Chevy Express/GMC Savana

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654 messages, Last post on Jun 24, 2012 at 9:26 PM

You are in the Chevy Express & GMC Savana Forum.

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, Chevrolet Express Cargo, Chevrolet Sportvan, Chevrolet Chevy Van, Chevrolet Chevy Van Classic, Van

#234 of 654 Savana/express mirrors by xfiles

May 04, 2002 (11:19 pm)

An interesting thought hit me regarding what may be a possible cause of the fast failure rate for the mirrors. One cause may be road vibration, but a more likely cause is using a high pressure wand while washing your van. I have done it myself, 1500 or more psi pointed at the mirrors even 3 feet away is a tremendous amount of force, especially when the surface area of that mirror is greater then on most vans. So it may be built tough enough for road vibration, but not tough enough to handle high pressure washing which causes a tremendous amount of back and forth vibration when hit with spray. Your likely cracking components, or bending, who knows what without taking the mirror apart. I know from now on it will NOT GET any direct spray from my 2000 PSI wand. Unfortunatley we are all doing the same thing, and it is far more damaging in my book then simple road vibration. So far my slight bit of vibration is bearable, but I am hoping it will not get any worse (unless components have cracked)when I stop hitting it with high pressure water.

I like the black foam idea over silicone if other drivers use the same vehicle. It allows quick changes, but if it ever got behind the mirror, the stuff might cause more problems. I think we need to be writing this stuff to GMC so they know about it.....Shees!

#235 of 654 '02 Savana Vibration by lynandmike

May 07, 2002 (11:43 am)

I have an '02 1500 Passenger Van with 8,000 miles. There's a vibration at 30mph +. Dealer
balanced tires, rotated tires, and replaced driveshaft. Any suggestions out there. It's driving me nuts. Took it to another dealer and they said they didn't have one on the lot to compare it.
Told me that might just be how it rides!!! Please help.

#236 of 654 Vibration by xfiles

May 08, 2002 (5:57 pm)

I have the 2001 factory shop manuals from GMC for the Savana van. I took a look under "vibration diagnosis and correction" and found many different tables that list the steps to narrow down to a specific problem. There were tests for tire and wheel, driveline, hub/axle, engine balance, accessory isolation, etc. It then lists types of vibration symptoms like shake, roughness, buzz, tingling, moan or droan, whine, etc. My point is the dealer mechanic has to follow through all the various steps in the manual to narrow it down, and no one in here can make an opinion without knowing if its coming from the front or back or road testing it. Also the dealer should have a J J38792-VS Electronic Vibration Analyzer (EVA)to hook up.

I think it's best to see as many dealers as you need. I got a feeling this is an area not always easy to diagnose and you might be brushed off, there is no money in it for them to spend hours looking for a problem they can't easily find. By seeing more dealers someone might have the right answer or be energetic enough to look carefully.

I would start with test driving another vehicle to confirm your really have a problem, a cargo or passenger van makes no difference so long as engine size and vehicle size are the same. IF there is a noticeable difference, they have to fix it. I've notices smaller dealers love to find things to fix for you while it is under warranty, they will spend more time I think diagnosing the problem.

You might want to buy those manuals and read up on the problem yourself. There not cheap, but there is a lot of information there to save you money in the long run (simple or advanced repairs). You might be the only one to read through it all to give them some ideas.

Good luck.

#237 of 654 xfiles-mirrors by jgmilberg

May 12, 2002 (9:16 pm)

Out of the 3 family owned vans only one of them is power washed at a drive through car wash. The other 2 are hand washed and rinsed with a garden hose. It might be a factor, but not the root cause of the problem. If you stick silicone drops on the 4 corners it will stabilize the mirror and get rid of the vibration, but it fixes the mirror in one position and if you need to change the position for a shorter/taller driver you are stuck. When I drive my dad's van I take a piece of cardboard and wedge it under the mirror to stop the wobble. It's the whole mirror mount, not just the glass, so I don't know where to turn next.

#238 of 654 '03 changes by jgmilberg

May 12, 2002 (9:21 pm)

Well they are finally doing something with these things!!

New for '03 are the following:

1 Left side 60/40 doors, like the passenger side.
2 All wheel drive availability
3 Engines 4.8L, 5.3L, and the 6.0L(3/4 and 1 ton only) ditching the old 305 and 350 engines.

Returning for a repeat performance are the Mickey Mouse wobbling mirrors! They never learn.

#239 of 654 jgmilberg- mirrors by xfiles

May 12, 2002 (9:44 pm)

Sticking cardboard may work for you, although most alternatives will look a bit sloppy. Chose whatever method pleases you, I'm sure it's obvious they all work. I mentioned silicone because many of us are the only drivers of the vehicle and silicone is more invisible for them.

I think most here are complaining about the glass itself, not the whole mount. My mounts are solid, and if your looking at a mounting problem, take the door panel off and tighten it. Either way, it does not make good sense to hit the mirrors directly with a high pressure power wash. Touch the glass and you can see how weak they appear in design. High pressure spray is well known to have damaged many radiators, and I bet mirrors are just as susceptible.

By the way, the root cause is not the power washing, but the poor design of the mirrors! It looks like the 2003 models will have the same mirrors, but with the improvements introduced....I bet people will buy even more of them regardless of the mirror problem. I guess there are more important issues then mirrors when buying, and GMC has done a good job in that dept with all the new updates. I can't wait to see one.

#240 of 654 by kirstie_h HOST

May 13, 2002 (10:56 am)

A journalist is looking for someone who bought one "twin" over another where the manufacturer offers two or more vehicles based on the same basic platform. (a Maxima vs. an I35 (or I30) or the TL vs. Accord)
Did you know it was basically the same vehicle as the other?
Why did you choose it over the other?
Please submit your response to jfallon

edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, May 15.

#241 of 654 warranty, what did you pay? by wayneee

May 15, 2002 (1:14 pm)

I was wondering what anyone else might have paid through their dealer for an extended warranty. Mine cost 995.00 for 5 years/60000 miles

#242 of 654 odor when accelerating with AC on by jschrand

May 19, 2002 (8:30 pm)

I recently purchased a 2001 Savana that now has about 500 miles on it. When accelerating with the AC on, there is a strong odor inside the vehicle. It is very similar to the smell of natural gas in a home. Has anyone else experienced this or have any suggestions? I'm looking for some background before we take it into the dealership.

Thanks.

#243 of 654 odor with AC by vandalybay1

May 30, 2002 (6:51 pm)

Hello,
I recall an odor that faintly smelled of ammonia. I reported it, they replaced a filter, it eventually went away.

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