Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Thanks
TD
TD
Check out some of the custom car audio shops, also big box places like Circuit City, BestBuy, etc., good prices and those types of places often have surprisingly competent stereo/video installers, probably as good or better than dealer's.
Anybody had this happen before? Is the dealer my best option?
We would like to get two additional IR Head Phones for the entertainment system. Dealer gave me about an outrages price. Can not be right for such a simple device made in China!
Anyone having experience in purchasing after market IR Head Phones?
Thanks.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
We bought our Chevy Venture about a month and half ago. It has General Self Sealing Tires XP 2000 GT. Upon inspecting tires closely, I noticed there are about 5 or 6 place on the side walls where it is pinched in. It is not a smooth surface. It is more apparent on two front tires. Has anyone else noticed this. Is this something we should be concerned about? I plan to take it dealer and have him look at it. Any information on this issue would be helpful.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
price of $665.00, but the Service manager called me back and offered to submit $600 of this for reimbursement with Chevrolet. Still waiting for the check, but it's supposed to be coming. After getting the van back this time, I still had multiple instances of the van not starting, mostly after it had been driven for a while and then sat for a few minutes before trying to start it again. Often, I'd have to wait several hours, but the van would start again. VERY AGRIVATING intermittent problem. It was towed back to the dealer after one of these occurances and they couldn't find a problem. Finally I had to try a reputable local mechanic. They took my history and diagnosed a bad ground connection to the fuel pump. They resoldered the connection and the van has been fine ever since.
Moral of the story: Use the dealer for warranty repairs and basic stuff after that. If it's anything beyond the basics, I'd recommend a good local mechanic that has a solid reputation and references. The dealer mechanics I've dealt with are not the Mr. Goodwrench's we've been led to believe. Also, hindsight being 20-20, I'd purchase the extended warranty on the van if I were to buy another one.
We've been happy with it for the most part and were pleased that Chevy stood behind the vehicle even beyond the 3yr/36000 mi warranty, but repairs on this vehicle can be very expensive and the extended warranty would be my reccomendation.
Also, keep an eye on your engine for coolant leaks up by the intake manifold. I've heard of it happening with other Venture's. Try to catch it under the 36000 miles. I think Chevrolet should consider recalling it, but so far they haven't.
Guess what they found? Leaking coolant around the intake manifold!!! Fortunately, only 33,000 miles!!!
Also, found leaking rear brake cyclinders (replaced).
Of course, all this is nothing compared to the 2 transmission replacements we've already had!!! One failed 16k, the next one at 16.5k. Ahhh, that "great GM feeling".....
With only 3k left on the warranty, we're seriously considering an extension....Next time, it will not be a GM minivan, which is a shame, because we do like the vehicle.
Ryles
She took it to the dealer last week to investigate a "funny noise" coming from the rear end. After the inspection, the service manager told her that her van needs a new axle.
Has anyone ever heard of this happening? Does anyone know if this is a common problem with the triplets?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
I don't remember coming across other rear axle problems
Obviously, a 2nd opinion is always a good idea unless the 1st mechanic is known to be reputable, competent, and honest
OR, if he can put the van on a lift and actually clearly show you the problem...bent, cracked, whatever...
just my 2 cents...
I do know a good, honest mechanic that doesn't work for the dealer I will consult.
All I can say is, if its just a shady dealer, don't blame the g.m product--they ain't perfect but they ain't bad, either
Thanks,
corporal28
After hearing this and reading venture02owner's post, I did a internet seach to see if there were any Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) for this problem. One site that I was able to view and print out TSB's was at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/Cars/Problems. On this site I found out that there is a TSB for "Hard Start, No Start, Stall, and/or Fuel Gauge Inoperative or Fluctuates". The Bulletin # is 01-08-45-005, the date was October 2001. The nhtsa site allows you to view all TSB's for any make or model, definitely a site that I'll be back on. Post again if you're unable to view the Bulletin, and I'll quote the specifics of it.
Maybe if you show the service department the bulletin, they might "remember" how to fix the problem. I'm no mechanic but with these computer controlled engines and the diagnostic capabilities nowdays, I'd be suprised if they couldn't determine the cause.
I Studied all I could find on compatible mini-vans, and settled my search on the Venture. Instead of walking the pavement of numerous dealerships during this time of year in Houston, I logged on to GM Buy Power, and got a list of all the dealers in the direct East Texas area.
With this list, I searched their inventories on line, and contacted approx. 8 dealers who had the type of model I was interested in. I asked them to make me an offer, and let each one know that they weren't the only one I was contacting...With'n two days I had all the replies in; ranging from $24,000. to $18,400....
Guess you know which one we checked out! Setting up an appointment with the salesman, cause we do live out in the country, and did have an hour drive to get there (hate that city traffic), we looked the vehicle over, and it had all that we wanted; including Stereo w/cassette and cd...That has been almost 2 1/2 years, and many miles ago...And Absolutely NO Problems with the Van!!!
No problems at all !!! It runs and drives as good as the day we drove it off the lot !!! Couldn't have been happier with my decision to get a Venture! I'm not saying all people have or will have a story to tell like this, but this one is True, ...not fiction... Choosing the 5.9% finace over the $2,000. rebate offered at the time(put $2,000 of own money down)... Final price of van to finance(including tt&l)...approx. $17,500. Monthly payments... $340.
Hope your Venture adventure is as good as ours...Have a Good day, and God Bless America!!!!!
Does anyone know the remote control codes I can use on a universal remote for the DVD player on my 2002 Venture WB? The dealer says the player is an "AC Delco" brand but I am pretty sure that is just a label. Any clue as to who the "real" manufacturer is?
Did I mention the 9 hour one-way road trip we are about to "Venture" on to see Grandma for Christmas? My 3 kids need the player (for my sanity).
Thanks
Robert in Round Rock, Tx
My Venture has 58k miles, no trouble except new rotors and pads last year
The only question that I still have is that my wife is inexperienced driver. How difficult for her will be to handle this minivan. She drove Corolla before, but last year she did not drive anything. She also not very tall and she is very concerned with visibility from the driver sit. I test-drove Montana and Caravan and next week I am going to test-drive Venture.
By the way Montana felt much more solid than Caravan. The Caravan I drove had very noisy breaks and suspension. I also don’t believe that somebody could sit behind me, since there was no space at all at the second raw. I found some rust on the engine.
Montana’s ride was very silent and engine was very powerful. It became a little beet noisy on the acceleration, but I like this type of noise of the powerful well-tuned engine.
So my question is how easy to not tall person to drive Venture short wheelbase.
We drove a few of the competing vans and found the Olds to be just as good in most categories and better in others. GM's liberal rebate is quite an attraction right now.
My wife refuses to drive anything but her beloved house pet, the Venture (our other vehicle is Mazda Millenia S). She loves the visibility (high seating), large mirrors (no blind spots), and easy to operate, light controls. She said the van is "user-friendly". I also think she likes the fact you don't have to pack, just throw everything in.
Today I talked to another reputable repair garage and the mechanic said he has replaced many of these gaskets on the 3.4 van engines and usually charges $1200 to $1300. He said he has talked to the dealer about it and that they are also replacing them all the time. He thinks the dealer is getting a partial reimbursement from GM to do it for $660.
I did a search on the subject in this discussion, (numbers 1262, 1307, 1309, 1340, 1345, 1347 and 1362) and find that some have it replaced under warranty, some have it replaced after warranty by
Chevrolet's "Goodwill Program" (whatever that is) and some pay for it, although less than I was quoted.
What is the difference between this and the 95 Windstar head gasket problem?
My advice to anyone nearing the end of your warranty: Get an independent mechanic to look for the slightest hint of a manifold gasket leak so you can have it replaced under warranty. Your dealer sure won't look for it.
The head gasket lies between the cylinder heads and the engine block.
As far as work goes for repair, you can replace the intake gasket without removing the heads.
If you need to replace the head gasket you are still going to have to remove the intake manifold and replace the gasket as well as removing the cylinder heads.
The head gasket job might as well be considered as overhauling the upper half of the motor. If you are going to do all of that work you should also have the heads solvent cleaned to remove all carbon deposits from the valves. Regardless it adds several hours of labor to the intake manifold job to do the heads.
So far GM has covered a transmission problem that started at roughly 20k. The symptoms were: Sometimes, when the car was started for the 3rd or 4th time in a day, a high whine came from the transmission and the shifts (up and down) produced a heavy thump, both felt as a jolt, and heard. When the car was shut off for a minute and restarted, it usually went back to normal. For a long time the dealer's technicians could not reproduce the symptom, till we finally went straight to the dealer while it was occurring. They found a code for the pressure control solenoid and replaced it at about 30K. There were no symptoms until about 38K when, after a 2000 mile trip, they recurred. The dealer found the PCS body was clogged with sediment, and the PCS screen was full of metal chips. They cleaned it up and replaced the solenoid again. I suppose this could happen again, but so far, no problem at almost 42K.
I am happy with the Venture, but would recommend an extended warranty to anyone who asked. I like the handling, the ride, the 3.4's power and torque are adequate, the individually removable seats are fantastic. The problems are minor, like the inadequate, breakable 2000 cup holder, the rear windows rattle when they're open, and the wipers are difficult if they get iced up in the well.
Thanks.