Hi everyone! Hope all is well!

First off: does anyone have an aftermarket site they recommend for minor weekend repairs? For example: fog lights, window motors and switches, etc? I have a lot of small stuff that needs to get taken care of on my new-to-me super awesome van.

Second: on the 2000 3.4L block, how hard is it to replace the alternator oneself - is it a DIY or worth taking in to the shop? I'm already planning on taking it in to the shop for a motor mount and plugs/wires because I don't have the tools or room to unmount my engine in my one-car driveway.

Third: The roof-mounted Driver Information Center (that gives all the fancy directional data, and miles until empty and such) insists the temperature is 32F regardless of ambient temperature. How would I go about getting that fixed?

Fourth: When driving between 50 mph and 65 mph, if I need to brake suddenly (traffic, a deer, what have you), the steering wheel tries to take the van across all available lanes (swerve from my lane, to the immediate left, then the immediate right, and back to the left) very quickly until it is below about 40 mph. The front two tires and one of the wheel speed sensors has been replaced within the last 3000 miles (I have receipts from the previous owner). What might be the cause?

Finally, I'm having difficulty locating the wiring diagram for the rear vent windows (there was another poster that mentioned his rear vent windows did not work because they were never wired properly, so replacing fuses never worked). I haven't been able to find one yet. Would anyone be able to point me to that wiring diagram? And/or the side view mirrors?

Sorry for so many questions all in one post, but I'd rather get them all out of the way in one go than spam the forum with every single little question.

Thank you so much!

-omurphy

 

I use RockAuto.com, they have good prices and good customer service.
Remove/replace the alternator is pretty easy, it just depends on how much access you have on the van. My 3.4 was on a Alero, so it was very exposed, your van may be different. Plugs and wires are also easy, again it depends on access, especially to the rear 3. I would let the shop do the mount as you probably don't have any way to hold the engine up while the mount is off.

I suspect a bad tie rod end link for your steering issue. This needs fixing NOW. When the shop has it on a lift to do the motor mount, have them look over the front suspension.

 

I had a look at it last night for the alternator and the plugs - I was seriously considering doing them myself. I did on my '94 Cutlass Supreme. But... no. Firewall is too close and crowded for me to get at everything.

I think you might be right about the tie rod - while poking around last night, I noticed that the inner hub of the driver's side wheel under the axle mount looked as though someone had attacked it with a grease gun, while the passenger side did not. Would that be a good indicator?

Thanks!

 

Tie rods ends are usually not lubricated, so I doubt that is the source of your grease. If your end link has a grease zerk, then maybe yours is lubed and could be the source.
A torn CV joint boot is more likely, since they hold a lot of grease. If the joint is worn, you should be able to hear it clicking under braking or acceleration if the wheels are turned. In any case, clean the grease off everything you can reach, lube all the zerks, and drive for a while. Then you will be able to get a better idea of where the grease is coming from.
Could you see any areas where it looked like some suspension part was moving around? Any shiny areas, not coated with dirt or where it looked like paint or dirt had been rubbed off? That would give you a clue about what is loose and causing your wild steering under braking.

 

I don't hear a clicking when accelerating or braking, but when driving at any speed there is a gentle squeak about once per rotation of front driver's tire (same one with the grease). I'll go clean it off now and see what else I can see.

Just finished replacing the driver's side window switch module and removing the fog lamps. Still haven't found time to tear the rear half of the body apart to figure out if the windows aren't working due to a wiring issue or not.

Any ideas on why the overhead driver's information center is 100% insistent that the outside temp is between 32 F and 34 F regardless of the actual temp? For example, today it is 76 F and the first thing it said was "icy". Yet it consistently has the correct ordinal direction (I was, in fact, facing East).

Thanks again everyone!

 

The temp issue in the DIC is likely an ambient temp sensor. It should be mounted in front of the radiator, usually near the bottom. Most of them I've seen have been broken off/disconnected.