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Pontiac Montana

1485 messages,  Last post on Feb 15, 2013 at 1:58 PM

You are in the Pontiac Montana Forum.

What is this discussion about? Pontiac Trans Sport, Pontiac Montana, Van

Messages Page 106 of 149

#1048 of 1485 Re: 2001 Ponitac Montana Air Conditioning [doyuhvanhonest] by cybershooter

Jun 25, 2005 (7:27 am)

Replying to: doyuhvanhonest (May 22, 2005 8:20 am)
Anyone who has a Pontiac Montana / Transport, has experienced, or is going to experience an air conditioner failure. What happens is that the compressor clutch gets worn due to a design hack in the clutch being to small. So when the clutch wears and starts to slip, it overheats the disc and in turn wears out the main seals creating an enevitable leak.
 
I have a '98 and replaced my main compressor unit myself, and you dont have to be ASE certified or even a "wrench" to do this remove and replace. Advance auto parts carries a line of reconditioned A/C parts and a compressor for the Transport. It was right at $300.00. You will also need the in-line filter ($10.00), and the dryer (about $50.00). This should take about 1.5 hours to replace and lastly you will need to take it to an A/C mechanic for a coolant charge. ($50-$70) Purchasing a Haynes manual is all you will need for a little guidance.
 
So for a little more than $400 and a little ingenuity, you could possibly save yourself $600-$1000!!!

#1049 of 1485 Re: Montana A/C [emac7256] by jarhead03e

Jun 29, 2005 (9:17 am)

Replying to: emac7256 (Jun 21, 2005 2:15 pm)
Ed, I'm in the same boat. I have an 02 Montana and the compressor has a hole in it. Replacement is going to run me around 600-800 bucks.... Any ideas how we can research the commonality of this problem?
 
Cris

#1050 of 1485 3400 engine problems by bill_mourar

Jul 01, 2005 (9:11 am)

Well, just got off the phone with the mechanic, it's going to cost me $2600 to replace the engine because the intake gasket failed allowing coolant into the oil in turn causing the head gasket to fail and numerous other issues to cause a blown engine. I was only aware of it being an issue for 2 days that I needed to get back and forth to work and couldn't get the car into the shop for those 2 days anyway(I made sure to keep a close eye on both the coolant and oil) The newer(used) engine will eventually have the same problem according to the mechanic because it's allegedly a design flaw by GM.
 
 I'd scrap the 98 Pontiac Transport I bought used but I'm still paying on it and trying to get a mortgage to buy a house so can't take out anymore credit. I liked it alot when I bought it, babied it but apparently not enough. Nowadays cars aren't built to be used I reckon.

#1051 of 1485 Re: Montana A/C [jarhead03e] by swsh

Jul 01, 2005 (7:15 pm)

Replying to: jarhead03e (Jun 29, 2005 9:17 am)
I have a 2001 Montana and I just had my condensor replaced. Ran me $1050.00. I called Pontiac because my van seems to be self destructing since the warranty ran out -- I've had the video player replaced, the weather stripping around my doors, the master cylinder for the brakes, the condensor, the MAF. The car has leaked since I bought it ("we can't reproduce the problem.") and that makes my car call On Star when it rains. I called Pontiac; they offerred me a free oil change.

#1052 of 1485 2000 Pontiac Montana Extended... 2 issues by accordseman

Jul 02, 2005 (8:18 am)

I bought this car used, a few weeks ago. It has approx 4700 miles on it. It was a 1 owner vehicle. The person seems to have taken pretty good care of it. The only 2 issues I've noticed with this vehicle, is:
 
1. The power doors seem to unlock themselves, randomly, while driving. Sometimes, I can be driving for quite a while, when the fun starts. And sometimes, after only a couple of minutes the fun starts. I can't seem to figure out where the problem is originating from. At first, I thought it was the power sliding door's fault, but then I start to suspect the rear hatch. I can't figure it out. Any ideas out there?
 
2. This 'problem' has only shown itself once. While driving, I noticed the car shifing 'hard' when changing gears. It was very noticable. I could feel the van 'jerk' when accelerating into higher gears. I stopped, parked & went into the store for a few minutes. Once I returned, the van seemed to shift normally again. Smooth as butter. Just as I've been used to since I purchased the vehicle. Any ideas on this one as well?
 
Thanks for your time!

#1053 of 1485 Just passed a year with our 2004 Monata by vanman1

Jul 02, 2005 (12:32 pm)

Still no issues to report. Gas and go. Just a cracked washer fluid cap in the winter from the cold replaced under warranty. I think the 03 - 05 3400s are the newer version but it also came with a 5 year power train so hopefully we are ok.
 
Love the Montana though the new vans do have a nicer interior.

#1054 of 1485 97 Montana Version by tickle1768

Jul 07, 2005 (10:51 am)

Hi there....very new to this site....
 
Wondering if anyone can give me some input on purchasing an used 1997 Trans Port with Montana package. It has 97K miles on it, but the body and interior is immaculate. I am going to test drive it tonight and the dealership is making a list of what needs done to it, since it's basically an "as is" purchase on a trade in they do not want...as a result I am going to be able to buy it for roughly $ 3000.00.
 
I am a single mom with three kids and two dogs and need something besides my reasonable used 2001 Saturn to take little trips and carry things from home store etc. I am apprehensive about buying a "trade in" and am afraid that I will buy this and get stuck with repairs and failures that no one will cover....
 
Any information or input would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!
 
Thanks!
 
Tickle
 

#1055 of 1485 Re: water leak [mlovse] by btaylor

Jul 07, 2005 (1:21 pm)

Replying to: mlovse (Jun 20, 2005 1:45 pm)
Thanks for your input with this problem. Would you know where underneath the truck it would be located. Again thank you for your help.

#1056 of 1485 new to site by sdouglas1

Jul 09, 2005 (9:19 am)

Hey everyone,
 
I just very recently got a 2001 montana with 110000km on it. Used to have a FOrd Focus but wife and I have a 16 month old baby and another on the way so we thought we should upsize a bit on vehicle size. Anyhow both wife and I like the Montana but I have noticed the temp. gauge on the dash seems to float a bit. While driving it usually sits around the 70 range but when we come to a stop ie. red light etc the gage goes to maybe 1 tick above 1/2 way. Icalled the dealer and the sales guy said he has aa 2002 and his does the same thing...is this normal. The last car I had where the gauge moved like that ended up with a major head gasket issue. Should I be concerned?

#1057 of 1485 Re: new to site [sdouglas1] by mommyof3kids

Jul 11, 2005 (8:16 am)

Replying to: sdouglas1 (Jul 09, 2005 9:19 am)
In short: Yes, you should definitely be concerned!!
In Long:
Good luck with this one. You are like me and didn't do research on the Montana before purchasing! My mechanic (a very small business) replaces at least 2 head gaskets in Montanas a WEEK! He said that this is a major design flaw in these vehicles and nearly everyone who owns one will have this problem. The longer you let it go, the worse it gets until you have to replace the entire engine. We noticed it when we went in for a routine oil change and the guy freaked out because we were leaking coolant into the oil! We took the van right in to our mechanic and it was already too late, it had gone a little further and ended up costing us $1500. This just happened about two months ago. Our van had 61,000 miles when this all happened. I would DEFINITELY bet with the mileage your van has, that it has been an issue for a long time. Get it checked!
We love the look and everything about the Montana, except the engine!! We'll never own another GM vehicle. They know about these issues, but because they aren't "safety" issues, won't do a recall. It doesn't help to fight them on it. People have been trying for years. Even if you replace the engine, you still have the issues eventually because you'd be replacing with the same engine, with the same problems. I'd see about getting your money back for it if possible. This van is nothing but trouble! Dealerships know about it also and pretend they don't because they don't like dealing with it!

Messages Page 106 of 149

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