Bad News Update

According to my mechanic, the caravan has a blown head gasket. I looked around for pricing on replacing the motor, but it would be cheaper to do the repair work instead of buying a new engine block. Since the valve covers tend to go bad on the 3.0L caravans, I will be replacing those as well. Fortunately, I won't need to buy new cylinder heads; just get them milled.

Please excuse any possible terminology errors, for I am not car savvy enough to have in-depth engine discussions.

Bad News

Monday, November 21:

For the previous fortnight I was not getting warm air out of the vents. I presumed this to be a petty issue, since it wasn't cold enough outside to frost the windshield, and I'm capable of dressing properly for cold weather. I made an appointment with my mechanic, Vern, for the following week.

I didn't think it was a thermostat problem, since the temperature gauge was reading in the normal range, and it wouldn't be a radiator problem, because that was flushed recently. I figured it to be more annoying than problematic.

I was proven wrong! While driving on the highway at roughly 12:25 am (Tuesday, the 22nd), my caravan overheated and stalled at 50 mph. I was able to put the transmission in neutral and coast to a side street before having to call a tow truck.

I will have the diagnosis within the next few days.

Caravan odometer = 178,003 miles

Sea Foam and Gas

I added a pint of Sea Foam to the gas tank before filling up with 87 octane (no ethanol).

October 13:
300.7 miles / 14.322 gallons = 20.99 mpg

Caravan odometer = 177,832 miles

September Maintenance/Repair

The caravan's brakes have been bothering me for a while, so I decided to bring it to the shop for an inspection. I was going there anyway to get the radiator flushed and tires rotated. Unfortunately, it needed more work than just new brake pads. Here's a list of the work:

Radiator flush, tire rotation, front rotors, front brake calipers, front brake pads, rear wheel seals, rear wheel cylinders, rear shoes, turn rear drum brakes, and one pint of brake fluid.

Caravan Odometer = 177,709 miles

A Thank You Post

I'd like to thank everyone for making my blog the top 2 links when searching for "1993 Dodge Caravan SE Sport Wagon."


Thanks a lot, everyone.

Caravan odometer = 177,534 miles

Late-August Gas

I spent $49.20 filling up the caravan with 87 octane (no ethanol) today, after going over 300 miles on 1 tank. That's normally not a big deal for most minivan owners, since they are usually 20-gallon tanks, but my gas tank holds only 15 to 15.5 gallons, thanks to an off-road incident with a rock.

There are a few things I should note before displaying the MPG:

1. This tank had about 10 gallons of 87 octane (no ethanol) and 5 gallons of 89 octane (10% ethanol).

2. I added a quart of Valvoline Max Life synthetic blend 5w-30 to the crankcase, and I made sure the tires were full of air before leaving for my trip to Lake Albert, America.

3. Roughly 190 miles came while I drove to and from the lake, so a lot of interstate/highway driving.

4. There's a small chance I didn't fill up completely, and my next MPG update could be significantly lower. I don't think this is the case, because the fuel gauge displayed 1/8 of a tank left. 1/8 of a 15-gallon tank is 1.875 gallons, and I bought over 13 gallons today.

So with those notes in mind, here are the numbers:

August 30:
335.5 miles / 13.482 gallons = 24.885 mpg!

I'm very proud of Beulah, myself, and our accomplishments together.

Caravan odometer = 177,443 miles

Odometer, mid-August Gas

The caravan is finally over 177,000 miles.



August 13:
214.7 miles / 10.185 gallons = 21.08 mpg

I'm surprised I was able to achieve 21 mpg considering I had the air conditioner turned on a few times. It was very humid outside for about 3 weeks. This was with 89 octane (10% ethanol). The next gas update will be with 87 octane (no ethanol). Check back for the results.

Caravan odometer = 177,293 miles