It's the first time I'm seeing them too. They also have one that's 13mm for diff fill/drain plugs that require a "slightly-too-small" 1/2" drive.

I'm sure people in the industry (stealerships, mechanics, etc..) have these tools.

All the Astro/Safari diff's I have worked on take a 3/8" square socket extension. You could always take a bolt and weld it onto the plug and turn it out that way. Apply heat to the housing around the plug and it should loosen up. I know you're the site admin and all but I'd have to disagree wi...

Well, I don't know WHY!!!! but every single car I work on has those stupid differential fill/drain plugs that the 1/2" drive fits not so snuggly.. Same goes for the Astro. I tried removing the fill plug to do the diff fluid change and of course I ended up stripping the crap out of it. The plug ...

Well, what do ya know! the light went out by itself! I did, after some research, confirm that on the MY2003 Astro, there is no proportioning valve but the ABS does all the proportioning by thresholding the tires. Just a FYI for future reference. Thanks for the responses guys and gals! I really appre...

2003 Chevy Astro Cargo

I appreciate the response. Where is this proportion valve? (i.e. Left side of the engine, right side of the engine, over the engine, behind the trans, below the diff...)

Also, any comments on the safety issue? (Just driving it like it is?)

Smiliesafari wrote:Proportioning valve sets the light. The brakes need to be bled with the pin pulled out.

Where is the pin? and is it safe to be driven with the light on?

Thanks for the response.

I bled my brakes today using a helper ("pump-the-pedal" method). After I was done, I wanted to take it out for a spin to check for sponginess but as soon as I started the van, the red "BRAKE" light came on and never disappeared. At first, I thought I had set the e-brake on so I c...

I just replaced my water pump today. After 21 years the shaft seal gave out. It's like most things on these vans, a pain in the a**, but not complicated. An extra pair of hands will make things go faster if you can talk a bud into wrenching with you. 21YEARS!?!? :yikes: wow... I was going to replac...

Well, I called around several GM dealerships to confirm that my 2003 Astro (cargo) has a transmission pan depth of 76.6mm. Translated into "dumb" units, it's ~3 inches, which leads me to believe I have a deep pan. Just thought I'd share for references.

I'm looking to do the items mentioned in the title. 1). What is the best place to get the trans filter and gasket? Best to stick to OEM? I found gmpartsdirect.com and the prices seem reasonable compared to the local stealership prices.. 2). I can't figure out if the van has a deep or shallow pan. 3)...

LiftedAWDAstro wrote:I would clear the code and tighten the gas cap. If it comes back then replace the cap.

The small evap leak can be simply the gas cap. The P0128 code is for low coolant temp. This could be a bad sensor or a faulty t-stat. If the t-stat and coolant haven't been changed, I would start there. I was planning on doing a cooling system overhaul so that SHOULD take care of P0128. As for the ...

I don't know, but one quick look behind the driver seat will tell you right away . I believe C36 is the RPO code for auxiliary heater. what's behind the driver seat? There will be a heat vent there. Also you would have a separate heat controller on your dash for the rear ,if you have a rear heater....

After doing some reading, P0128 seems to refer to a faulty thermostat.

But I can't seem to get an answer for p0442. Code Scanner calls the code "EVAP System Small Leak".

Someone care to explain a way to rectify the problem?