1995 Transport Problems

[carrigan]

I am about get out of this vehicle as soon as I can. I'm the original owner and it's been problematic since we got it. Reading this forum, I have the same issues.

Battery - replaced it too many times to count.

Alternator - replaced it every other year as long as I've had the van.

Starter - twice.

Water bottle for wipers has always leaked until empty, whether used or not. Discovered it was dripping on battery and down wires to starter. Starter and battery problems went away when we stopped putting water wiper bottle.

Windshield wipers are crazy, they stop working and start again. Can fix it by turning ignition off and on over and over until they work again.

Door handles on both doors have broken at least once each.

Rear hatch handle has broken twice.

Electric motors have failed in doors.

Driver's seat belt retractor broke.

Driver's seat mount broken, but seats still in perfect shape.

Front windshield has weird white bubbles under the glass.

Latest problem: engine or transmission bucks and jerks at about 40 mph.

I'm sure there's more, if it's not one thing it's another.

[LMP]

Originally Posted by carrigan

.

Water bottle for wipers has always leaked until empty, whether used or not. Discovered it was dripping on battery and down wires to starter. Starter and battery problems went away when we stopped putting water wiper bottle.

Windshield wipers are crazy, they stop working and start again. Can fix it by turning ignition off and on over and over until they work again.

.

The winshield wiper syndrome has been commented and solved on this forum: part of all GM series in those years. (search a little on this forum - if not found, just ask ) Just need a soldering gun and a lot of faith to remove the wiper motor without seing it , almost , but easily done in fact.

Now the story about the winshield washer fluid tank - I had asked this question before on this forum - without any reply. I have this problem too but never found where the leak was - However, I did not have starter problems - . DId you manage to find the location of the leak? I pressured my tank to force water out - to no avail - but it would empty in a few weeks without ever using it....Mystery.........

[CANADA43]

Re: Front windshield has weird white bubbles under the glass.
This sounds like moisture getting into the glass sandwich where the plastic is. It would only happen at the edges of the windshield.

Re:The winshield wiper syndrome has been commented and solved on this forum.

I have this problem, too where the wiper arms stop at the top of their arc -- have to manually push them to start again or will go eventually.
What needs to be soldered on the wiper motor assy?

I have a '96 van and have generally been happy with it ( although experiencing a problem - see next thread). I have not had any of the problems or failures you have suffered. I did have to replace the intake manifold gasket ( coolant in oil>sludged lifters>noisy, inoperative valves> loss of power in cylinder), a common problem with 3.4 L engine, & expensive to fix unless DIY.

[LMP]

hmmm.. may be not your problem --- but may be too: wiper syndrome as known here relates to totally erratic wiper operation: it will go, no go, whenever it wants, but generally not when you need it.
The problem is broken solder connections in the printed circuit that is contained in the wiper motor .
Good description is here:
http://james.jaguar.net/subtopics/WiperFix.htm

It tells about a Suburban but this is same assembly for Transport.
Removing the motor to get to the printed circuit looks more a problem than it is really. You almost do not see the motor ..but it is there and once a few bolts are removed, it slides out easily for one to see.

[carrigan]

I can try the wiper motor fix, I have a soldering iron. I live in Hawaii where it rarely rains, so the main problem with the wipers is at annual inspection. I have had to pull over before during rare rain because I just can't see on that big windshield when they act up.

The wiper bottle I think is the pump connections in the side of the bottle. I'm thinking about siliconing them to see if it stops the leak. Since I stopped putting water in the bottle I haven't had any more starter problems.

My main problem now is the 40 mph bucking the van does. I think it's the transmission because I can feel the transmission starting to shift just before it happens. Even though I think the van is in 3rd gear already, it seems to have an even lower overdrive or something around 40 mph. When the van starts to settle into that gear it starts to buck, so I keep it under 40. Not hard to do in Hawaii, just stay on a normal road.

Now if I lived in Germany these would be major problems.

[LMP]

well..at 40 mph, and since thios is a 4speed transmission, you are probably in 3rd gear and under no load condition, the converter lock up probably tries to engage.
I'm not sure but on the 3speed tranny, one can unplug the lock-up:
see this
http://www.casal.li/th125.jpg
I"ll check to see if similar with 4T60 but this would give a clue: if cancelling the lockup removres your problem, you would know where to look for.

[LMP]

...OK as far as I can see, this plug (previous post) does not exist on the 4 speed. But here is a trick:the torque converter clutch does not operate if the brakes are applied. So the brake switch normally acts on a slight depression of the pedal well before actual braking action occurs. Just try this at stand still to find how you need to depress for the brake lights to light up. Then when your shudder begins, continue but at same time depress the brake pedal just to act on the brake switch...this would cut the converter clutch circut if it tries to engage.
If it clears the problem, you know a little more.

[CANADA43]

LMP, thanks for the link to the wiper fix site. Now i can easily check it out!

[LMP]

CHeck this also for removal/installation
www.avigex.ca/xport/wiper1.jpg
www.avigex.ca/xport/wiper2.jpg