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New to Chrysler products. Need some help with 1993 Voyager...

4K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  Miron 
#1 ·
I've owned quite a few Saturns in my time (yeah, and odd obsession, I know). I'm no stranger to working on my cars either. I'm now looking to buy a 1993 Plymouth Voyager off of a friend for $200. It has the 3.0L engine. It runs well, but after the engine warms up, it stalls unless you keep your foot on the gas pedal. Also, it doesn't matter if the car is in gear or neutral/park.

I'm going to check on the van in the next few days, and I was curious if there was any kind of a common problem with this motor that would cause it to stall like that. I already searched the forums and came up with a few things to check, but I was just wondering if anyone had some more suggestions.

I'm also wondering if any of you ever do anything out of the ordinary with your minivans. I'm curious in seeing any kind of modification to one of these, whether it be performance, aesthetics, or anything else.

Many thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
Hmm, well i'm not too firmilar with the Mitsu motor, except for knowing they have a tendancy to be oil burners. First off, I'd changes plugs, wires, cap if it looks iffy and 02 sensor. Does it have the 3 speed or electronic 4 speed?
 
#5 ·
Hmm, well i'm not too firmilar with the Mitsu motor, except for knowing they have a tendancy to be oil burners.
What about one having over 431,000 km and not burning any oil after valve seals were replaced 5 years ago? :headbange
 
#3 ·
If it's a shorty it would have the 3 speed. The 3.0L/3 speed was (and still is) a great combo, and if he's a Saturn fan he's probably not new to the oil burning thing.

My van occasionally has this problem as well. I'm talking once every couple of years. The first thing I'd do is check for codes- turn the key to the "ON" position three times (don't start it, just turn it to on) like this ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON and leave it there. The check engine light should blink out codes. You can look them up here: http://www.allpar.com/fix/80s-codes.html
 
#4 ·
If it's a shorty it would have the 3 speed. The 3.0L/3 speed was (and still is) a great combo, and if he's a Saturn fan he's probably not new to the oil burning thing.

My van occasionally has this problem as well. I'm talking once every couple of years. The first thing I'd do is check for codes- turn the key to the "ON" position three times (don't start it, just turn it to on) like this ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON and leave it there. The check engine light should blink out codes. You can look them up here: http://www.allpar.com/fix/80s-codes.html
So std. w.b. Mitsu powered models had the 3 speed and Grands had the 4 speed? Thanks for the info:ThumbsUp: I also was going to say check the codes but forgot to.
 
#7 ·
Twice cleaned in seven years is too much to ask? :)

But the brakes (no way ABS in those late 80's) are pretty bad, but anyway I keep my distance... I hate tailgating, so no big problem for me! Surprisingly... or no... when the car is full the braking is much better :)
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the prompt replies! I think you guys are even faster than the Saturn forums I'm a regular on. The van is a SWB, so I'm assuming it's the 3 speed auto.

I'm probably going today to look at it. The battery has been off of the van for a few weeks, so I'm going to have to drive it to get some codes. I'm expecting the battery disconnect code, but hopefully I'll get some others as well. The van doesn't have ABS either. What's the big problem with those? Are they just a PITA to work on, or is there an actual problem with how they function?

And for the oil burning/leaking, I'm very accustomed to it. I had a '93 Saturn up until a few weeks ago that burned a quart of oil every 300 miles. The brakes went out in it, and I ended up wrecking it into the side of the Papa John's where I work (I'm still in college and just need something to get me to and from school and work while my other Saturn is down, which is getting to be more and more frequent). My current Saturn burns about a quart of oil every 1000 miles though, so I'm content with it. My friend says the van burns/leaks less oil than that, so I'd be happy with that.

Thanks for the prompt responses! I'll be back when I find more out.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I've got the van outside right now. My friend is out of town, so I get to play with it all weekend if I want. I did some minor cleaning on the throttle body, and it seems to have eliminated the stalling. I don't have a new gasket, so I just sprayed and used a toothbrush on it. I'll get a gasket and pull it sometime and clean it better.

I also used some TB cleaner to check for a vacuum leak and found nothing.

So I'm most likely going to buy it. Even if I decide not to keep it, I can sell it for more than $200 once I get it going better.

The transaxle also feels a little odd. It doesn't really feel bad, but I'm not very used to driving automatics (clutch>torque converter), so it may just be me. Also, the gear selector has D, 3, and L. Does that mean it has the 4-speed auto? It is a SWB 3.0L for certain.

I also checked for engine codes after I drove it, and found nothing but the code 12. So, I'm going to drive it tonight and see if I get anything else.

Another thing is that when I get the motor up to a higher RPM under load, it was getting a terrible miss, and at the same time the speedometer would go crazy. I can't get it to do it now that I've cleaned the TB a bit, but what would cause the speedo to go crazy, or is that normal under these circumstances for these vans?
 
#11 ·
The problems with the ABS was mostly with the early ones (91-93) it was a poor design/quality... cheap seals, cheap pump motor, etc. Usually came on the LE's. Yep, "D, 3, L" means you got a 4speed. I'd be weary about that too, 4 speeds, much like the ABS system were poorly designed. Don't get me rong, when they work, they work great. Code 12 just means the battery was disconnected recently.Yeah definetly want to changes those plugs and you speedo going crazy sounds like a bad speedo sensor
 
#14 ·
And that's why I never had any problem? ;) It's true, after I bought it in 2001, I changed the tranny oil and it was like a black cream, some 1 liter maybe :( It was jumping out from D while trying to start moving. Since than, I am changing the oil every 40k and it's working like a swiss clock :rolleyes: Old cars need your permanent attention more than younger ones... and also need to be driven... for them, the old ladies, more is better ;)
 
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