2000 Chevy Venture minivan heater question?

[Big Bubba]

My friend that is currently deployed has a 2000 Chevy Venture minivan. His wife is complaining that it takes a long time before the heater kicks in to warm it up inside. She ask me if I could look at it and maybe do a complete flush of the antifreeze and change out the thermostat. Do you think this will fix this issue or should I do something else? The van only has about 65,000 miles on it total. Thanks for your help, Bob.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: 2000 Chevy Venture minivan heater question?

Look and smell for a coolant leak on that 60degreeV6 equipped vehicle, the lower intake manifold likes to leak on the transmission end but is also known to leak all around the rest of the lower intake as well. If you look on the drivers side under the throttle body where the engine meets the transmission you can usually see puddled coolant if it is leaking, you will also smell it.

The crap dexcool coolant in those cars also goes bad and turns to mud and clogs and ruins cooling system components, sometimes the need to clean and flush the cooling system to get it working properly again will cause leaks with marginal gaskets.

Good luck let us know what you find.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: 2000 Chevy Venture minivan heater question?

Yep, bubba, you'll most likely have a leaking lower intake manifold gasket.

BUT, your buddy's wife may have saved you all, and it's just the crud from the failing DexCool that is clogging up the thermostat, keeping it open. That's how I have known on both my cars that I was having a problem, the engine didn't warm up to a high enough temp.

Look at what Windsor said to look at, check the oil, and carefully pull out the PCV valve. If the oil and PCV valve look like caramel, you've got a bad lower intake manifold gasket. If that's the case, you're talking hundreds of dollars to replace it (a local shop here actually quoted me $1000+ to do mine, plus spark plugs, wires, thermostat!) Or you could bring the van to Peoria, IL and we'll fix them in my driveway at the same time!?

 

[sportsmanphil]

Re: 2000 Chevy Venture minivan heater question?

Ive replaced a few HVAC control boards in the V-vans.

Crank the engine and let it get warm. Find the two heater hoses that run into the firewall. With the heat on full blast inside, grab the heater hoses with your hand and see if they are about the same temp.

If they are, you are pushing hot water into the heater core.

If one is much cooler, you are either low on coolant, have a weak water pump or have a clog in the system as mentioned earlier.

Depending on what year, some of the HVAC control boards were vaccum and some were electronic in way of actuator doors. Many times over the years I have pulled actuators to test for movement and found faom insulation had blown loose in the box and got caught in th door preventing it from closing off.

Hope you get it fixed.