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Vans & Minivans GMC Safari & Chevy Astro GMC Safari/Chevy Astro
1889 messages, Last post on Nov 13, 2009 at 9:04 AM
You are in the GMC Safari & Chevy Astro Forum. Your Host is Karens
| i,ve read the past posts on tranny trouble beginning with the harsh 1-2 shift.i have had this problem for about the last month now.the other night it start slipping and shifting erratic and the service engine light came on.is this the point of no return or is there a quick fix as i may trade this sucker in!!!i havent driven it since it happened so i dont know how it is now,but the 1-2 shift started when it was cold and got better when it warmed up.it also started having downshift/upshift full throttle problems too. | |
| Has anybody else had problems with stripped shaft on the seat recline levers on Astro' from, 94 on?. On mine with 7 pass seating 3 are broken out of four and its not the lever itself but the shaft on recline mechanism that the square breaks off. | |
| on my 99,the passenger one broke once already.got it fixed under warranty along with passenger door lock actuator which has stopped working again along with the lock switch on the drivers side.also brake booster is starting to leak.had to replace this on my 96.cost 150 from junkyard.600 from dealer.needless to say,time to use extended warranty. | |
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I have a 1991 Astro CL which I bought used two years ago. The odometer reads 78,000 miles which hopefully is close. When switching between Drive (around town) and OD the odometer sometimes stops working. It has even gone backward (which is cool). I have replaced usual stuff for this age and mileage (water pump, alternator, idler arm, o2sensor, fuel filter and other small stuff) When I start the van quite a lot of smoke blows out, but then it seems to run fine. From reading the posts I figure it is valve seals? Is this any thing to worry about? The front foot of the frame is rusting. The guy at the shop says this is nothing to worry about for a few years, but it does bug me. Should I spray some anti rust paint stuff on the frame, or just figure it would take years to cause any real damage? I sometimes think about new vans, but this one seems to far exceed its "trade-value" in "real life value". It need paint as it is flaking in spots, I just wax it and hope it keeps working. It has big sticker stripes that look like some strange Starsky and Hutch nightmare. My kids affectionally call it "the man van". They are too young be bothered about old or new car stuff. |
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| Actually my van has 87,000 miles. Maybe actually around 100,000 miles. Good van. | |
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I bought a new Astro in 1995. I was so pleased over the years that I bought another one 2 weeks ago. Chevy redesigned the sliding door lock on the 2003 Astro vans. IT FEELS LIKE IT LOCKS IN THE OPEN POSITION, BUT IT WILL CLOSE WITH ONLY FINGER PUSHING PRESSURE APPLIED AT THE REAR OF THE DOOR. WHOEVER OWNS ONE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!! HAVE SOMEONE HOLD THE DOOR OPEN WHILE ENTERING OR EXITING. IF ON A HILL THE DOOR WILL SLAM FAST AND HARD SHUT. PLEAE BE CAREFUL. I contacted NHSA and filed a complaint with GM. The complaint number is #1-697668689. The dealer admitted that the new design sucks , but he cannot adjust or tweak it beyond the established GM Manual requirements. i understand his position. Please be careful out there. |
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Hi I had a 2000 AWD Safari and just traded it in on an order out Red/Tan 2003 AWD Astro. The 2003 Chev Astros and GMC Safaris are Clones: same price, same features, same colors. Best buy is who has the best price. They are made on the same Baltimore assembly line, just depends on what day it is. Differences are grille trim and some labels/badges. They are going to make them at least through 2005. They took out the second seat fore-aft adjustment so it is now impossible to get into the 3rd seat. I am having the dealer find me a previous year adjusting mechanism. You cannot sit upright in an Astro/Safari in a wheel chair and there is no legal way to secure it on a factory model. Removing the two seats is a two person job. Do it alone and you will scratch up the trim and the vehicle. They are REALLY clumsy. I added rubber strips to the rear sill so it doesn't get all scratched up. The high pitch whistle is likely the alternator bearing. They have a new alternator from 2003 onward (previous years DO NOT FIT) and the bearing on mine made a high pitch faint squeal/whistle that came and went until the dealer finally pinned it down. They also don't supply the under passenger seat storage box any more on LS even though the factory specs call out that item as included. I have installed aftermarket wheel wheel chrome, front and rear spoilers, mud flaps in rear, (vehicle has factory running boards so you cannot put mud flaps in front), moved the front seats back 2" for more leg room, put in a center console for arm support (factory arm rests are junk). Cheers Dennis O |
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Dennis O, If the factory spec shows the under the seat storage box, how can I get the dealer to install it. Is there a document or something I can reference? The middle seat lack of adjustment was a shock to us as well. Would the mechanism retrofitable to the current seat? How does your sliding door OPEN lock work? Thanks for the info. Best regards, Dan e-mail address is: dan.gregory  hs.utc.com
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obus, How did you move the front seats back? Sammy |
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Dan: When I ordered out mine, the GM specs on the website showed it. I don't know if it does any more. I figure GM saved about $1 on the storage box. I got one from a bone yard for a couple bucks and installed it myself. Interestingly, the carpet is still slit under the passenger seat and the wiring loom is there for connecting to a passenger 6 way power seat that has not been available since 1999. The sliding side door just barely stays there. I suspect they did it for liability reasons (people driving down the road with the door open). I am looking for a bone yard for the second seat adjuster. same adjuster used since 1996 2nd and 3rd seat. Dealer is saying factory problem and factory is saying they have a right to change the specs. Obviously focus groups are not listened to at GM. Or the designer never tried to use his own vehicle. Sammy: Take out the seat with frame intact (4 nuts on the floor studs 15mm I think and measure carefully 2" back from current hole locations and drill two new holes and use 5/16" grade 8 bolts. This is for passenger side and NON electric driver side. I had to install 3/8" thick x 2" wide x 24" long straps on top of 6 way power seat frame on driver side and reposition the seat 2" back on the new subframe. I also put the power seat controls on the left hand side of the seat frame where GM should have put them in the first place. Just swap the trim from side to side. I am 6'6" and now lots of leg room both sides, and Wife can put left foot somewhere now that she has more leg room on her side. Still have a rumble when accellerating at 60-65 and I think it is the rear pumpkin. Watching this and will let dealer know when it is constant. Drove 8 hours in blizzard the other night, interstate had 4-6 inches of snow. VERY glad I have AWD and limited slip. Jeep Cherokees and Ford Explorers all were putting along at 35 mph and we were sure footed at 50-55 mph. It did not drift nor slip at all. Dont like the Bridgestone Tires however, just because of the reputation of Firestone. Cheers. Dennis O |
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