Worst Vacation Ever

[Brian B-P]

This is an example of why I don't buy it when people claim that a Chevy truck is so easy and cheap to get fixed - in any little town in North America. Another example is the Chev pickup we owned...

I do understand the choice of a vehicle with space, comfort, and towing capacity. I also appreciate the high cost of a newer high-roof van and the interior conversion. There's no easy fix here!


If a lottery win makes a new van an option, a Nissan NV2500 high roof V8 would probably work well...

[Frederick L. Simson]

This reminds me of when I was in grade school, and our family's 1960 Pontiac Catalina station wagon transmission broke down in the Ohio countryside. Us 8 kids were left to amuse ourselves for 6 hours at a rest stop on old US30, while the car was towed away to be repaired. I can now appreciate what Dad and Mom must have gone through then, thinking about what you recently went through.

"That which does not kill us only makes us stronger."

[Roy in TO]

Wow, sounds like all my vehicle problems in the last year all rolled into 1. Started with the tranny at bolerama. 6 weeks in the tranny shop mixed in with a few short drives every time it was ready. Last one was 10 feet from their front door with the inability to change gears out of drive.

I feel for the family thing. Been there, done that, won't ever do it again.

Sorry I didn't know you were in Toronto for portions of this. Let me know if I can be of any assistance on the last leg of your saga. I'm a few clicks from YYZ.

[Nate R]

Just had to throw my own 2 cents in on the van....

I think another ECM is a good idea, and DEFINITELY get the connectors as well. Given the issues you're having are intermittent and different "answers" each time, I'm thinking you have a bad ECM, bad connections/pins on the connector, and/or a bad ground connection somewhere.

Was the battery replaced or just recharged when it died?

[David Tilston]

Thanks for all the sympathy, but I am already at the "laughing about it later" stage. Everyone is OK, the kids had fun, and we are now back to normal.

What I am looking for now is criticism on my plan to go back and get the van going. The fuel system seems to work, when I crank, there is a strong smell of gas, at the tail pipe. I am almost certain that it is an ignition problem.
- Since a rebuild ECM, (VCM) is only $120 on ebay,
Savana Express 1996 96 PCM ECM Engine Computer 16244210 Programmed to Your Vin | eBay
it seems like a good idea to replace the suspect one that the GM dealership put in.
- The old ECM was so coroded, the connectors that plug into it must be suspect as well. I want to find a 96 Savana, or Express van. The ECM for my van was installed in only these two vehicles. I want the connectors. I will test them for continuity before I go back to my dad's place.
- Ignition coil. Heck, almost every other part for the ignition system has been changed. This one should not be too expensive. I will probably get one locally, but I found this online. I will change the coil wire while I am at it.
MSD® - Ignition Coil
- Battery, It has been run dead several times.

Any other suggestions are welcome.

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

If a lottery win makes a new van an option, a Nissan NV2500 high roof V8 would probably work well...

Brian, I appreciate what you are saying. The Nissan is probably a very good van, but it is the ugliest vehicle I have ever seen. I know, not a very practical consideration, but I have to get my wife to buy in as well.

[Roy in TO]

Well, there are a lot of Mercedes Sprinter and its offspring being used as shuttle buses that should come up as used sooner or later.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I see one daily around here being used for seniors. Nice silver colour, tinted windows all the way around and a 2" receiver on it already.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Brian, I appreciate what you are saying. The Nissan is probably a very good van, but it is the ugliest vehicle I have ever seen. I know, not a very practical consideration, but I have to get my wife to buy in as well.

Perhaps not a very practical consideration, but a very real factor.

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

Well, there are a lot of Mercedes Sprinter and its offspring being used as shuttle buses that should come up as used sooner or later.

Sorry, I shouldn't have launched the "vans for towing" subject...
The Sprinter, while quite capable, does not seem so optimized for towing as the big-engined NV.

[David Tilston]

I am really hoping to get the van going, but I have not ruled out a different van. My wife has already rejected the Sprinter. I think they are nice, but if they can't tow, they are not for me.
I am looking, but I keep finding the same van I own, kind of:

Red, but the same conversion company as mine:
1997 GMC Savana Vantage Signature LXE Raised Roof Travel Van - Alberta Cars For Sale - Kijiji Alberta Canada.

Same year, and same conversion company:
1996 Chevrolet Express Travel van - Alberta Cars For Sale - Kijiji Alberta Canada.

In Ontario, and a Ford, but same idea. Low Miles:
1995 Ford LA West Conversion Van - Ontario Cars For Sale - Kijiji Ontario Canada.

Also in Ontario, $24000, but a 2005:
2005 Chevrolet Express Executive Travel Van Explorer Edition - Markham / York Region Cars For Sale - Kijiji Markham / York Region Canada.

[GMike A]

I cant wait til the movie comes out. Might beat Chevy Chase's Vacation.


You cant even begin to make something like that up. Good read..

[carlkeigley]

We were out the other day and noticing the Japanese, etc. vehicles.
I told her that I don't know what it is but it seems Japanese manufacturers
stick with their "Godzilla" designs..............

[itlives]

Your first expenditure trying to fix your van costs more than my tow.

I know you're in a lot more comfort with that TV than I am with mine, but I would have left mine on the side of the road and bought another.
I don't have a computer in mine.

Terrible vacation is right! Hope you get it (van) going and NEVER have another problem with it!

[stevebaz]

That corrosion is horrible on such a sensative part. If you look at the pin connectors they at least seem to still be clean. Alot of these type computers and sensors are voltage sensative and at a certain voltage will drop out to protect the system. The engine may still crank but nothing is going through the sensors. Watch for proper voltage while the engine is cranking. One big issue I see with all of these multiple system failures and this much corrosion I would be chasing grounds and making sure everything has good grounds. Without alot of fooling around in the middle of noplace I would just run a clean ground strap from the battery negative to the body/chassis and another ground to the engine block and a clean ground from the computer to the chassis if it needs one. The computer sends voltage to the sensors and reads the voltage comming back to tell it what to do. It doesn't send the ground which is the other half of the voltage, if you have a bad ground the system is seeing false values.
My sister had a Chevy van that was having multiple issues and would stop dead on the highway. After alot of tows and multiple dealer issues it ended up being a tow truck driver that fixed it. Cause: sheet metal screw rubbed through the wiring harness shorting out the systems. Some liquid electrical tape and some real electrical tape and a few tiewraps solved the issues that high paid techs and a million dollars worth of equipment couldn't solve.
it was a nightmare for all involved but at least it was under warrenty and Chevy had to pay the bill.

[Brian B-P]

The Nissan NV is ugly because of the long nose, but that nose is a deliberate design feature to accommodate a large engine in an accessible bay for servicing and without intruding into the interior like a typical short-nose van. This was seen by Nissan as the combination of features to attract private owners, although it is a commercial vehicle. A pickup truck is similar, and would look as awkward with the tall roof.

The Sprinter can certainly tow any Trillium, but their GCWR is not very high because they are designed to efficiently carry cargo, rather than pulling it.

[Noreen Bradshaw]

I hope such a tale will not discourage any of our newbie towers..........

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Noreen Bradshaw

I hope such a tale will not discourage any of our newbie towers..........

I think David should sell the rights to the movie and buy a new TV with the proceeds.

[Pam Garlow]

Originally Posted by GMike A

I cant wait til the movie comes out. Might beat Chevy Chase's Vacation.
You cant even begin to make something like that up. Good read..

Oh Boy! What a movie that would be, especially if they add a wacky redhead and a long long trailer into the mix!

[Noreen Bradshaw]

Originally Posted by Pam Garlow

Oh Boy! What a movie that would be, especially if they add a wacky redhead and a long long trailer into the mix!

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by GMike A

I cant wait til the movie comes out. Might beat Chevy Chase's Vacation.

You cant even begin to make something like that up. Good read..

My neighbor now refers to me as Mr. Grizwald.

[Ian G.]

Sorry to hear about all your bad experiences on your vacation Dave

As a mechanic I find the diagnostic ability of most (and I do use the word most, not all) mechanics very poor. They are trained to use the diagnostic tools and scan tools which identify sensor parameters which are outside defined specifications, but lack the skills to diagnose items outside of the electronic systems. Often these system scans will not find hard faults, intermittent problems, ground feedback issues or plain old mechanical problems (like a faulty relay in an electrical circuit), these need to be diagnosed through fault tracing and perseverance.

If you find a good mechanic who takes pride in there work, listens to the customer, asks questions to help identify the problem or the condition that causes the problem let them know their skills are appreciated.