It rained in Tucson today, so I took the van out to see if the doors leaked
I found a flooded street and raced back and forth splashing as much water as I could, then checked out the van, it was still dry inside
No leaks !
Category Archives: Van Diary
Pit Stop
Driving the van is a lot of fun
I usually try to pull into the pumps so I can pull forward without backing up
Sweet Van Patch
Made this cool pic into a sweet patch
Servive Parts I.D. Sticker
Found this sticker with lots of good info about the van under the hood
AZ Emmissions, and Licence Plates
Took the new van to emmissions right away after picking it up to see how it would do
It was running rough, but ran well enough to do the 37 mph driving portion of the Arizona Emmissions test
It eventually took 6 attempts to pass the AZ Emmissions test !
But, now I know how to tune the engine pretty well
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
Arizona license plate styles
Some of the plates I have been considering
Our standard plate, and what I have now
Go with my HAM call sign?
My favorite by far, always wanted one of these,
but can’t personalize it..
This looks kinda cool
This one looks cool, and money goes to FFA
As an Eagle, I should concider this one,
but not sure if I want the logo on my van all the time
Another of my favorites, funds go to state food banks
The Finished Cargo Area
I added a couple of new steel shevles I’ve had for years ($0), bolted in and painted white
Then bought a 6’x12′ peice of carpet from the big box store for ($25)
$11,128 Van for $510
When I transfered the title I learned the school had bought the van new in 1986 for $11,128
Tune Up & Six Emissions Tests
The first emissions test, it failed everything but the gas tank cap
So.. new spark plugs, spark plug wires, rotor, ICM module
Then back for another test (test #2)
Passed all but the Idle HC.
High Hydrocarbon (HC) emissions
This time I changed out the oil filter, changed the oil, and coolant. Looked for Vacuum hose leaks
Took it back for test #3 and failed just the idle HC again, but with a ‘better’ number, so I adjusted the idle (on the carb) in the parking lot, and tested again.. but failed a 4th time
By now the crew at the Tucson Eastside Emissions testing station were getting to know me and the van, lol
And I was getting better at finishing the test efficiently
I decided to get some expert help, and arranged a meeting with a mobile mechanic. He helped diagnose what might be wrong based on the test results and the steps I had already taken to tune up the van.
The mechanic showed me how to tune the idle mixture correctly and what tool to use.. off to the emissions again (5th time).. and it failed, but the Idle HC number was MUCH closer to passing now
I changed the fuel filter, tuned the idle mixture again and used a fuel additive to help clean out some carbon
