Monday, April 23, 2012
2000 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan
We bought this one in Kewaunee, WI while visiting Pam & Nate. The idea was to have a multi-passenger car for carrying kids and grandkids around PLUS pulling out the rear seats and installing cots, air-mattresses, and blankets, etc. with storage underneath the cots to create a little RV. It has worked exactly perfectly for that. We've slept in it many, many trips and it even inspired Steve & Linda to purchase a full size van and do the same thing. They are physically bigger than us and needed the big van.
I switched it over to Mobil-One and change it every 10,000 miles. Have put front disc pads in a couple of times and rear shoes once. It's been to Portland with me and Chris; New Mexico and Utah/Colorado with me & Cathy, and down to Pass Christian and to Mount Dora.
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Had a big issue with the passenger side window motor burning out. The window just dropped about halfway and would stay there. We were just to leave for Pass Christian. I figured out ways to shim it up so it wouldn't drop, but Cathy wanted it fixed right away down there. I took it to a Chrysler garage and got a repeat lesson in how the world works that I already knew, but I guess I needed a touch up. Something like 450 bucks, they bent me over for it.
ReplyDeleteSure enough, about a year and a half later, Cathy tried to lower the passenger side window while it was loaded up with ice and "ping" something popped and it wouldn't work again. This time she was soon going on a trip and I wasn't going to fall for the same BS at a garage. While she was gone, I got a 12-pack of beer and took the cover, hand grips, and stuff off the door. There is only a small square opening to get one hand inside. Working with a little mirror, I found out, after most of the beer was consumed, that a little clip had popped off a little nipple on the track on the bottom of the glass. Went to the Chrysler garage to get a part and, of course, they sell only the entire mechanism, for hundreds of dollars. Couldn't help me. Got another 12-pack of beer since I had the unusual luxury of days to think about it. Finally, I got a drill in there and one hand, holding a light in my teeth. I drilled two holes through the teflon block, one above the nipple, and one below it. Then I managed to maneuver cotter pins through the holes and spread them with the nipple in there. IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM! Vindicated my entire existence as a man!
ReplyDeleteSummer of 2011, cruising through Monroe, WI with Chris & Margie when POW! the water pump bearing came apart, spewing green water out all over the city street. Pulled over, went in for breakfast in a cafe, and asked the good ol' boys there who nearby was a good mechanic. Of course the best guy was only about 8 blocks away. I started her up and got there before it even overheated. Then we went off with Chris & Margie in their car, had fun, got dropped at Sara & Aaron's for the evening and night. Next day, Aaron drove me down there and I picked it up. Reasonable price, too.
ReplyDeleteWent to start it up when got north from winter in FL and it was dead as a doornail. Jumped the battery and it held overnight but it's 7 years old and the posts were all covered with corrosion. Plan on using this van for camping out this summer, so I put a new one in at WalMart today, at 192,600 miles. 3-year warranty, I think. Otherwise it's running fine.
ReplyDeleteWashed and waxed at the car wash.
ReplyDeleteThe van stalled slightly a couple times, so I knew something was coming. The VW is in the shop and now Cathy went out to start the van and it wouldn't. I smelled gas right away and noticed the fuel was being pumped onto the driveway instead of up to the engine. I tried to drop the gas tank myself but ended up covered with liquefied asphalt and unable to loosen the nut on the strap holding the tank up. We will tow it into Kenworthy in Sparta, but Nate says he is booked until July 2. If he can get a slot open he will look at it earlier. When it rains it pours.
ReplyDeleteTowed it in with 25-ft strap. Difficult tow because I had to hook the clip around a tie rod end, nowhere else wasn't just plastic or sharp edge...got it in though. I tried to take the tank strap off myself but it was 90-degree heat with 80% humididy and I left my metric sockets in the VW, which is also in a shop in Madison. Needed 3 baths to get the liquified asphalt/gas off my body and out of my hair.
ReplyDeleteIt was finished today. The mice or little red squirrels had chewed a hole in the fuel line of the fuel filter. Only 64 bucks and now it has a new fuel filter, so won't have to worry about that for the lifetime of the car, probably. Back in commission.
ReplyDeleteTowed the boat to Rhinelander and back with it....working just fine. Washed, vacuumed, and hand-waxed it today. Cathy cleaned the windows.
ReplyDeleteThe Town & Country is at 198,000+ miles! I'm watching the odometer carefully to celebrate the big 200K birthday! It's running great. I bought the materials for an oil change and sprayed the tires with wet & black.
ReplyDeletePoured a bottle of injector cleaner into a full tank of gas. I've got the odometer up to 199,600 and am getting ready for the 200K birthday. Put it in the garage at the farm, though, because we needed the truck to haul Cathy's plants to Mary and Marcie. Both rear window motors are on the fritz. Gotta go online and see if I can order them.
ReplyDeleteHad the 200,000 mile birthday yesterday driving alone in Madison. Celebrated it with a song and a Crop Circle Wheat at the Great Dane.
ReplyDelete200,400 miles. Changed oil & filter, putting in Mobil-One 10W30 and a tough-gard filter. Changed air filter and patched cracks on valve-case breather hose, put 2 clamps on it to keep it there. Washed it; waxed it; and detailed the interior, armor-all on all the seats and plastic, windex on the windows.
ReplyDeleteTook the mini-van to WalMart and had the tires rotated at 200,400. Their measurements before front to back rotation: Pass Rear = 10/32 Pass Front = 9/32 Driver Rear = 10/32 Driver Front = 9/32. I had a goofy idea of putting the spare on one of the rears now to use it down. It seems nutty to have a good tire wasted hanging under the car. When I cranked it down, the cable came down but the tire hung up. Don't have time today to continue to fool with it but I might still try again, particularly since if I would have a flat I'd have one heck of a time getting it down on the road!
ReplyDelete