20th Jun 2006, 21:17
For those of you who are having the fuel gauge problem, I suggest you replace fuel level sender. That fixed my problem. The hard shift at temperature seems to be a common problem. I am married to an ASE master technician and this complaint even baffles him. We have run the test codes on our MODIS (a snap on scanner thing) and the "code" indicates that the long shift stays open. He hates working on transmissions, but with two Ventures (One that is parked in the driveway) and one I am using for limited distances, it looks like we will determine the problem... OH and there was a TSB for the transmission issue. Ask your dealer/repair facility to review it. While the work is way out of warranty (6/36) it may be useful.
28th Jun 2006, 07:58
I also own a 99 Venture and have had the same problems as everyone else mentioned. I live in Canada.
My front wipers don't work, the rear one seized, my transmission feels as if it's slipping and jumping, the drivers power window is broken, as is the keyless entry. I also have had the intake done and the orange coolant replaced.
So far, knock wood, I haven't had a problem with my air bag lights or any lights for that matter.
It's a very good vehicle, when it doesn't cost me money and I get about 750Kms to a tank. Oh, also I have had the fuel gauge replaced.
4th Jul 2006, 08:28
We own a 1999 Venture in N. East Ohio. We replaced the intake gaskets at 99,000 MI. Then the van started over heating at 137,000MI. I determined that it was the head gaskets and took it to a local non dealer shop. They replaced the head gaskets, surfaced the heads, pressure check the heads. I also had them change the lifters while they were in there. When it was done there was a miss and they changed the plug wires and #3 & #4 injectors. This all cost $1,600.
The door locks stopped working, and I tore into it and found water had leaked in at a metal seam joint that GM had failed to seal. I found the wires in water on the floor under the soaking wet carpet had corroded, I repaired the wires and they now work.
Also the fuel gauge doesn't work I looked at the sender in the fuel tank and bent the wiper down on the resistor, it worked for 6 months and now it doesn't, I'm not interested in spending the money right now to fix it. The front wiper quit working and I had to re-time the cam they work good now. I also had to replace the rear wiper motor.
Now the transmission is shifting hard at 153,000 MI. I changed the filter and some of the fluid. It shifts fine till it warms up, then it shifts hard into all gears. I fear it will be time for an overhaul. A coworker just had his done and cost around $2,000.
It is hard for me to ever want to buy a GM again. They don't seem to want to fix a problem (intake gaskets) so that subsequent models don't suffer the same problem. Not to mention I've read in the paper that GM is losing $46 million a day makes me think that they can't.
5th Dec 2006, 07:39
Help! I bought a 1999 Venture in September of 2006 - the airbag light was on, but the dealer said that was nothing to worry about.
After about 2 weeks the next problem was the T.C. light stayed on.
Now I'm having starting problems. When I switch on the vehicle, the engine will not turn over. I have to tried a couple of time before it will start. Now I've missed work today because it just will not start.
16th Dec 2006, 01:25
Overall, I can say that my 2001 Chevy Venture has been a great vehicle. I purchased it used two years ago and it has run great through that duration of time. I have recently begun to have problems with my Venture starting however. First in February, I had to have it towed to the dealer who replaced the battery and said no more problems. Seven months later, I step out to take my wife to work and the whole system dies on me. I jump out of my Venture, runs great to work and back. I shut it off but it would not start again until I replaced the battery.
One month later, it happens again. This time I have a friend who owns a shop to take a look. After giving it the full run through, he found a battery terminal corroded. He replaced it, everything was fine. This morning, my wife tries to start it, nothing happens. I get home to jump start my Venture. I take her to work and get back home. I shut the engine off. Waited two minutes and started it back up. Cool, I thought. My wife takes the van to go to her mothers and the car will not start. She uses her dads battery charger to try and jumpstart it. Nothing happens. She lets it slow charge for almost an hour. Nothing happens. A neighbor drops me off at her moms and allows me to jump the car off of her new car. Venture starts up. Stereo is blown, speakers resonate static whether care is on or off. Brand new low beam headlights blew out. And to top it off, I am at work and it will not start. Three mechanics tell me nothing is wrong. I guess they are wrong huh!
1st Feb 2007, 19:06
I bought a 2000 Chevy Venture brand new and now have 109,000 on it. Believe it or not, there are some positives to the Venture. With all the rebates, it cost $6,000 less than the Oddessy, and at the time, was the only one that eight seat option. It does seem though, after having the head gasket problem with leaking coolant at 98,000 and talking to the mechanic, that there is a design flaw in the 3.4 litre engine that GM does not want to fess up to. As an engineer, I'm guessing that either the aluminum alloy mixture expansion or the location of the head bolts are incorrectly spaced, which in turn allows expansion to give enough slack to let the head gasket deform. There shouldn't be that many Ventures all having the same head gasket/intake manifold gasket problems all around the same mileage. For those having temp gauge problems, try changing the thermostat, or checking that all the air is bled from the cooling system. Aparently the location of the temp gauge makes it prone to air causing the thermo-coupler to give a false reading. However, my wife and kids love that van, and as long as it is reasonable to fix, which it has been other than the head gasket, I plan on keeping that van. Good luck to all, and do what I did, get the service manual.
11th May 2006, 12:26
I have a 1998 Chevy Venture. I bought it when it had 71,000 miles on it. The only thing I have done was to replace the window switch on the driver’s side. We now have 144,000 miles on it without any problems. We actually get around 25mpg, which is great for a van this size. I am sorry that some people are having trouble with theirs. I will be buying other Chevy Minivan as soon as this one quits. (In about 100,000 miles)