Venture Intake gasket problems

[Pusheeman]

To all those who have experienced or are experiencing the intake gasket problem and getting the big bill from the dealership, be aware, there is a sevice bulletin out on this problem, and they will go good for part of the cost. I just had mine done, and it cost me $300 out of my pocket. I told a friend about it , who had had it done months ago, and he went and got back half of his $900.00.
But the trick is, THEY WILL NOT VOLUNTEER THIS INFO. You have to ask if there is a bulletin out on it. Thank gosh the ex- Chevy mechanic that was going to do the job knew enough to check for me first.
Mr. Goodwrench strikes again!!

Doesn't say much for a service department that would not let someone know this info, just go ahead and charge you out the butt for it. Then they probably turn it in to GM and get the cash in their pocket!!

This experience really soured me on GM, and my Chevy is history. No more in my yard !!

[Huney1]

"But the trick is, THEY WILL NOT VOLUNTEER THIS INFO. You have to ask if there is a bulletin out on it." WOW! Now, why doesn't that surprise me? You'd think GM would want to promote good will and good customer relations and they would volunteer that info willingly. I wonder if it applies to *just* the original owner/buyer or if it would apply to someone like me who bought their Venture second hand?

[promoguy]

Can anyone provide specifics on this bulletin? I have a 98 Venture with this gasket issue, but my dealer can find no such alert based on my VIN.

Any code, or bulletin number or even a link to something I could show them would be so helpful.

[promoguy]

Thanks Huney1, I will look into that. It sounds like an good (cheap) alternative.

I noticed some back tar-like goo in the top of ther overflow tank. I wager this means I need a flush? Would I do that before or after the "bars leak?"

Also, I'd still love to know more about that bulletin - if for nothing else than to prove to the lady at the GM service desk that I am not making this up. Any hard info on this?

[Huney1]

We are not alone!
http://forums.autoweek.com/thread.js...essageID=56633

Good stuff testomonial.
http://www.quasimotors.com/about_bar1.htm

[cdru]

Originally Posted by promoguy

Can anyone provide specifics on this bulletin? I have a 98 Venture with this gasket issue, but my dealer can find no such alert based on my VIN.

Any code, or bulletin number or even a link to something I could show them would be so helpful.

Here is the service bulletin. AFAIK the "GM will pay for your repair" has never been proven to be true. Some dealers will give you a "goodwill warranty" fix, some will meet you part way, others will charge the full amount.

If your dealer can't find this TSB, I'd find a different dealership. It's a very well known problem and should be page 1 in any repair manual for our vans.

[C-Lpilot]

Originally Posted by cdru

Here is the service bulletin. AFAIK the "GM will pay for your repair" has never been proven to be true. Some dealers will give you a "goodwill warranty" fix, some will meet you part way, others will charge the full amount.

If your dealer can't find this TSB, I'd find a different dealership. It's a very well known problem and should be page 1 in any repair manual for our vans.

I called two dealers here in the Flint MI area and no one knew about any Service Bullitin. I also asked about the Good Will warrenty and they said that if the car is over 100g miles they won't do it.
Anyone know of any other way to get them to pay? They too gave me a ball park figure of $900.

[bleepster]

C-Lpilot

I am in Bay City, MI. I am not sure how many miles you have on your van, but when I took in my '04 for an oil change - they notices my intake leaking. they didn't realize that i had a warranty, and the dealer called GM direct, and said that GM would cover all but $250.

once i showed my "Warranty - DO NOT PAY CARD" i was all set.

anyway - the dealer I went to was Roger McIntosh in Linwood. Excellent service.

[C-Lpilot]

My van has 105g on it and no warranty. I asked about the service bulletin and what they wanted me to do was to bring it in to get checked out then they would check to see if there was anything they could do for me.
One place wants $60 and the other $40 to check it out. I just might do it as you never know what they can do.

[C-Lpilot]

I went to the Pasty Lou Williamson lot today. The gave me an estimate of $747 plus tax. I asked for a Good Will Warranty and they said that since it's over 100g miles they won't do it. Under 70g maybe but over 100 no. I sent the info to GM as well hoping that they will help. Here's to hoping.

[Huney1]

For C-Lpilot: Please allow me to make a suggestion. There are a lot of good, honest, indepent repair shops around, but the object is to find one. DUH?
Go your local auto part storeS and ask them for a reference for a good repair shop that won't rip you off, then vists a few used car lots and ask them who does their repair work. Kind'a-sort'a take a poll and I bet you will find a few good shops, then go to the shops and ask them if they have done many of the gasket replacements and get bids on doing yours. The place that did ours said they had done as many as four in one week and he kept a copy of the TSB on his desk.

"I sent the info to GM as well hoping that they will help. Here's to hoping."
Good luck Bro' because the Honda dealer I bought our Venture from also has a Chevy dealership in another town close by, the general manager called them and asked if GM would help pay for the gasket repair and the guy said no. 'Prolly because ours is a Y2K with 64K miles on it, but like I said, my half was $288. with a 90 day warranty, so I'm tickled pink.

I remarked that was less than most people had to pay for the repair. The guy at the repair shop said they saved us money by NOT using new bolts because the only difference is the new bolts have the lock tite already applied so the mechanic doesn't forget to use it when he torques the bolts. He said they dip the old bolts in lock tite so no way they will loosen up. I said, "ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?" He said yes and they haven't had one that they repaired come back yet. Hey, . . . I figure it like this; He didn't have to tell me that and he was being straight-up and honest with me and volunteered the information. OK, I can live with honest people any day of the week. I asked around and that shop enjoys a good reputation for doing good work and not fixin' something that ain't broke just to run your repair bill up.

Good luck and hope you find a good shop that will fix you up so you can get many more care free miles out of your Venture. IMO, the 3.4 is a darn good engine and I talked with a military man who had 160K miles on his and said they love it. Heck, ours gets 20 town and 25 hwy mpg and has way more room than we need, doesn't burn a drop of oil and rides and drives as good as any vehicle I ever owned and cost us $6K used.

[4432flying]

Honey 1 I am sure I have read on this forum that the bolts you mentioned were longer.

[Huney1]

http://www.loctite.com/int_henkel/lo...eid=2&layout=2

4432flying: I remember seeing the same thing, but if they dip the entire threaded part of the bolt in LocTite, I can't see how it could possibly *ever* loosen up and lose torque. See the link where LocTite hardens in the absence of air. That is some strong stuff and the best way I know to describe it's bonding characteristics is it makes sort of a 'soft weld' on the bolt and threaded hole.

I ran tug/push boats and when it came time to overhaul the diesels the mechanics would have to take a big breaker bar to break loose the bolts they used LocTite on. I've looked at the bolts when they came out and that LocTite hardens like you wouldn't believe. So if the shop dipped the *whole* thread in it, then I wonder how they would ever get them out again because all they used on the diesel bolts was a COUPLE OF DROPS. Like I said before, the man volunteered the info so apparently the shop is confident enough not to hide using the old bolts. Long as it doesn't leak and that puppy is under warranty, . . . I could give a rip less what bolts they use.

I read where a forum member had his windshield wipers come loose where it makes that "V" at the base that connects to the motor shaft. Puny little splines and the metal looks soft, maybe aluminum?, so the splines will mate. Lo and behold, a week later during a driving rain storm, the same thing happened to our drivers side wiper and it went limp as a hot pasta noodle. OK, I know a trick, stopped at the parts house and got a small tube of LocTite and to my chagrin one ounce cost about five bucks. YIPES! Took the wiper arm off, cleaned it good then put it back on using one drop on the splines and one drop on the nut threads that holds the arm on the motor shaft. That'll learn ya' durn ya'.

Happy Easter to all and enjoy your Venture van!

[redtrain65]

We have a 2000 Venture, at the time we had a mere 45,000 miles. I made an appointment for another stupid problem. They checked it and called and told me that the intake gasket had failed and was leaking. wonderful... $980 to fix. This was Oct. 2004. They, of course, repaired it but I had to foot the bill. When I complained as to why do I have to pay for something that should NOT go bad on a 4 year old vehicle with under 50K miles they said that anything can go wrong with any mechanical machine at any time. Ah, just wonderful. I hung up and told my wife, Toyota will get our business when we trade this in before even THEN troublesome vehicle. This was merely icing on the cake for a problem vehicle.

[Glen_T]

Huney1,

Actually, there are many different types of Loctite. If I recall, the red Loctite is used where you want thread locking, but want to be able to remove it. They also make a color of Loctite that virtually bond the threads and the threaded hole together, and you will rip aluminum threads out when you try to disassemble. My machinist buddies at work swear by it when they are install aluminum plugs to correct a mismachined thread.....Glen