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?

 

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

 

--

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

 

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

 

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...

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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


Matt