1997 Chevrolet Astro

DT: OWNER TOOK THE DEALER, ANN DAVIDS WAS THE MANAGER, THE DEALER DENIES ANY PROBLEM. THE FIRST DAY, OWNER NOTICES A DUST UNDER HOOD, THEN NOTICED THE WIRES WERE BURNT UNDERHOOD AND UNDER CAR.TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALER, AND EVERYTHING WAS APPARENTLY OKAY. OWNER TRIED CRUISE CONTROL TO CHECK THE VEHICLE, WHEN CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON, VEHILCE ACCELERATED UNINTENTIONALLY, THEN OWNER PULLED OFF AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. WHEN IN NEUTRAL, THE VEHILCE STARTED TO REV. THEN A BIG BANG, AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE EXAUSHT. AFTER VEHICLE COOLED, HE SHUT OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, AND CHECKED THE ACCELERATOR, THEN STARTED THE CAR AGAIN. THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AGAIN, WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE DRIVER WOULD PUT IT NEUTRAL. CAR WAS TAKEN BY TOW TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MANAGER REPORTS ALL IF FIXED, BUT NO CRUISE CONTROL. 450 DOLLARS FOR NEW CRUISE CONTROL.

THE LINE THAT RUNS FROM THE ACCUMULATOR AND CONNECTS TO THE REAR EVAPORATOR, COMPRESSION SUCTION, DISCHARGE JUNCTION BLOCK AND CONDENSER SITS AGAINST THE BELL HOUSING OF THE TRANSMISSION. DUE TO VIBRATION IT HAS WORN A HOLE IN THE LINE CAUSING THE REFRIGERANT TO LEAK AT A RAPID RATE. IT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. I HAVE HAD A MECHANIC AND A HEATING/COOLING SYSTEM TECHNICIAN LOOK AT IT WITH THE SAME RESULTS. IT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS OF CHARGING THE SYSTEM EVERY 3 TO 4 DAYS WHICH IS TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE. *NLM

I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE: BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT POWER WINDOR MOTORS; REPLACE THE KEY REMOTE, BOTH IDLER ARMS,FRONT BRAKE PAD AT 37,000 MILES, SERPENTIME BELT, POWER STEERING PUMP - REPLACED TWICE, HAD TO FIX OIL COOLER LINES TWICE, REPLACED DISTRIBUTOR/ROTOR; REPLACED LOWER GASKET DUE TO INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK, AND FUEL PUMP MODUAL. ALL OF THIS WAS DONE BEFORE MY CAR HAD 57,000 MILES. THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY FAIR AND REPAIRED AT LOW OR NOW COST. I HAVE HAD TWO TRIPS SHORTENED DUE TO BREAKDOWNS AND HAVE SPENT OVER $1,500 ON REPAIRS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY OR BY THE DEALER. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO NORMAL MAINTENANCE (OIL AND FILTER,FOUR NEW TIRES,AND TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER). I AM CONCERNED AS TO "WHAT IS NEXT" AND WHEN THE DEALER WHEN NO LONGER BE ABLE TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS AT LOW COST TO ME.*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WINDOW WILL NOT STAY OPEN, CLIPS THAT SHOULD HOLD IT UP ARE BLOCKED BY MATERIAL, WINDOW SLAMS SHUT WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP. TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 45000 MILES. *AK OIL LEAK, DEALER ORDERED AXLE OUTPUT SHAFT SEAL AND CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP REPLACED DUE TO VEHICLE CUTTING AND WOULD CRANK, BUT WOULD NOT STAR. OIL PRESSURE GAUGE ERRATIC, DEALER REPLACED OIL PRESSURE SENDER. FRONT BRAKES AND PADS WERE REPLACED, ROTORS WERE RESURFACED. CONSUMER STATES THERE IS PLAY IN THE STEERING, DEALER REPLACED BOTH IDLER ARMS AND RESET TOE IN. POWER DOOR LOCKS INOPERABLE, DEALER REPLACED POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH. POWER WINDOW INOPERABLE, DEALER REPLACED POWER WINDOW SWITCH. SHIFTER WAS HARD TO MOVE, DEALER REPLACED SHIFT CABLE. GAS PEDAL BINDS AT TIMES, DEALER ORDERED THROTTLE CABLE AND REPLACED ACCELERATOR CABLE. DRIVER SETA SEEMS LOOSE WHEN BRAKING, DEALER ORDERED DRIVER SEAT TRACK ASSEMBLY AND REPLACED DRIVER SEAT ADJUSTER. PCM FUSE KEPT BLOWING OUT, DEALER REMOVED ENGINE COVER AND TRACED WIRE HARNESS, REPAIRED SHORTED HARNESS AT THE REAR OF THE TRANSMISSION. *SLC

1ST PROBLEM: WHEN TRANSMISSION GETS HOT- PARTICULARLY AFTER IF DRIVEN IN LOW GEAR .ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON AND TRANSMISSION SLAMS FROM 1ST GEAR INTO 2ND GEAR, THEN FROM 2ND GEAR INTO 3RD GEAR. FEELS LIKE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HIT FROM THE REAR. PROBLEM STOPS WHEN VEHICLE COOLS DOWN. DEALER SAYS ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. HAS SEEN MANY OTHER ASTROS WITH SAME PROBLEM. 2ND PROBLEM: SINCE FILING ORGINAL COMPLAINT # 516354 HAVE GONE TO BINDING ARBITRATION WITH CHEVROLET. CHEVROLET ADMITTED TO DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK THAT CAUSES IT TO MOVE. ARBITRATOR ORDER CHEVROLET TO FIX. CHEVROLET REFUSED BECAUSE IT WILL REQUIRE REDESIGN OF FUEL TANK. ARBITRATOR HAS NO POWER TO ORDER REDESIGN. *AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMING ON COINCIDENTLY WITH VERY ROUGH SHIFTING. DEALER STATES TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACEMENT, EVEN THOUGH AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP COULD FIND NO PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC MAINTAINS THE PROBLEM IS IN THE COMPUTER, WHICH IS SHUTTING DOWN AND CAUSING A FULL LINE PRESSURE IN THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING THE ROUGH SHIFT. THE INDEPENDENT SHOP DROPPED THE TRANSMISSION PAN, INSPECTED THE FLUID AND VISUALLY INSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO KEPT AND DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR 2 DAYS. DEALERSHIP INSISTS THE COMPUTER CODE THEY ARE RECEIVING (P1870) INDICATES A TRANSMISSION SLIP, TO BE REMEDIED BY A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT OR AT LEAST AN OVERHAUL. NO VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS CONDUCTED BY THE DEALER -- ONLY RELYING ON A COMPUTER CODE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. DEALER ALSO STATED THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MANY TRANSMISSIONS ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE --- "MORE THAN WE CARE TO ADMIT." STILL, AN INDEPENDENT SHOP CAN FIND NO INTERNAL PROBLEM AND MAINTAINS IT IS A PROBLEM IN THE PCM. DEALER DOES NOT WANT TO CHANGE PCM AND WILL DIAGNOSE ONLY AS FAR AS "PULLING CODES" FROM THE PCM. THEY CANNOT ADEQUATELY EXPLAIN WHY THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND ONLY PRESENTS INTELF UNDER CERTAIN WEATHER CONDITIONS. WHEN ROUGH SHIFTING OCCURS, THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY GOES AWAY WHEN THE ENGINE IS SHUT OFF AND RE-STARTED.*AK