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Also, whenever a "drop floor" is installed it involves moving the gas tank and because
of that ... ALL my vans ... full size Ford or my current 1998 Braun Entervan ... have had
secondary problems BECAUSE of or RELATED TO that maneuver.
Yet I like to "see out" so catch-22.
Lori
-------Original Message-------
Date: 06/30/05 11:34:30
Subject: RE: [QUAD-L] IMS pile of junk
I use to have a vantage mini-van and it was a piece of crap. The fuel
pump went out every year, the door motor went out a few time too. I
ended up putting a secondary fuel pump on my van, I never get a
mini-van again. I hated it.
Lester, Denver
C4-C5 Quad (16 years post)
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 2:09 PM
Subject: [QUAD-L] IMS pile of junk
First a funny story, then a few questions.
I am unlucky enough to own a1998 Dodge Grand Caravan with an IMS
conversion.
Yesterday I took an 160 mile round trip to our cabin in the mountains.
I got through the first leg of my journey, turned off the hard road,
traveled
500 yards and turned into our 1/4 mile drive. The van stops! The motor
kept running, I just could not go forward or reverse. When giving it
gas,
the RPM's did not register, it was like it was on idle. There I was
by myself, 90 degrees, couldn't get out of the van and no cell signal.
OK God, I need my cell for just a few minutes, so moving around within
the
van,
opening the lift and A DIAL TONE! I called the garage, and my guardian
angel
arrives in about 15 minutes. I tried to start the van, no luck, he
sprayed
something in the carboratouer and off it goes. I go to the cabin, give
the
van
two hours to cool a little, stop at the garage on the way out,
everything
checks fine.
Just in case I ask for a can of the spray.
I traveled about 10 miles and thought, stop and get a cheap cooler, 6
bottles
of water
and a bag of ice. I was feeling "pretty warm" (early heat stroke) so I
asked
the manager if I could sit in the cooler room for 15 minutes. No, I
didn't get
any steaks while I was there.
The clerk loaded the cooler in my van and I'm in the parking lot pouring
a
bottle of water over my head and arms while two big, brawny, scruffy
bike guys
watch me like I've lost it.
I take off, travel 75-80 mph to get as far as I can, crossing a river
bridge
on an interstate, guess what. That's right, no power. Ah ha, an exit
right in
front of me
no traffic behind me or in front, so I drift into a stone parking lot at
the
bottom. Again, the van is running but no RPM's. At this point, by the
way
I'm not using the a/c just in case this may be contributing to the
problem, I'm
about ready to take a flying leap in the river, but instead pour another
bottle of water over me and start to eat ice. If I didn't have the ice
and water
it would definitely have been heat stroke time. Well, after 1 hour, the
state
police and AAA still hadn't found me. I kept
eating ice and pouring water.
After 90 minutes, I see the police car approaching, so I move so he can
see
me,
bye, bye, Mr. Policeman. He just kept going as I start waving my arms.
Two
guys talking in the parking lot saw him go, so they started waving and I
saw
his turn signal come on. GREAT! He comes back and bye, bye, he keeps
going.
One of the two guys jump out on the road and waves his arms and luckily
he was
looking in his rearview mirror. He comes back and there I was, looking
half
dead, wet from pouring water over my head, and he ask, "Do I have a
problem?"
He wasn't aware of any call.
Well, the poor little policeman in his clean prim and proper uniform
didn't
even have a screwdriver to loosen the hose from the carb. Luckily
another truck
pulled up at that moment and ask if he could help, and he had a
screwdriver.
As the very tidy officer sprayed the carb spray, the can sprung a leak
and
sprayed on his nice clean uniform. The idiot was more worried about
getting
dirty than the guy about ready for a heat stroke.
The van started, I the other 40 miles, praying and holding my breath as
I
came to exits. A five hour trip takes 10+ hours, almost as bad as
Gilligans
Island.
OK.
Did anyone have this van problem happen to them? They can't find
anything
wrong, but suspect the fuel pump. I've already put $2500.00 into the
door
mechanism over the past 18 months, now this!
Which brings me to a second question, did anyone need to have the door
motor
replaced, latch limit switches replaced and basically have so much
problems
with the door? They just can't seem to get it right.
Staying in the a/c, at least for today.
GA
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