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1988 Dodge Caravan rattling noise in engine

My mother drives a 1988 Dodge Caravan that has simply just started this rattling noise, like there's a loose screw in there or something.

Now, she went to a mechanic, and the mechanic frightened her by saying that it could be a broken rocker arm, and that she should just arrange for a junkyard to pick it up. He goes on to tell her that he has three Dodge Caravan like hers, and that they all need some work. Now, her van is really nice looking to be that old, and has only 80k miles on it. In short, I think that he is merely trying to get her to get rid of her car so he can pick it up for himself.

Now, her van does leak oil. She has been really diligent on keeping oil in the car, however.

What do you think? Is that rattling sound the sound of a motor that needs to be replaced, or is it something else?

Reply to
walker_maurice
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There is no way anyone reading this can tell as we can't hear it or see it. It is unlikely that the engine needs to be replaced, but you need to have a competent mechanic check it out to be sure. The key word here is competent.

Matt

Reply to
Matt Whiting

Keeping the oil in the car and changing it is 2 different things, you don't specify what engine but if I were to guess I would say its the 3.3. And if the noise is coming from the rear cylinder head due to oil starvation the technician may be right in telling her that. If the engine is badly sludged up or the cam bearing has spun and blocked off the oil passage going to the head she will have serious and expensive problems. So is the technician scaring her or trying to stop her from pouring money into a vehicle that is 18 years old and should be in the salvage yard anyhow? By the way, this is a common problem for a vehicle that is not maintained or is just plain ole worn out.

good luck

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

Reply to
maxpower

I very much doubt this. Your talking about a mechanic who probably makes $50 an hour wanting to try to put the grab on a '88? There is no way you could run the numbers and have this mechanic make a profit on buying her old van and fixing it up and selling it, even if she gave it to him for free - he can make more money fixing up newer and more higher dollar vehicles.

If her van is in really good shape, body straight and never been wrecked, good paint, and all that, then IF IT HAS THE RIGHT ENGINE then it is a candidate for a rebuild engine.

You simply cannot be diligent enough to keep oil in a car that is leaking more than a quart a week. You always forget.

I tried this once with a 84 Olds Ciera with a 3.8. It leaked at a pretty good clip. I had the oil light come on a few times. About 6 months later the engine threw a rod bearing. I was going to junk it anyway so that was no loss.

Go see a shop that specializes in rebuilding engines and have them look at it. if they say it's a rod knock or some such then you can price a new engine right then and there.

Ted

Reply to
Ted Mittelstaedt

If it is coming from the Top Rear cylinder head than it is the rocker arm tower that broke. Does it bother her (an 18 YO vehicle, it shouldn't, unless she just bought it...) Drive it and have your AAA paid up.

Mine's gone 14,000 miles now...

Reply to
Hachiroku

Keeping the oil in the car and changing it is 2 different things, you don't specify what engine but if I were to guess I would say its the 3.3. And if the noise is coming from the rear cylinder head due to oil starvation the technician may be right in telling her that. If the engine is badly sludged up or the cam bearing has spun and blocked off the oil passage going to the head she will have serious and expensive problems. So is the technician scaring her or trying to stop her from pouring money into a vehicle that is 18 years old and should be in the salvage yard anyhow? By the way, this is a common problem for a vehicle that is not maintained or is just plain ole worn out.

good luck

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

Reply to
maxpower

Is it the Mitsibishi Engine? (did they still use that one in '88)?. If so make sure that the counterbalance shaft chain has been tensioned properly and it is not slapping the case. That engine required a manual adjustment of the tensioner (and they failed to include that minor detail in the periodic service list in the owners manual). If not tensioned it gets sloppy and noisy and about the time you are trying to figure out where the noise is coming from it comes apart and all hell breaks loose (personal experience).

Frank

Reply to
Frank Boettcher

And too, if it is the sound of the motor needing to be replaced, as you say, no harm can come from ignoring it. What worries me is that it might be the sound of something that can be fixed in 30 minutes by somebody who knows how. That's where the competent mechanic comes in.

Reply to
Joe

Thanks, Everybody!

It comes to find out that the problem was the catalytic converter. $175 job was all it took to get the car back running. Oh, and he replaced a seal to stop the leak. My mother's happy! And I kinda figured that it was misdiagnosed.

Reply to
walker_maurice

Oh yeah... and we took the advice and had it checked out by some folks who rebuilds engines! The mechanic was great!

Reply to
walker_maurice

See, there are good and honest mechanics out there, it just takes a little work to find them.

Matt

Reply to
Matt Whiting

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