Chevy Venture

dlubin · December 2001

What's the change interval on these? We don't put hardly any mileage on our '01 Montana (6000 in almost 7 months), but I'm assuming there's a time/mileage recommendation.

Thanks!

jpc47 · December 2001

There are two of these. Does Pep Boys sell both for $35? Mileage interval for this item is 45,000 miles.

baveux · December 2001

Can you go without it ?
IMHO this filter is useless since I breath or spend a lot more time ouside the car !!!
In other words can we leave the filter housing empty?

offham · December 2001

The question of the Pep Boys came up some months ago and a reader said they were $35. I concluded it was for the pair as they dont look that complicated to charge double at the dealer.

When I changed mine there was a lot of outside bits caught in the ridges. I have to say that when I replaced them the inside air seemed fresher.

These are made by 3M. If you do not put them in then the outside stuff that comes in will go into the passenger compartment.

I do not get hay fever, but for those who do it may be an issue.

jrdwyer · December 2001

Auto Zone's web site lists the filters for $30 plus shipping.

montanafan · December 2001

Order with caution, the web site lists the same 2-Filter set as fitting the Bonneville and Aztek when they are different. In Fact the Bonneville is a single big square.

masonmi · December 2001

I checked with my dealership and they have the filter kit priced at 59.95, however i'm going to check out autozone or pep boys for my replacement.

cascade · December 2001

does a venture with the touring package ride differently than one without. Is it recommended?

jpc47 · January 2002

I saw a 98 Venure for sale at a used car lot for $5800. Was it a former wreck or was it sleeping with the fishes? They said it just was thier savy trading.

agt_cooper · January 2002

....if it seems too good to be true, it probably is....

masonmi · January 2002

JPC, Actually that price may be right depending on the condition of the Venture, did you see how many miles were on it? It probably has well over 100,000 miles and most likely in need of some future repairs, if you're looking to purchase it I'd probably have a mechanic check it out top to bottom.

jpc47 · January 2002

The odometer said around 95,000 miles, it wasn't an LS, but it did have power windows, and they offer to let your mechanic check it out.

catam · January 2002

Has anyone out there had problems with the power windows? The switch to my drivers side window works very intermittently. (highly annoying at drive thru). Pass side works fine. If there is a quick fix I'd like to know. Also the bottom center storage bin (the one with the slide out inside), door won't stay closed. I can close it, but it will open without lifting handle. There is some felt over the latching mechanism. Is this supposed to be there, it seems like it might latch securely if I removed it, but I'd like some input bofore I try. I'd hate to make it worse. It should matter, but FYI its on an 01 Venture LS ext. I know this could be fixed under warr, but I hate taking it to the dealer and having to leave it all day for minor probs. Had to do it once for the good old "service engine soon" light. Turned out to be they had to reprogram CPS sensor. Other than that, its been 23,000 trouble free miles.

dmathews3 · January 2002

On the bin problem sounds like someone may have added it to cure a rattle would be my guess. Take it off and see if it stays closed. If it rattles then add some back somewhere else beside at the locking mech.

mckernaniii · January 2002

I just bought a 2002 Value Plus Extended. Did not include an electronic Driver information Center. Can I just buy this from a dealer or wreck dealer and install it easily?

hfdad · January 2002

lowest price I have found for passenger compartment filters is at autopartsgiant.com, they are $26.93 for 2. I have not bought any yet so I can't speak for their service.

victoriaboy · January 2002

Trying to see if anyone else has this problem.

Bought a New 2000 Venture Van last spring.

We had a very dry spring and summer on the wet coast and no problems appeared until the rainy season started.

Now, every time there is a heavy rain the rear fills up with water, you can see it running down the inside of the right corner post and saturating the carpet up to 1/3 of the way to the front.

The dealer said that this was not an uncommon problem and replaced the wiring harnesses to the tailgate, kept the van for 24 hours and dried it out.

The next heavy rain the identical problem occurred, the dealer this time replaced seals and anything else he could find. Kept the vehicle 24 hours, dried it out and we we were on our way again.

Today, we had a heavy rain and the water was pouring down the inside right hand tailgate post again. Back to the dealer again as soon as we can make an appointment.

I believe that the vehicle was just manufactured to very loose tolerances between the tailgate door and the body and that we will be forever stuck with this problem. Any Comments?

Should we dump the Venture and get an import as soon as possible?

masonmi · January 2002

I haven't heard of that problem as of yet, Did you purchase the 2000 Chevy Venture new? I was thinking maybe if you hadn't brought your 2000 Venture new it could have been in an rear end accident and the tailgate door was replaced and was not installed properly. or it could just be that the tailgate just isn't put on correctly to begin with from the sounds of it.
Do you have previous owner history information on your Venture?

ilinden · January 2002

I bought my Venture in October of 1998. I had owned a Chev Lumina van for four years prior. The Lumina Van had engine problems shortly after 30,000 miles. It had been in the dealership just two months before for an oil change and service. Then it supposedly blew a seal and required the engine to be rebuilt. The dealership wanted approx. 2500.00 to repair. I was leasing the car at the time and I was livid that it was out of warrantee! I phoned GM and ended up pocketing only about $800.00 of the repair after much bickering with the dealership and GM. Now, I have the 1998 Venture. In the three years I have had it, mostly I have had minor problems. I had electrical problems (all shorted) which the dealership blamed on a defective cellular charging cord. However, this time I bought an extended warrantee. The warrantee fixed all the wiring after I disputed the fact that a brand new cord (just two days old) was extremely doubtful. I too have had intermittant use of the power window switch -- which seemed to go away after I banged on the door. My rear window wiper is making a scratching sound -- it is not the wiper -- and only work some of the time. Last Friday my low coolant light went on. I turned the heat up and it went off. I stopped at a gas station and had the coolant checked. He said the level was to the top in the radiator but the overflow was low which might have tripped the warning light. He didn't carry the 5-year coolant that it required so he suggested I go to K-Mart. I never got that far. That night I broke down. The heat was totally cold, the car was overheating. It was 30 degrees outside and I had my children with me. This service station also did not carry the 5-year coolant. I was desperate to get home. In trying to help, the gas station attendent put the regular type of coolant in -- just to get me home. It didn't work. I ended up having the car towed. The dealership says it's a "lower leak" and will be about a $700.00 repair. Again, and very fortunately, my extended warrantee should cover the repair. However, now I am getting worried. I have seen complaints about the transmissions on this car on other sites. My extended warrantee is up at 72,000 miles and I have 65,000 miles on the car now. Oh yeah, I also had that ticking noise on my Lumina and have the same ticking noise on this Venture. The dealership told me it is normal. But, I don't believe them given what happened to Lumina!

Good luck in your van shopping! Just thought I'd let you know my experiences with the Venture. Too bad, because I've liked the great ride of the car and the generous space as well as the flexibility of the seating. It's been a comfortable family car. But, I'm not sold on it's longevity.

robsmith · January 2002

I had a salesman tell me that the traction control only works up to 22 mph on the Ventures(assume it's the same for all GM minis).

Does anyone know if this is true? Is it true for all/most minivans as well(Chrysler, Ford, Honda, etc)?

montanafan · January 2002

GM calls the system on the Vans an All Speed Traction Control Sytem. I would assume in means that. Difference is that the Van style can apply the brakes.

victoriaboy · January 2002

Thanks for your comment, the 2000 Van was bought new in the spring of 91 but had sat on the dealer's lot for one year, one of the last two of a large inventory. I tend to agree that it's probably a factory defect in the installation of the tailgate door. Watching the water pour through today in the heavy rain I could easily fit my finger between the tailgate door from the inside and the rubber seal to the outside. I just hope there is a way to fix the problem.

masonmi · January 2002

Sounds like they need to replace the rubber seal around the tailgate door or replace the whole tailgate door itself.

greg32 · January 2002

I am starting to get vibration over 60 MPH. Its a 97 Venture with 53k miles on it, original tires. Is it time for new tires? I have the General Tires with self sealing leak. I also just had the tires balanced which improved the vibration for about 1000 miles but then its getting back to the original vibration. Any recommendations for new tire brands? I've seen that people have gotten the Michleon Symmetry.

The car has been pretty reliable. The worst problem was a battery going out at 38k miles.

Thanks

dmathews3 · January 2002

I have heard tell that the self sealing tires can cause this kind of problem. Also how about front end alignment? If I had that many miles on it I would get new tires,balanced of course and a front end alignment. There are places that will do front and rear alignments basically straightening up the whole vehicle.

greg32 · January 2002

Believe it or not we've never had the wheels aligned. I've been impressed with how well this car has performed given all the bad press.

Thanks

offham · January 2002

One of the other reasons for vibration is that the tires start to "cup", especially if they have not been systematically rotated. Looks as if you have got good mileage out of them.

Have just fitted new Michelin Symmetrys all round and ride well on highway.Wal-Mart $85 plus lifetime/tax

In the snow we have just got on Sunday, very good combined with the traction control and antilock brakes.

big__daddy · January 2002

My 2000 Venture's hood is made of fiberglass. Were earlier models the same I wonder?

baveux · January 2002

not fiberglass, but aluminum

catam · January 2002

I recently read a review on the 02 Venture, which stated the hood and roof are made from aluminum. I don't know for sure, but I would assume this applies to all Ventures back to 97 since there have been no significant design changes. Also just FYI all other body panels are made from galvanized steel.

big__daddy · January 2002

Also the galvanized steel isn't supposed to rust easily right? Only time will tell. They use salt here when the roads get icy and salt wasn't kind to my previous vehicle.

offham · January 2002

The two storage bins either side of the third row have lids. Not that we use tem a great deal, but the hinges are plastic. It so happened for some unexplicable reason, the passenger side rear lid was virtually hanging off when I went to the van in the am.

I am not sure how Chevrolet designers believe that this will last in the long haul as each time the lid is opened, assume the hinge is gradually weakened

New part $40

victoriaboy · January 2002

My last message was Jan 7/02, we took the Van in on Jan 10, 02.
Dealer (third time around) said problem was fixed, leak was around glass seal.
It is now Jan 12, last night it rained and the water ran in along the right rear post, exactly the same as it has been prior to the last three service visits. Way to go GM.
The next comment really belongs in the Malibu post but since it so closely associated with what we are going through, I must pass it along.
I drive a 99 Malibu enforcement vehicle, which normally sits in an outside compound. Last time I had someone in the back seat he complained about smell so I checked the trunk, 1st time in one week.
The wheel well was completely full of water, about 3 gallons, and another two inches in the trunk.
The Municipal dealer (not the same as our personal Van dealer), found 3 separate seam joint leaks into the vehicle.
Way to go GM.

p222 · January 2002

had a 2001 chevy ext.van that had middle and rear window leaks,had to shop 8 times and they still leaked chevy gave me another van and this one leaks also. had this one to shop 3 times so far. have been told its a common problem.

tamesh · January 2002

We have a 97 Venture with a seemingly weird problem. When parked the blower (fan on the dash) comes on at a high speed for about a couple of seconds and then shuts off. This can happen every 10 minutes. Of course the dealer cannot find anything wrong.

Any ideas of what the problem may be? Thanks in advance.

montanafan · January 2002

Are you the original owner of this Venture? I am guessing that you are not. I think the van has had a update to the AC system. It will blow the fan on high to help dry out the AC evaporator to keep mold growth down.

montanafan · January 2002

I gave it more thought. There should be some sort of temp control, I believe, to keep it from working in the cold weather, which it should be if you are in Canada. Have the dealer check it out, now that we haved guessed what it is, to make sure it is operating properly.

tomekk · January 2002

I had a water leak on 2000 Venture LS - in the tailgate area. They've "improved" with some sort of silicone the rubber (or is it plastic?) seal on top of the gate aruond the wiring harness. That stopped the leak.

Other than that I had (under 3000 miles - covered by warranty) right rear shock absorber replaced twice (it was LEAKING :-) some sort of lubricant); also right-side mirror was dead on errival and was replaced.

Other than that everything seems to be fine (25000 miles so far... ) - knock on wood; my wife just loves the van and refuses to drive anything else. It's like a Rubbermaid product - not very flashy, but very practical. We'll see how it holds up, if it doesn't we'll get the Odyssey next time.

Tomek

hfdad · January 2002

Has anyone replaced their headlight bulbs with any thing brighter than the factory installed? I never realized how poor these were until I drove a Mazda Tribute and saw a big difference.

catam · January 2002

If you scroll back probably a 100 or so posts ther was some discussion on headlamps. In a nutshell, sylvania offers some replacement headlamps called "cool blue" I believe. They are reportedly about 30% brighter. If I remember right those that said they replaced them said they are worth it. I believe they said cost is about $15 per bulb. You can get them at Walmart, or any auto supply , auto zone etc. I believe a poster named offham may be able to give you more info if you need it. Hope this helps.

catam · January 2002

I know there have been previous posts on oil changes, but I don't remember this issue being discussed. There is wiring harness that runs under my oil filter. When removing the filter the oil drip onto this harness and runs down to the frame section below the engine. It actually runs inside the boxed section, and must pool there somewhat, because it drips from there for a couple of days. Anybody else with the same problem, and is ther a quick fix to either move the harness or catch the dripping oil before it hits the harness. Thanks.

offham · January 2002

Re the post 1090 and I have tried about three types and have to say not greatly impressed. Noone has flashed their lights at me on high beam.

I noticed that the beam seems scattered...you can only put them in one way, but when you see the ads on the packaging, you almost expect lighthouse standards.

However, I did start to adjust the raise the headlights to give a longer beam and it may be a question of adjustment.

Certainly these after markets are not cool blue or white dazzlers.

offham · January 2002

Re 1091 and changing oil. Usual process for me is to drain oil from engine, and when down to a drip, undo the filter a half a turn, to release pressure. Also release the filler cap.

Put an old towel or rag on the cross member just behind the oil filter. This should catch the over spillage, when you start to finally remove the filter.

Getting the filter down in an upright position as there is oil still in it is the next key.

dmathews3 · January 2002

Try J.C. Whitney as they carry replacements for most headlights. My 96 GMC was a 4 light system with outside lights normal and high beams the outside ones turned off and inside were the high beams. I was told that the normal lights are 35 watts and high beams are 55 watts. I replaced the lower beams with 55 watts and high beams with I believe thery were 100 watts (can't remember now.) They also sold a kit that converted them for high beam so all 4 lights lit when you turned on high beams. Now let me tell you they lit up the road.

glenn41 · January 2002

Is the Venture a Reliable Van???

1 What kind of motor problems does it have?
a Are there blown head gaskets like the Windstar and Chryslers?
2 Does the transmission have problems with shifting or not getting into gear?

I haven't noticed these kind of problems in this message center. Boy, you ought tolook at the Ford Windstar and any Chrysler mini vans.

Thanks for any info...

kkollwitz · January 2002

Our Venture has been flawless. We like it better now than when we bought it new.

dmathews3 · January 2002

There seems to be a lot of owners with bad leaks at different locations on the van.

masonmi · January 2002

Hi, I have to say the Chevy Venture is quite reliable, I haven't had any major problems and i've owned my 2000 Venture for 4 mos so far.

Ford Windstars and Chrysler vans are having major issues with their transmissions and head gaskets, the Windstar seemed to be plagued with that head gasket problem every since they started making the vans.
Then with Chyrsler/Dodge theres the Transmission problems. If you read just a few of their postings on their forums its enough to turn you off from getting one of those vans.
The leaking problem on the Venture in prior messages I had not heard of until now. otherwise you should take one out on a test drive and compare, the Venture to me drives just like a sedan and in my opinion is a good value compared to the competitors.

dmathews3 · January 2002

masonmi says: The leaking problem on the Venture in prior messages I had not heard of until now.
Check out messages 1083,84,88 for starters and if you go back far enough you will find many more.

catam · January 2002

That one of the reasons I own a Venture. Mine is an 01 with 24000mi. I have had a couple of very minor problems easily fixed under warranty. All things considered I love the van.
There have been a far number of posts about leaking windows invarious places on these vans, I(I have not had this problem) other that that I have not noticed any consistent quality problems in the posts on this site, I've read them all at one time or another.
I don't think even Toyota or Honda can claim that. Both the Sienna and Odyssey have problem specific sites. Nobody has yet seen the need to start one for any of the GM trio.

Chevy Venture

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