Top 10 2003 Pontiac Montana Questions & Answers

At:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f101976
found this discussion which might be helpful:
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No surprise at all! Common problem which has been discussed several times on this site.
Basically.....tail light(s) plugs (Pig Tails) were sub-standard and cannot stand the heat of the bulbs. Pull out hear tail light fixtures, remove bulbs from recepticals and check for melting plastic, usually between the black wire (hot wire) and one or more colored wires. If so, cut out old Pig Tail, get a replacement Pig Tail, soder it in (I think about 6 wires), and use electrical shrink wrap around sodered joint, install new bulbs using Di-electric grease in the socket. Test before reinstalling light fixture.
Jack
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The poster also mentioned something I forgot; use some kind of grease in the sockets any time you have reason to access them.

The dielectric grease he mentioned is best but if you can't find (it is and electronic item, rather than electrical), even petroleum jelly will afford some protection.
I use it on battery clamps and it helps ****** the typical corrosion.
Since most cars use the chassis for ground, even the fasteners that hold in lighting assemblies can lose contact so I always loosen, then retighten them, to ensure decent ground contact.
Check too for corrosion in the light sockets themselves.

Dunno why it is so tough to seal a compartment but our US manufacturers can't seem to get it right.

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yes but with the right shaped wrenches and tiny hands it can be done without removing the exhaust crossover pipe

When the wavy light is on with parenthasis around it and at the same time the (!) and (P) lights are on, this indicates a serious brake concern

Drain coolant at the radiator drain. Remove air intake hose and MAF sensor assembly. remove throttle cable bracket and disconnect cable linkage. Remove throttle body bolts and disconnect coolant hoses to throttle body. Loosen heater hose pipe and remove heater hose from rear of pipe. Remove radiator hose from thermostat housing. Remove top thermostat housing bolt. Loosen and almost remove lower thermostat bolt. You will need to slide your wrench and hand under the exhaust crossover pipe to gain access. Loosen the bolt until you can remove the thermostat housing, it should be slotted to clear the bolt. Replace the thermostat and reassemble. Bleed cooling system using the two bleed screws (one on thermostat housing and the other on the passenger side of the engine where the heater hose pipe comes out above the water pump.

Remove the wheel, remove the hub nut, remove the brake caliper and rotor, put your socket and extension through the hub flange onto the bearing retainer bolts, undo them, release the abs sensor connector if it has it, remove the bearing and hub flange as an assembly, put the new one on and go backwards from here. Torque the hub nut to 180 ft/lbs, your done.

Good! You bled the master cyl. before installation! The proper order of bleeding the lines, is to start with the wheel the greatest distance from the master cylinder. Then work your way to the next greatest distance, and last, the closest wheel. Make sure all air is removed from the lines before you proceed to the next wheel, and frequently check the master cyl. level, because, as I'm sure you know, if you **** in air at the master, you have to start all over again. I'm assuming you don't have a power bleeder, so with a helper do this with car running (make sure it's on safety stands and not going to fall on you!) Pump pedal 3 times, no need to mash the pedal into the floor, just 3 pumps 1/2 way down, hold 3rd pump at half way down level while bleeder is opened, when flow is about to stop at bleeder, close bleeder and repeat til no evidence of any air. Let me know how it goes and if you need any help.

the sliding doors on montana assuming there power have a electrical harness on the bottom track that break and jam the doors but unlikly both have this problem do the doors lock @ unlock if not check switch at drivers door

how do you go about replacing an alternator on a 2003 pontiac montana

YOU NEED A HARMONIC BALANCER PULLER TOOL AND A 15M SIX POINT SOCKET TO REMOVE HARMONIC BALANCER BOLT.TURN OFF RADIO AND REMOVE THE DRIVE BELT AND REMOVE THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE. REMOVE THE STARTER SO YOU CAN PUT A LARGE SCREW DRIVER OR LARGE PUNCH TO STICK IN ONE OF THE FLY WHEEL HOLES TO KEEP ENGINE FROM TURNING WHEN YOU LOOSEN THE HARMONIC BALANCE BOLT. ALSO SCREW DRIVER AND PUNCH CAN KEEP ENGINE FROM TURNING WHEN REMOVER THE HARMONIC BALANCER. YOU WILL NEED A HELPER TO HOLD PUNCH OR SCREW DRIVER WHILE YOU LOOSEN THE BOLT. YOU CAN GO TO SEARS OR ANY AUTO PARTS STORE AND BUY HARMONIC BALANCER PULLER.TORQUE HARMONIC BALANCER BOLT TO 76 FT LBS.

P0141 Heated o2 sensor. P0134 Heater 02 sensor circuit, These 02 sensor has a fuse in the engine junction box listed as IGN 1. This supplies 12volts to the heater circuit, check to make sure its not a open fuse. If you already replaced the sensors make sure you clear the code. or it will stay in memory.