GMC Safari/Chevy Astro

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  • xboxxbox Member Posts: 2
    I have a 97 GMC Safari and while driving the shaft on the steering pulley sheared off. I replaced the steering pump and followed the directions to bleed the system. After doing all this the steering and brakes are still no better than before I replaced the pump. The hoses are not damaged so I am wondering if the new pump I bought was no good,?

    Any help would be appreciated
  • frankymfrankym Member Posts: 2
    Hi!! just found this site & have learned a great deal about the Safari/Astro vehicle here. EEEK , i think im a little scared now. LOL.... sounds like lots of transmission & idle problems. Went from an S10 4x4 5 spd manual extended cab,......quite a different driving experience ! :) I loved that lil truck , did so much 4x4ing with it when I first got it ,,, did things that it was never meant to do , lol , but was always reliable , other than going thru a few sets of balljoints…..
    3 weeks ago I purchased a 95 Safari SLX, 2wd, 184 thousand kilometers, in very nice shape, no rust underneath or on the body paint in good shape, starts up well. I just replaced the rear shocks & rear tires, which helped reduce the spongy feel when i first drove it. Taking out the seats helped a bit also, as it will be used mainly for light duty work. I was told that the front shocks were fine ,,,, however , i still notice a spongy kinda feel at the front. Are there any recommended shocks & or springs to help stiffen up the front so it doesn’t feel as squishy ?? Also is there a sway bar avail to install for the rear ??
    I have just had the transmission flushed & it seems to be working ok though there is a bit of kick between 1st & 2nd . It has also been idling a bit rough esp when its warmed up a bit, though it seems to have improved after I was actually able to light up the tires on the back ( not smoking, just squealing ) & raise the rpm up high,,,seemed to flush it out a bit , ( I don’t normally do this ,but just wanted to see what it would do off the line ) Not bad for a box! . lol , certainly more ummph than the 2.8 litre in the S10.
    I have yet to get a Haynes manual so I can get to know things better & do a proper tune up on it ect.
    Anyways just wanted to say I love my van so far, hope the money I put into it will be more towards a fine stereo & rims ,. My wife likes it very much also ,,. She has an outside door handle now ! lol
    Anyways drive safe everyone,,,,,
    Franky
    :)
  • swoopyswoopy Member Posts: 1
    i am wondering if anyone knows how to open the rear doors or get access to the inside of the doors as they are closed and the handle does not work.
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    iF i REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET TO THE INTERIOR LOWER SCREWS AROUND THE RIGHT (LOCKING) DOOR. YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE INTERIOR PANEL YOU MAY HAVE TO REMOVE THE SPEAKER ALSO.
    YOU'LL MOST LIKELY NEED TO CUT THROUGH THE PLASTIC COVER BEHIND THE PANEL ENOUGH TO GET YOUR ARM OR PLYERS INSIDE.
    YOUR LOOKING FOR A PENCIL SIZED SHAFT TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE 2 DOORS AND PULL IT DOWN.
    THERE ARE TWO THERE ONE FOR THE LOCK AND ONE FOR THE HANDLE.
    THIS SHOULD RELEASE THE DOOR.
    I HAD TO DO MINE 3 YRS AGO, THAT'S WHY I AM A LITTLE VAGUE ON THE EXACT DETAILS.
    CHECK PRIOR LISTING FOR OTHER DETAILS
  • johnaecjohnaec Member Posts: 11
    Dutch doors? Is this what you're talking about: johnaec, "GMC Safari/Chevy Astro" #1354, 27 May 2006 7:55 am

    John
  • dallandallan Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I just bought a 1999 AWD Safari SLT with 99,000 KM on it, it is in excellent condition with a detailed maintenance history. Now I have never owned or driven an AWD and just want to see if some of the experiences I've had are NORMAL with AWD. It is very smooth running, excellent on the highways etc, however, when I am completely stopped and reverse into a relatively sharp turn (backing out of a parking stall), it seem to have a bit of a "shutter" (not sure if the properly discribes the sensation, but I don't know what to call it) or if I turn rather sharply from a stop I feel it. I doesn't do it if I am already travelling and turn, only from a complete stop. Other than that it is as smooth as can be. I spoke with a local mechanic and he said this was a characteristic with AWD, something to do with the power reaching all 4 wheels, but I am not convinced....is this normal, or do I have a problem here???? YIKES!! Thanks in advance for any help!! :surprise:
  • newsafariownernewsafariowner Member Posts: 2
    We just bought a 2000 AWD Safari. It has a few minor cosmetic problems. We need new seat armrests for the driver and driver's side passenger seats as well as a rear radio control bow. The dealer told us the armrests cost $400! Does anyone know of sources for used parts other than junk yards (my last option preferably)?
  • newsafariownernewsafariowner Member Posts: 2
    I meant to say rear radio control box.
  • richly917richly917 Member Posts: 4
    I'm surprised that the man didn't know about the problem. All of them did the chatter when turning. The fix for it is changing the oil in the transfer case. Check with a GMC dealer and they can do it. GM payed for it during the first 36,000 miles. But I think they make you pay for now. I don't remember if the new oil has to be synthetic or not. The dealer should know because it was a common problem for 20 years.
  • jeffastrovanjeffastrovan Member Posts: 1
    Hi, we took our van in for repair, they replaced the fuel injectors and it seems to be using too much fuel and there is a strong gas exhaust smell coming into the van it seems from the console area now. We also notice a heavy gas smell from the exhaust pipe, condensation on the pavement and smoke when we usually don't see any. Something has happened since the ejectors were put in (spider injector).
    Any ideas appreciated, thanks, Jeff
  • bobble60bobble60 Member Posts: 5
    The problem goes back about a year. I turn the key and get only the click of the solenoid. At first, it was once in a blue moon in serious rain. Last week, it became more frequent. Today, it took 12 attempts before the starter came on. the engine then starts normally. Is this the solenoid? are there other likely causes? I am pretty handy, but wonder if this starter is a DIY or requires the dealer to replace. The diagram looks straightforward. Any help is appreciated.
    bob
  • zeus723pazeus723pa Member Posts: 2
    Hello I have an 88Safari and a 91 Astro. Problem I have on both is that the power window motor on the passenger side will go down on both vehicles but wont come back up. What can I possibly do myself to get the windows to come back up again? :sick:
  • chris37chris37 Member Posts: 2
    first customer complained of abs light on and no brakes. found abs ring bad on rt frt rotor replaced. resurfaced left frt rotor. replaced left rear drum o/r and resurfaced rr drum. customer complained of skidding and not stopping rear brakes we think were adj too much and we backed them off. now still complaining no brakes and skidding. any suggestions :confuse: :sick:
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    They sell arm rest caps that cover up the splitting of the vinyl on ebay for $40+/- a set.
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    Rule of thumb. If they sell it in the parts store you can usually fix it yourself. They don't stock parts that people can't use themselves.
    All you need is the book and the right tools (they loan you them at the parts store nowadays)
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    It may be an electrical connection is loose. either at the selonoid itself or at the battery connections.
    Could also be the battery is not fully charged.(dying)
    There is a way to check the selonoid by bypassing it to check if it's the problem.
    A chilton book will show this test.
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    You can change the motor yourself.Not to big of a job.
    But, if your not an mechanical person don't know if I would tell you to do it. Don't know your level of ability.

    The only problem is that they usually rivet the motors into the door, so you have to replace them or use bolts to put the new one back in.
    Just take the door panels off, remove the 3 rivets or whatever is holding the motor in place and replace it.
  • 5282jt5282jt Member Posts: 2
    If I want them on in the daytime, i'll turn them on. I did research here before posting. One person said to take out the DRL fuse. I looked through the fuses and did not see a DRL fuse???
    Another suggestion was to push the lights button 4 times, each time you start the van. I haven't tried that yet, but I prefer to shut them down to manual, if possible.
    I appreciate the help! :)
    Thanks
  • hardwayalphahardwayalpha Member Posts: 17
    "Another suggestion was to push the lights button 4 times, each time you start the van."

    this did not work on 99. i did rent a newer astro when i was in FL and it did work.
  • rmamroshrmamrosh Member Posts: 1
    You can go to a Chevy dealer and get 6 bottles of AutoTrak II blue fluid for the transfer case. You are supposed to drain the old stuff, put in 3 bottles of the new, drive for a half hour, drain the 'new' stuff, then put in another load of new stuff! Sounds like a waste. We had this problem after 80k miles on our 2000 AWD Astro. This 'fix' worked well for 10k miles, now it's doing it again! Will have to go waste some more oil. Hope this helps.
  • 5282jt5282jt Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, I tried pushing the lights button 4 times too, but my lights button is not a button, it's a knob.:(
  • hardwayalphahardwayalpha Member Posts: 17
    my 99 chevy astro has a slight uneven idle. it was in the dealers for a full tune up, they said everything was with in spec. it was back 6 times and they acted like it is not there,but it is. oh it is uneven idle in park or drive with foot on brake. seems to run fine going down the road.
  • garyvolgaryvol Member Posts: 15
    6 times, wow :mad:
    Not sure if this helps. Following a brake job done on my 98 Safari ,by my local garage mechanic, which also included replacing the emergency brake cables on both sides. The back drum kept heating up while driving suggesting the cable spring needs replacing which it did and fixed the heating problem. He then suggested a tune up is needed. I did notice the idling was erratic / uneven, as you put it. He did the tune up and the idle did improve to a normal condition. I did notice on his itemized bill of sale, he included, not sure about this as I don’t have the paper work in front of me, but it surprised me he would list it, something about adjusting the high idle and low idle. I live in Massachusettes so I don’t know if listing this detail is a state requirement. If you need further info let me know and I could chat with him on what he did with the idle.
    -gary :)
  • hardwayalphahardwayalpha Member Posts: 17
    the dealer claims they did the idle adjustment. i live 4 blocks from the dealers so i just drop it off and walk home and go to work. after the second time i know they are not going to do anything with the van :( the slight miss or hunting is slight. i can really notice it when i am tired, because my tollerance is low. the last time i took it in, they told me to bring it back when the check eng light is on.
  • garyvolgaryvol Member Posts: 15
    check engine lite seems a little drastic to flag a problem.
    Wonder if they test drive the van down the road, following adjusting the idle, stopping at a red light the way we do and pay attention to the idle.
  • hardwayalphahardwayalpha Member Posts: 17
    oh i had the service manger drive it with me. he finally after he got the idea i was not going away. he said he notices it, but that they don't know what else to do.
  • wkkrimmwkkrimm Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1990 Safari with 143,000 miles. The van starts fine, but while it is still cold it wants to hesitate and almost stall as you start to accelerate. Once the van is totally warmed up this problem goes away.

    Any idea on what to check for??
  • johno1964johno1964 Member Posts: 1
    Hello guys, My name is john and im from Northern Ireland, And i just bought a 1995 GMC Safari Maturest Limited Edition. Having just owned my pride and joy for 5 weeks now, I have to say i get some looks when driving around the streets of Belfast!! and boy she realy does turn heads with her BIG red GMC Badge on the front grill, and that gun-metal paintwork shinning so bright, and the darkened out windows and 19" alloy wheels, And the lovey finish inside off top grade leather and wood, she does look the part, And i have even had people stop and ask me what kind of vehicle she is.....And when i registered the vehicle with are motoring government department they told me its the only GMC in Northern Ireland and maybe even all of Ireland. The only thing that is bugging me is there are some pinstrips peeling off along the roof top sides and also on the drivers door, What i would like to know is could any you guys be so helpful as to tell me if it my be possible to get the pinstrips for this model? I tried the internet but no luck, even on the GMC website and even typed MATUREST but again no luck. Its the only thing thats bad on her and i would love to put it right.
    Thank you all so much for reading my message.
    John Glover, Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland.
  • nashdnashd Member Posts: 5
    You could have a problem with a fried motor- OR I know this sounds crazy, but I used to have problems- with my windows coming back up-Check to see if your battery is pr0perly rated for your van. I was using a wimpy battery that was used from another car I got a killer new battery with 1000 cca and the problem went away- NashD
  • mdmaxx2mdmaxx2 Member Posts: 2
    well here it is. I'm traveling and the dutch door hatch in my 2001 safari will not open.
    power door locks work. keyless entry works. can hear hatch unlock and lock but will not open. went to local gmc dealer in town traveling through and was told they are book up with appointments until july 15th. any suggestions???? all luggage still in motel room .
  • garyvolgaryvol Member Posts: 15
    found this info in the search engine.
    maybe it may still pertain to a 2001 model

    have a 1993 AstroEXT AWD that I bought new and have 102,000 miles on it now. I have written to this forum before, but have not found a solution to the problem of the dutch doors not opening. I have learned over the Labor Day weekend through my own personal trouble shooting and thought others might benefit for what I believe is the probable cause of this problem. I generally refer to Hayes repair manuals, but the dutch doors are not covered in this book.

    In the right, rear compartment, where the jack is stored, there is a black plastic box (approx. 3.5"X2.5"X1") with a wiring harness plugged into it. I carefully opened this box and found a small circuit board containing two relays. One relay activates the solenoid to release the glass hatch and unlock the right dutch door. The other relay locks the right dutch door about 2 seconds after the the hatch is closed. The second relay had blackened contact points from arcing. It seemed that if the second relay failed to lock the right dutch door, then the first relay would not activate the solenoids to release the glass hatch. I carefully cleaned the contacts on both relays and also cleaned the the circuit board contacts where the wiring harness plugs into it. I have not had a failure since I did this, but if I do, I will replace the entire black box. I hope this helps all who have experienced this problem. Please write if you find the solution to this problem to be anything other than this.
  • debo2debo2 Member Posts: 2
    I'm stumped. Passenger power window won't roll down. I have used a light tester to determine power is going all the way to the window motor. The motor runs with the up switch depressed but the motor won't operate with the down switch depressed. I attached two other motors and got the same results. I switched the wiring around and pressed the up switch and the motor operated to lower the window but won't raise it when the down switch is depressed. Apparently the polarization isn't working. What can I do next.
  • zeus723pazeus723pa Member Posts: 2
    I already tried replacing the motor and also did 2 switches and it still does the same thing where the window goes down but wont come back up. I even tried the motor off the door to make sure it was a weight issue. I know that sounds kinda stupid itself but worth a shot as well.
  • debo2debo2 Member Posts: 2
    I'm having the same problem but mine goes up but not down. changed switches and motors on passenger side with same results. I believe its a polarization problem. still haven't found a solution. hopefully an electrician can give us some answers.
  • mdmaxx2mdmaxx2 Member Posts: 2
    thanks... found the problem.. a broken wire in harness above hach.
  • nightskynightsky Member Posts: 2
    Hi All, have a 98 Astro AWD. It misfires under partial (only) throttle. From idle or while driving. Replaced ALL sensors, plugs, wires, cap and rotor.
    Someone said its the fuel injector unit under the air-intake manifold, but the problem isn't all the time, goes away sometimes, but always at the exact same throttle position just off idle. Only code 300 displayed (ramdom cylinder misfire) Any ideas?????
  • johnaecjohnaec Member Posts: 11
    I have a '99 Astro that just turned 50K miles. The other night, which cruising at 70 mph on the highway, I came to an upgrade. Halfway up, it downshifted into 3rd to maintain speed. As I crested the hill about 20 seconds later, it upshifted back to 4th, and almost immediately, the "Service Engine Soon" light came on, and it stayed on the next time I started it.

    I left the battery unhooked overnight, and now the SES light is gone. I understand the code may still be stored in memory, but I'm not going to worry too much about it. I imagine it has something to do with lean or rich from that upshift after the downshift stint, but I really believe it was an anomoly due to those particular conditions, or maybe a sensor was sticking.

    If anyone has more ideas what happened, I'm still curious.

    John
  • nashdnashd Member Posts: 5
    Hello- im having bizarre starter problems- the starter is brand new- worked great for a month- - now it makes wizzing noise and will not engage or start- any Ideas?- Thanks- NashD
  • tiremadnesstiremadness Member Posts: 2
    I have just spent 6 hours on the roadsides coming home from vacation due to tires. I had a tire shred on the interstate at 70 mph but was able to get the car off the road, the donut on and then went to get a replacement tire. I thought I was solving the problem BUT it sounds like I created a worse one. At the tire store, we found a tire the same size as the good side of the car. We also found that the tires were a different size on the 2 sides. 80's on the driver side and 85's on the passenger side. We bought these tires in 2002 and have 30,000 miles on them and they have been rotated once and aligned twice. We put the 85 on the rear driver side and I left to head home. My husband had taken the motorcycle home earlier and was waiting. The car was pulling very hard to the left so I got off the interstate and headed down another road and then I saw the smoke from the back of the van. On a Sunday of a holiday weekend I found a tow and a mechanic. I burned up the front differential and the car was only driven 30 miles that day.
    Which tire company do I go after? The one that put the wrong tires on to begin with and rotated them once? We have the purchase agreement with it listed that they should all be the 85 size. Or the one that put the 85 on the side with the 80.
    Would the different sizes have done slow damage? Why would a donut be provided for a car that would destroy itself if it was driven 30 miles on the wrong size tire?
    Do I go after both? Would the tire sizes add to the chance of the blow out on the tire to begin with? The tire was a shreded mess so we could not tell what happened to it.
    Thanks for your comments.
  • rocko2rocko2 Member Posts: 2
    4.3 with 125k.starts and idles good cold but as soon as it gets to normal temp,starts idling rough whether in park,rev,drive,with or w/o a/c on.use to get an int eng light with code 32.removed egr and found pintle forced to stay open because of carbon build up.removed carbon and cleaned valve.made sure pintle moves freely.installed new gasket.peformed complete tune up,cleaned throttle body and disconnected battery to clear code.after 125 miles later,no eng light and no codes present but rough idle after warm.any ideas???thanks..rocko2
  • tiremadnesstiremadness Member Posts: 2
    I goofed in what I wrote. It size 70 and 75 on the tires and not 80 and 85. Sorry
  • ceja1ceja1 Member Posts: 2
    :sick: ">i have a 99 safari awd it's been modest to us, but i have a couple of problems.
    my awd light stays on and i've looked every were to see what causes this,second my ses light comes on periodically mostly on an incline and when it happens my mpg goes way down. my passenger window wont work, and just recently my a/c - heater control panel just went out. can anybody tell me why my awd and ses lights come on or what cause them to come on? i'll never own a chevy van again.
  • fireman5fireman5 Member Posts: 3
    From the looks of it alot ob people have been having an idle proble this week. I started to have a high idle yesterday. The truck wants to race. I can take my foot of the brak and it will run to 30mph with no foot in it. Any thoughts to what is causing it. I also pull a trailer alot with it. :cry:
  • krashman67krashman67 Member Posts: 7
    My 91 Astro has all kinds of door issues, including not being able to open the side door from the inside. The rear doors won't open. I have replaced the latches on both rear doors, but they wear out after awhile. Someday I'll replace them again, but for now, the doors are opened from the inside.The panels are removed from both doors, and the doors are opened by moving the actuator rods up or down. The passenger side rear door is opened by pulling the rod down. The driver's side door is trickier, one rod is pulled down, another one is pushed up. N :sick: ot fun, but it gets the door open.
  • safari98safari98 Member Posts: 1
    I have a '98 GMC Safari and am having problems with the driver's side window. The motor for the window acts like it is "weak". The window will go all the way down, but will only go part of the way up. You can wait several minutes and get the window to go up a little further. You can also help the window go up by pushing up on the window with your hand while pressing the button with the your finger on the other hand. I thought about replacing the motor, but wanted to see what kind of responses I got on this forum before doing that.
  • momneedshelpmomneedshelp Member Posts: 6
    thank you very much...that did help...i have purchased another vehicle as the van is just causeing too many head aches.
  • georgiedeespageorgiedeespa Member Posts: 1
    :sick: I have an '89 Chevy Astro with a 4.3L V6, 195,000 miles, second owner (bought it with 36,000, and I love it!The fuel pump went out a while back, and ever since I replaced it the engine will not hold idle under a load. :cry: There are no codes, have had computer diagnostics run on it 3x at 3 different locations, and no problems found. :confuse: If I come to a light or a stop sign I have to either jam the brake in and give it just a touch on the gas pedal or throw it in neutral, otherwise the engine will bog down, idle rough for a few seconds and then die. :sick: I have replaced the distributor, (found a crack in the shaft when checking for timing issue) rebuilt the throttle body (not the regulator) been from one end of the van to the other with no luck. Also, I believe it is related, but maybe not, my gas mileage has gone down the crapper and I have REALLY rich exhaust since this problem started. Anyone have any ideas? Mr. Goodwrench and no one else seems to know. Please e-mail me at georgiedeespa@yahoo.com.
    Thanks! :sick:
  • jml6658jml6658 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 98 Astro with power door locks that dont operate correctly.Drivers door locks and unlocks back and side door only.Neither front doors will lock. Anybody no which part this could be in the system.
  • smulveysmulvey Member Posts: 139
    Maybe your fuel pressure regulator has a leak in the diaphram and it is not holding back the gas? Then when the motor slows down there is too much fuel for the volme of air so the motor floods and stalls? This used to happen a lot with stuck carb floats on Quadrajets. You had to race the motor at idle to keep it running. I would assume you have too much fuel at idle and start searching for the cause there.
  • jbeiter1jbeiter1 Member Posts: 1
    Sorry to say I don't have any help to offer but want to ask you a question. Do you know if you replaced the hoses in the fuel line? I have to replace the fuel lines on my 93 safari and I've asked a few people about the hoses(regular fuel line. ->special compression fitting to hose. -> less than 2' hose.-> regular fuel line. ->another hose to compression fitting). I can't find anyone who know's what they(1 for each side, supply and return) are about. Do you know if they can they be replaced with std fuel line or are they necessary for expansion or something? Thanks, for any help or advice. Joe.
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