[Cheesphht]

Hey,

I finally got mine going! It did turn out to be bad gas. It's always the simple things. I still think that I have some bad stuff in there because it still acts like it but at least it starts and runs halfway decent.

One think that I did do that made a lot of difference to how it ran was to unplug the MAF sensor which was bad. It immediately ran a lot better and the service bulletin said that if it did - it was a bad one. Unfortunately it also can't be cleaned out so I went and bought a new one.

You know I should have suspected bad gas all along - I've already had these conditions/symptoms years ago in my other van but yet all this emissions stuff had me thinking that that's what it was but what I learned was that a lot of it doesn't even enter into the picture until it's a little warmed up and it shouldn't ever stop it from starting. I burned up two (not one but 2) starters this week trying to get this thing going and that alone should tell be that it didn't have explosive gas in in. I emptied the tank of about 1/2 a gallon and after a few turns it started - not well but it turned over and started to clear itself out.

Oil well, live and learn.

On your "applying the brakes" problem was it downshifting into low gear too fast? I wish mine would go into low gear on it's own but it only does it after I really kick on the gas pedal going up a hill. Let's face it the computer's on these things are from the early 90's construction and engineering - in other words they were experimental at best! I would like to take them off myself and go back to a carb I've wasted more gas from when these emissions things quit working than they ever saved me in the first place!

Or is it because it's just not firing right and the engine is running in a "drag" condition against the standard freerolling of a normal engine? In either case I would first test that stupid MAF sensor if you know what it is. Mine was on the passenger side of the engine compartment right by the heater and sitting atop the air chamber.

Good luck!

Joe