OK. First thanks for all the quick accurate answers to my post...Now...Remembering that this is a 1994 Caravan 3.0 Auto...If the front wheels are raised and it is in Park if I turn the drivers side wheel forwards will the trip odometer eventually start to go up? I know it will take a LOT of turning but I want to see if the odometer still works to see if the milage it shows is accurate. Thanks
hmmmm maybe???? The speedo cable is hooked up to the transmission so I beleive anything is possible.
There are definite signs of trolling here...
Ummm.... why not drive it around the block?
Nope. The speedo drive won't turn under the circumstances you have. BUT if you jack up the front so the tires don't touch and BLOCK it so it cannot fall, then start the engine and put it in gear the speedo will operate. Of course the easier way would be to drive it around the block. What mileage does it show? A 94 could have low mileage if it wasn't used a lot. OR it could have LOTS of miles. I know of some Caravans with well over 200K on them. They are fleet vehicles that refuse to die...
You could disconnect the speedometer cable at the transmission and use an electric drill.Spin it up! If the electric drill has a reverse, you can spin it down.Many years ago, some shady used car dealers used to do that to run back the miles. cuhulin
Why would someone be asking how to figure out if the speedometer was working if the engine ran and the car could be driven around the block?
Clue: the vehicle is sitting in a junkyard.
When I bought my 1978 Dodge van, I removed the speedometer and I set the odometer back to zeros.I didn't use an electric drill (drill motor) to set/reset/whatever it either. I am not and never have been a car dealer, so that was A OK. cuhulin
That would be easier than changing the timing belt every 60K miles.
About thirty - thirty five years ago, I read in a book about an Island in Michigan (maybe it is Ohio) There is a general merchandise store on the island.Only one road on that island from the store to the boat dock.The people who run that store use a pickup truck to drive from the store to the boat dock to pick up supplies for the store.The road is too narrow to turn the truck around.So they drive forward to the boat dock and they drive the truck in reverse/backwards to go back to the store.Practically no miles show up on the truck odometer. cuhulin
And this was stated in this post WHERE?
How about her first post about it?
Note how the vehicle she OWNS is the 94 caravan, NOT THE ONE IN THE JUNK YARD!
CLUE : If your going to ask a question be SPECIFIC as to the vehicle. It does NO good to ask about how to repair a 1999 Ford when your working on a 1979 Oldsmobile...
Hasn't been possible to run one in reverse for a LONG time. The new ones record mileage going either direction and they are anti tamper designs. If you try manually altering them it breaks some small tabs between the segments which then show up as spots between the digits.
That coupled with the fact that from about 1990 and up a majority of vehicles don't use a cable but use a speed sensor and the ECM to display mileage makes it almost impossible to alter them. Now IF your a dealer AND have the proper tools AND have the factory updating software AND have the old and new gauge unit and ECM numbers handy AND have the proper forms on file, The factory will then allow the code from one unit to be transferred to the new unit. Of course it will still read the same mileage but it will be NEW...
Read the post if you want to see what was said. Asking questions at this point won't cover up the stupid assumption that someone with a running and driveable vehicle would get on Usenet to inquire how to determine if a car has a working speedometer. I mean - people do ask dumb questions, but not that dumb.
Are you still having trouble understanding the question?
clue: If you want to look less foolish stop babbling.
On Mar 9, 10:06 am, Bill Vanek wrote:> There are definite signs of trolling here...
You mean the replies to my questions? Because I can assure you my questions are all legitimate and sincere. I am merely trying to find ways to determine if transmissions I am contemplating in a junkyard are good and using a number of methods to eliminate this one or that one. This question came about because I saw one Sunday that had very low miles (1994 but only 115,000 miles) My first thought was. "Then why is it here?" I first wondered if perhaps the odometer just stopped working at 115,000 miles and it actually has a lot more so I reset the trip meter to 000.0 and started turing the wheel to try and see if it began moving and then I noticed the wheels going different directions which led to the last question and then to the question about the odometer moving at all in this situation. Sorry for being vague or unclear as to the reasons for my questions. I know a junkyard transmission is a crap shoot so the more ways I can think of to sort thru the choices the better. :-)
PS: Since these things are in junkyards I can take apart the ignition and put them into gear if need be if that would make my testing easier. They remove the batteries and gas tanks but i`ve even considered smuggling a small battery in in a tool box and having someone blast the intake with starting fluid just long enough to put it in gear and see if I feel that initial tug you get when you shift a working van into Drive
Did you look at and smell the tranny fluid?
-jim
And if the trans failed after a trans flush with the wrong fluid (VERY COMMON) that nice red clean fluid means nothing.
What is actually wrong with the trans you have?
I know if I was looking for a JY trans I would be looking at the latest model that will fit my vehicle. Then try to find one that has the lowest miles I can.
In the case of a 94 in the yard with 115,000 on it. I would bet the engine is burning oil like every other 3.0. However I would also consider 115,00 to be more miles than I want on a trans unless it was VERY well taken care of.
Depending an where you are and what kind of money you want to spend there are a LOT of the three speeds out there. Around here they run about 400 bucks.
I actually have no money. It`s for my brothers van and he has no money to spend. I`m willing to buy the junkyard transmission for him which will cost $80 and between us we can remove and install it. I`m not looking for it to last forever but even if it gets him another few years of driving I`ll be happy. Hoping to find the newest one I can that fits in a vehicle that may have been in an accident and just written off as a loss. Or one that has a bad engine (Broken timing belt). Luckily you can see the belts on these things easy just by prying up the plastic cover. That`s my next test on the low milage one.
That may be very common for you, but a very small percentage of transmissions found in the boneyard are going to be there because of failed fluid flush. And most of those that are there for that reason will still have the receipt for the flush in the glove box. As long as you are creating mythic scenarios consider this: Typically people who invest in a transmission flush are looking at keeping the vehicle. So repairing or replacing the transmission after a flush with the wrong fluid did it in is also quite common.
-jim
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