Chevy & GMC Vans

Sorry for the generic subject line, but that's about where I'm at.
I bought this well used 1988 Astro ( V6, Vortec 4.3 liter, rear wheel) not long ago. It drove great in the test drive, and I drove about 150 miles home in it, was a dream. The old owner said it needed an oil change, so before I did very much ( hadn't done anything but get the windshield replaced and took the cat to the vet) I went to one of these quick lube places and got an oil change. Did my errands and came home, next day when I started it, there was some smoke when I started it (Not some huge sun blocking cloud or anything, just a puff, grey white.). Didn't think much of it. Drove fine, then noticed when I took a turn at a major intersection it started this little knocking as I was turning, like a fast ticka ticka ticka ticka ticka , with a little smoke, and then it 'straightened up.' (Definitely under the hood, not axles or anything like that) I got it home and told my husband; he was perplexed and checked my fluids. MY OIL WAS TWO QUARTS LOW. Needless to say, I was RED HOT. That was the LAST thing I thought could be the problem as I paid for a service ('professional' oil change, just a day before-- I can assure you, I WILL learn to do this myself...NEVER AGAIN ). Thing is, I am NOT losing oil or fluids of any kind on the driveway. So we put some more oil in it, as well as some 'no smoke' stuff in the oil tank, as well as some of that Lucas 'tune up in a bottle' stuff in the gas tank. It seemed to help, but it started running weird, like it wants to just stall in 2nd gear or something. It has his high pitched eeeeeeeeeeeee until it finally 'shifts' into gear. It seems like it wants to just kinda stall, but once it gets past this little lump, it's fine. (Sometimes, it seems like it doesn't want to get out of the little lump.) When we stop at a light, the process starts all over again. Some days it's more noticeable than others. It never dies or strands me or anything, just at times it doesn't seem to want to 'go' faster than 35 mph - it's a little un nerving because you don't know what's next! lol)The past few days I haven't noticed smoking or the ticka ticka ... My question is, is this the tranny, or just in need of a tune up, or what? Any products you can recommend? Am I damaging it by driving it like this? (I know that's a dumb question.) I don't have a lot of money to have it looked at, I was wondering if anyone has had anything similar, and if so, what was the outcome? I'm a bit sick about it as I have a feeling the twitjobs at the oil place having didn't put enough oil in it , on top of it's really old to boot, is not working in it's favor. What should I ask about when I DO have it looked at? The mechanic would do himself a favor by taking it around the block so he can hear and feel what the vehicle is doing, but I don't know if they do that. lol I just don't want it to stop abruptly on the freeway or blow up or something. I don't know that much about these things. It's just a great old van that I have QUICKLY become attached to. lol Any advice would be most appreciated.

Welcome to our little support group. I hope your time here is fun and rewarding.

With regard to the lack of gumption exhibited by your beastie, it might be the TBI is a bit on the gummy side. While not recommending any specific solution, I have had good luck with Lucas Top Cylinder lubricant. You can get a failrly good sized bottle, capable of treating 100 gallons of fuel, will clean out some of the crud in the lines. A professional cleaning might well be in order, but try the Lucas first. It'll cost you about $10 and any decent parts jobber will have it. New plugs might help as well.

You didn't mention how many miles on the van, but it may well be past time to service the tranny. Be prepared -- it ain't cheap. I had my 92's tranny rebuilt to the tune of $2400. It was completely worn out and I baby my vehicles. It currently has over 250K miles on it.

Thank you for replying to my post... I will definitely try this. I am hoping it is just a simple cleaning, but in reality it's probably worse.
I've still been driving it, as always, sometimes it does it, sometimes it doesn't. I am just trying to stay off the highway and go easy on it whenever I'm driving, which is no problem as I'm not a rough driver anyway. lol It's always willing to get me where I need to go, I just hope it stays running. [-o<

I'll have to check the mileage and let you know... I believe it has rolled over, but I'm not sure.

Sounds like it could be a sticky egr valve. If it is hanging open that could cause the problems. I would also do the plugs, wires, cap and rotor. A rebuild kit for the tbi is only in the $40 range and can be done by a amateur mechanic easily.

Don't take it being two qts down laying down.Take it back to them and tell those people they damaged your engine and you demand to know what they intend to do about it.Keep the receipt of the two qts you had to buy to fill it up and give them a copy.

Just wanted to update, it's been a while since I've been on here. I bought a bottle of the Lucas for the transmission and another for the gas. I must say it did the trick, at least for now. I am so relieved, again, for now. lol.... it took a few driving sessions to 'get it through' the system good enough, I guess, but in the past month, and I go out almost every day, it has only done that little 'hard to get over that lump at 35mph' once. So, yay!

The two quarts of oil was a bit trickier. Apparently writing 'oil on engine' on the receipt is an all out off the hook for these places. I will admit I didn't have the vehicle long when I took it to have it done, but I never noticed any leaking on the driveway. It's also a 23 year old engine, I wouldn't expect it to be spotless. Anyway, it was a fruitless, irritating exchange to say the least. I wwill not go to one of those places again. Looking more into it, these places run kind of like a gas station as far as how they dispense their oil.... not opening up actual quarts of it but pumping it in with a gas station like pump. (Call me dumb, but I didn't know that! lol) so that combined with some redneck twit at the helm, I should have seen it coming, but didn't. I'm just lucky my husband checked the oil.

But yeah, the Enterprise is running like a champ, and is getting 'locally famous' in my little part of the world. A young woman came up to me and said. "You do know you have the most popular van in town, right? Everybody's talking about it!" I was so happy to hear that. She said everybody loves it, the idea, the execution. She didn't believe me that I painted it myself. lol.

I tell you what, I see a LOT of first generation Astros still on the road. I guess I see them more now that I have one...lol... tough as nails. This one's just as happy as it can be to take me wherever I need to go.