venture transmissions

i am looking at a used venture, but have heard of certain years that have transmission problems, is there any truth to this

Both have problems. The earlier Ventures used the 4T60e transmission. Later years it was a 4t65e. The are very similar, but the later ones were all electronic. Personally, I don't think that the reported transmission problems are frequent enough to be of a significant concern. All things being equal, it may come into play, but it wouldn't rule out a van just because of that.

they say something about the Transmission Shift Module has some problems, is this part on top of the tranny or is it inside?

I believe it is on the end. It's on the "inside" but not inside the main compartment. But I've never taken one apart so I can't say for sure. I've only read a few postings where people said you can get to it by taking off the end cover after dropping the tranny slightly.

My tranny failed at 37,000 miles but this doesn't seem to be as big a problem as the Chrysler minivans (but at least Chrysler has increased the warranty on the drive train).

The thing you have to worry about with these vans is the lower intake manifold gasket leak. Keep a close eye on the coolant level and the color of your oil. If the lower intake gasket fails, it'll either start leaking into your oil, or you'll see an orange puddle under your van. If this happens, get it to the shop asap. Cost runs between $600.00 to $1,000.00 (depends on the shopt) just to replace the gasket.

Take care.

He's right, my tranny has never given me a lick of trouble (knock on wood), but I have had to have intake and head gaskets replaced. This is a VERY common problem with these vans. Well, it's not really limited to these vans, more particularly anything with a 3400 V-6. If you are buying a used van I would be more worried about this. GM redesigned the intake gaskets in 2002, so anything repaired after this should have the new designed gaskets. Just a little FYI, take it for what it's worth. :)

i am looking at a used venture, but have heard of certain years that have transmission problems, is there any truth to this

It is my understanding that up until 2003, the Venture's 4T65E had the Delphi PCS that was notorious for early failure due to a soft armature riding in a hardened steel bearing. Typically this would cause slips, shudders, and harsh engagements, all of which would eventually require a rebuild if the defective part were not replaced soon enough. Also, some years (I don't know which) had a problem with a shell or something (similar to the 4L60E reaction sun gear shell) that would break and cause the loss of a few gears.