"Paul of Dayton" <plus1111@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:n9yuj.1181$pl4.520@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Ted Mittelstaedt" <tedm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:newscache$7bygwj$i1k$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > "Paul of Dayton" <plus1111@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> > news:w2ruj.6667$xq2.4257@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> Hi folks -
> >>
> >> I am looking at a decent 95 T&C that has ABS problems - - diagnosis
is
> >> "Front Brakes 20% Pressure - Ac***ulator pressure down ".
> >>
> >> Any ideas as to what this will take to fix? As far as I can tell,
the
> > major
> >> ABS problems were on vans before 1995. Otherwise, all the van needs
is
> > new
> >> plugs and wires. Tranny recently rebuilt, all other stuff seems ok.
> >>
> >> Any ideas, suggestions, stuff to share?
> >>
> >
> > Whatever the problem it will have to be repaired at a dealer.
> >
> > The pre 96 ABS designs were completely proprietary and Chrysler
> > did not release interface do***entation to the scantool manufacturers,
> > you cannot even bleed the brake system without a genuine Chrysler
> > DRB scanner.
> >
> > The ABS design in 93, 94, 95 were the Bendix 4, the design is fine.
> >
> > The ABS design prior to this is the Bendix 10, the design is
ass-backwards
> > and although you can keep it running, it will consume repair parts on
a
> > regular basis.
> >
> > How many miles are on this and what are you looking at paying?
> >
> > It's not a common failure for ABS in the 93, 94, 95 series of vans.
> > I'd suspect some shadetree mechanic replaced a caliper or master
> > cylinder and didn't take the vehicle in to be bled at the dealer, or
> > they didn't periodically flush the brake fluid and water got into the
> > system and corroded the lines. Is there any fluid leakage in any
> > of the lines?
> >
> > This could be a pretty spendy repair. If it was me and I got the
> > van for free I might take it, gut the ABS system and replace it
> > with wrecking yard ABS parts, then take it in for bleeding and
> > cross my fingers. You really have to get under it and take wheels
> > off and such and really look closely at the condition of all the brake
> > lines, calipers, etc.
> >
> > Both my 94 and 95 T&C's have original factory ABS, no problems.
> >
> > Ted
> >
>
> Thanks Ted. It has 186k on it and it is close to free. The asking
price
is
> $800 - negotiable. For just a few hundred more, I bet I can find a van
that
> I can just get into and drive.
>
> I have more thinking to do but I am looking away from it, now.
>
$800 is too much for a vehicle with weak brakes and 186k on it. The
other problem is the transmission - you said it was a recent rebuild, well
the problem is you really don't know if the rebuild was done by someone
skilled or by the owner's brother in law Clive with kitchen implements.
Naturally, the braking system is fixable - and in fact, brakes are pretty
easy for a DIYer to do compared to tearing down an engine. But the
mileage is just pretty high. If the engine is bathed regularly in oil it
can
easily go to 250K. But, I would have to ask if the owner let the braking
system go, I'd wonder what else he let go. Is there a regular
maintainence
log that came with the vehicle?
If the body is straight with no rust and no body damage that some
body shop has bondoed over, and the transmission has a 50K mile
warranty with 40K still left on it, which is transferrable from the owner,
then $800 is a fair price.
Otherwise, I personally wouldn't go much over $500 for it but it's
tremendously dependent on the condition of the engine. There's a
number of easy tests you can do to ascertain this, and a mechanic
who works on a lot of these vans would be able to tell after 5 minutes
looking it over.
Ted
|
