Were not vouching for how many actually work but here they are.
Thought I'd start a thread to post general Astro tips/tricks!
SafariRob added Here's some tips:
If you have a first gen Astro that uses the stamped steel serpentine belt accessory bracket, be sure to check the tightness on the power steering pump's rear bracket nut.
This nut gets loose; when it does, it allows the accessory bracket to flex around the power steering pump. This flexing will crack the accessory bracket, the power steering pump will be pulled toward the engine by the belt tension, and the serpentine belt will come off.
I like to add a ground wire to the case of the alternator as the ground provided by the alternator mounting bolts can be a high resistance. I connect one end of a length of 10 gauge wire to one of the alternator case through bolts and the other end of the wire to the body stud where the battery's negative cable goes.
Along the same line of thinking, if you have a circa 89 Astro be sure to check the engine ground cable that connects to an accessory bracket bolt on the front driver's side of the engine. This got loose and rusty on my 89 which caused a low charge to the battery and the digital dash to act erratically.
It's a good idea to change the fuel pump after 100,000 miles as preventive maintenance. It takes some time and money, but it's far better than having your van do an imitation of a road kill while you walk for assistance.
When you do decide to change the fuel pump, the tank inevitably will have a lot of fuel in it. I've heard that a floor jack can be used to lower the heavy tank from the vehicle. However, I empty the tank by siphoning the gas. I remove the 5/16" return line from the tank sender tube and push on a 6 foot length of 5/16" fuel line, the other end of which is in a gas can. The siphon is started by using compressed air through a blowgun attachment into the filler of the tank-- I seal the tank opening as good as I can with my hand while holding the blowgun.
After the tank is empty and removed from under the van, I lift out the pump/sender assembly, make a swab out of paper towels tied with a wire to a dowel rod, and mop up any remaining fuel/water left in the tank.
If I bought a new van, I would support the fuel tank and remove the tank strap bolts one at a time. On each bolt I would coat the threads with a no-sieze compound and reinstall them.
I usually keep vehicles until they are junk, so I know I would be replacing the fuel pump at some point. May as well make it easier to remove the strap bolts when pump replacement time comes by beating rust now.
While the tank is out, be sure and check the brake line that runs along the unit body frame above the tank. On both my 89s this line was rusted through here, and I've heard of others having the same rust problem.
The tank has to be off to replace the line.
More as I can think of 'em...
riccd2001 added If you are still using the dim standard-issue-halogen low/hi beams and want an inexpensive upgrade, you may want to consider a new set of cool blues. I know they're not a bright as silver stars, but they work great in my old winter-beater Safari van. I installed a set of H6054CBs no fuss/no muss for about US$ 33 and find them bright enough for all my needs. No problems with overheated wiring, just a lot more light on the road. Silverstars are brighter/whiter but too pricey for my needs.
When I have a no-go problem with DRLs (in-dash indicator lamp not lit and one or both headlights not on), a little spray of WD40 on both headlamp connectors and prongs solves that easily.
http://www.sylvania.com/auto/silverstar.htm
JPaganel added Well, I got a few things NOT to do.
DON'T ever buy cheap brake pads for these vans, especially the older ones. The brakes are working hard as is and cheap pads start squealing in about a month.
DON'T get keys made with blanks that look different from the OE ones. Axxess makes a GM key blank with a head that's twice as long. This gives the weight of your key ring more leverage and mine just snapped off leaving the key in the lock. I only got five other keys on that ring.
DON'T use WD-40 as the only lubricant on your door hinges. It's way too thin and it evaporates. I use 3-in-1 for smaller parts and 30W motor oil for bigger ones.
I got some do's, too.
OIL YOUR HOOD LATCH - use motor oil. Do this before winter sets in, you'll save yourself tons of aggravation. This is particularly true for the older ones.
ANTISEIZE - put it on all your lugnuts. If you live in a cold and salty state, that is a must. Helps in other climates, too. There is nothing quite like having a flat tire in the middle of the night in freezing rain and finding out that you can't get the wheels off or, better yet, breaking a bolt or two.
Grease the spare tire hoist cable. If not greased periodically, it will rust through and your van will crap a spare when you least expect it.
If your front door doesn't fit quite right and/or leaks, the prime suspect would be hinge pins and bushings. I usually change the whole thing. To do this without losing an eye you will need a door spring compressor tool or a bodyshop nice enough to remove and reinstall the spring. You can get the hinge pins at the dealer or in the HELP! section of a parts store. The salespeople will usually try to look them up on the computer, but hinge pins are not listed.
If you have the stamped steel accessory bracket that cracked it is possible to get a shorter belt an bypass the steering pump for limp-home. I actually drove it like that without power steering for three weeks until I got a new bracket. It is not possible to bypass the AC compressor.
Leegar added I will post this, but realize it came from the sage advice of Astrovette. If your car has high mileage, and you are pulling the steering wheel, go ahead and spend the dollars (not much, $20.00 in my case) and put in a new lock cylinder. Not only will it feel like a diff rig when you turn the key, you will be happy that you don't have to pull the steering wheel again shortly thereafter.
Also when you start to have problems with your doors, start looking for the new door handle (I have been getting mine off e-bay) before it breaks.
V8Astro Captain added The good thing about changing the pump early is that you can use it to pump all the fuel out.
GreenMachine added This just in!!! Another tip!!! LOL!!!
When ordering parts, instead of giving your year/make/model, give them your VIN# if they can use it instead. My 1997 Astro has a 1996 transmission which takes a different ATF filter - I guess Chevy had extra 96 transmissions when they built my van. When the filter didn't fit, I went to the Chevy dealership and they used my VIN# to declare it to be a 96 trans.
Now I just pull out my registration and have them put the VIN# into the computer when I go to get parts.
Astro350SS A peice of stiff vacume hose on the end of a spark plug is a great way of getting it started and turning it in until almost snug. This eliminates the various cuts and scrapes of turning it in by hand.
An extendable magnet is a mech's 2nd best freind.
If you smell Rotten Egg smell from your exhaust, the catilytic converter is clogging up.
If a battery is showing less than 12.6 volts (engine off), it is not fully charged. 12.4 is 3/4 charged. 12.2 is less than half charged. 11.9 volts and lower is a dead battery. 10 volts and below is a shorted cell.
If you have a non self adjusting belt system and the belts keep walking off the pullys, the belts have been over tightened and are pulling the shafts of the pullys toward each other, causing the pullys to not be lined up strait, allowing the belts to walk off.
Jiffy lube and the other quick lube places don't always check your differential fluid and lube everything under the van. check it your self to make sure.
A long thin piece of rod, broomstick, screwdriver, etc is excellent for pin pointing problems with an engine. Stick one end on the part in question with the engine running, BE CAREFUL not to touch moving pullys, belts, fans etc. hold your thumb over the other end and rest it against your ear, using your thumb as a cushion. Sound travels very well thru a solid object, and you can detect a bad bearing, knock etc very quickly this way. Try it on your engine now while everything is working properly so you know what sounds are supposed to be there. Then when you hear something strange, you will be able to pin point where it is coming from by listening to different parts of the engine.
Hope some of these help. I realize some people know these, but some of the newer people may not.
GreenMachine added I used some sand paper to clean the ground contacts where they contact the body, and sanded some of the body paint off to make better grounded connections. Man there's a lot of 'em! At least 5 under the hood, and then a few on the engine itself.
Now my window motors work faster!!!!!!!! :multi:
Do you guys use electrical grease to keep the contacts from corroding or rusting? Not sure how long sanded bare metal will last. Maybe marine grease or spark plug boot grease?
Also - why do they always say to disconnect the BLACK ground wire and not the RED wire on the battery? I disconnect the RED one because it's closer and easier. :read:
peter added You always disconnect the negative wire 'cause there isn't any danger caused by your wrench touching ground to cause sparks n' stuff (as would happen when disconnecting the positive terminal)
Peter
photo-stro added Door handles: If you dont want to buy new ones, and want to make your old broken door handles almost bullen proof...
Drill out the center and replace the pot metal stud (which the release lever is mashed on to, with a nice grade 5 or better screw ( counter sunk) with a washer and lock nut. 10/24 is a pretty good size since it leaves a thin line of pot metal to act as a bushing.
jime223736 added Tri-flow spray lubricant, Hamerite spray paint, Por 15, Champion sparkplug antiseize & the California Water Blade are a few of my favorite things. Whiskers on kittens aren't bad either. (Thank you Mis. Andrews.) I like to use the antenna as a paper towel holder while working under the hood. Saves chasing it down the drive way every time I drop it.
AstroJack added When I replaced my fuel pump I went ahead and replaced the rubber fuel lines and made them a little longer to make reinstalling the tank a little bit easier.
observer added install your own secret fuel pump switch and secret ignition switch so it cant be stolen.
(unless they come w/a tow truck.....
CaptSquid added Antenna broken off? Sure, the replacement parts amount to around $20 US, but replacing the base is a major PITA. What I did was to drill out the old stub with a 5mm drill to a depth of approx .75 cm, tap it with a 6x1 mm tap and insert a 6 mm set screw. The new mast screws right on top of the set screw and there is no degradation of signal.
Geordo added this is a late reply, but.. the absolute best lubricant (no sex jokes please) I have found is the hilti libricant for thier guns (the gund for shooting into concrete and steel) I used it on my pliers and stuff and they're still ultra smooth operating after a good five years... I don;t know if you can buy it on it's own, but if you can, the stuff is amazing.
observer added so i got a nother one good for newbies: remember the differential ring gear bolt is LH, otherwise you will screw up the screws.
mattv added I've had to install a couple of alternators in the past couple of years on my 94. Thought this tip might be worth posting.
before you actually try to remove the alternator (when air cleaner snorkel, and belt is already removed), remove the bracket that the alternator sits on first... period. once the bracket is free, the alternator and terminals are all easily accessible.
Water Boy added Cleaning Chemical.
For small cleaning (grease) jobs, I use "B-12 Chemtool".
It is made by Berryman and is normally used as a gas tank additive.
Lockdoc added I blew a lower radiator hose today on my AWD. On the AWD there is no room underneath to access the hose and from up top it is not much better since it is below everything. I unbolted the four bolts for the fan and removed making access very easy.
After assembly it was found that the gasket for the waterpump blew so I had to do everything all over again. But the hose tip worked well anyways.
88AstroMan added I'm surprised this has not been posted. When I know I'm going to get my hands greasy, I use liquid dish soap on them before I go to work. Just rub it on your hands and let it dry. When you are finished working on your project, just use water to wash the grease off. It comes off easy.
GreenMachine added I now always always always always... always open the box and inspect new stuff before I leave the store. Got 2 bad Moroe shocks, and a bad brake caliper which took return trips to the store for exchanges. I can't believe some of the shoddy stuff they try to sell as new. Quality control disappearing or what?
Astrocious added When pulling the front end off, scribe a line on both sides of the hood release mechanism before removing it. When it comes time to put it all back together you won't have to do a trial and error to reset the latch correctly, just align to the original scribe marks.
many K astro added Rear handle breakage on both dutch and barn doors.
They seem to break at the most inappropriate times.
They cost about $70cdn to buy.
Amazing simple fix.
Lub'em. I use lithium or white grease in an aersol can.
There is an access door on the side of the door remove it
to get access. Also found that on barn door models back
door was not looking/unlocking because of lack of lube.
Make sure to get all pivot and locking mech.
Rockwerx added Yesterday my son and I took apart some old hard drives. We wanted to remove the super magnets that are inside some of the older hard drives. After we found some really strong magnets, I took two out to the shop and stuck one on the oil filter and one on the oil drain plug of my AWD project. All of the magnetic contaminents will be stuck to the inside of the oil filter and the drain plug. Simply clean the drain plug and move the magnet to the new oil filter.
jayindy added Actually I'm not sure I should post, but what the heck.
When you lock yourself out of your Astro/Safari with electric door locks, gather up a set of jumper cables, a 12 volt donor vehicle, and two thin pieces of metal like a couple hacksaw blades.
Clamp the pos. jumper to the thin metal, and the neg. jumper to the other. Between the slider door and passenger door pillar are two pins. The top pin is positive, and the bottom is negative.
Carefully slip the thin metal through the crack of the door and make a connection onto these pins. If you hold your mouth just right, and have steady hands, one brief connection will generate the sweet unlocking sound you desire.
mosparx asked jayindy WOW, JIndy!!! That is the greatest tip since using the front bumper of a 75 Dodge van to open beer bottles with! You should get to be in the next "Gone in 60 Seconds" movie!
One question though... isnt there a bit of a "Fry" or "Shock" factor involved in that? Arcing?
I guess if you are locked out, and S.O.L., a dude would be willing to try just about anything to get back on the road. I printed out your tip and will put it in my toolbox.
jayindy replied mosparks...no, not if you first put the thin metal in place before applying the DC...I've brought a smile to more than one locked out housewife in the middle of mall parking over the course of 17 years or so...one time I used the Police Officer's jumpers.
You've got a good start on that tool box however
dasimp added if your detailing under the hood and your doing some touch up painting and you don't want it on parts nearby , tinfoil works really well in covering up all the weird shape stuff you dont want that color on
ThrobbinQ2 added If you want to have some unique and heavy duty protection for your carpet, get some of that carpet runner stuff that they sell in the home improvement centers.
My van didn't come with any mats, and the carpet is in pretty good shape. I wanted to try and keep it that way. The carpet runner came to mind. The kind I got is clear, and it looks good.
It's really tough. It trims to fit real easy. It won't slide with those pointy nubs on the bottom either.
All it takes is scissors to custom fit it. Just lay it out and cut it to fit the seat supports. The doghouse is more difficult to fit than the rear area, but if you take your time and trim it a little at a time it will fit OK.
A piece about 5 or 6 feet long covers a wall to wall width for a seating row with no breaks like mats.
Generally all you need to do is sweep out any tracked in dirt. Anything worse can be cleaned outside the vehicle by removing it. It would protect pretty good against kids spills, beer, etc.
It's not slippery either.
dj_joker_2002 added OK I have to add my twenty cents (2 + 18 for inflation) If you have a rusted bolt and it seems it will never come out heat the nut and bolt then hold ice on the nut but not the bolt it will come loose. also if you drop the fuel tank cut a hole into the floor above the pump so if you have to change the pump again you won't need to drop the tank again. Dielectric grease is a great help for bulbs and also to squirt into the end of a trailer harness.
Matrixx added Dura Shine is Probably One Of the Best Product's available to Day that Actually Keeps Rust Off Your Vehicle...I Have Used it for 5 Years Now and i have Two Spot's where Paint has been Scratched Off along the Right Hand Rocker Panel and it's been like that for 4 Years now......I have Driven through .....Salt Calcium...Sand ..Snow..Rain.......and Still No Rust What So Ever......Just Bare Metal......It Doesn't "Deep Clean" Like AutoFom Did, But it Does Give An Excllent Protection Barrier Between Any Treated Surface and The Element's we Drive in......Just My Personal Comment for what it's Worth.
LJRacing91 added although this may not be the best idea to post, you can get into your Astro if you've locked yourself out, regardless of if you have power locks or not. You need two screwdrivers, and a little patience. A long screwdriver is preferred for one of them. Go to the sliding door. Pry through the bottom right corner of the window with the screw driver. Then, take the long screwdriver, and pop the window vent that's right there. Then go to the other side, and do the same. You can then access the sliding door lock, and you're in! I had to do this at the airport one time, it worked within 2 minutes!
ScottS added I have great luck using mercurochrome (2% Iodine) freeing up rusted bolts- put it on before you put any oily stuff on and it melts the rust away- have no idea why but it is awesome
GIMP added For stuborn rusted bolts try PB-BLASTER. If you plan on doing work on anything that even looks rusted spray it the day before.Once you use this stuff you will throw your WD-40 away.
Also to keep the dirt from under your nails scrape them over a bar of soap BEFORE you start.
jvrba added Great information guys...Borrowed my friends abused astro this summer to pull a camper. At my first rest stop I tried to open the hood...Called the owner to ask for hints, he told me to pull really really hard....needless to say the plastic handle, cable etc broke away in my hand! Yes please lube your hood linkage. By the way he was down 2 plus quarts of oil...Never borrow your friends van...especially if he hasn't seen the inside of the engine compartment since he bought the vehicle...
COPOYenkoAstro added Here's another one. When I bought my 88, it idled about 12 - 1500 rpm. The guy said he had it to the dealer twice and they couldn't fix it. I plugged in the tool I got for my Buick from http://www.turbo-link.com and ot worked! It showed the idle air stepper motor was closing all the way, so naturally I thought it must be sticking.
Tip 1: Watch out for the pintle shooting out on the ground when you start it with the IAC removed.
Tip 2: Check for intake vacuum leaks with throttle body cleaner. I found the leak in the base gasket under the throttle body. It is a $2 part. There was a 1/2" chunk missing. Also the little passage between the 2 barrels was clogged with carbon, possibly causing the failure.
DILLINGER added Mix your own PB Blaster mix...
2 parts Kerosene, 1 part transmission fluid.
The Rebel added PB Blaster,,great stuff,,learned about it here.
Now,,I want you guys to try this..it's made by Greased Lighting,,,the cleaner is called Orange Blast,find it in most any super market,yes it's an orange cleaner but not like all the others. I like it because you don't have to rinse your hands,,just wipe off on a shop rag.
I've tried most all the other cleaners over the years and most of the new orange cleaner but this stuff you won't believe,,,ORANGE BLAST only, the other, like 409 can't touch it.
coltsafari added Hello, I'm new here obviously, but I've lurked for a while. Great site with much needed info. You guys saved me alot of time and money with tips such as the broken wire in the boot for the power window, and the dreaded vacuum hose nightmare.
One tip, if that's what you can call it, that I have is regarding the speedometer. A bunch of guys and I went to a Colts game, and drove the safari. When we left, the speedometer didn't work, and the transmission would NOT shift out of first gear. We checked linkages, fluid level, etc., and everything seemed in order. SO, I drove home from Indy with the van in 2nd, which I shifted into. :yipes: Checked the fuse, and it was laying on the floorboard, don't know how we missed it. Apparently, the tranny works via the speedometer??? I thought I was looking at some serious coin for tranny work, but luckily, it cost me nothing.
Not sure if anyone else has had this happen, but I thought it was worth a mention. Now, if I could only muster up the courage to attempt a spark plug change.
rlsllc added Yes, the trans is electronic. I lost my "blinkers" on the way to work the other day. I thought "Oh cool, another Astro moment". I had visions of pulling the steering wheel, etc. I had brake lights, 4-ways, and everything else. When I got to work, I reached way down, and wiggled the flasher module, and "blink-blink, blink-blink".
Moral: When you hear hoof-beats, look for horses, not zebras. When you think you see zebras, check again, it could just be the light. Non-philisophical translation: Check the simple things first, if you don't find anything, check them again before going deeper.
EDASTRO4LIFE added Here's a tip: Since the door lock key is so small keep an extra one in your wallet you never know when you might need it.
kings-x59 added How about this:
I couldn't get the retaining ring out of the servo cover on my transmission, so I tied a piece of nylon rope around the case good and tight, hooked a claw hammer in the rope and used the business end of the hammer to pry down and depress the cover. Retaining ring came out nice n easy. Did the same thing when it was time to put the ring back in.
mecosecos added i figured this trick out after breaking some interior plastic pieces under the steering column. a piece of plastic broke off of the corner, right where it is secured by a screw. instead of using a big ugly washer to hold the panel down i used a small piece of vacuum hose. the hose was the perfect size so it expanded when i tightened down the screw. the expansion of that little hose now holds down the right lower corner of my plastic panel.
remark123 added I've got an emergency fix for you that I learned in my Pro Rally days. If you ever put a hole in your gas tank, by running over a stone or a steel post, take ordinary bar soap, and rub it onto the hole. It will plug the hole for a good period of time until you can get at the problem!
