Montana :: 1999 - Front End Shifting On Right Turns
Oct 7, 2012
Pontiac van? Ours is a 1999. I had the trans rebuilt last year. The trans shop dropped the sub frame to get the trans out.
Had a front end alignment done last year too as I had the trans shop install a new rack (old one was leaking) while the sub frame was lowered.
Had to take the van in for an alignment and afterwards the steering wheel would not center. Plus, on right turns you could hear something shift a small amount and when the van straightened out, the wheel was in a different position as if the sub frame was shifting on the four bolts that attach it to the chassis. But the bolts and the isolators are tight.
The steering rack is bolted in tight, I've checked it. The front and rear bushings on the control arms are good as are the shock mounts. But the steering wheel will re-center to a new 'center' each time something shifts left or right.
I thought it was perhaps the front brakes making the noise and causing drag on the rotors causing a pull left or right, but after doing the brakes (new rotors and pads; old rotors were warped) it changed the sound a bit, but the sound and feeling that something is shifting is still there on right turns. Outer tie rods are new and tight, lower control arms are new and the shocks were replaced with quick struts around the same time as the control arms.
Is there any way to check for this sound and possible shifting, and what if any remedy is available to correct it?
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I just noticed a connector hanging off at the front of the van, around the radiator area. It's a blue connector with a yellow, green/black wire (see attached pics). Everything on the van seems to work fine, no alarms or dash message indicating there's a problem. I looked everywhere for a place to connect it, but couldn't find anywhere.
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There is a strange rubbing sort of noise coming from the front end. I hear it when I take my foot off the accelerator and/or when I turn the steering wheel to the left. To me it sounds like it's coming from the passenger side of the front end, but I could be wrong. The most recent work done to the vehicle was the brakes, about a month or two ago.
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This is the first winter I'm driving my truck. I put it in in 4x4 HIGH the other night due to the snow (and I wanted to check out everything).
Seemed to work fine until I was backing into a parking spot doing a full lock turn. It didn't seem to move. I gave it a little more throttle and it "released" like it was stuck or going over an obstacle. Happened again when I did a full turn backing into my driveway (this time turning the opposite way).
It seems to work fine going forward with tight turns. Also and it doesn't "bind" in 4x2 mode. I haven't tried 4x4 LOW yet ... I guess I don't want to wreck anything if it's not operating properly. Is this normal?
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I recently noticed my truck (2006 f250 v8) making some clicking noises on really sharp turns and also horrible grinding when stopping (like the brake pads were shot).
I replaced the pads a couple years ago, so I didn't then they were bad, but I took a look tonight. What I found was a couple of seals blown on both sides!
What these are and how this might have happened? They look the same on both sides. How do I replace them?
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I just bought 07 Sonata CRDI tiptronic and it turns out it has problem when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear: rpms jump up and i feel the kick.
It is not that noticeable when shifting at 50kmph, but worse when shifting at 60k kmph.
Same on Drive or when shifting manually. What the problem could be?
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I changed the oil in our 1999 Montana van (like normal) with a filter change over the weekend last. I might have overfilled the crankcase by about 3/4 of a liter. It registers about a liter too much on the dip stick. First time in 266,000 Kms. Just passed its emissions check in April; - all good. O2 has never been replaced.
On the way home from work tonight the CEL came on solid. Don't know the code or which sensor is throwing it yet, but I wondered if the excess oil might cause enough blow-by to clog the O2 sensor. Putting a scanner on it tomorrow morning.
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I have a 1999 Pontiac Montana that has recently started whining when I accelerate. It stops after I take my foot off the gas pedal. It usually takes about 15 minutes of driving before the whining starts. It started about 4 months ago and has recently become louder.
Van has 85K miles.
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Battery symbol light appeared on dash, After determining battery was good, I removed alternator and took it to have it bench tested at the parts store. It tested bad so I purchased a rebuilt alternator and had it bench tested before I left the store and it tested good. I installed it and it won't charge the battery. Tried a new battery...same thing. I tested the voltage at the battery and it reads 12.3 and the same with engine running. Engine runs until battery is drained. I removed the alternator and took it to a different store and they bench tested it good also!
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It's a '99 Montana EWB.
OK, I know I have an issue with clean water entering the cabin and depositing itself in the channel next to the driver's side rocker where a fair number of wires are located. It filled with water last fall and I dried it out and never thought too much more about it, but knew there was water coming in somewhere. At first I thought it was the AC, but the drain is clear and running.
It's similar to the damned TSB Bulletin No.: 01-08-45-005E that is a sticky here on the forum.
This time however, I didn't check for water in the fall and this morning in a blinding snow storm at 14F the power sliding door acted up 5 minutes before my wife left for work. By the time she got to work the damned TCS and ABS idiot lights came on, and she says the sliding door attempted to open, but she got it to close.
Now the van is 20 miles away and I won't be able to look at it until I can get it home and try to dry it out again. In the driveway in a snow storm!!!
If GM had been a little more specific about the root cause of water issues mentioned in the TSB, it would make life and fixing this problem that much easier.
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'99 Montana van - EWB
I noticed the other day that when the key is turned to the proving circuit position, in addition to the warning lights on the dash illuminating, the air bag light comes on and flashes.
When the key is turned to start and released, the warning lights go out, and the air bag light flashes four of five times then goes out.
I've owned the van so long now that I'm beginning to see things that are there, but may have always been there and are quite normal.
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While driving my recently purchased minivan (a 1999 Pontiac Montana) for about 40 miles, I noticed the temperature gauge was reading high when I wasn't moving very fast, though short of what appears to be the overheating zone. Opening up the radiator revealed no coolant that I could see, but plenty of brown sludge. Looking under the oil cap revealed more brown pudding-type stuff (that wasn't there when I did an oil change when I first got it).
The lack of coolant makes me nervous that the engine might have overheating without the temperature gauge reading it properly. Is that possible? The heater was working, which searches seem to suggest means there must have been some in there.
I figure that either the intake or head gasket must be bad, so I'm nervously setting out to replace both using a gasket set like this: [URL] .....
What I'm more worried about though, is clearing the cooling system out of all the gunk. It sounds like oxalic acid and washing soda and back flushing might work? But I'm anticipating a large quantity of sludge, oily, rusty coolant water. How am I going to dispose of it all?
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99 Pontiac Montana.... I feel a shimmy in my steering wheel at all speeds....
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I just replaced my rotors, and tie rod ends on both sides. Now I have a clunking noise when I turn left. I also have erratic steering, the car swerves when I take a slight left, and I have to turn further to the right to get it to swerve back straight. If I hit a bump, car swerves left. Is this an alignment issue? I haven't taken it to get aligned yet, everywhere around here is closed. Could it be the Axle?
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2004 PSD 4x4 72k. I thought I would be proactive so I bought the front ball joints and have plans to install them but recently I starting hearing (and feeling) a clicking sound in the front LEFT when I make sharp turns to the left and hit small bumps now and again. I jacked up the front end and am able to get 1/4" of movement front to back (top to bottom so not steering) in the wheel.
I narrowed it down to the hub. I took it apart and it is most likely a sealed unit so no adjustment is possible....that I can see.I pulled out the locking hub and got as far as I can to know there is not an adjustment. Need to confirm that it indeed is a sealed bearing and if so what are the part number(s) I may need to repair it.
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I have a 2002 volvo v70 xc just had the passenger side strut replaced and now every time i make a sharp turn usually in reverse to the left my driver side wheel makes a horrible popping sound. It will also make said sound sitting still and turning the wheel same direction very sharply. Could this possibly be from when i had it worked on? They originally told me i needed new control arm bushings then decided i needed a new strut. Could they have possibly messed with anything that could have caused this?
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We have a mystery: there's a clunking sound from our right front wheel when we turn, but our mechanic can't figure out why - he says the axle, struts and ball joint there all look fine. What else could be causing the sound - is he missing something important? This sound happens about 50% of the time on turns. Note that we recently (about 10 days ago) had the ball joint and struts replaced on the LEFT front wheel - could that have done something to the balance of the axle, etc. that is making this sound happen on the right front wheel? This is an old car (a 1996 Mazda Protege with 115,000 miles on it) but it's been well-maintained and is otherwise running well.
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I have a 20th with 106k on it and I notice mostly my right front rubbing on hard turns. Suspension is totally stock other than a 28mm rear sway. Is it possible that's causing it or is my suspension just getting old? No spacer on the fronts.
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If I'm driving straight, the car feels silky smooth, but if I make a turn, even a highway sweeper I get this faint thumping coming from the front end (Very subtle, but you can feel it in the steering wheel and through your feet). I was thinking it could be the cv joints, but to be honest I am not really sure since it only occurs while turning. I just read a thread where the person had a similar condition and it turned out that it was just that the subframe bolts had loosened up....
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Before I take my 3 month old T2 in for service AGAIN this Saturday. The more informed I am when I walk up to the service counter, the better.
When I make a hard left turn (more than 90 degrees), I now hear a sound from the front left wheel area. It sounds sort of like the sound a plane makes when flying overhead. It's sort of like something is rubbing.
This started all of a sudden last Thursday. I thought it would go away. It doesn't sound normal and it doesn't happen when I turn right. It doesn't affect my steering. I don't recall hitting anything (note I sait recall).
Obviously, I got out of the truck and examined the entire area but I don't see anything unusual. I drove around in circles with my head out the window trying to figure this out.
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The ABS and ESC lights (amber) in my 06 Sonata are coming on intermittently.....
The lights just come on while driving....the ESC switch doesnt have any effect.....the brakes seem to work well....then, after several start cycles the lights will go out and all will be well again....then after a few start cycles and while driving they come on again.
I used the code tester from autozone but no codes are stored...they told me that brake codes aren't always accessible with their hand held unit though....
Also, I have noticed that when turning left or right I get a squeaking from the front brakes now and then,...it was doing this before the ABS/ESC light issue though...
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