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Comments
It was the STP that I used last time, when the hitest gasoline that I added brought the gas guage up to almost full. Now its about half a tank on the guage and I just added the second STP container and went out to buy more on the theory that any sort of "miracle goop" is cheaper than a whole new engine!
I did find something that said Techron but it said Fuel System Cleaner and did not specifically say Fuel Injector so I decided to not get it quite yet since it might not be the right stuff.
Don't really know if its getting better or not; it ain't getting worse though and so far I ain't had to put in a new engine at a whopping 4500 dollars, so I sure thank each and everyone on this board and all who run it!
fouled or bad spark plug
bad spark plug wire
clogged injector
ignition coil bad
good luck
:shades:
Usually the problem isn't the coil...check other things 1st
1. - Clogged or dead fuel injector...no gas=no fire...
2. Bad coil - If you're getting fuel, I'm not convinced you're getting a good spark at cylinder # 1...if I remember right...the car idles very rough...take off the spark plug wire for cylinder # 1 and start the motor...can you tell any difference? If its no worse, maybe you've got a bad coil...
It is a 2002 Venture (not AWD), but I'm sure that has no impact on this issue.
I have had my head gaskets changed twice on this vehicle already. I live in upper Ontario (Canada) and we had a cold winter here. I originally started having these symptoms last year but I thought I had problems starting the car because my gas meter was messd up ( meter seemed low, so I went home got gas, put it a few gallons and it started up!) So, they changes the gas meter. Obviously, not the problem as I've found out.. I got stranded again 2 more times before Winter. The 1st day of warm weather here (last weekend), it heated up and I had to stop the car, and it wouldn't start up after 20 minutes and in the location I was in, I had to have it towed and it started up as soon as it got off the tow truck.. Now the extended warrantly won't fix it because they don't think it's getting hot, after driving the vehicle around for 15 minutes. My dealer feels it's the head gaskets, but his hands are tied as compression tests seem normal. arrgg.. I cannot trust this vehicle at all until this is resolved.. - I am very interested to see if there are any others that have experienced this with a resolution so we all can have some evidence of support around this issue. They will change the thermostat for $400. NOT!.. Cheers.
If its hard to start when hot chances are the crankshaft position sensor is going bad...yours wouldn't be the 1st or the last, its been a common problem with GM V6 engines. If its the case, a new thermostat won't make any difference.
Is there a coolant line to the throttle position sensor? I'm not looking under the hood right now but I don't think so...Perhaps you mean idle air control (IAC)...I've heard of them failing from time to time...but I don't remember a coolant line there either...only one I can think of being near some coolant is the MAP sensor...maybe I'm wrong?
:confuse:
Glad i'm not going crazy. Reading about everyone else having trouble changing a thermostate or paying $400 had me wondering if i was crazy.
I too changed my own thermostate easily on my own in my driveway with very little effort.
The missing and consequent stalling does not seem to be getting worse and maybe its even stalling less now, but it sure is not over.
IF it persists much longer, I'm going to try removing the wire from the spark plug on that number one cylinder to see if it suddenly gets more noisy or not. I know a bad coil is rare, but its possible.
You're correct in the overheating statement. It does not go to RED, however it is going to the last white line which it never has done owning this vehicle. I was lucky to ever see it go to 1/2. I started taking notice to the temperature gauge once the issue started returning after the gas gauge was fixed and it continued to occur. Yes, I originally had the temp just go over 1/2 and the van performed its no start thing, until it cooled down for 10 minutes. This last occurance has taken triple the time to recover.. (eeks..) I will look to discuss with my dealer the area you describe as being a potential culprit. I thank you many times for your input!..
I'll write back with details as they occur. I wonder if this also would be an area for the orignal person I responded to in regards to this issue. Maybe kill two birds here!
Cheers.!
:shades:
It still makes an awful racket while backing up though.
I conclude that the various fuel-injector treatments have helped but not yet cured the problem.
I intend to continue with the two remaining bottles that I have and then will see what my options are.
That has been my secret fear: that if one or two bottles didn't cure it, ten additional bottles won't cure it either because its more than just a clogged nozzle.
>pull the spark plug on the cylinder that's misfiring and see how it looks
Well, I can look in the owner's handbook to figure out which cylinder is number one and I can compare that new plug to nearby and equally accessible spark plugs or just look at it and try to figure out if it looks clean or fouled or what. Its going to be a real project though ... no wrenches much less spark plug wrenches. A pair of pliers, a hammer, some socket wrenches ... thats about it.(And it would probably take me an hour just to find where those tools have wandered off to).
Most service manuals have a picture guide to let you know what is going on with a spark plug based on what it looks like so you don't have to compare it to others...I'm sure you could find the pic online but getting to the plug would be your 1st challenge anyway. The condition of a spark plug tells a lot about how the engine is running...if the injector is leaking through, the plug will be full of carbon, if its clean & dry, its not seeing much fuel...
The more I read, the more it tells me that you need to pull the plug and see what's going on in there to find out the issue without guessing any more...the other check would be to check the resistance of the injector with a multimeter to check its electrical condition...I don't have the specs in front of me, would have to look them up later...
I have a feeling that this means loosening engine mounts or something like that and then re-tightening them. This might be beyond the limits of my tools-on-hand, physical strength and courage.
>the other would be to check the resistance of the injector with a multimeter
Now that sounds like its a bit less arduous a task. Does one do this while the engine is running? How do I get the fuel injector naked so it can be tested?
Forgive me if I type in random thoughts as there is a lot in your post to digest...I'll do my best to help...
Overheating, needle past 1/2 way...How far? does it go into the red or is it hovering a little higher than you're used to?
New radiator...hmmm...did your mechanic replace the thermostat when he replaced the radiator? It should be listed on the bill if he did...the thermostat could be hanging up and not opening all the way...the Ventures eat thermostats for lunch, yours might be bad...mostly labor to replace, inexpensive part, about 400 bucks cause of the labor to replace it...if the radiator was full of gunk it could have ruined the thermostat as well...did he flush the system?
temperature sensor? there is a sensor that reads the temp of the antifreeze, could have been fouled by the gunk and reading incorrectly....
does the fan ever come on? if it comes on, then its OK...the temp sensor tells it to turn on...see above
turn the heat on full blast...does the needle come down? the gauges in the Venture have also been known to be fluky....
I gave you a few questions...check it out and let me know...I think its OK to run the van as long as the needle stays out of the red but you should try to find out the problem in fairly short order....
First things first...I'm not a mechanic unless there's some beer and a shade tree around...but I do have a Venture and I do work on it so I only reply to problems if I have experience with them...just wanted to be up front...
That being said, I have 3 thoughts/suggestions:
1 - I don't think you've done any damage by driving it while the needle was just a tick above 1/2 way...its a little warmer than usual, but I don't think its a big deal.
2 - I wouldn't be surprised if changing the thermostat again would cure your problem...the new thermostat could have gotten messed up by all of the gunk that was in there before the radiator was flushed or even while/after it was flushed if it wasn't removed when the flushing was done.
3 - (and maybe less likely) After you refill the cooling system, there is a procedure to bleed out all of the air from the system. There are air bleeders by the thermostat housing and by the water pump which have to be opened to let all of the air out...perhaps this procedure was overlooked when the system was refilled?
Good luck...let us know how you do...
John :shades:
For the past two years the engine races in temps over 85 degrees. I posted this problem on the chevy board and opinion there is Idle Air Control valve. It's been 90 degrees plus in the NEast this past weekend and the van is racing again. The idle will reset sometimes when turning ignition off and on but its only a matter of time before it kicks up again. Last year I lost the small radiator hose and serp belt due in part to this excessive racing (71000 miles). Any insight into this problem is appreciated. I'll report back if replacing the IAC resolves this problem.
On another note, I've had some goofy electrical problems with this van (fan control, rear AC vent door, stereo gets hot) but it does drive nice, has good pickup, gets good gas mileage and hauls a lot of gear - if you get a good one or can get past the BS, they're good vans. I have to keep it now - its worth nothing on trade-in!
The symptoms are just like running out of gas. An hour later, started up fine.
Going back to the dealer with the idea that these folks need to do some digging in their database for similar issues. Count on the fact that I'll be asking them about the crankshaft position sensor!.. this is nuts - and I'm going on a long trip in 2 weeks and I don't want to take this van until its fixed.. I recalled last night that the dealer did run into the van stalling at their place a few months back in the winter even!.. They had to push it back into the garage and repair. They said it was a bad connection on the fuel pump. Well, only because the Van cooled down did it start again. - I'll be reminding them of this incident and that what they thought was the problem, actually wasn't !.. Stay tuned ...
It is misfiring but its running fairly quiet.
Anyone have ideas as to causation?
it seems to misfire off and on every few weeks runs like its gonna die when you are going between 0-55 mph... once you get above that it stops but the service engine light soon is still on..... any ideas would be great! i love my van just need it to run right?
TrinaK
p0742 - tcc (transmission converter clutch) solenoid stuck on,
Good luck.
could that be all thats making it misfire and turn on the service engine light soon?
Well, I tried to find a more specific thread in which to respond to this question, but couldn't so I'll respond to it here and then perhaps if there is any further discussion someone can find a more relevant thread where this problem can be discussed and perhaps already has been discussed:
Possibilities: Failure of the Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) Solenoid, the 2-3 Shift Solenoid and the Transmission Valve Body. If its the TCC solenoid then it will be 85.00 for parts and probably 300.00 for labor. Transmission Valve Body would be a bit less for parts but a good bit more in labor.
Good luck to you.
is there a way to get to not to be stuck on?
I'd start with the fusebox and make certain 5, 11 and relay31 are fine. Look up the diagram to confirm which ones are TCC related incase its 33 rather than 31.
If this is normally a 300.00 in labor job, I would hazard a guess that the tcc solenoid is not all that accessible.
I've heard that a faulty tcc can cause damage from excessively hard shifting due to clutch slippage being detected by the pcm. With the high potential for transmission damage if driven like this for long, some shops may be unwilling to just install a new solenoid and then have to face potential complaints. So act promptly if possible. I really do NOT know much about this and you should find another thread that deals specifically with transmission shifting on a Chevy Venture or atleast someone who knows what he is talking about.
If you're a gambling type, try this before you pay to have the solenoids replaced:
Put in 1/2 a bottle of Lucas "transmission fix" and wait 2 weeks....I did it to mine and the harsh shifts went away...if you've never changed your trans fluid, change it and the filter first and wait 2 weeks...if that doesn't help, then try the Lucas stuff...mine was shifting harshly (most likely due to the PCS being bad) and my mechanic suggested a rebuild to the tune of $3000.00...I put in 1/2 a bottle of Lucas about 30,000 miles ago and haven't had a problem since...I don't know what made me even try it, I don't know why it worked, I don't even have a clue what's in it but for 10 bucks it might be worth a try...I'm not a mechanic unless there's a shade tree around and I've never done any transmission work other than changing fluid and filter...
It got worse for about a week and then went away, never had a problem since...Our Venture is now at about 92,000 miles now...Who knows?
Good Luck,
John :shades: