1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE Engine And Engine Coolingcooling System Problems

GENERAL MOTORS DEX-COOL RUINED OUR COOLING SYSTEM IN OUR 97 CHEVY VENTURE. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM AND NOW CRANKSHAFT HAS GONE BAD. WE HAVE SPENT OVER $2000 IN REPAIRS. VAN STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AT 80,000MILES. VAN ONLY HAS 110,000 MILES. WE ARE OVERWHELMED AND EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED. WE WOULD HAVE REPLACE THE COOLANT IF WE WOULD HAVE KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THE DEX-COOL CAUSED. WE FEEL WE HAVE BEEN DENIED VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO MAINTAINING OUR VEHICLE. CONSUMERS NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH DEX-COOL COOLANT!!!!!!! *TR

WHILE DRIVING COOLANT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PROBLEM ONCE, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *AK. CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THIS VEHICLE. *AK

FAILURE OF MANIFOLD GASKET AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE WATER PUMP CAUSED COOLANT LIGHT TO FLICKER ON AND OFF AND. THERE WAS SOME DRIVEABILITY PROBLEMS. DEALER NOTED THAT THIS FAILURE WAS QUITE COMMON, BUT NOT WARRANTIED. THE BEST PART WAS IT FAILED ON CONSUMER'S BIRTHDAY, WHAT A GIFT.*AK

I PURCHASED A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE IN 8/2000. THE VAN HAD 19,000 MILES AND I PAID 17,900. I AM THE SECOND OWNER, AND THE VAN HAS RECEIVED REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I USE THE VAN TO TRANSPORT MY DAY CARE CHILDREN TO THEIR SCHOOLS. I ALSO USE IT TO TRANSPORT MY CHILDREN AND THEIR FRIENDS TO AND FROM SCHOOL SPORTING EVENTS AND DANCE. LAST WEEK THE COOLANT LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON & OFF. ALSO, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE BEGAN FLUCTUATING BETWEEN HOT AND COLD, AND THERE WAS NO HEAT. THE GARAGE REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT- $130.00. AT THE TIME THERE APPEARED TO BE NO COOLANT MIXING WITH THE OIL. I DROVE THE VAN 3 MILES TO MY HOME WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE VERY NEXT DAY WHILE TAKING THE CHILDREN TO SCHOOL THE SAME THING OCCURRED. AFTER RETURNING THE VAN TO THE GARAGE, I GOT THE DEVASTATING NEWS THAT IT APPEARS TO BE A HEAD...

FROM ABOUT 40000 MILESPROBLEMS WITH THE TEMP GAUGE INDICATING ENGINE RUNNING HOT WHEN IN FACT IT NEVER WAS AND COOLANT WAS ADEQUATE MECHANIC NEVER ABLE TO FIGURE OUT 60000 INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED 90000 MILES ENGINE LOSING POWER AND STALLING ENGINE BLOCK CRACKED POSSIBLE AND HEAD GASKET. BRAKES NOISY WITH A GRINDING FEEL IN THE PEDAL LIGHTS ON DASH ON & OFF ABS AND COOLANT LOW WHEN NO PROBLEM EXISTS! CAR PULLS TO LEFT AND HARD TO STEER IN A PUDDLE HORN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ACTIVATE. DIRECTIONAL AND HAZARD LIGHTS FLASH WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. *AK

COOLANT LOST 3.4 LITRE G.M. ENGINE. FAILURE OF INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS CAUSING OVERHEATING AND ENGINE REPAIR. *JB

I OWN A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN. RECENTLY DISCOVERED ENGINE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BECAUSE OF A FAILED GASKET AND DEXCOOL ENGINE COOLANT. WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING ALSO. WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM I BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A PETITION LOCATED AT HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/GMCNSMRS/ THAT CONTAINED ALMOST 5000 GM OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. ON OTHER SITES I FOUND THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE PUT IN HARMS WAY BY THE FAILURE OF THIS GASKET AND THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE CAUSED TO THEIR AUTOMOBILE ENGINES AT INOPPORTUNE TIMES. THE GASKET HAS BEEN REDESIGNED BUT AT SOME POINT LAST YEAR (2003) IT WAS ON BACK ORDER FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. AFTER REPAIRS AND APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES OF TRAVEL MY "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT HAS NOW COME ON. I AM REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FAILURE OF...

MY CHEVROLET 1997 VENTURE SUDDENLY OVERHEATED ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND THE VAN DIED. WHEN I DID GET HOME I LET IT SET AND NOTICED THE COOLANT WAS LOW, WHICH IT WAS NEVER BEFORE. CHECK IF OFTEN AS PER THE MANUAL. HAD IT TOWED TO OUR DEALERSHIP AND NOW THE GASKETS ARE RUINED AND THE HEADS ARE WORPED DUE TO THE ENGINE GETTING SO HOT!!! THERE IS OIL IN THE COOLANT!! $1,200.00 IN REPAIRS WHICH WE DON'T HAVE!! GM WILL DO NOTHING. HAVE ONLY HAD THE VAN FOR 1 YEAR. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON IT JUST HAPPENED SUDDENLY!! *AK

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACE, ALONG WITH THE WATER PUMP. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKING SYSTEM CAUSING THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTOL SYSTEM NOT TO WORK. LAST MONTH THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE VEHICLE LEAKED COOLANT WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. *AK ALSO THE FUEL INJECTORS FAILED AND THE SLIDING DOOR DID NOT SHUT PROPERLY. *JB *NLM

THE COOLANT SOLIDIFIED IN RADIATOR. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT REFUSED TO ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE DAMAGE MAY BE AS A RESULT OF THE DEXCOOL COOLANT. *NLM *NLM

CAR OVERHEATING AND STALLING IN TRAFFIC COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PART ON NATIONAL B/O AND NOT A RECALL. VEHICLE DOWN. 48,000 PARTS NEEDED THROUGH OUT THIS COUNTRY. SHOULD THIS BE A RECALL?*AK

I WAS TOLD THIS PROBLEM WAS VERY COMMON ON VENTURE VANS.BROTHER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON 1998 VENTURE VAN. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

WHEN TRYING TO PROCEED FORWARD AFTER STOPPING AT STOP SIGN VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO FORWARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS THE THIRD TRANSMISSION.*AK THE TRANSMISSION FAILED REPEATEDLY. THE TURN SIGNALS STOP FLASHING WHEN BRAKES ARE PRESSED DUE TO MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH FAILURE. THE ENGINE LOOSES COOLANT AND OVERHEATED DUE TO INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE. REAR WIPER WAS INOPERATIVE. ABS LIGHT COMES ON DUE TO OXYGEN SENSOR FAILURE. RIGHT FRONT TIRES FAILED AND WERE REPLACED. *YH