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Chevy Express/GMC Savana

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

You are in the Chevy Express & GMC Savana Forum.

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

Messages Page 64 of 66

#630 of 654 2008 Chevy Express Van needs rotors every 5,000-20,000 miles by meg19

Sep 22, 2010 (2:00 pm)

 
MY PROBLEM ----COPY & PASTED FROM ANOTHER THREAD----
 
I bought it certified with 14,000 miles. It came with a 36,000 warrenty. I now have 94,000 miles on the vehicle and I am on my fourth set of rotors!! And on top of that I have the original brake pads. As a matter of fact from 14,000 mi to 94,000 my brake pads have not worn at all. Chevy gives you a print out of how much remaining brake pad is left and my brakes have not worn AT ALL in 60,000 miles. Every old school mechanic I talk to says this is a RED FLAG that my brakes are not operating properly. I had to cut the rotors at 30,000, and then at 50,000 they were warped and too thin to resurface. I Replaced them again. At 80,000 I had to have them cut because they were warped. Then at 85,000 I had to have them replaced again because they were warped. I live in Illinois but use the vehicle for a business that has me traveling from state to state. Everytime I take it in the rolling hills of Missouri, of god forbid the mountains of Colorado, after 1 hour of hills or mountains, I can feel that they are warped. Within 1 hour of mountain driving my rotors get to hot that when I brake, my whole steering column shakes and the vehicle swerves to hard that I can barely stay within the lines on the interstate. I seriously feared for my life the four times that this has happened. I have tried to have Chevy look into this and everytime they just slap new rotors on and send me on my way. I keep telling them there is something else wrong. They give a 12,000 mile warrenty on rotors and they are warping in half that time. Chevy has had to replace them for free under warrenty 3 times and I have had to pay once. I feel like all they want to do is slap new parts on instead of finding the problem or having a
RECALL! As a matter of fact my dealer told me that they have a couple other customers that use their Chevy 3500 Express Van as a work truck and that the same thing keeps happening to them. They try to tell me it must be my driving/braking in mountains. First of all I grew up in Colorado and had a 1984 Dodge Ram Van and never put rotors on in less that 100,000. I know how to drive in the mountains. I have spoke to corporate, who agrees something else is wrong but they won't do anything about it. They say they've checked everything. But they won't check the pressure in the master cylander with a gauge. I finally got the service supervisor to admit to me that these vehicles have crappy metal rotors from China and that they have been failing in the saftey lane tests for their ability to brake and stop in the required distance. I bought the 3500 1 ton van because I believed it would last me for years as a work vehicle. I feel that my vehicle was overated to it's weight limit and it cannot stop itself if it has ANY kind of load in the cargo area. It's just really scary because I use it for work and I have to travel to these areas and I fear for my life everytime I drive in the mountains. I am going to be writing to all kinds of people at Chevy as well as the better business bureau. I have already filed a complaint with the US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTAION HIGHWAY SAFETY ADMINISTATION. THERE NUMBER IS 1-888-37-4236. IF CHEVY RECEIVES 3O OR MORE COMPLAINTS A RECALL INVESTIGATION WILL BE LAUNCHED. I am also going to contact a local Chicago newspaper writer who takes on stories like this when people are wronged by corporations. This isn't really about being wronged as much as it is about being safe.

#631 of 654 How to Flush Radiator of 1997 GMC Savana? by jsamuelson

Sep 29, 2010 (2:23 pm)

I have a 1997 GMC Savana. It has a lot of brown gunk in the radiator fluid. It also overheats when I'm towing my boat. I bought a Prestone 2 Radiator Flush Kit, but I don't know which hose to cut for the fittings? I can't find the radiator drain either. Any assistance in flushing the radiator would be appreciated.

#632 of 654 Re: How to Flush Radiator of 1997 GMC Savana? [jsamuelson] by wikinger

Sep 29, 2010 (7:32 pm)

Replying to: jsamuelson (Sep 29, 2010 2:23 pm)
Hello, here in Germany, our Express and Savane bottom of the engine on the left bank of cylinders a drain plug for the cooling water.
There, the cooling water to be drained and fresh water to wash back through the reservoir einfüllen.Than the engine with a little vinegar to warm up in cold water and drain again.
Thereafter, the cooling system should be clean again.
Greetings Ingo

#633 of 654 Looking for a 05 or 06 by pgreenc5

Oct 05, 2010 (3:49 pm)

Looking to buy a 2005 or 2006 Chevy/GMC conversion. Leather, low top, DVD...

#634 of 654 Re: 2008 Chevy Express Van needs rotors every 5,000-20,000 miles [meg19] by ferallynx

Oct 07, 2010 (12:29 am)

Replying to: meg19 (Sep 22, 2010 2:00 pm)
 I have 124,913 miles on my own Chevy Express, and I have replaced the rotors a total of ZERO times. I have never had any problems with brake pads. They've been replaced as needed during scheduled tune-ups. (Which my company designates). You say that your steering column shakes to the point that you can barely keep the van straight. It seems like you have a major problem with your particular vehicle. The vans are known to shake, special the rear-view mirrors, but not to that extreme. We have several Expresses used at our work place, and sorry to tell you, but their is no major rotor issue.
 
You say that the Van's payload capacity is overrated? That's absurd. The brakes are well qualified for 3,900 Lbs of payload (or with almost 10,000 Lbs of trailer weight). Which is actually a legit advertised payload, unlike the totally unrealistic advertised Sprinter payload of over 5K Lbs. I've driven a Dodge Sprinter for 6 years and, the brakes aren't any better, or more reliable.
 
You are so fixated that the car should be "RECALLED" ( that and the many other things), that it's kind of getting suspicious that you have some sort of grudge against the car. And since you state that you have an '84 Ram van, your POV is starting to show. So what it seems like here is, you have an old Ram van, and you're mad that you aren't using an updated Chevy Express van. That's just what it seems like, but I'm not going to state it as a fact. Trying to get others to call up the DOT in order to file a complaint on your own stated issues is too far.
 
If you think your van is really that crappy, and you are not getting the warranty coverage, I suggest you demand a new vehicle, or threaten with a lawsuit.

#635 of 654 Re: 2008 Chevy Express Van needs rotors every 5,000-20,000 miles [ferallynx] by ferallynx

Oct 08, 2010 (11:34 pm)

Replying to: ferallynx (Oct 07, 2010 12:29 am)
EDIT: Rotors were replaced with regular tune-ups. What I meant was: I had zero problems with the rotors, or the brake pads.

#636 of 654 1999 chevy cargo van oil capacity by richard1153

Mar 13, 2011 (3:02 pm)

I have a one ton chevy van 1999 and it has the 5.7 liter engine, the owners manual tells you it takes 5 quarts of oil but that will not reach even the middle of the dipstick. I have always had to put in 6 quarts of oil when i do an oil change. Why is this going on when the book says 5 quarts, do the 1 ton vans ahve a larger oil pan or oil cooler that causes this to happen?

#637 of 654 after market torsion keys by d4bell

Apr 01, 2011 (7:17 am)

I have a 2003 Chevy Express Van and cannot find any torsion keys to lift my van up enough to put on 285 size tires . I didn't want to sinch down the torsion bar bolts. Anybody out there use re-indexed torsion keys for a silverado or escalade? My van is a 2500 AWD, six lug with a 5.3 liter V- 8 From what I have been able to find , it looks like an Escalade, Yukon, and Silverado are the same. It's hard to believe there isn't a suspension company out there offering torsion keys for this van. I realize the roll-over rate is already a great possibility. The more I investigate the less that is offered for this vehicle. I can"t find a remote key case either. Any help on these items would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. Have a nice day!

#638 of 654 re - Open differential is the standard diff ... by tbb2

Aug 12, 2011 (5:32 pm)

Replying to: mrnimmo (Feb 05, 2003 4:05 pm)
You state, and I have read elsewhere, that locking differentials are not available from the factory anymore. I see it is not listed as an option currently on the Chevy Express cargo van.
 
When did availability stop?
 
I'm trying to identify the type of differential on a used 2003 Chevy Express 3500 I bought.

#639 of 654 Clogged A/C Line???? by momslimovan

Sep 23, 2011 (2:13 pm)

I don't know whether to scream or cry. We have a 2004 Southern Comfort Conversion Savana. We JUST paid it off 2 weeks ago and as per Murphy's Law all hell has broke loose. I have a mystery puddle of water appearing in front of the front passenger seat. It just saturates the carpet!
The underside of the dash is dry as a bone, as is the door. The seam along the center console is damp and the carpet is seperating from the glue.
The water is now also starting to appear on the corner of the driver's seat by the center console.
And then TODAY my seatbelt warning light came on and stayed on although I had my seatbelt ON!
Of course all warranties have expired too.
So any ideas where this water may be coming from????? Clogged A/C line maybe?

Messages Page 64 of 66

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