Found a steal of a deal on a 2000 Venture (full sized/long wheelbase, has both sliding doors) with 117k miles on it for $600. Runs and drives, the current owners use it to run ~100 mi a day with it. From what I was told the lifter tick started about 4-5 months ago after a panic stop on a late night trip home. Sat overnight and they went out to start it and there it was.
Other than the tick, it sounds like a pretty solid deal..Owner says it has typical rust above the rear wheels (supposedly a common issue for these vans) but other than that its clean and straight..
So from what I gather it has the 3.4l V6 in it. This kind of worries me, since from what I recall the 3.1/3.4 were infamous for having intake gasket failures (more so on the 3.1 than the 3.4).
Now for the kicker: The reason I am looking at this is because I need something larger than what I currently have, something with more cargo room. The price is right, the miles are low, and its got 3x more power at the same MPG than my 88 Subaru DL, all with the capability of being able to carry all my crap in it for a 1500 mile trip home. The Subaru has a new home lined up, and its already earned its keep under my ownership (lets face it, it was a $300 beater car when I got it, and I've already made 5x my money back on it after a coworker pulled a hit and run, so I'm not terribly worried about it). Looking for some info/advice though from those of you more familiar with these than I am. Its GM, can't be much harder to work on than any of their other vehicles, and I'm no stranger to fixing a Generally M( streated vehicle.
Heading tomorrow to check it out with a buddy of mine. Worse case he'll snag it up for the car lot. Planning to look at another one 25 min down the road as well, an 01 Warner Bros trim...
I have a 2004 I bought about 6 months ago with 50k miles on it. only real problem I've had is a door latch that failed on the passenger sliding door. I am impressed with the power the van has and the relatively good gas mileage. Love the dual sliding doors too, mine are manual not power, which I prefer.
I have a 2004 I bought about 6 months ago with 50k miles on it. only real problem I've had is a door latch that failed on the passenger sliding door. I am impressed with the power the van has and the relatively good gas mileage. Love the dual sliding doors too, mine are manual not power, which I prefer.
Any issues with the aforementioned lifter tick? From what my buddy told me, he's had a couple of GM vehicles in the past few years with this motor and they all had lifter tick. One of them he sold 3 years ago and its still running strong and still ticking ~75k miles originally and now over 200k)
I suspect its a collapsed/sticky lifter honestly. My thoughts are that a $10 can of Seafoam and a full synthetic 10w30 oil change should quiet it down enough, and worse case scenario there's always a volume knob on the radio that will fix it if that doesn't...
[This message has been edited by Xerces_Blackthorne (edited 09-17-2014).]
At start up I have a slight tick then it goes away. Mine is very quiet, one time I was pulling into a parking spot and a guy was standing in the way with his back to me, when he turned around he almost jumped out of his shoes because he couldn't hear my motor running.
My wife has had an '01 since new. It has also had a lifter tick for thousands of it 120,000+ miles. Had to have intake gaskets done a while ago.
It was a little disturbing that in maybe 2005, we stopped at a convenience store and had a fellow Venture owner ask if it had had the intake gaskets or transmission fail yet. At that time it was fine. Has a weird unstable temp issue since it blew a heater hose coupling and overheated. Power sliders don't work right any more, as well as a few other issues, but for the most part, pretty sang reliable.
My wife has had an '01 since new. It has also had a lifter tick for thousands of it 120,000+ miles. Had to have intake gaskets done a while ago.
It was a little disturbing that in maybe 2005, we stopped at a convenience store and had a fellow Venture owner ask if it had had the intake gaskets or transmission fail yet. At that time it was fine. Has a weird unstable temp issue since it blew a heater hose coupling and overheated. Power sliders don't work right any more, as well as a few other issues, but for the most part, pretty sang reliable.
Intake gaskets are what scare me the most. Cheap to replace but a giant pain in the nuts to DIY (especially if they are anything like the older 3.1's that had the dexcool/gasket issue in the mid 90s...my stepdad had a Beretta with 160k and had them replaced 4x at $600 a pop before the car finally keeled over and died for good).
I'm also reading a bit about that unstable temp issue you mention, seems like its a slightly less than common problem.
As for the rest of the issues you mention (power sliders, etc), I'm not really concerned with that stuff. I'm really more concerned with getting a larger vehicle that is going to be mechanically sound. The subaru is great, is cheap to fix, and gets the same gas mileage (pretty sad considering its a 90hp 1.8l boxer) but has nowhere near the cargo space. At least with the van I can haul my queen sized bed and my recliner (can't say the same for the subaru, you try strapping a queen sized mattress on top of a 4 ft square roof and driving 1500 miles lol)
Most likely it will become my home on wheels shortly. Another reason I am looking for a larger vehicle. And the price is right.
I really don't see any reason not to buy this...The "rust" that the current owner mentioned doesn't scare me one bit, its the middle of Nebraska after all and I'm from the rust belt. Dollars to donuts I've seen waaaay worse Then again Zeb, I don't have to tell you about rust, you're from Jersey lol
[This message has been edited by Xerces_Blackthorne (edited 09-17-2014).]
It's a van, they are all a pain in the ass to do any engine work on ! Lifter tick I have had in older vehicles that lasted for years after it started, it isn't always a death sentence.
Other than that I go t nothing
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
We had an old Venture for the longest time. It was the best running van we've ever had, plus it had enough balls to blow the doors off a lot of other vehicles out there. It pulled our dirtbikes around everywhere and you wouldn't even feel 'em behind you. It finally gave up to a intake gasket around 150,000 miles.
Ask me about our 07 town & country though... what a pooch.
------------------ Red '84, 75,000 miles.. work in progress
It's a van, they are all a pain in the ass to do any engine work on ! Lifter tick I have had in older vehicles that lasted for years after it started, it isn't always a death sentence.
Other than that I go t nothing
Steve
Believe you me Steve, if I had the choice I'd buy an actual wagon (or a small camper/conversion van built on an 80s 3/4 or 1 ton GMC chassis, ala the G20 or G30 van bodies with the 350), but its not in the cards right now. Granted my buddy I'm going with tomorrow did just pick up a G30 based camper for $500 2 weeks ago...If I could get him to let it go for that price I'd be all over it (kinda 50/50 though, originally came from your neck of the woods and had a 305 swapped into it in Iowa, plenty of rust and water damage from the cab over roof leaking, etc).
I'm no stranger to lifter tick.. Have had plenty of vehicles with it. Usually a heavier weight oil and some seafoam quite it down enough, and then once the engine warms up it goes away for the most part.
quote
Originally posted by Dukeiboy:
We had an old Venture for the longest time. It was the best running van we've ever had, plus it had enough balls to blow the doors off a lot of other vehicles out there. It pulled our dirtbikes around everywhere and you wouldn't even feel 'em behind you. It finally gave up to a intake gasket around 150,000 miles.
Ask me about our 07 town & country though... what a pooch.
From what I'm seeing, stock power on these is 185hp and ~200 lb*ft torque. Definitely more than enough to blow the doors off and cruise comfortably on the highway (which is where it will spend most of its life in my care). As for towing, glad you piped up on that, I eventually plan to get a small travel trailer that i can pull behind, or a pop up camper.
As for the T&C, you couldn't pay me enough to buy another Chrysler branded vehicle, especially a Town and Country van. I swore off Chrysler/Dodge vehicles loooong ago. They aren't nearly as user friendly/DIY as the GM equivalents (think 10lbs of sh*t shoved into an equally sh*tty 5 lb bag). Mopar can bite my shiny metal arse
I am told that the intake gasket was improved in 04 so I am hoping I won't have that problem. I was reading that if you do have to change it make sure and use the premium Fel pro gasket set not the plastic oem gasket that was used prior to 04.
It's a van, they are all a pain in the ass to do any engine work on ! Lifter tick I have had in older vehicles that lasted for years after it started, it isn't always a death sentence.
Other than that I go t nothing
Steve
You got that right, I am still trying to get my firewall spark plug wires off so I can change the plugs
I am told that the intake gasket was improved in 04 so I am hoping I won't have that problem. I was reading that if you do have to change it make sure and use the premium Fel pro gasket set not the plastic oem gasket that was used prior to 04.
Might be something to look into then for peace of mind...Maybe I can swap to the updated/improved gasket set...I won't touch Felpro with a 10 foot pole...
my mom had one that she broke the camshaft in 3 pieces on @ about 150,000 miles... Still ran and got her home though... Don't ask me how she broke it... Its not the first time shes pulled that stunt. When she had it was a good running vehicle though, up to that point.
my mom had one that she broke the camshaft in 3 pieces on @ about 150,000 miles... Still ran and got her home though... Don't ask me how she broke it... Its not the first time shes pulled that stunt. When she had it was a good running vehicle though, up to that point.
Lifter tick i would look at the oil and coolant. Make sure theres no milkshake. Our alero got a tick just before the intake fully let go. It mixed oil and water. cleaned up and put together we got another 3 years out of it before a head gasket let go. There reliable vans but they do have the known intake failures. The one mentioning pulgs. these engines are a scinch to work on. you pull the upper dog bones theres a tool you put in place of one crank it down and it rocks the motor forward. Days of room on the back when you rock it.
Lifter tick i would look at the oil and coolant. Make sure theres no milkshake. Our alero got a tick just before the intake fully let go. It mixed oil and water. cleaned up and put together we got another 3 years out of it before a head gasket let go. There reliable vans but they do have the known intake failures. The one mentioning pulgs. these engines are a scinch to work on. you pull the upper dog bones theres a tool you put in place of one crank it down and it rocks the motor forward. Days of room on the back when you rock it.
Yeah, if it is the 3400, watch out for intake and headgasket issues. Otherwise, the engines are sound. Trannies have issues also and a good rebuild will solve the problem.
I need to replace the plugs in the Aztek (again). I am going to take it to a shop. I replaced a bad brake line (runs along the firewall) and that was fun enough.... It is worth it for the shop to replace the plugs (first set was when the headgasket was replaced). Plus, they are 100K plugs... I only have to pay every 100K
Thanks, that's pricey for what it is, I wonder if the parts store has a loan a tool one? [/QUOTE]
Yeah, that is why I will have a shop do the plugs. Just not worth the price for tools and you are working with AL heads, so it could be easy to screw up.
(and I have changed heads on a Fiero... so I am not afraid of the work, but sometimes it just pays to have someone else do it)
[This message has been edited by jaskispyder (edited 09-18-2014).]
Originally posted by Xerces_Blackthorne: Then again Zeb, I don't have to tell you about rust, you're from Jersey lol
Weirdly enough, rust is NOT a problem for me. I live about 5 miles from the ocean, too far for salt air, too close for lots of snow. Our Venture has -zero- visible rust.
I have bought more tools for one time use made for one particular job and used them for so many other jobs sometimes with little or no modifications. Think door spring compressor tool, I have used for many other types of things, like e brake springs and more. I have even made tools at times like the one Jake linked to, cheaper with modifications that made them work better for my peculiar need !
Sometimes biting the bullet and buying the tool is the lesser of 2 evils but still evil !
Steve
[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 09-18-2014).]
Sure, you can use a come-a-long, but you have to have the ability to connect it to something else
I am all for making tools and buying them. But with the rear plugs, that is just half the battle. The plugs are still in a position that really bites
quote
Originally posted by 84fiero123:
Add a small come-a-long to that tool list !
I have bought more tools for one time use made for one particular job and used them for so many other jobs sometimes with little or no modifications. Think door spring compressor tool, I have used for many other types of things, like e brake springs and more. I have even made tools at times like the one Jake linked to, cheaper with modifications that made them work better for my peculiar need !
Sometimes biting the bullet and buying the tool is the lesser of 2 evils but still evil !
Thanks guys And Jaski, thanks for the link to the tool...looks like an oversized fiero door spring tool Worse case if I can't make said tool work, its a reason to buy another new one from Amazon (like I need reasons to buy more tools :lol: )
Heading out now to get on the road and go check it out. If all goes right and I can get it for the right price/work something out with my buddy til the new owner of the Subaru comes to pick up, I'll be bringing her home tonight. Thinking about offering $450-$500 for it, if they'll bite at the lower price its a done deal. Definitely one of those times where having gone to school for auto mechanics comes in handy
I'll report back once I get home. Gonna be a long day, 4 hours of driving ahead of me and a rush back home after to get to work by 5
my mom had one that she broke the camshaft in 3 pieces on @ about 150,000 miles... Still ran and got her home though... Don't ask me how she broke it... Its not the first time shes pulled that stunt. When she had it was a good running vehicle though, up to that point.
This is a cam from a 3400 in a Venture with 100K. This engine started with a tick and was run with failed intake gaskets & the resultant "milkshake" oil.
[This message has been edited by FrugalFiero (edited 09-18-2014).]
Snagged it up for the car lot for $400. Lifter tick is pretty bad and the torque converter clutch is stuck on. Also has electrical gremlins (fuel gauge doesnt work, rad fans won't kick on, etc). Its not terrible but not what I am looking for. Don't need to be getting into a project, no time and lack of proper tools currently...
We got it back to the lot with no real troubles. The tranny was shifting hard from 3-4 and when it tried to kick down into the passing gear after it warmed up and while it was cold it had a bit of a flutter while cruising. Suspect this is mainly due to the torque converter lockup being stuck. A couple times when I tried to get it to kick down to pass it would rev up and hit about 70 mph and just kinda hang there with the RPMs rising til it finally shifted, and 2-3 times when that happened it sounded like the clutches chirped a bit in the tranny (could have been the serpentine belt slipping though, had a christmas tree effect going on with the dash lights for about 4-5 seconds)
As far as the lifter issue goes, it quieted down a lot after she warmed up and was driven...No loss of power that I noticed.
There are better ones around here for not a lot more money honestly. I'll hold off on picking one up for now. Would really rather have a 4 or 5 cyl station wagon over a mini van...But I do have to say this much about it though, there is way more cargo space in there than I thought and it would be more than possible to throw my queen sized bed in the back over top of the folded rear seats and live out of it if necessary (which is looking like a possibility for a short time). So a mini van may be on the table after all if I cant find a suitable wagon (I did find an 06 Chrysler Pacifica with a bad rod for dirt cheap but I'm hesitant to grab it, mostly because its a Chrysler, but also because its more of a project than I'm willing to work on/pay for repairs on, even with the cheap mechanic I use)
Probably needs to have the valve body replaced.. or rebuild the tranny (common thing to have tranny problems). It sounds like this van is ready for the yard.... too many issues to make it worth fixing.
quote
Originally posted by Xerces_Blackthorne:
We got it back to the lot with no real troubles. The tranny was shifting hard from 3-4 and when it tried to kick down into the passing gear after it warmed up and while it was cold it had a bit of a flutter while cruising. Suspect this is mainly due to the torque converter lockup being stuck. A couple times when I tried to get it to kick down to pass it would rev up and hit about 70 mph and just kinda hang there with the RPMs rising til it finally shifted, and 2-3 times when that happened it sounded like the clutches chirped a bit in the tranny (could have been the serpentine belt slipping though, had a christmas tree effect going on with the dash lights for about 4-5 seconds)
As far as the lifter issue goes, it quieted down a lot after she warmed up and was driven...No loss of power that I noticed.
There are better ones around here for not a lot more money honestly. I'll hold off on picking one up for now. Would really rather have a 4 or 5 cyl station wagon over a mini van...But I do have to say this much about it though, there is way more cargo space in there than I thought and it would be more than possible to throw my queen sized bed in the back over top of the folded rear seats and live out of it if necessary (which is looking like a possibility for a short time). So a mini van may be on the table after all if I cant find a suitable wagon (I did find an 06 Chrysler Pacifica with a bad rod for dirt cheap but I'm hesitant to grab it, mostly because its a Chrysler, but also because its more of a project than I'm willing to work on/pay for repairs on, even with the cheap mechanic I use)
Might be something to look into then for peace of mind...Maybe I can swap to the updated/improved gasket set...I won't touch Felpro with a 10 foot pole...
Fel pro was what solved my intake problem (first replacement set didn't fix it).
Probably needs to have the valve body replaced.. or rebuild the tranny (common thing to have tranny problems). It sounds like this van is ready for the yard.... too many issues to make it worth fixing.
Sounds like it will patched up and sold at the buy her pay here car lot for $500 down and easy weekly payments.
If you need s-p-a-c-e, a minivan was invented for just that. I've thrown pretty much everything in ours. Up to and including 15 foot tall trees, 4x8 sheets of ply (it's actually 47-15/16 wide inside, but all that plastic will flex a bit...), kids, dogs, etc. I can only say I've actually filled it up once.
As far as living in it, I've often considered it myself.
Basically it is a the minivan chassis, same engine/tranny. You can haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood in there, flat, with the tailgate down.
I'm not on the east coast these days Although I have considered the Aztek, wouldn't mind having one (even though they are uglier than a...). And they are just as cheap and plentiful around here (for the most part).
This Venture will get the bad lifter replaced, the electrical issues fixed (mainly the fans, fuel gauge, etc which I suspect may just be bad sending units) and end up going on the lot for $2500 most likely on a buy here pay here deal. With parts and labor, it'll be $1500 into it to get it up and going well enough to sell. Worse case scenario, pull the tires and the battery and haul it off to the junkyard for $350. Not much of a loss for my buddy considering it was $400 and a 1/4 tank of gas to go pick it up.
I love minivans myself. I think there the most practical vehicle out there. Can haul just about anything including lots of people. Takes as much space as a mid size car and you dont set up in the air like a semi cab. Ive had Transport, Lumina, Astro and a bunch of Caravans. I currently have a Grand Caravan with all the back seats out. I haul parts, gravel, dirt, groceries, patio pavers and even a small load of blacktop to repair the driveway. Ive even hauled my yard tractor to the repair shop inside. It gets around 22 mpg with 3.3 V6. Right now its my only vehicle besides the RV. Being FWD, its even super easy to haul on a dolly behind the RV. Everyones experience is different. Ive never had any of my Caravans break down and leave me stranded. None even needed much done except battery replacement. The ONLY one that did need some work was the one before this one had to have a new fuel pump installed. The Astro was nice, but had to put brakes/rotors all around, exhaust system, radiator and had the intake gaskets replaced...lots more than any of the Caravans. Since Ive now got access to a garage full of super nice cars, I dont foresee ever buying anything else before I die (or it majorly breaks). The only minivans I run away from are Windstar and Aerostar. If there was only one personal vehicle type made in the future Id hope for an electric minivan with at least a 400 mile range per charge.
[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 09-19-2014).]
I may still end up with this, not sure yet. He offered to let me have it today for what we (he) has into it...Basically $500 and it'd be mine. May be worth the trip to the junkyard for a few hours to pull the necessary parts to fix the transmission. Other than that its a set of lifters and a gasket set, an o2 sensor, and a fan switch. If I do the labor myself and get him to help I'd come out on top still. The van itself isn't too bad honestly, just needs some TLC. At 118k miles for the price I can't complain. The body is pretty decent and the rust is right at the bottom rear of the rocker panels (fixable, but nor really necessary). The interior is almost flawless, especially after we cleaned everything out and scrubbed the carpets today. It'd be a shame to scrap this thing honestly... If I get another 10k miles out of it, I still get my moneys worth for the price, and I could trade up for something better. And its not like its hard to get a 3400 or a trans for these considering they are a dime a dozen...
Doing some side work for him anyhow detailing/picking up cars, so anything I make could potentially go towards this van on a "don't pay me cash, just put it towards the cost" kinda deal...
Still would rather have a station wagon, but beggars can't be choosers. Really all depends on the labor quote to have that lifter replaced that he is getting later today. He has a mechanic down the street from the shop that does pretty decent work for cheap (a little mom and pop Hispanic shop) on most of the cars he gets...I've used him before with the Subaru, no real major complaints.
[This message has been edited by Xerces_Blackthorne (edited 09-19-2014).]
Venture is in the shop getting the lifter and intake gaskets done. Soon as he gets it back we are going to discuss price and I'll be taking this. Left with no other options right now, dad isn't doing so well and they found a new tumor in his brain. Goes in for surgery on Tuesday, so I need to get a larger vehicle ASAP and start heading east again
Then again Zeb, I don't have to tell you about rust, you're from Jersey lol
Worse case if I can't make said tool work, its a reason to buy another new one from Amazon (like I need reasons to buy more tools :lol: )
