On the way back from Phoenix the van stopped running about 50 miles north of Tucson
AAA towed it the rest of the way
Category Archives: Repair
Transmission Saga
The trans fluid was very low when I picked up the van
We filled it and it drove well for a hundred miles or so, then a noise started
As I was working on the emissions & tune up, I ignored the other noises.. until the van lost all power
At times I could press down on the gas, and the engine would rev up, but the van wouldnt move at all..
With the help of friends, we determined it was simply low on fluid. So after a filter change, gasket replacement and refill, the van was running strong again, with a small leak that will still need to be addressed
Eventually I was through emissions, and had the AZ license plate. All the work on the transmission left me knowing more about , and adding it to the short list of things to repair when more funds are available
Transmission Flush & Filter Change
The transmission had a leak, and was empty when I picked it up. And although they filled it for me, it only worked well for a while as it leaked out and became low
Once it was too low, it stopped working, and it was a challenge to troubleshoot it
The mechanic listened to it and confirmed it was a transmission issue, but when I called a local transmission expert, his estimate was $1,000 to rebuilt my transmission, and a week to do it. I kept looking for options
A friend recommended draining the fluid, and replacing the transmission filter, and gasket. Then refilling it
After doing that, it was able to drive again, and although there is still a small drip to track down, it seems to be working well
Emissions Results (5th Attempt)
5th time through after the mechanic showed me how to tune the idle mixture, the Idle HC was much closer to passing
Fixing the headlights
When I picked up the van, it had no battery
when the battery was connected, the headlights were on
I bought one to install, and when the battery was connected, the headlights were on. The dashboard lights were off and did not come on. There was no light switch, so when stopping, I had to disconnet the battery
This turned out to be a very easy fix. I bought the headlamp swtch ($25) and knob ($7) and replaced the switch, and added the missing knob.
New part (in the bag) replaces the old one, plugs into the grey part
After the fix, the lights worked well, as did the dimmer switch on the dashboard lights
After the fix, the lights worked well
New Battery
Bought a battery at a local shop for the van
It has no battery now, so when I pick it up it will need one to drive
Since it its a 1-ton van, and I plan to take it camping & fishing, I went with an 800 cold cranking amps (the largest available)
No time to shop online and wait for shipping.. and no core charge since there is none to replace..
I prob would have gone with this one if I had time to wait for shipping