Re: When to replace radiator and heater hoses

"Daniel Who Wants to Know" <danielthechskid@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
message news:dD9Pj.130618$yE1.61915@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "Ted Mittelstaedt" <tedm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:newscache$e86ozj$0e61$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > "Daniel Who Wants to Know" <danielthechskid@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote
in
> > message news:M4YOj.129699$yE1.45765@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> "Ted Mittelstaedt" <tedm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> >> news:newscache$juamzj$k3u$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> >
> >> > We have a 94 & 95 T&C, great vans.
> >> >
> >> > Only problem is they suck gas like there's no tomorrow.  15-18Mpg
is
> >> > pretty
> >> > standard for mixed city/highway usage.
> >> >
> >> > Ted
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >> The Mini trip computer in mine is currently showing 22.1 MPG over the
> >> last
> >> 2070 miles (I never reset it).
> >
> > Yep, if your running 90-100% highway you probably will get that.
> >
> > What's your 50-50 city/highway mix mpg?  (this is a T&T right? 
Running
> > 100% gasoline, not 10% ethanol mix?  Many Caravans had the 3.3L which
> > is better mpg)
> >
> > Ted
> >
> >
>
> The number I posted is for a 2WD 3.3 GC SE on E10 89 octane gas.  Today
I
> did some around town driving and it dropped back to 22.0.  I calculated
my
> average speed via the trip miles and elapsed time displays and got about
> 33MPH.  I normally still set the cruise for 54 on the highway for my
86.2
> mile round trip that I take twice a week.  The rest of my trips are so
short
> that the engine barely gets to operating temp before it is shut off
again.
> I plan to start using the non-ethanol 87 octane gas even though it is 10
> cents more expensive here as it will take less than a 1 mpg improvement
to
> make up for the extra cost.  The grades here are 87, 89, and 91 with 89
and
> 91 being E10.  Currently 87 is $3.489/Gallon and 89 is $3.389/Gallon
>

Oregon has mandated E10 for all gasoline by end of year so we won't get a
choice.  It's already mandated for winter months in metro areas due to
smog
reduction.  I just filled up my motorcycle today - the lowest price
cheapest
lowest
octane fuel is $3.47/gallon.  Count yourself lucky!

The T&C comes standard with the 3.8L  It really makes a big difference in
the mpg.  When you have the extra power on tap you tend to drive with a
heavier foot because you know you can pass the boneheads.  When you
know you can't pass them, you tend to give up and just let it ride.
My wife's van generally runs 17mpg when she drives it but she is
usually exclusively city driving.  When I drive my van - which is also an
AWD
- it's around 15mpg.  It also doesen't help
that my daily commute includes a 3 mile 5% grade hill.  Going up the hill
in
the
morning your just burning the fuel, and coming back down it in the evening
you can't coast because the boneheads in front of you seem to feel it is a
requirement to ride the brakes the whole damn way down.

Ted