astro/safari what to buy?

[daddytoeface]

Hello all my name is Mark and I am from Burnaby B.C. Well as of late I have been thinking of buying one of these vans. With a wife and two kids things are getting way cramped in our tercel.

My wife and I for that matter would never be caught dead driving a soccer mom mini van , next thing you know she is gaining wieght wearing tight black leggings and baggy sweat shirts.

This looks to be the only cool van to drive out there on the road where I would not feel like a gimp jumping out of. I used to drive a '95 back in the day for work and from what I remember liked it.

My question is what would be the best year to shoot for and how much should I pay. I like the 3 doors on the back and newer front end.
Thanks

[1Gary]

Mark-it's kind of like all the rest of vehicles you buy.I would suggest you look at Craigslist/ebay to learn the price ranges.Educate yourself what your getting for what price.After 2003 you have the benefit of 16" wheels and rear dics brakes.Do the normal things on a prospective purchase.Check all the fluids and maybe most important is have it checked out by a trusted shop.Have them scan it and look if a AWD the transfer case,cv joints,safety check and emissions check.Let us know what you found before you buy and we can continue to support you.

Welcome to ASV.Hope you enjoy your stay.

[ihatemybike]

Seeing how this is going to be a family vehicle, I'd get the newest I can, but really I haven't come across what I would call a bad Astro/Safari. Sure some need a little work, but for the most part the engine internals can last forever if the maintenance is done. Everything else important just bolts in place and is fairly easy to work on.

[astrozam]

These vans are very versatile, however, since they are no longer in production get the newest van with the fewest km's you can afford. All vehicles will have problems, but with the astro/safari you can come here to find out how to fix em up.

[daddytoeface]

Thanks for the advice. The extra space will be a trade off when it comes to the gas mileage but one I can live with. A well tuned engine and good driving habits will compensate a little.

[daddytoeface]

I contacted a seller on craigslist about a 99 safari seems o.k but he says the abs light is on and he refuses to spend $1200 bucks on a module. Is this something to worry about or will the brakes still operate normally?

[1Gary]

I contacted a seller on craigslist about a 99 safari seems o.k but he says the abs light is on and he refuses to spend $1200 bucks on a module. Is this something to worry about or will the brakes still operate normally?

The answer is yes.If it where me,I would shop for a van longer.

[Cobra]

Gary: yes to what? something to worry about or will the brakes still operate normally?

daddytoeface: it might not be the abs module causing the light i had a wire pull apart inside of it's housing near the connector cause it, my brakes still worked fine but i never had to test if abs was working. Also my wheel speed sensor set my abs light once i pulled the fuse the brakes worked perfectly until i got around to replacing the wheel bearing and sensor on my AWD. I'm with Gary though i would probably keep looking around unless that van was everything i wanted for a very reasonable price

[1Gary]

The answer to your question Cobra is yes..........and.........yes. #-o

[Cobra]

well since we don't REALLY know what wrong with teh ABS system we can't say if its safe to drive or not, the gm TSB for ABS engaging at low speeds can be pretty dangerous

[daddytoeface]

The van looks pretty nice 1999 AWD GMC SAFARI-4800 on Vancouver craigslist (I could not figure out to provide link.)
169,000 Kms one owner. He says he has done most of the regular maintenance himself and the brakes still operate normally even though the abs light is on.

[ihatemybike]

It might be as simple as cleaning rust flakes from the sensor or replacing a wheel bearing (and thus having a exciter ring that tracks properly).

See if he can get what code is being set. I have the FSM in pdf form. It lists the DTCs, what they mean and how to fix. Scanning over it, all don't seem that hard to fix. If it is the module, they can be had for less than $550 at http://www.RockAuto.com.

[daddytoeface]

Hello well I am still on the look out for a nice van. For the amount of astro/safaries I see on the road I am surprised there are not more for sale. With a little luck I hope to find a conversion van of some kind.

[BradleyT]

I've been thinking about getting an Astro as my next vehicle for the family. My father had an Astros in the 80s and 90s and I really like them. I'm mainly looking to tow and go on long road trips. The question I have is whether the V6 in 2004s was enough power compared to the old V8s? I would think the V6s get better mileage which would be a plus for traveling but I worry about not having enough power to tow.

[Cobra]

the 4.3L are pretty sturdy more so then the engine you'd want to look at the final gear ratio's if you intend to be towing anything heavy or on hilly terrain you'd want a 3.73 or numerically higher gear, from what i've seen on here the vans that have the tow packages come with it and a number of others too you'd have to check the rpo codes in the door to find out what it came with from the factory. I think lifted stated that if the trailer is considerable taller then the van you can get pushed around pretty badly by the wind mind you even without a trailer the stock suspension is a little mushy (i think kidhauler had a fantastic description of it actually) I've only towed a van and a couple enclosed trailers and have had any problems at all and i have 3.42 gears. I'm sure someone with more experience with it will chip in soon