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Got this van for $1300 since my Chevy truck is beyond repair and I needed something fast.
They were asking $1800 got them down to $1300.
They claimed that they were having an issue that the van would “stall” at about 45 minutes of driving and then not restart for a while. They confirmed it was NOT temperature related (at least the gauge wasn’t above normal) so it’s not an engine issue.
It doesn’t idle very well it sort of gets a little faster and slower sometimes. Previous owner suspected ECM was the issue but didn’t want to deal with it.
Also I noticed at idle the electrical is not so great as far as voltage, like the lights flicker a little bit. As soon as I apply even a little bit of gas it’s fine.
It has NOT exhibited this issue since. It’s never shut off on me. Then again, it’s always been cold and rainy so maybe it’s a temperature related thing because they lived in Oakland where the traffic sucks and it was probably hotter.
First thing we did was fill the tank with fuel. It was VERY low, and they said they could not afford fuel so they barely ever put gas in it. Maybe this has to do with the issue and they literally just ran out of gas. But then why would it run fine after a few mins with no issues?
They had recently done lots of service on it (I can see at least distr. cap and spark plug wires look new) and they replaced fuel pump and filter in an attempt to resolve the shutting down issue.
Any thoughts on that? I’m pretty stumped though I’m tempted to buy an ECM for it just to see how that does.
Final major issue is the power steering doesn’t work. At all. There was PS fluid leaking, we put some ATF type F in, it just leaked out faster. It’s spewing out of the pump/reservoir unit. Got a new remanufactured unit at Napa for like $50-something bucks and will probably be putting that in next weekend. Is this likely to resolve the issue.
Thanks a bunch guys!
PS here’s a pic. For its age and price it’s pretty good.
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If it was run so low on fuel you may want to recheck the fuel
filter. Go over your battery,cables and charging system. You
may need to clean the throttle body. more in these links.http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-performance-issues
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-electrical-problems
Hey, thanks for the response!
So far in driving it I have not had any issues with it shutting off on me. I have driven it to work and back, on the highway quite a distance, no issues.I have not yet checked the throttle body since I’ve been very busy. Do you know how to get to the throttle body in this van? It’s kinda hard to work on since half in the engine is basically inaccessible.
I’m wondering if the PS issue isn’t from a clog somewhere in the system. Really old rubber will tend to rot itself directly into whatever system it happens to be in. I’m wondering if the overflow pressure is just ending up near the reservoir because that’s the path of least resistance. Have a look at the condition of the feed and return when you change that pump! I wish you the best!
-Shan.
Random stalling and no restarts are often caused by the TFI ignition module on this model of Ford. Overheating is the cause but it’s not the engine overheating that does it; it’s the module breaking down from heat.
It’s a very common problem and is usually worse in summertime and hotter climates.
Well, it died on me at an intersection, about a week after spending $300 to get the power steering pump and lines replaced. Left it for the weekend, got it towed home. Drove it to work no problem.
Bought the TFI and was going to put it in. Decided to check the oil on my way out of O’reilly Auto Parts parking lot because i thought sounded a bit funny.
Well, there’s a mass of white goo all over the dipstick and it smells awful. Guess the head gasket failed or the head cracked. Borrowing some money from my uncle to buy another car. Looking at a 97 Tahoe with 150K miles as a replacement for $2500. Really big bummer because the van has such a straight body. I won’t miss the noisy interior though.
I’m going to try some Blue Devil “Pour and go” head gasket sealant on Friday. While that probably won’t help it’s worth a shot – it might just live another week thanks to the sealant. As soon as I buy something else the van is getting put on CL for just a tiny bit more than the junkyard offers me. If nobody wants it within a short period of time it will take its final trip. I do hope somebody wants it for parts or to rebuild the engine though because I have heard the 4.9L straight 6 is a solid engine. Not like that matters after 26 years, 230K miles, and a handful of owners that probably didn’t maintain it.
Anyway any opinions about this Tahoe?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/4845584459.html
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