Topic 'Re: [Help] Chevy Venture Minivan' in forum 'Automotive' - dslreports.com

Re: [Help] Chevy Venture Minivan

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:38:33 EDT

cdru posted :

It will cost you about $1,300 when everything is said and done if not more.

You got ripped off. It should be under $1000 (down to $400-500 possibly) depending on the dealer or independent mechanic and if you are using OEM or aftermarket parts. Any GM dealership should be able to replace the LIM gaskets with their eyes closed.

If you Google "Chevy Venture antifreeze leak" you will find that among the first results is a class-action lawsuit against GM
for stupidly placing a plastic gasket where temps run very high and the dexcool burning that plastic,

Dexcool burns plastic? that's a new one. I've never heard that one before. Dexcool doesn't burn plastic. It doesn't get nearly hot enough to burn plastic. Hell, a engine ran without coolant isn't going to burn plastic. Melt maybe. The lawsuit was that original gasket design was flawed, allowing coolant to leak. As the coolant leaked, air entered the cooling system causing the coolant to form a sludge like material. If the system was kept at the proper level, the sludge would never form although other damage could still happen if the coolant would remain in the oil for an extended period.

when I fixed my van my mechanic put a ceramic gasket like all other cars have and told me not to use dexcool.

I'd like to know more about the ceramic gasket he used for the LIM replacement. I've never seen a ceramic gasket designed for cooling systems.

Re: [Help] Chevy Venture Minivan

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:11:52 EDT

cdru posted :

said by svolsted :

Okay All Great Answers Ty all I'm sure it is the cheap plastic Gasket as For Dexcool omg i went through that as the Van always was running Hot but never overheated.I Flushed out that Dexcool junk and put in Prestone 50/50 mix and that it never ran in the Red only mid way normal area

There is no problem with dex cool. It has similar cooling properties as the green (or yellow) stuff. If your problem went away after switching, it was because the system wasn't properly maintained, too low, air trapped, or something other then what the coolant was made of. You can blame dex cool, but that was NOT what the problem was.

So I Thought the problem was solved Now I Seen on Google about the cheap Gaskets used so I'm 99% sure thats the Problem! Ty All"

How much coolant was on the ground? What was the relative location of the puddle as compared to the engine compartment? The LIM gasket almost always leaks into the inside of the engine, mixing with the engine oil. A tell tale sign of that now that colder weather is starting is a whitish brown mayonnaise-like substance in the top of the oil fill cap. If it's leaking internally, you won't have a puddle outside.

If it's leaking to the passenger side front, I would suspect your water pump seal/bearing is shot and it's weeping coolant as it was designed.

If it's towards the passenger rear of the engine, #1 cylinder head gasket would be where I'd look. I've seen and chatted with more then a few people that have had head gaskets that went at that cylinder, myself included.

If it's towards the back drivers side or towards the middle, then I would suspect coolant hoses going to the heater core(s).

If it's towards the driver's front, I would look at the hoses around the throttle body, t-stat housing, and upper radiator hose.

Autozone has a coolant pressure tester that you can borrow for a deposit that will pressurize the system to help find where the leak is at. Napa also sells a UV tracer dye that can also help pinpoint where the leak is coming from with a black light.

Re: [Help] Chevy Venture Minivan

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:35:43 EDT

anon posted : Okay All Great Answers Ty all I'm sure it is the cheap plastic Gasket as For Dexcool omg i went through that as the Van always was running Hot but never overheated.I Flushed out that Dexcool junk and put in Prestone 50/50 mix and that it never ran in the Red only mid way normal area So I Thought the problem was solved Now I Seen on Google about the cheap Gaskets used so I'm 99% sure thats the Problem! Ty All"

Re: [Help] Chevy Venture Minivan

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:45:29 EDT

Xstar_Lumini posted : It's the intake manifold gasket, I also have a Chevy Venture and asked 2 years ago exactly the same question in this forum. It will cost you about $1,300 when everything is said and done if not more. If you Google "Chevy Venture antifreeze leak" you will find that among the first results is a class-action lawsuit against GM for stupidly placing a plastic gasket where temps run very high and the dexcool burning that plastic, when I fixed my van my mechanic put a ceramic gasket like all other cars have and told me not to use dexcool.

Re: [Help] Chevy Venture Minivan

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:35:44 EDT

chmod posted : I've got an 00' Olds Silhouette, basically the same as the venture and montana. I had an antifreeze leak a few months ago and it turned out to be a short 2 inch hose that comes off the oil filter housing going back into the block that split. Just something else to check. Although I will also mention that a neighbor has the exact same van as mine and his did not have this jacketed oil filter housing setup. So you may or may not have it.
--
Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

Re: [Help] Chevy Venture Minivan

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:04:26 EDT

MrWags posted : First, drive the vehicle as little as possible until this is fixed, or it WILL become much more expensive to repair very quickly.

It is most likely the lower intake manifild gasket. This has been a big problem with the GM 3100/3400 engines.

You can call around, but expect this repair to cost in the area of $700-$1000. Anything more is unreasonable.
Make sure they use the thicker Fel Pro gasket that was designed to fix this problem.

Re: [Help] Chevy Venture Minivan

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:37:01 EDT

TheHarvester posted : Probably intake manifold gaskets.
Look at the 4 corners where the intake and the heads meet.

It could be a freeze plug and unless you overheated it, I doubt it is head gaskets.
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mbsastronomy.com

[Help] Chevy Venture Minivan

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:58:55 EDT

anon posted : I Have a 2001 Chevy Venture Minivan and have had it sense 2005 it has always had AC Trouble but never anything else except normal maitenance Now it started leaking antifreeze and i tried to find the leak Checked the Hoses so on Now it will not hold any Antifreeze so i used water to find the leak It is under the Van all around the Oil Pan could it be a Freeze Plug or A Blown Head Gasket Or? As i am not a mechanic i have been told several things and am at a loss as to how to find out what the problem is so i can have some idea as to the cost of repairs or is it worth it or not? I Live where there are not a lot of mechanics and would like to have an idea so i am not taken by a crook Ty :)