1993 CHEVROLET ASTRO Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

MECHANICAL-BOUGHT '93 EXT. MODEL IN '96. REPLACED TWO STARTERS, TWO BATTERIES GOING TOWARDS MY THIRD ONE, HAD TO GET THE ENTIRE ENGINE REPAIRED BECAUSE OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, THE TRANNY STARTS SLIPPING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR, WON'T BOTHER TRYING THE A/C NO MORE BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, IT STARTS TO IDLE VERY ROUGH THEN IT STALLS. GAS MILEAGE NOT GOOD; I FILLED UP THE TANK, AND WHEN I BRAKE AT A STOP LIGHT...THE GASOLINE GAUGE ALMOST DROPS TO 1/2 A TANK AND IT WON'T COME BACK UP. TRAVELING FROM LOS ANGELES TO VALENCIA OR LOS ANGELES TO SAN DIEGO IT OVERHEATS TERRIBLY, DROVE A '90 TOYOTA TERCEL TO VALENCIA FROM L.A. WITH A BUSTED RADIATOR AND THAT CAR DID NOT OVERHEAT!.NICE VAN BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A CHEVY NOT A FORD AEROSTAR. *LA

Mileage: 98,000

VEHICLE OVERHEATS IN SUMMER WHEN A/C IS ON. TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOES ALMOST TO RED, AND A/C HAS TO BE TURNED OFF. IN WINTER VEHICLE RUNS COLD. HEAT COMES OUT LUKE WARM EVEN AFTER VEHICLE HAS BEEN RUNNING 3 HOURS OR MORE. CONSUMER FEELS WATER PUMP IS WOREN OUT OR THERMOSTAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.*AK

SO MANY OF THESE UNITS ARE FAILING THAT DEALER PARTS MAN KNOWS THE PART NUMBER IN HIS HEAD.KELLY BLUE BOOK WARNS OF REPEAT FAILURES WITH THIS UNIT ON [W] CODE 4.3 ENGINES.THIS ENGINE IS ALSO IN THE S-10 PICK UP TRUCKS AND S-10 BLAZERS OF THE SAME YEAR.A HUGE NUMBER OF FAILURES AND G.M. HAS NO RECALL!*AK

ENGINE VALVE GUIDE SEALS FAILED. YH

ENGINE VALVE GUIDE SEALS FAILED. YH

ENGINE VALVE GUIDE SEALS FAILED. YH

MOTOR MOUNTS AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS BROKE AT THE SAME TIME. THIS WAS DISCOVERED BY DEALERSHIP WERE VAN WAS TAKEN FOR SERVICE FOR ENGINE TROUBLE. MOUNTS WERE REPLACED BY DEALER SHIP AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE ORIGINAL MOUNTS WERE REPLACED IN OCTOBER OF 96. FIRST WITH 73,412 MILES. *AK

OIL PAN RUSTED, CAUSING OIL LEAK.

ENGINE PROBLEM. *SD

MUFFLER SEPARATED FROM EXHAUST PIPE DUE TO METAL FATIGUE. *AK

EXHAUST PIPE EMITS BLUE SMOKE. *AK

REPLACED VALVE STEM SEALS DUE TO OIL LEAK.