1999 Chevrolet Venture Temperature Gauge

I've been having a problem with my 99 venture's temp gauge. idling the car is fine but once i start driving around a bit...the gauge starts to rise pretty quickly and get close to if not all the way to the end of the gauge. i shut the car off and it begins to cool and then eventually it goes back to normal indications (cold or cool). now i've replaced the water pump in january and the problem seemed to be fixed but it has come back...i've then replaced the thermostat and the problem still persists. any suggestions or recommendations would be most appreciative..thanks.

Almost sounds like the same symptons as my van. Turns out the guage was not the problem. The van was in fact running hot because the electric radiator fans were not kicking in when the engine was hot. I replaced the relay switches for the fans. There are two of these in the fuse panel under the hood. There has been no problem with overheating since.

Daniel wrote:

I've been having a problem with my 99 venture's temp gauge. idling the car is fine but once i start driving around a bit...the gauge starts to rise pretty quickly and get close to if not all the way to the end of the gauge. i shut the car off and it begins to cool and then eventually it goes back to normal indications (cold or cool). now i've replaced the water pump in january and the problem seemed to be fixed but it has come back...i've then replaced the thermostat and the problem still persists. any suggestions or recommendations would be most appreciative..thanks.

I have the same problem 1999 Venture. I replaced thermostat and water pump. No one could find the problem, including GM dealership. I took car to DS engine repair and they told me they receive about 2 per week with this problem, they described to me what it was doing to a Tee. They told me GM is aware of the problem for many years, but resused to step up and fix it. They DS Engine have made lots of money because of it. The head gaskets are blown and need to be replaced. They are made from a material that will not hold up. Cost about $700.00.
Ron MacF Royal Oak, Mi

My neighbor has a 97 Venture. It's the head gasket. I have the identical van. It's starting to show the same symptoms.

I have an going problem (for several years) of my 1998 Chevy Venture shorting out the electrical connection. I will try to start it and it will either not turn over, or it might click and not turn over or after many tries it might turn over after all. When I press the brake the headlights dim. It has burned out several right/front flasher bulbs. I had a new starter installed 6 months ago and all was fine, now here we go again. No start about 8 times this week, but it eventually turned over. The tow truck drivers know me well. 3 mechanics cannot locate the problem because it always starts for them. I never know when I will be stranded and keep walking shoes in the van. Anyone else had this happen? And PLEASE tell me what it is. Thanks

How did you fix your van ? I have exactely the same problem on my 97 Venture.

Daniel wrote:

I've been having a problem with my 99 venture's temp gauge. idling the car is fine but once i start driving around a bit...the gauge starts to rise pretty quickly and get close to if not all the way to the end of the gauge. i shut the car off and it begins to cool and then eventually it goes back to normal indications (cold or cool). now i've replaced the water pump in january and the problem seemed to be fixed but it has come back...i've then replaced the thermostat and the problem still persists. any suggestions or recommendations would be most appreciative..thanks.

I had as well problems with temperature. I HAD, not anymore because my car is now broken. I had changed the intake manifold seal and after two days head gasket blew. Now I am having a positive problem. Either to change engiine or repair the old one. Any idea if 2000 model engine is plug and play into my 1999 model Venture?

Had similar problems and the dealer changed all sorts of wires and such said it was running on 3 cylinders and it would be fine. Paid them 1,770.00 and three weeks later had the temp probs and now they say 2,300.00 to fix. I almost drove it through the showroom window. Now I am trying to find a "reliable" mechanic. M.J. Sullivan chevrolet in New London, Ct. were the ones. They also told me there was no such thing as running on three cylinders to protect the engine until I showed it to them in the book then they just denied denied denied.

The "service engine" light comes on after we have been on the road for 45 min. and shifts hard. We pull over for 5min and let it sit. The engine light is still on but the hard shifting has stopped for the rest of the trip.We have used a lot of Dex coolant with no apparent leaks. Now, I smell gas when I get out of the van. Fuel filter? The windshield wiper motor died last month. We replaced it with a rebuilt wiper motor that has a lifetime guarantee. Go figure?! There's condensation in the headlights, the AC works on #3-6, the thermometer located above the review mirror is about 20degrees off. The small things I can live without, but the engine problems on top of the car payments and gas prices is choking me. I read one of the postings that said law suit. Where can I add my name? There are too many of us having the same problems. Intake manifold? Head gasket?$$$=(

My friend has a 1999 Venture, run it for a while then stop, start and runs on three cyl like it is hot; temp gauge shows no heat problem, no check engine lights come on. wait for an hour or so, restarts just fine; fires on all six........it sure sounds like a heat problem to me........not sure if the fan/s are turning on, but does not show on the gauge that is getting hot.........the van has been running just fine until a few days ago.........? any ideas??? thank you.....kb

shay wrote:

I have an going problem (for several years) of my 1998 Chevy Venture shorting out the electrical connection. I will try to start it and it will either not turn over, or it might click and not turn over or after many tries it might turn over after all. When I press the brake the headlights dim. It has burned out several right/front flasher bulbs. I had a new starter installed 6 months ago and all was fine, now here we go again. No start about 8 times this week, but it eventually turned over. The tow truck drivers know me well. 3 mechanics cannot locate the problem because it always starts for them. I never know when I will be stranded and keep walking shoes in the van. Anyone else had this happen? And PLEASE tell me what it is. Thanks

I had a similar problem with my 1997 SONOMA and it was the Ignition Switch.

Can anyone tell me where to get a rebuilt motor for my 1998 venture van it has all the above problems. Dont have much money so any advise will help.

IT COULD BE YOUR INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING I would suggest you to do a cooling system pressure test. that's might be your problem.

Daniel wrote:

I've been having a problem with my 99 venture's temp gauge. idling the car is fine but once i start driving around a bit...the gauge starts to rise pretty quickly and get close to if not all the way to the end of the gauge. i shut the car off and it begins to cool and then eventually it goes back to normal indications (cold or cool). now i've replaced the water pump in january and the problem seemed to be fixed but it has come back...i've then replaced the thermostat and the problem still persists. any suggestions or recommendations would be most appreciative..thanks.

Katrina wrote:

Can anyone tell me where to get a rebuilt motor for my 1998 venture van it has all the above problems. Dont have much money so any advise will help.

Katrina, I was surfing around Ebay the other night and guess what? They have all kinds of Venture parts and repair manuals on there. Had engines too but not sure of the year.

I have a 99 chevy venture and in the summer the temp guage is fine and no loss of coolant. In the winter I turn on the heat/defrost and the guage goes back/forth and I start using coolant. Can it be the thermostat sticking like in the older vehicles?

I have started smelling gas as well when I get out of the Van. What did yours turn out to be?

Thanks....

Alicia - Weymouth MA wrote:

The "service engine" light comes on after we have been on the road for 45 min. and shifts hard. We pull over for 5min and let it sit. The engine light is still on but the hard shifting has stopped for the rest of the trip.We have used a lot of Dex coolant with no apparent leaks. Now, I smell gas when I get out of the van. Fuel filter? The windshield wiper motor died last month. We replaced it with a rebuilt wiper motor that has a lifetime guarantee. Go figure?! There's condensation in the headlights, the AC works on #3-6, the thermometer located above the review mirror is about 20degrees off. The small things I can live without, but the engine problems on top of the car payments and gas prices is choking me. I read one of the postings that said law suit. Where can I add my name? There are too many of us having the same problems. Intake manifold? Head gasket?$$$=(

I can't seem to find where the thermostat is at, can any one tell me where it is located.

i cant seem to locate the thermostat. can any one tell me where it is located.

Sal wrote:

I can't seem to find where the thermostat is at, can any one tell me where it is located.

DRiver side under the throttle body