1997 Chevrolet G Van

DT: PROBLEM WITH ABS BRAKES BEGAN IN 2003. AFTER REPLACEMENT OF ABS SYSTEM THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN WARNING WAS LIT THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED. MECHANIC SAID THAT CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES. HOWEVER, IN RAINY CONDITIONS BRAKES SEEMED TO CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND PULLED THE VEHICLE TO RIGHT. MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ABS LIGHT WAS COMING ON DUE TO COMPUTER PROBLEM. CONTACT BELIEVED THE COMPUTER WAS CAUSING THE ,PROBLEMS DUE TO THE COMPUTER BEING PLACED OUTSIDE NEAR THE TIRE. *AK

I OWN A 1997 CHEVY CUSTOMIZED VAN. I HAVE JUST HAD TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION REBUILT WITH JUST 79,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VAN, MOST DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I'VE REPLACED 2 STARTERS, 2 FUEL PUMPS, 1 SPEEDOMETER, 3 BATTERIES, AND FUEL LEAKS OVER THE YEARS. THERE WERE ALSO 2 RECALL ITEMS, ONE DEALING WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. ALL OF MY WORK HAS BEEN WITH LOCAL CHEVY SERVICE CENTERS, BUT NOT VERY HAPPY. AT AROUND 55,000 MILES, WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION JUMPING OR SHIFTING ROUGHLY AT LOWER SPEEDS IN TOWN, BUT IT WAS INTERMITTENT. THE SERVICE CENTER SAID WE WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A TREMENDOUS COST AT THAT TIME. MY QUESTIONS AT THE TIME ABOUT WHAT WAS THE CAUSE AND WHY AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE WERE NEVER ANSWERED FULLY, AND I CHOSE TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VAN. THE RECENT PROBLEM HAPPENED AT 79,000 WHILE CROSSING AN INTERSECTION, WHICH MY WIFE WAS LUCKY. THERE HAD BEEN A BIG BANG, AND THE RESULT INITIALLY WAS A LOST REVERSE GEAR. I HAD IT TAKEN TO A REPUTABLE LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP AND WHEN I WENT TO TALK TO THE MECHANIC, FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING WAS WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY. AS A MATTER OF FACT HE HAD 5 GM VEHICLES AT HIS SHOP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH BASICALLY THE SAME MILEAGE ON EACH. NOW WHEN I STARTED TO RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FIND MANY PEOPLE IN THE SAME SITUATION I AM, AND IT SEEMS THEY HAVE NO WAY TO GO, BECAUSE GM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THERE IS A PROBLEM, OF WHICH I BELIEVE THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT ALL ALONG. THERE ARE VERY FEW AVENUES TO HANDLE THIS KIND OF SITUATION AND I HAVE FOUND WORKING WITH THE LOCAL DEALERS AND EVEN THE CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICES TO BE A VERITABLE NIGHTMARE AND NO GUARANTEE OF HELP. I JUST WANT TO BE HEARD ALONG WITH THE OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME SITUATIONS OCCUR WITH THEIR VEHICLES. I ALSO FEEL LIKE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD ALSO BE COVERED UNDER SOME TYPE OF RECALL OR WARRANTY TO COVER THE REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR. *JB