Hey everyone,

I'm new to the GM world, besides having a crappy 2005 Cadillac SRX (long gone now, thank GOD!), and I'm in the market for a G20 or G30 van. They've grown on me a lot and I would love to have one.

So, I have a guy local to me with a 93 G20 cargo with only 101k miles and a good amount of work done to it...new rear end with 373's, new shocks, helper springs, wheels and tires, new towing package, and overall in good shape. I verified all of this work at the shop he told me he had all of this done at. The shop told me it was a healthy van and that he put a lot of money into it. It has the 305 V8 in it which I don't mind, but have read that it's kind of underpowered for the heavy body compared to the 350 and diesels. Either way, I like it enough to highly consider it.

Then, there's a 95 G30 6.5TD with 117k miles about 4 hours away from me and this thing looks great. The guy has done the routine maintenance, new tires, oil change, new alt, new A/C compressor, class 5 hitch, but it has an ABS issue he says. I talked with him and he told me that the transmission won't shift out of gear and the ABS light is on. He says he's researched this and he thinks the 2 are related. So, he's pretty sure it's the ABS sensors or the VSS and it's causing a "limp mode" in the trans??? Can anyone enlighten me on this issue? It sounds easy enough to track down from the research I've done, but I don't want to get this van if it ends up needing a whole new transmission.

So, I really want the 95 6.5TD, but if the ABS/trans issue is not worth it, I'll deal with the local guy with the G20 instead.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

-Tom

 

Well first.. what will the purpose of the van be? Will it haul heavy loads? Work truck? Camper? The G30 with the 6.5 diesel (it is not a turbo) is a beast of a van. It is loud and harsh, but it will work hard. The G20 with the gas motor will be quieter and smoother, but will haul less weight.


As for the transmission/ABS issue, I don't know.... If it was easy to fix, he would of fixed it already. Never heard of a limp mode anything in a 95. But see what others on here have to say.


If you really want the diesel I say chew him down for half of what a new trans would cost.

 

Personally I hate the hell out of diesels. The fuel costs more, the oil changes and maint costs more. Also what minor improvement you get in fuel economy is in no way worth it.
I would expect 13 mpg for the g30 but a better 16 mpg on the g20. Yeah the 305 is only 195 horses, but if you look after it it will last forever. Those motors were bulletproof.
I also don't like the idea of buying someone else's problem. If he has not fixed the issue then why would you want to take it on?
My first 2 full size vehicles were half tons with the 305 and I never never had an engine issue.
Your choice though.

 

The main purpose will be a daily driver, but will have the duties of hauling a trailer with a 4x4 quad for hunting, wood hauling, basic home needs, and trash dump runs. I want the diesel mainly because I like to have the extra towing/hauling capability on reserve for any time that I'd need it. My wife and I are planning to buy a boat next spring/summer as well, so I figure why not get something that I could use in the near future. Plus, I've always loved the older 6.5 diesels. Loud is not an issue, almost all of my vehicles that I've owned have been loud. If I want quiet, I'll drive my wife's SUV.

After research and what I know about diesels, these 6.5's are one of the easiest diesels to work on and maintain. Parts are plentiful and fairly priced. I love tinkering with my vehicles and the trans issue doesn't seem to be a major issue, so if I can get a killer deal on the final price, it would be worth the buy to me. Diesels prove to be more reliable in the long run too. That's what their built for.

I'm definitely not turning away from the G20 mainly because he's more local, it's been recently upgraded with new parts and it's still stout enough to be used for my needs.

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm still wondering about the ABS issue though.

 

i created this issue on my 94 gmc 2500 i installed a tack and left the fuse out of the abs and no shifting of the trans so abs does affect the transmission. as for the fix i don't really know mine was self imposed so easy to cure. could as simple as fuse or something expensive. but the 305 is a little doggy but way cheaper to maintain if you dont need the power

 

Forgot I even posted this a while back....

To update, if it matters, I opted to wait and fell across an awesome deal on a 99 Suburban 6.5TD with 145k miles. Born in Mexico! So hardly any rust on it.

I'm absolutely happy with it. It's a beast.

Thanks

 

Glad some people still have appreciation for the 6.5D. Not many SUVs out there with diesel motors in them.