# mini van v6



## redline (Mar 5, 2006)

automatic transmission or standard?


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## ron schenker (Jan 15, 2006)

chevy astro or chevy venture?


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

...and what year?


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## ron schenker (Jan 15, 2006)

Does it have air conditioning?


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## mdshunk (Dec 4, 2005)

Do you hang fuzzy dice from the mirror?


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## 747 (Feb 11, 2005)

Well the first thing my nephew would do he is a auto mechanic is pull out his snap on computer plug it into the computer on the van see if any codes come up. Sounds to me like its either the fuel injectors which those babies aren't cheap to replace or something with the transmission and thats not cheap either. I would definately get it checked out before you do some serious damage.


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## J187 (May 19, 2006)

This could be one of a thousand things. More info needed for sure. What year and model. Is the check engine light on or has it been on recently at all? How many miles on the vehicle and when did you last tune it up?


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## Darylh (Jan 2, 2006)

Okay its old its a 1988 chevy astro van 3230000kms automatic v6. I am just trying to pamper it till next summer when I get what I really want but for now i thought maybe someone might know without me spending a lot of $$ taking to a shop.*I only use it to go to work and back every day which is about 20kms a day. Yes the service engine soon light has come on about a week ago and am planning a Under the Hood Saturday coming up. This van is not worth spending a ton of cash on but if I had a good idea what this is then I could make a decision weather to just drive it till it drops or get some work done on it.
Thanks for your help everone.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

First thing, pull the codes
GM models of that vintage you can DIY it with a paper clip or jumper clips and read the flashes of the CEL
I just forget which tabs to jump on the access harness
Maybe someone will know/remember


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## J187 (May 19, 2006)

Ok, sounds very much like it could be O2 sensors or a cat converter issue. Had you tuned this vehicle up and anypoint? You won't be able to pull any useful codes if the engine light is not on. Even so, the coded blinks or more of a pain in the ass than it might be worth it, and from 88 chevy would probably give you no more info than you already know. For instance, it may something like EGR error - which could be cause by something other than a faulty EGR VALVE. or It may say "lean condition exists". Great, why is it running lean? Bad O2 sensor, bad PCM, Air element, etc etc. SOunds like the car is dire need of a standard tune-up, including wires, and/or exhaust/ cat work. Hard to diagnose yourself. In this instance, if you definitley wanted to keep the car and you do not want to take to a mechanic, the first thing you would do is tune it up. It couldn't hurt anyway. Now, if you are looking to only get a short time out of the car and don't want to do ANYTHING but EXACTLY what will fix the problem, you'll HAVE to go to the mechanic because the problem you are having can be caused by numerous things. 

Loss of power, especially on hills and burnt rubber smell

a. Cat converter clogged
b. o2 sensors misreading
c. Clogged air cleaner
d. Frozen caliper
E. Clutch slipping
F. Coil or distro bad
G. Converter leaking
H. EGR Fault

ETC, ETC.


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## J187 (May 19, 2006)

OH and like slick was saying, the codes are easy to retrive if there are any (hard as hell to tell how many flashes and how long the pauses are, but easy to setup). 

Its on 88 GM..... OK, passenger side somewehre they'll be a connector with like 12 or 14 little squares. Jump the two on the top row, furthest to the right togher. Then the Engine light or the MIL light will flash 12. One Flash, A pause, Two flashes, long pause. 12, get it? That shows diagnostic mode. After the long pause, the engine codes will flash. Three flashes a short pause and then four flashes and then a long pause would be code 34. Get it? If there any codes tell me them here and I'll get the descriptions out of my software.


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## Sellncars (Aug 14, 2006)

slickshift said:


> First thing, pull the codes
> GM models of that vintage you can DIY it with a paper clip or jumper clips and read the flashes of the CEL
> I just forget which tabs to jump on the access harness
> Maybe someone will know/remember


Hey Slick your right about the jumper to read the codes. Once you find the computers plug, under the dash between your legs, you would use the top and bottom plugs to the right of the obd plug.

Check engine light will flash like this.. Say it's a code 21---Look at the CEL it will start with code 11---blink once- hesitate then blink once again= Code 11, it will do each number 3 times, blink twice, hesitate, blink once= code 21 and so on and so on. The OBD plug is under the dash on the drivers side, attached to the bottom of the dash board.

I hope this helps.

Good luck,
Sellncars


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## Darylh (Jan 2, 2006)

Thanks a bunch guys, What a lot of great info here and have printed it all up. I do know that the o2 censor is gone as well as the throttle body leaks like a civ and the emergency brake cable sticks and has caused some problems in the rear so the plan is to pull the rear drums and see whats what, replace o2 senor, plugs, wires, cap rotor, fuel filter air filter and then start searching for another van ( this will take a while)and drive this one till it dies. I had got a real good deal on this van 3 years ago and definitely got my moneys worth out of it. Guess its time to upgrade to a full size van so again thanks for all your help.


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## depriate4repair (Feb 12, 2007)

I dont know if you have a Jiffy Lube in BC but something similar. the people at the oil change shops will usually hook up their code machine for anywhere for 0-20 USD.


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## Darylh (Jan 2, 2006)

The van is off the road and up for sale for a few hundred to get it out of my hair because i got a good deal on a full sized van. Thanks for all the help.


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