not a camaro question, but atleast it's a chevy, please read...

[spunger]

Ok guys, I got 2 non-camaro questions, but atleast they are still chevy's. Here I go.

1. My dad has a 1989 chevy astro van with a 4.3 liter V6 in it. It has over 160,000 miles and runs like a champ except for one minor problem. If we go up a hill with it, it seems to stay at about 55. It will not go above 55 unless you let the tranny kick down and come back, and kick down and come back. The tranny is a 700R4. You use to be able to punch it and go 80 up over a hill easy, but now the car kinda bogs at 55. Tranny has always been fluid changed when it is suspose, and never noticed anything wrong from that perspective. The only codes the car throws is a EGR code which it has for years. Any ideas on what would limit the car to only going 55mph uphill? If it is flat ground it will fly. Only hills does this problem happen. Any help would be great!


2. My dad also has a 1984 24ft Motorhome that is also a chevy. It is a 350 with automatic trans. It has a 4 barrel carb for what it's worth. The car has 44,000 miles (yes, it is a 1984) and it will only climb uphill so fast. Goes about 40mph. I am wondering if it is anything with adjusting the carb for the altitude changes? Is there any device that allows you to change the air/fuel mix from inside the cab? I am pretty sure this is the problem with his RV, but just want some other opinions.

Please let me know guys. I told him I'd try and ask around. I think his van he'd like an answer to more so than the RV since we rarely camp in it, but his van is his daily driver.

Thanks guys,
Chris

[Dominic]

The RV is probably just horsepower per gear limited (meaning the gears are tall for cruising and when going uphill it only has enough horsepower to maintain that speed - since it is quite heavy).

Are you saying with that Astro van that it will only accelerate in final (4th) gear if you let the transmission downshift and reupshift into 4th? Or are you saying it will only accelerate up the hill if it downshifts into 3rd? Try doing some basic tuneup maintenance to that van like cleaning out the intake, swapping the plugs if necesasary, changing all the fluids, possibly changing the distributor cap and wires and coil, and just going over the whole vehicle. In 160,000 miles lots of stuff can happen, and I bet its something simple causing this. Since it is an 89 is it computer controlled? The 89 Silverado pickup we used to own had that same 350 and transmission, and it accelerated well unless you stomped it - then it lag badly then overdownshift and rev when it didnt need to - or thats what I thought [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ July 15, 2002: Message edited by: Dominic ]</p>