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Oldsmobile Silhouette

1308 messages,  Last post on Feb 18, 2013 at 6:32 PM

You are in the Oldsmobile Silhouette Forum.

What is this discussion about? Oldsmobile Silhouette, Van

Messages Page 129 of 132

#1277 of 1308 Re: 1997 olds silhouette [matt21191] by ncostello

Jul 09, 2010 (6:23 pm)

Replying to: matt21191 (Apr 08, 2010 3:50 pm)
The #2 cylinder has a rocker arm that wasn't correctly tourqued during reassembly. The arm came loose and one of the pushrods has shifted from correct position. Or pushrods could have been installed in the wrong position. If this is the case you have a part failure in the 2 cylinder. Pushrod bent, valve stem damage, and possibly camshaft damage.

#1278 of 1308 Re: Hot Brakes [g302silhouette] by vandrvr

Jul 16, 2010 (7:23 am)

Replying to: g302silhouette (Jul 05, 2010 6:25 am)
I took it back to the same repair shop. The caliper on the passenger side had seized. The mechanic said it was a common problem. That said why wouldn’t they check for that during the brake repair? I still have a slight shimmy even though the shop said that they checked the rotor. I'm very suspicious of their diagnosis after the initial repair.

#1279 of 1308 HELP WITH 02 SILHOUETTE by sdigger24

Aug 10, 2010 (6:50 pm)

Hello All, I have an 02 Silhouette with 113k miles on it. Has been a Great Van for us. Recently it would not start. I replaced the battery and it started the first try. 10 min later, it just clicks. So, I replaced the starter solenoid combo with no better. Still Clicks!. Just replaced the starter relay also and still nothing!.. If I jump the starter, it starts directly up. Any help will be great!! Also there is No security light on the dash flashing. Thank You Much!

#1280 of 1308 Re: HELP WITH 02 SILHOUETTE [sdigger24] by g302silhouette

Aug 27, 2010 (4:31 am)

Replying to: sdigger24 (Aug 10, 2010 6:50 pm)
Check the battery cables from the battery. My 02 needed then replaced a while ago because the wire broke inside.

#1281 of 1308 Re: HELP WITH 02 SILHOUETTE [sdigger24] by vandrvr

Sep 24, 2010 (3:41 pm)

Replying to: sdigger24 (Aug 10, 2010 6:50 pm)
I had this same problem which turned out (after much investigation) to be a loose chassis ground under the strangely located fuse box. Had to take the whole assembly off to locate the grounding bolt. After tightening it I had no further problems (knocking wood).

#1282 of 1308 Re: 3rd Row Bench Seat [storms24] by gold4theflame

Sep 27, 2010 (10:17 am)

Replying to: storms24 (Jan 22, 2008 6:34 pm)
I have the exact same vehicle and problem. I was wondering where you looked for the bench seat and if it worked.

#1283 of 1308 A/C Repaired, Hub/Bearing Assembly Reparied, Control Arm Repaired by jrdwyer

Nov 01, 2010 (9:24 am)

We bought this van new in 2001. We like it, but it is HIGH MAINTENANCE! Most of the serious stuff was fixed under the 5 year warranty (over $4K in dealer bills paid by GM), but I have also performed some additional non-standard repairs since the warranty expired in 2006. Here are some problems that I encountered and the repairs I performed myself in the home garage. I hope this information helps people keep their vans going strong!
 
A/C. This summer the A/C condensate drain started backing up into the cabin. The symptom first noticed is wet floor carpet/mats and then NO water draining on the ground outside. This is bad news in the summer due to quick mold formation and also water under the floor mats shorting out the electrical cables. I first tried sticking a wire inside the drain hole (high on passenger side firewall) to clear it out. There did not appear to be anything clogging the hole, and this probing did not fix it.
 
Reading on various forums about this and similar issues on other vans, I realized that it could be due to a bad gasket or seal that is impossible to get to due to its location inside the firewall. As I was doing some home plumbing repairs at the time, I decided to try some flexible plastic tubing. I used grey Merflex PEX tubing with a 3/8" OD and 1/4" ID and it fit perfectly. I pushed it as far in as it would go, and then after it came out I made a slight downward curve, and then I ran it down to drain near the control arm/ground. Obviously, you want to keep it away from the exhaust manifold, but there is plenty of room in this area to safely locate the new drain pipe. I used a plastic zip tie to secure the pipe to something solid and not moving. This fix immediately got the H20 out of the cab and onto the ground and it has held up fine since June! You can buy the tubing at any home improvement store in 2'-3' pieces and then cut to length.
 
Hub/Bearing Assembly. A couple of years ago we started to get the amber ABS light coming on intermittently and then after that we heard a whining sound coming from the lower front of the car. I suspected a bad hub bearing due to the sound and also that the ABS sensor is internal to the hub. We made a best guess as to which side was bad by driving and listening and also putting the car on jacks and moving the wheels and listening. I replaced the front left Hub/Bearing Assembly with a new Timken (Made in USA) version and the whine is gone and the ABS light has stayed off.
 
Control Arm. At the same time I was doing the Hub, I decided to replace the front left half-axle because the van was making a clicking sound coming from the left front axle area. I took out the OEM axle and bought a new one at AutoZone. I was surprised that no core charge was included with the purchase price and that the part was brand new. Anyway, I put in the new left half axle, but the clicking sound DID NOT go away! In addition, within a short time period (4-6 months) the van started making a clunking sound when shifted into drive from park when cold. I got busy and I put off trying to solve the old and new problem.
 
Fast forward to present (Oct. '10), and I noticed when changing the oil that the lifetime warranty, 2 year old, half axle had already torn a hole in its boot. I have been reading about a clicking sound in GM minivans caused by a bad control arm bushings. So I called automotive machine shops and asked about the price of getting a control arm bushing replaced. The responses ranged from not interested to "$30-$50 range." So I talked to my neighbor who works at another national auto parts chain and he got me the new front left control arm at his employee price of $51.
 
I replaced the old control arm, and sure enough, the vertical bushing in the old arm could be pushed out with my fingers (i.e defective). I also took out the defective half axle and returned it to AutoZone. All they had for replacement was the same new, but low quality (Made in China), part that I had purchased two years ago. I even took one out of the box, grabbed each end and turned in opposite directions, and noticed quite a bit of play. I declined the new part and got my $60 back. I put the OEM axle, that I had kept from two years ago, back in the van and reassembled everything. Both the clicking sound from the control arm and the clunking sound from the low quality half axle are GONE!
 
Finally, the amount of rotational play in the 7 year old used OEM half axle was less than that of a new, albeit lower quality, part purchased today. Let the Buyer Beware!

#1284 of 1308 Starter??? by mallgeyer

Dec 24, 2010 (4:18 am)

I have a 99 silhouette. It started clicking when I would try to start it, a few hours later it would start up. Thought it was starter. Took off and got it checked out and was fine. Put starter back on and now when I turn the key switch I get nothing. No clicking of the starter, not a thing. When I turn the key on and jump the starter posts, it turns over and that Is it, it doesn't want to start up. I don't think the fuel pump is coming on either. I thought my fuels lines were froze or there was no gas but I think I took care of all that. So now need to get it started somehow. Any suggestions? Please help.

#1285 of 1308 2000 Silhouette by 33dallas

Dec 27, 2010 (1:31 pm)

I have the ABS light and Track off light both lit up on my dashboard. Mechanic I saw over the weekend said I would need a new brake pump. Does that sound right?
I am also looking for a good mechanic in the Dallas,TX area.

#1286 of 1308 Re: 2000 Silhouette [33dallas] by ncostello

Dec 27, 2010 (4:07 pm)

Replying to: 33dallas (Dec 27, 2010 1:31 pm)
Check the brake fluid reservoir for proper fluid level. I'm almost certain you don't need new parts. For example, a new brake pump malfunction would cause u to loose brakes. If it's leaking, ask the mechanic to reseal it rather than buying a whole new one. Good luck

Messages Page 129 of 132

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