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I have a 2000 GMC Safari AWD that I bought as a NEW left over in the spring of 2001. It now has 24,000 miles on it. The front end is pulsing and shaking when I step lightly or otherwise on the brakes.
I suspect warped rotors. Before I start with the dealer on a warranty claim; is this common, --happened to any of you?
Is this covered under warranty? Car has been in service for about 12 months now. NO problems other than this, but it is not getting any better. Has there been a service recall on this issue?
Started about 500 miles ago and gets worse as I stop and go and they warm up.
I have had no panic stops of any kind. I am the sole driver.
Please let me have your comments.
Thanks
My dealer alleges that 24K is actually pretty good, since they've seen Astros requiring brake job swith as few as 10K miles. I took the van to an independent brake shop and had the job done for half of what the dealer wanted, althought the brakes still don't feel 100%.
I believe that the brakes on the Astro/Safari vans are underdesigned, but I'm sure GM disagrees...
Now, about the brakes in general and the pads specifically. Saftros have very heavy brakes made to handle loads. From the factory the pads will wear out in less than 24K unless most of the miles are highway. Several companies have introduced ceramic based pads to give extended life. When the government determined that asbestos was going to be the end of mankind, it was removed from brake pads. This is another reason why the pads wear quickly. Stay away from the "lifetime warranty" pads as many have very high metallic content and will squeal like a pig as well as wreck havoc on the rotors.
Having hauled a Safari down from 65MPH to 0 in a maximum braking condition on a Dallas freeway while towing a 2K lb trailer and the van fully loaded I feel quite qualified to state that the brakes can stop one of our beloved vans in a hurry. But to this day I still have no idea why the idiot on the freeway slammed on his brakes with no one near him. Maybe his cell phone shorted out and scorched his ear. One can only hope.
Jim
I got 31,000 out of these originals but I have been getting a shimmy for the last few thousand miles. I rotate tires every 5000 miles and Les Schwab torques the lug nuts every time. So the rotors just wear unevenly or I guess they may warp over time.
Oh, the price for the front brake job? It's here in my hand: $230.76.
The AWD has a different brake assembly to accommodate the drive hubs. Does the RWD have the same issue? This and maintaining alignment of the the rather complex geometry of the old tech steering system (idler arms) seem to be common problems.
I have been told that when replacing the idler arm to go with the replacement part made by TRW. Seems their design is beefier than the original. Unfortunately, at the time I did the replacement no one had the TRW in stock. BTW, replacing the idler on a Safarstro takes about 10 minutes using common hand tools. And, no, you do not need to "re-align" the front end after the repair no matter what the guy who sells alignments says. If you can screw up the alignment while changing the idler arm you shouldn't have been under the van in the first place.
Jim
When we got our 2000AWD w/18K miles on it took it to dealer for the transfer case fluid issue, The service dept. brought to my attention unusual wear on front tires, said the cords are breaking down internaly and referred me to Uniroyal. Where it was determined the toe-in was set incorrrectly. They rotated tires set toe-in. When I changed to new set of winter tires, about 8K miles later, the left front had excessive inside wear. The right showed no wear. Had dealership do an alignment. Practiclay every angle was out of spec requiring adjustmenet. It now seems to wander and doesn't feel quite right. 30K miles original Idler arms. Previous post seem to pattern their needing replacement. Wish you were here, I'd let you crawl under it.
Jim
On a side note my roommate has this really weird obsession with manual, i.e. windup, windows. He won't buy a vechile with them because he says they are death traps and that going within 200 miles of any body of water is just asking for a watery grave. He has a PHD, but he pays the rent on time and......
Steve
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When they install rack and pinion steering, Bilstien shocks, etc. as they will have on the 03 full size 1500 van, then we will be headed in the right direction. An optional V8 would be nice also.
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I suspect that Jim will respond to your post with the info. According to Jim it's a piece of cake.
Jim
Yes I have had the problems some of you listed here, Idler arm replaced, the torsion support, fuel pump, EGR valve and a yr ago a front wheel bearing. What I can also say is that it has kept our sanity among three kids and wife for those long trips. I often go camping and hunting trips by pulling the third seat out and fill the back with all the gear I need. No need to tow a camper or trailer. I have filled the back with wood, I use cardboard to keep interior clean.
About the EGR valve, rough starting or running maybe the EGR valve, $150. Make sure when it is replaced that carbon hadn't gotten stuck in the valve opening. If yes and the valve moves freely, it's not the valve but carbon trapped in the valve. The real problem is the carbon coming from the exhaust manifold flaking off and being trapped in the valve.
The loose handling related to the idler arm maybe, a wheel bearing possible. Both could be expensive. I've replaced the idler arm, with no problem. The wheel bearing was back to the service shop.
On my two trips to the Smoky Mt. I put the van in 2nd gear coming down and rarely had to apply the brakes, completely incontrol.
Hauling 4x8 sheets of plywood or other material for the home projects was easy. No more strapping on top.
New van has 7 seat layout with headphone controls in back. My daughters love it!
As for tires, I recommend the Michlin LT, have had excelent service. 73000mi on last set. Besides, they are great for our winter snow storms and only $80 ea.
I have had some strange problems with cars before but this one is a first. Any idea what might be causing the engine to run poorly when you fill the gas tank?
I am planning to buy an Astro and have heard nothing about good things about the engine. I talked to 2 people at work. 1 had his astro
van for 275k miles and drove it to the junk yard with
the original engine and Tranny. The other is still
driving his astro with 206k miles with original
everything.
One friend bought an Astro about 2 months ago and is having problems with the transmission with the car warms up. On the test drive be sure the have the vehicle warm up. Once hot, from a dead stop accelerate briskly. This will help find any potential tranny problems.
I had to replace the front rotors at 55k miles along with the pads.
Last summer the drive shaft broke and destroyed the rear pumpkin. That resulted in a new axle assembly ($2600), which was covered under the Wynns warranty.
I just had the two idler arms replaced due to the excessive play in them, when that was done I also had the tires balanced. I still have what feels like an un-balanced tire, the steering shimmies a bit.
I also have the sticking accelerator. This is fun when teaching my 16 yr old how to drive. I have not found a remedy for that yet. Has anyone else?
I have had the drivers' window that occasionally won't go up, and is stuck down, but only when it's raining or snowing out.
My two questions for anyone has to due with the ABS and a tune up. I still have the original plugs, wires and cap. The van runs a bit rough and I want to give it a tune up myself but don't know how to access the engine compartment from the cabin. Has anyone done their own tuneup? And what are the steps for access and any other helpful hints. What did you replace and did it make a difference.
Also my ABS seems to be acting up. When driving very slowly (like in a parking lot) once I step on the breaks I can feel the pulsating ABS kick in and the van does not slow down as fast. It only happens when I'm driving slow. Has this happened to anyone else?
Other than the shimmy in the front end, the need for a tune up, and occasional sticky gas pedal, a drivers window that won't consistently go up, and the intermittent ABS problem when going slow, the van is a gem. For a high mileage van w/ AWD, in the snow it is incredible. As for a tow vehicle, it's great. Plenty of torque for a boat/trailer combo weighing in at #3960.
Any response on the tuneup or ABS is appreciated.
jcletko: Just an opinion, everybody has one. Sounds like you may live in California, and, or, have been using premium fuel in the van. This will acerbate fuel pressure regulator problems, and or injection problems. The plugs, wiring, etc. should be good for 100,000 miles. The injector assy. list for $470.00 and GM does not break it down to parts.
The plugs are best accessed from underneath. The driver side is more difficult than the passenger side. I usually jack it up and put it on jack stands then remove the front wheels.
I don't have an AWD, but I would check that the tires are matched and inflated to 35 PSIG all the way around and see if this will help the ABS problem.
That's all I know and possibly more.
Good luck.
Boyd
I had 1997 Astro with 170,000 miles and I wish I didn't get rid of it. I am hearing the some people have these things past 200,000 close to 300,000. I know it sounds crazy buy, it is possible. That van was great. The rear end went and someone bought it from me and is replacing it and going to use it for his business. I am telling you Astros don't quit.
I have had minor problems but, they have fixed them.
Then we had to get a copy of that and send it to our insurance company to make sure these extras were covered.
Do you know the name of the conversion company? Our name is Rocky Ridge.
I hope this is some kind of help.
And if it makes it through the scenic country we will drop down into lost wages and maybe see a show.
But this is the Acid tow test over the hill and through the dale.
It sounds like you have a bad wire in the door conduit from the body to the door. This happens from repeated opening and closing of the door. You have to get into the conduit and pull on the wires looking for a broken wire, it happens internally so the insulation will look like normal. If you have those contacts like on the sliding side door, make sure they are clean, use a pencil eraser to get them cleaned up, if the spring loaded contacts in the door are weak you need to replace them to keep a good contact.
Did you know it was basically the same vehicle as the other?
Why did you choose it over the other?
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we brought it back to dealer and they gave me the hardest time about this problem and tried to blame it on the accident. They refused to fix it.
Anyway I brought it to another dealer and they found the problem in 1 hour. It was a cut in the wire that runs along side of one of the dutch doors which the other dearler most likely did when they tried to replace the license plate frame. I have not had a problem since.
I've been evaluating vans now for over a year, and currently own a 1989 Dodge Grand Caravan (and a 1998 Chev Cavalier). My wife and I, who are in our late 40's but still have 2 younger children (ages 14 and 8) still wanted a van, but were torn between the Kia Sedona and the Astro. I knew that if we purchased the Sedona, the day would come when we would want to pull a trailer over the 3500 GVR capacity of the Sedona or want to have more internal room for hauling items. Living here in the rocky mountain states, the all wheel drive is something that would be useful. As my 14 year old son said -- "Dad, this is great! We now can go where we can do some really good snowboarding."
When I saw the ad for the Astro at Murdock Chevrolet in Woods Cross, Utah, and that the price was a minimum of $3000 less than the Sedona, I went for it. Dealers weren't discounting much on the Sedona, and the Astro had a few extra features the Sedona didn't have such as AWD, dutch doors, etc.
I also contacted a close friend of mine who has now owned two Astros during the past several years. He has a business, Parson's Lock and Key, and uses the van extensively. He has been using the 2 wheel drive, but has now purchased his third, an AWD. An employee will be using this van. He is extremely pleased with the Astro, and they have been and continue to be very dependable vehicles.
I appreciate the information that has been shared in the Astro Town Hall. A number of you who have contributed have given a great deal of attention and focus to you comments. By the way, if any of you live close to the Wasatch front range of Utah -- go see the Jason Brough at Murdock Chevrolet in Woods Cross, UT. He's been selling Chevy's for over 11 years now and he treated myself and my wife very well.
I get a puff of smoke when it's cold but I was told by the dealer not to worry about it. It's done it since it had 36k on it (of course right after the warranty expired)!
I replaced the idler arms at 90k. I was lucky to get that out of them from what I hear. Alternator went out at 85k (typical GM thing I think).
Has anyone had problems with the door handles breaking? I'm very fussy with my vehicles and I was shocked one cold morning when I pulled on the door handle and it snapped. I've already replaced the sliding door handle once.
Also, I went to get in it one morning to find the battery dead and the driver seat all the way back. I charged the battery and moved the seat forward. As soon as I let go of the power seat control, it moved back all by itself! Could I have a bad switch? I finally just got the seat where I normally have it and disconnected the wiring underneath. I'm the only driver so I can't figure out why this would suddenly go bad.
Other than what I've mentioned, it's been a very reliable "grocery getter"! (my mother had an 89 Astro and my younger siblings refused to drive it because "its what old people drive to get groceries". Lucky for me, Mom had a red 72 Olds 442 when I first started driving!). I was 27 when I bought this van. I guess they think I'm really old now!
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#344 of 370 Re: De'Lemon by coonhound Apr 18, 2002 (08:16 pm)
Check post #343 by jlflemmons on soldering the circuit board connections.
I suspect that Jim will respond to your post with the info. According to Jim it's a piece of cake.
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#345 of 370 73notch by jlflemmons Apr 19, 2002 (09:01 pm)
Happy Friday. The pulse module is mounted within the wiper motor assembly. First, remove the locking pin on the wiring connector, then disconnect the harness. Remove the three torx head screws that hold the cover to the wiper motor housing. Remove the cover and you will be looking at the pulse module circuit board. This board plugs in, so wiggle it as you pull it from the housing. It will come out. If you look at the side of the board with no components (solder side) you will see where the connector for the wiring harness solders in. There are about five or six large solder joints for this connector. These joints need to be fluxed and re-soldered. If you don't understand the last statement, find a friend who does and has a good soldering iron. Check the joints for good solder flow, no solder bridges, and then reassemble the unit making sure the pulse module board is fully seated. If you have followed these instructions and used good solder techniques, your wiper problem will be solved for about 2-4 years. Then, you can do the same thing aqain. Good luck,
Jim
The vehicle mileage is only 44,000 miles, but I now notice that the throttle sometimes sticks in the closed position and pops free causing a lurch. Is this the condition of carbon build up as mentioned on some of the post.
In some western states and at Flying J they sell 85 or 86 octane instead of the standard 87 specified fuel. I used the stuff and did not notice any difference in performance, or any detonation knock. With the sensitive injector system being sensitive to high grade fuel, I thought cheaper may be better.
The KYB Monomax front shocks, Monroe load leveler rear shocks, and Toyo 800 Ultra tires made the unit handle well in cross winds and big rig passing. Still reserved about the K&N air filter as to any benefit.
There was no noticeable oil consumption of the Mobile 1 10/30 tri synthetic.
Could have used a little more HP in the mountains and may be looking at a new full sized 2003 GM van, if they make the short version. The short van is not all that much bigger than an Astro and with the new rack and pinion steering, heavier differential, etc, etc they sound interesting.
I believe altitude reduces the need for octane, hence the 85/86 octane in mountain states.
The ACAR hitch must have done OK. I didn't have the socket, I think 15 mm, for the four small bolts so I never even checked the tightness on these. I did check the two front big bolts and they were still tight. I have thought about having the center piece welded in place to stop the thunk noise inside the two outside brackets.
The wiper motor issue comes up regularly. Turns out more often than not, the connector (covered in rubber) tends to come loose. We used tie-wraps (no kidding) to hold them snug. It works, don't laugh and it saves about $200 in repairs.
The circuit board going out is usually a lot of nonsense. By the way, if you are really thinking of getting a Mini-Van for the long haul think again.
We ran them all and believe me, we ran them. We routinely put 10,000-15,000 miles PER MONTH on them in Atlanta's traffic. They usually get 300,000 miles on each engine before we pitched the engine and put new ones in (2k per).
Here is the lineup based on RELIABILTY in REAL WORLD, REAL USE. The full size vans are still the best when it comes to reliability and value but if you need something smaller here goes:
#1: Astros: Great power and mileage, overtly reliable overall, easy to drive.
#2: Windstars: Not a bad second, you just won't get the same life out of the engines and transmissions. Edges out the now no longer made Villagers due to room
#3: Villagers or Quest vans: Great Van, just have to watch out for the exhaust manifold bolts breaking...they are flimsy and thin. Other than that, this thing drives like a car, and moves well. Small on room...good for 4 adults plus gear. Maybe 5 adults in a pinch
#4: Dead last, don't buy it no matter what the wife says ("but it looks nice"...)...Chryslers. Transmissions suck, electrical sucks, the engines give up the ghost quickly. AC is unreliable. Rear Hatches break, or worse the glass blows out when you shut them! Suspension is okay. Engines are tempermental. DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE if you are looking for the longhaul...lease it if you have to and keep the lease short.
Good luck
Marc B.
I recently bought a 2000 Astro Conversion with 25000 miles. We really like the vehicle with its room, ride height and comfort, and versatility.
I have noticed that when braking sometimes there is a single knock or "klunk". The dealer stated that they changed the front brakes but not the rear, stating they had 50% left. Anyone had a similar experience with brakes?