a 2001 pontiac montana transmission slipping!!
  • peteragoldpeteragold Member Posts: 6
    How many miles on the car.? You should have the transmission filter changed and transmission oil flushed--complete not just drop the pan and drain. This helped my 1998 Transport at 53K miles greatly. Had some slippage and after the transmission flush was just like new. Car now has 73K miles.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    How do people find their Montanas in the winter snow? Just wondering.
  • dlubindlubin Member Posts: 66
    We thought ours was terrible, but replaced the tires with new Toyo Ultra's and the ride is 1000% better, handles better, traction control has to come on less often as well. Soooo glad to be rid of the old Generals.
  • lennxlennx Member Posts: 73
    Our FWD Venture has been very good in the snow with the factory tires.
  • baveuxbaveux Member Posts: 175
    I dont like the factory tire at all, I'll change them next fall, I wont be able to find worst especially for winter.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I think the Montana has Generals, the Venture has Firestones. I have never had Generals before but I generally like Good Years or Michilens.

    Lots of snow today here, ouch!
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    I had michelins on my used van, had 62k when I bought it, tires looked 3/4 wore out. Now I have 96k on them and they still had tread. These must have been original equipment on my '98 - 96k on a set? Michelin makes an amazing tire. They handled really well, but got very hard and rode like they were solid rock.

    Just purchased new michelins and wow - they are so quiet in comparison (our Houston roads are concrete and very rough and noisy), plus smoother riding.

    Drove to Austin and back, averaged about 57mph on the computer and got 23.5 MPG on the computer even running the AC (we have warm winter days sometimes!).

    Wife loves the van now. I had to buy as "my" vehicle but she prefers it to our Maxima now.

    DD
  • michsenemichsene Member Posts: 2
    I recently purchased a 2004 Pontiac Montana GT.

    I would like to know if I can stop the outside air from coming in the van through the Climate controls system. Even if the fan is at the off position when I drive, the air enters the car and comes out through the chosen outlets (vent, floor, bi-level etc). My dealer tell me its normal. The only way I found around this situation is to select vent or bi-level with air recirculation.

    With my GMC Sierra when the fan is at Off no air is coming in the truck.
  • jeberjeber Member Posts: 91
    if having fan off with setting to "re-circulate" stops outside air, which it does - what more does there need to be?
  • michsenemichsene Member Posts: 2
    What would you say if everytime you enter your house all the windows where open and all you have to do is close them all. Would you then say there is no problem?
    In cold weather I have to remember to set the climate control to vent and to re-circulate until the engine is warm enough.
    But anyway do you know if this is a normal situation or a problem with my van?
  • just4fun2just4fun2 Member Posts: 461
    I don't feel any air coming in my 02 Silhouette when the fan is off. I would take another Montana for a test ride and see if it does what yours is doing.

    Good luck.
  • rustymuttrustymutt Member Posts: 7
    Just purchased a '99 Montana with 76k miles a week ago. I used the wipers for the first time yesterday, and noticed the wiper blades pause in the upright/vertical position under the "intermittent' cycle. Turn them off and they close in the flat (horizontal) position like they should. This is repeatable over and over. I don't this this should work this way :) It looks weird having the blades stop in the the vertical position while waiting for the next wipe.

    Any ideas? I know the dealer I got the van from replaced the wiper motors so I'm guessing they didn't do it right...

    Also, could this lead to an electrical problem? I've found weird electrical problems -- most notable when I ran the wipers (but rain/moisture could be contributing... )

    Thanks
  • rustymuttrustymutt Member Posts: 7
    I've had the '99 Montana a week and experienced weird electrical glitches. I don't know if this is related to my wiper problems or not, but here is a list of what I encountered so far:

    1) The interior lights stayed on for 5+ minutes after closing all the doors and exiting the van. I couldn't shut them off without entering and shutting the off the interior lights entirely. The next day the lights automatically shut off after the 30 seconds like they were supposed to.
    2) Power sliding door wouldn't work, as if it lost power. Happened 2x.
    3) In 1 trip today, I encountered all of the following (it was raining and i had my wipers on):
    a) Went to church; clock was okay. Left church, Time was way off.
    b) Radio sound blipped off for an instant, and at the same time the AIRBAG light blinked on for a few seconds and then went out.
    c) 30 seconds later, I hit a medium sized bump while braking. The Antilock light, Traction Control light, and Brake lights on the dashboard instantly went on and stayed on until the end of my trip.
    d) Arrived home 3 minutes later and noticed the headlight intensity was changing slightly (almost blinking?) as were the dash lights.
    e) I shut off the van and immediately tried to restart it. It fired about 40-60% of the time. I let it crank 15 seconds straight once, and stepped on the accelerator slightly and then it started. All the dash lights appeared normal.
    e) Finally shut off the van, and hit the button to open the power sliding door and it did nothing. I eventually had to open and close the door manually.

    Any ideas where to look first?

    Thanks
  • mjoynermjoyner Member Posts: 2
    I had a similiar issue with mine except mine would only work on high and or not at all. I had to replace the Wiper Sensor relay board. Its a connector board that fits between the motor and the connector that goes to computer box. You can change it by removing the connector and with a torque screw set remove I think 2 - 3 screws. I replaced it and didn't have anymore issues. I think it costs around $25.00-30.00 at parts store. Although, if they replaced the wiper motor they should have change out that board but you never know. Hope this helps.
  • balichbalich Member Posts: 62
    We had our drivers side power window replaced ..
    The white clips that hold the door panel are stripped thus the bottom of the panel is flapping and getting stuck when trying to open drivers door .. where can one get a couple of the white clips to hold the door panel to the door ?

    Thanks in advance!!!!
  • smith104smith104 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2003 Montana that I brought last year brand new. While driving this vehical it stops dead in traffic and cuts off. It has done this a total of 7 times. Each time that I have taken the Montana back to the dealership they keep saying there is nothing wrong with the vehical. GMC/Pontiac goes by what the dealership says. Now I have a lemon Law Lawyer who is helping me with a buy back. I can not believe GMC will not take back a vehical that stops dead in traffric while driving. The vehical locks the steering wheel and the brakes. Nothing can move, the Montana stops dead where every you are at. Has anyone else had this problem with the 2003 Montanas. I did find one other person that has the same problem also. Please e-mail me if any one has had this problem. Also if you had this problem get a lemon lawyer. The more complains from customers with this problem, GMC will have to do a recall.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    It can be frustrating when a dealer is unable to duplicate a condition that an owner has experienced with their vehicle. Sometimes it can be hard for the dealer to be in the same situation the owner is in when a problem occurs. But I can believe that a manufacturer (GM) would not take back a vehicle without any confirmation that the problem exsists. It appears that you are on your way to resolving the issue through the legal route, so it will just take sometime to finish that proccess.

    Also, just to be sure I understand your issue, when the engine dies, you only loose power assist to the steering and brakes, not that they actually lock up?
  • smith104smith104 Member Posts: 3
    it feels like the brakes and the steering all lock up at the same time. But before the vehical starts to stop, it loses power, like pressure is dropping. I did find some one else with the same problem on NHTSA website. They too have a 2003 Montana that pontiac will not take back. My only problem is this, I really don't want someone to have a really deadly accident, when all GMC had to do is take back this type of vehical. It is now in the hands of my lawyer who handles Lemons like this.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    OK thanks for the answer. Then not only is it tuff for a dealer to find an intermittent problem, it is a lot harder if the THREE problems are intermittent, even if they had near each other. Just let the lawyer keep on working, but at some point someone is going to have to duplicate at least one of the conditions.

    I see your complaint at NHTSA's site, but I only find one other compaint for a stall and none for steering locking up, and none for brakes locking up.
  • smith104smith104 Member Posts: 3
    That's what I am trying to say, I guess it is called a stall. I am telling you how the problem feels. The same problem this person is having is the same problem I am having. My Montana stops dead in traffic, so I may as well say it stalls on me, but at the same time it feels like someone put on the brakes. It does stall, or stops what ever they call it, this Montana stops with out a warning, it just stops, and then it starts back up. I was trying to give you a picture of what happens when this vehical stops. But it's the same problem this person is having I am having also.
  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    I recently leased a 2004 Montana with Sport package, power sliding door and traction control. So far we love it. It seems very well put together and rides smooth as silk.

    My one complaint is the fuel mileage. So far we have 2800 kms on the dial and the fuel consumption is not getting better. I realize sometimes that the first few tanks are bad but I was kind of hoping for some improvement. Can anyone shed some light on this situation for me? Will I ever get close to the 19/26 I'm suppose to?
  • just4fun2just4fun2 Member Posts: 461
    What is your mileage? What speeds are you driving? What kind of roads do you drive on? I get great MPG on my GM van, but I don't think that we are driving on the same type of roads or drive the same way.

    Your mileage may vary is stated just for this very reason.
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