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
Two things I forgot to mention. Release oil filler cap and when you start to take off filter, do not take it off right away. If you release it by 3/4 of a turn, you will see the volume of oil from the drain hole increase.
When this reverts back to a drip, then remove filter.This should clear out majority of oil in the filter and stop the excess spillage...but still put an old rag as mentioned in previous message.
Thank you offham for the tips, I will try them out the next time I change oil.
According to handbook only if needle goes into red sector 15-16 segments there is a problem, but it has the special facility to alternate the firing cylinders in the event it overheats to get to service facility. I am not sure how accurate these gauges are but merely indicators of the situation.
After 23,000 mile normal on my Venture is at "10 to" position on a clock in the winter and slightly higher in the summer.
That is what he asked to have checked by the dealer the first time. He does have heat, it is just very slow to warm up and the gauge doesn't run high at all. He loves his van and has no complaints about it. He has approx 50,500 miles on it now and gets just over 28 mpg hwy and 21 mpg cty. I would still be concerned about an engine that runs that hot all the time, close to being in the red overheated section.
Saw your last post, and maybe there are some differences between 98 to 2000. I don't think anybody has said that the temp gage needle is even close to the red sector whihc is danger.
For the 2000, it moves off C to about "10 to " and that is the usual position highway or running around local. If stuck in traffic especially on a hot day, the needle will move around to the center and slight past to about "5 after", then the fan cuts in and brings it right back and have found this will happen continously until you are moving.
The 2000/01 have a message center on the fuel gage which was new for 2000 onwards. In this case you can get a HOT COOLANT warning or LOW COOLANT message.
Would be interested to read from others with 98's how long it takes to warm up for heat and wether the gage moves off C.
Cheers
What I see coming through the Chevy posts, is that a lot of the dealers do not seem to be "with it" and convey the wrong impression to the client. I wish GM would grab these guys by the scruff of the neck and teach them some marketing skills.
The Service Engine message can cover a variety of issues, which is checked electronically through the computer.
I can understand the frustration of getting a top of the line van that needs to be in the shop within 2 days.
Hang in there jints2282 !!!
See my post 2/12. Can be done, but part is $75/$80 as it consists of the " frame" that surrounds the radio/heater controls/switches and the cup holder is mounted in there at the bottom.
It is not a straight exchange for the ashtray in the 2000.
Please check out at your Chevy dealer to see if same info.
This recall notice is on at least the 2000 GM line. The text follows.
Vehicle Description: Mini vans equipped with passenger side power sliding doors. The door closes but may not be latched. If this happens, the power sliding door can open while the vehicle is in motion, particularly when the vehicle ascends a hill, makes a turn, or travels over a rough road surface.
An unrestrained occupant could fall out of the van and be injured.
Dealers will install a new unlatch actuator assembly to the power sliding door. Owner notification is expected to begin during April 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537. Also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hot line at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT
(1-888-327-4236).
Campaign Number: 01V067000 Date: Mar-08-2001
With smoking on the decrease, Chevy engineers did not catch on to the trend that people generaly do not want ash trays/lighters any more. Soccer Moms and all that.
My other theory is that as this van was designed in cooperation with GM Europe, and I bet those guys were all smokers as seems to be the most of the population. I am sure the US Chevy guys said, "Hey what about the front cup holders" and slapped them on the side of the passenger seat as a compromise.
Personally, the rear holders are not much use either, with the juice box cut out on the backs of the seats they are too shallow.
I just bought 98 Chevy venture with 25k on it. it seems to be in a very good shape, however I have couple of questions:
1.The horn appears to be very tight to signal - needs almost a kick with palm of the hand - is it normal for this type of car?
2. The light for Traction control button stays on
at all times (the one below the HVAC controls.) If I turn it off it comes back on after restarting of the van. When The button light is on,Does it mean that TracControl on or off? Manual is confusing.
Thank you
Leon
Re TC. In the 2000 there are two indicators. The TC is always active unless you switch it off and on this model there is a light up sign under the temp gage showing "TRAC OFF". I have not tested to see if it stays on after I re start the van.
When the TC is active, the 2000 have a message center that states "TRACTION ACTIVE" and you hear it whirring away.
My conclusion would be is that your light in fact shows it is active, until you switch it off and it auto resets next time you start.
I test drove one of these vans a while ago. The one I test drove didn't seem as nice as the one I bought. This one is just a little tighter.
I see this van as sort of a compromise between the Fords and Chryslers and the Hondas and Toyotas. I could barely afford the Honda and Toyota vans. The message boards for the Windstar and Caravan are scary places.
There aren't many people on this board that seem to have problems with their vans. Should I be looking out for anything?
Fred
I noticed that the left side support pad on the drivers seat looked different and found that a wire zigzag support underneath was immediately behind the fabric and was starting wear the fabric. The dealer arranged for me to take it to an upholstery shop on Monday, and they will take off the seat cover and see what has happened to the foam. All other seats are OK.
On both the rear sides of van where the rear doors slide back, there is thin panel about 1.5inches wide and 20 inches long. This covers the center slide tracking.
This is held in by two TORX screws one at each end(you need one of those special star screw drivers)and found that it was not tight.
Underneath there is a metal door stop right at the end of the tracking and it appears to knock against that.
I removed the rear light cluster and tightened the screw holding the piece of trim and it eliminated all loose movement.
The front screw is more difficult as it is behind the sliding door and you need a 90 degree tool, which I do not have. Anyway this seems to have worked.
Hope this will help !
factory warranty running out in 3k miles.
Thanks
Rick L>
According to upholsterer, the GM foam/padding quality is not the best and eventually the wire support works/cuts it's way through foam, and that is what you can feel behind the seat fabric.
He replaced all of it and put a patch under the fabric to ensure it does not wear through.
and saw that a service bulletin was issued in Feb 2000 under ref 00-07-30-002 with text of "Slips,Harsh upshift....".
Not sure whether this related to problem described, but would ask dealer to review the TSB under that reference to see if it is similar to the situation you are getting.
Rest assured, it is something developing that could end up being costly.
i know in 98 got chair-mounted side impact air bags. was wondering if anyone can tell changes in 99 models? or 2000 model? or 2001 model?
any and all opinions are appreciated.
tia
rob
Firstly, I would go to www.alldata.com (see my #744 post) and review the GM service bulletin subject titles. You will get an idea of the sort of problems in each model year.
As far as I can recall most of the changes between 99/2001 were small. Nobody knows except Chevy what technical changes were made between the model years.
99/2000: Redsigned facia and message system. New radios with built in single CD player. Different seat fabrics.
00/01: New grille, 6 CD player option, decent cup holder in the dash. Back seats can fold flat and some sort of shopping bag tray. If you want the WB version bigger tv screen and wireless headphones.
Again it depends on the model you are looking at, but from posts it would appear that 2000 are looking to be more reliable than previous years.
thanks for your posts.
for the above model years, no engine tweaking?
does any of the 2000 gm vans have a rear seat that folds flat or is that feature available only on the 2001 models?
i've read that the 2001 model side impact air bag is now designed to protect the head. does that mean that the previous generation of side impact bags DO NOT protect the driver/occupant's head?
again, thanks for sharing your obvioous experience. be well.-rob
In regard to mechanicals, one has to hope that any problem found in a '99 was a production fix for '00 and so on.
According to handbook side airbags in 2000 are to shoulder height and only activated in side impact.
The fold flat rear seat is only for 2001. This seems to be a poor solution to the Honda rollaway rear seat. The Chevy one is not flush with the floor but must be 5/6 inches higher. We have the 8 seat version and the rear bench is a split flip and fold and each half can come out individually.
For hauling college stuff/ice hockey gear it is great and the three center row seats do the same. For us it gives max flexibility relative to cargo and passengers.
Trust assists.
Rgds
David
I have the short middle bench seat. The salesman that sold us the van said that we could come back later and get the 3 modular seats to make the long middle bench. Now child #3 is on the way and I want those 3 middle seats. I went to the dealer and the parts manager said that it was Chevy policy to NOT sell whole seats. Now I cannot get the seats without buying a new van or finding a wreck at a salvage yard. Have any of you run into this problem and/or any suggestions for getting my hands on these seats?
Thanks in advance.
I also want the 3-abreast in my 99 with bench seats....you are right, you can't buy seats from GM, and I tried some net sites as well. Someone in this folder located seats at a junkyard. This appears to be the only way to get 'em, unfortunately.
Christian