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GM's triplets Venture, Silhouette, and Montana

1617 messages,  Last post on Mar 11, 2013 at 3:33 PM

You are in the Chevy Venture Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Venture, Pontiac Montana, Oldsmobile Silhouette, Van

Messages Page 60 of 163

#583 of 1617 by montanafan

Oct 03, 2003 (7:04 am)

Once again, the Highway Loss Data Institute which is funded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( http://www.iihs.org ) has named the Pontiac Montana as "substantially better then average" in the September 2003 "Injury, Collision, & Theft Losses" report covering 2000-2002 models now available at their site. It has been given this status every year since the redesign for the 1997 model year. They have had it as the ranked #2 in 2000, #1 in 2001, #2 in 2002 and now #3.

#584 of 1617 crash tests by jeber

Oct 04, 2003 (4:52 am)

Yes, those IIHS studies are what put my mind at ease as far as gm minivan safety--I, also was concerned that the (side impact/offset) crash results were poor, as my wife and 3 young kids are in our van daily. But, IMO the IIHS is the "real world" safety of a vehicle, and those clearly show that people are not any more likely to get killed/maimed in accidents in gm vans, they are, in fact (as pointed out by montanafan), "better than average."
 
you might do a search on some of the gm minivan message boards, for "crash" or something, as this has been gone over in detail in the past.
 
If everybody "buckles up" religiously (key to avoiding injury in any vehicle), your chance of getting killed/injured (especially with air bags present) are statistically very, very small

#585 of 1617 ABS Light and Fuel Gage by nkairns

Oct 11, 2003 (2:15 am)

I have a problem that seems to be connected with the fuel gage and ABS light. On occasion, my fuel gage sticks and won't register the level of fuel in the tank until it's aboult half full. Like the gage is full.....200 kms later all of a sudden the gage jumps from full to half in one shot. When this happens, my ABS light will come on and stay on until I restart my van. I have a 99 silo with 91000 kms. I read somewhere this was a problem with a sender unit mounted somewhere under the van that can get wet and cause this very problem. Anyone have any idea where this sender unit is located?

#586 of 1617 by montanafan

Oct 11, 2003 (6:09 am)

There is a through body connection in the floor just behind the drivers seat. The systems in the rear of the car go through it. Since you have issues with both fuel and ABS it is a good thing to have checked. Look under the car in the area where the second row passenger's feet would be. Should see it there. If taken apart, you might find wire connections loose or effected by water. Could also confirm that this is the right direction to go, if the ABS codes are for the rear. Good luck.

#587 of 1617 new tires by homerkc

Oct 11, 2003 (6:40 am)

I bought a new Venture (LS extended) for my wife a couple of months ago. We love it - roomy, comfortable, easy to drive, and not bad on gas. The std. tires, however, made the steering and braking a bit mushy. We picked up road debris that ruined one of the Firestone 680s, so I changed out the tires to top of the line Bridgestones (Turanza LS-T). The T rated tires make all the difference in the world! Handling is sharper, steering less vague at highway speeds. Even my wife noticed, and a car is just an appliance to her. Worth doing, in my opinion.

#588 of 1617 ABS Light and Fuel Gage by nkairns

Oct 12, 2003 (3:16 am)

Thanks for the info montanafan. I found the connection. Any idea what I can use to seal the connection from the elements or do I have to replace it

#589 of 1617 by montanafan

Oct 13, 2003 (8:39 am)

I am just an infomation gather. Does it look like there has been water in the connector? If it is too bad it might have to be repalced Try your local autoparts store for recomendations. There should be spray cleaners and sealers for electrical uses. Or if you feel that this is it, you could go to a repair shop or dealer. You will have saved the diagnostic time and charges.

#590 of 1617 Air Filter by artgpo

Oct 14, 2003 (1:02 pm)

I got brave and bought a new air filter. The install was rather annoying but not impossible, even for me. It took about 30 minutes start to finish. I do not know why GM would make such a simple task so complicated except to add a profit center for the service department.
 
Anyone tell me how many lubrication points there are on the suspension and chassis?

#591 of 1617 Rear load level shocks by veestar

Oct 27, 2003 (1:31 pm)

Hello.....I'm driving a 1997 montana and I'm new to the forum. I'd like to know if anyone has successfully by passed the load leveling pump and installed regular air shocks? My front struts are also in need of replacements. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

#592 of 1617 99 Venture 75k repairs by kkollwitz

Oct 28, 2003 (11:12 am)

After almost 4 years of ownership I've decided to get a couple of things fixed today:
 
Intake manifold gasket. It's leaked maybe a tablespoon or less a day for a year, I'd add coolant monthly or so.....I finally got tired of cleaning the garage floor. $700.
 
Power steering pump. Works fine, but it's making a whiny sound that bugs me. $100.
 
Corroded coil, also working fine so far. $35.
 
Only other fix since I bought the car new was a new alternator....old one worked fine, but made a whining sound. $160.
 
I was joking with my wife that cars are so reliable nowadays, I fix things that annoy me even when they still work.

Messages Page 60 of 163

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