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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / July 200696 Astro/Safari - any good? Opinions Please!
I am thinking about buying a used GM Safari Van. Model year is 1996, and it has about 180,000 kms. I don't know a thing about these vans. Is there any known problems? (other than the gas guzzling 4.3l engine!) Anything I should look out for? Are these vans hard to work on resulting in higher priced repair bills? Did not look like much room under the hood to me. Then again, if they rarely breaks, perhaps this is not an issue. All advice and opinions greatly appreciated. Thanks > I am thinking about buying a used GM Safari Van. Model year is 1996, > and it has about 180,000 kms. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > All advice and opinions greatly appreciated. I'm not sure if the part goes back to '96 but I know the fuel pumps are expensive. > I am thinking about buying a used GM Safari Van. Model year is 1996, > and it has about 180,000 kms. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > bills? Did not look like much room under the hood to me. Then again, > if they rarely breaks, perhaps this is not an issue. Good vans. They don't guzzle gas any worse than other comparable-sized vans and SUVs, and the Chevy 4.3L is a tough engine that's been built for a long time, which makes parts cheap and easily found. Given decent maintenance, they should need nothing more than normal replacement items (alternator, waterpump, fuel pump, shocks, etc) until the miles get really high. If you want a body-on-frame RWD midsized van, definitely the best choice. Harry > ... If you want a body-on-frame RWD midsized > van, definitely the best choice. They're not body-on-frame in the classic sense, at least my 98 isn't. The engine/trans and rear end assemblies are each in their own sub-frames but the sub-frames are not structurally connected except thru the body, i.e. they're not built on a frame like a pick-up truck. They are the last of the true 'mini' vans, tho...all the others are really micro vans. If you want to tow anything, the Astro/Safari is about the only choice short of a full-sized van or a pick-up. They are true trucks unlike the other 'minivans' out there, and they ride & handle like one. Ours has been pretty trouble-free (knock on wood). They're a real PITA to work on, at least the engine...changing the spark plugs is a multi-hour job. I owned an '89 and a '92 - both with 4.3 and loaded with options including A/C Both went well over 200,000 miles. As a matter of fact the '92 is STILL running for another owner. Maintenance was no more difficult than most other vehicles. I did my own routine maintenance. I would suggest a "routine maintenance" fuel pump change at 100K. Both my vans needed one at around 125K-130K - as did my current GMC S-15 pickup with the 4.3. It is just "normal" GM maintenance. Both vans did around 20-21 mpg and "lost" one mpg to A/C - which I figured cost me around 25-cents per hour travelling down the highway in the late '90s. My current pickup will do up to 23 mpg on summer fuel, with a similar one-mpg loss for A/C, but even if it was twice the '90s cost - 50 cents-per-hour - I feel the A/C/ is well worth it....a couple of bucks to be comfortable during a four-hour trip. I talked with my shop on the fuel pump issue. You are quite correct, the Safari / Astro has issues with the fuel pumps. They change them ALL THE TIME. Worse than that... If the van is 1996 or older, then this is a minimum $500 repair. If the van is 1997 or newer - then you can only replace the "fule pump module" which is a "GM Only" part with NO aftermarket. The part alone is $1200 - and they are no more reliable than the earlier models! The shop also warned me about the $800 fuel injector! Seems that there is one fuel injector that - in order to replace - you have to practically tear the top end of the engine off to do! And given the absolute lack of space to do so..... Damn. I knew it was too good to be true. >I owned an '89 and a '92 - both with 4.3 and loaded with options including >A/C [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >cents-per-hour - I feel the A/C/ is well worth it....a couple of bucks to >be comfortable during a four-hour trip. > I talked with my shop on the fuel pump issue. You are quite correct, > the Safari / Astro has issues with the fuel pumps. They change them [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > $500 repair. If the van is 1997 or newer - then you can only replace > the "fule pump module" which is a "GM Only" part with NO aftermarket. Someone is feeding you a line of hooey. NAPA shows new fuel pumps for 97-98-99 Astro vans for $550 for a Delco and $529 for the NAPA (likely Carter) brand. In 2000-01-02-03, still available but the price drops about $100. > The part alone is $1200 - and they are no more reliable than the > earlier models! See above > The shop also warned me about the $800 fuel injector! Seems that there > is one fuel injector that - in order to replace - 96 and newer have 6 injectors, they can be serviced individually, but you can get a new 6 injector SCFI assembly for the 4.3 for $299. > you have to > practically tear the top end of the engine off to do! And given the > absolute lack of space to do so..... No, you have to remove the upper intake plenum, takes about an hour to have it off. > Damn. I knew it was too good to be true. Depends on who you ask and how out of touch they are. |
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