'95 Voyager 4-spd - groaning noise

My wife's '95 Voyager (3.0L, 4 spd auto) has started making a groaning
noise when accelerating from a dead stop. If you accelerate VERY
gently, it doesn't do it. If you accelerate normally, it does do it.
Oh, and it doesn't seem to do it when the van is cold. The van has
about 119,000 miles. The transmission was rebuilt about 5 years ago,
and last had the fluid and filter changed in the early spring.

Other than that noise, the transmission seems fine. The fluid looks
and smells good, and it shifts smoothly and quickly.

I took it to the dealer here today. I got the "they all do that".
Funny, I don't recall it doing this before. The mechanic said that
what we're hearing is the transmission bleeding off pressure when you
accelerate from a stop so that it doesn't peel the clutch material off.
Is this right??? Does this make a noise you can hear???

Note: Please remove the "nospam" from my address if replying via email.
--
Jeff Wieland

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005, Jeff Wieland wrote:

> My wife's '95 Voyager (3.0L, 4 spd auto) has started making a groaning
> noise when accelerating from a dead stop. If you accelerate VERY gently,
> it doesn't do it. If you accelerate normally, it does do it. Oh, and it
> doesn't seem to do it when the van is cold.

Engine/trans mount(s) are a potential suspect.

> I took it to the dealer here today. I got the "they all do that".

Translation: "Dude, your vehicle is a decade old. We're a dealer. We
really don't like to mess with decade-old vehicles."

> The mechanic said that what we're hearing is the transmission bleeding
> off pressure when you accelerate from a stop so that it doesn't peel the
> clutch material off.

Translation: "If I babble an explanation I'm making up as I go along, then
will you go away and leave me alone?".

In article ich.edu> "Daniel J. Stern" > writes:
>On Mon, 29 Aug 2005, Jeff Wieland wrote:
>
>> My wife's '95 Voyager (3.0L, 4 spd auto) has started making a groaning
>> noise when accelerating from a dead stop. If you accelerate VERY gently,
>> it doesn't do it. If you accelerate normally, it does do it. Oh, and it
>> doesn't seem to do it when the van is cold.
>
>Engine/trans mount(s) are a potential suspect.

I wondered about that. How would I go about determining which mount?
One of the mounts was changed this spring -- I have to check the
paperwork to see which one.

>> I took it to the dealer here today. I got the "they all do that".
>
>Translation: "Dude, your vehicle is a decade old. We're a dealer. We
>really don't like to mess with decade-old vehicles."

Yeah, I know, but I've spent a fair piece of change on the old beast,
and I'll probably continue to do so in the near future at least.

>> The mechanic said that what we're hearing is the transmission bleeding
>> off pressure when you accelerate from a stop so that it doesn't peel the
>> clutch material off.
>
>Translation: "If I babble an explanation I'm making up as I go along, then
>will you go away and leave me alone?".

You may be right here. If they'd say, "it's a motor mount", and it'll
cost $$ to get it replaced, I'm likely to pony up for it.
--
Jeff Wieland

"Jeff Wieland" > wrote in message
...
> My wife's '95 Voyager (3.0L, 4 spd auto) has started making a groaning
> noise when accelerating from a dead stop. If you accelerate VERY
> gently, it doesn't do it. If you accelerate normally, it does do it.
> Oh, and it doesn't seem to do it when the van is cold. The van has
> about 119,000 miles. The transmission was rebuilt about 5 years ago,
> and last had the fluid and filter changed in the early spring.
>
> Other than that noise, the transmission seems fine. The fluid looks
> and smells good, and it shifts smoothly and quickly.
>
> I took it to the dealer here today. I got the "they all do that".
> Funny, I don't recall it doing this before. The mechanic said that
> what we're hearing is the transmission bleeding off pressure when you
> accelerate from a stop so that it doesn't peel the clutch material off.
> Is this right??? Does this make a noise you can hear???
>
> Note: Please remove the "nospam" from my address if replying via email.
> --
> Jeff Wieland

Hmm, a vehicle that old, im curious did you happen to take a ride with the
technician to point out exactly what noise you were hearing? sometimes when
we get into a vehicle that old we hear all kinds of noises, maybe the one he
heard wasnt what you were refering to.

In article > "maxpower" > writes:
>
>"Jeff Wieland" > wrote in message
...
>> My wife's '95 Voyager (3.0L, 4 spd auto) has started making a groaning
>> noise when accelerating from a dead stop. If you accelerate VERY
>> gently, it doesn't do it. If you accelerate normally, it does do it.
>> Oh, and it doesn't seem to do it when the van is cold. The van has
>> about 119,000 miles. The transmission was rebuilt about 5 years ago,
>> and last had the fluid and filter changed in the early spring.
>>
>> Other than that noise, the transmission seems fine. The fluid looks
>> and smells good, and it shifts smoothly and quickly.
>>
>> I took it to the dealer here today. I got the "they all do that".
>> Funny, I don't recall it doing this before. The mechanic said that
>> what we're hearing is the transmission bleeding off pressure when you
>> accelerate from a stop so that it doesn't peel the clutch material off.
>> Is this right??? Does this make a noise you can hear???
>>
>> Note: Please remove the "nospam" from my address if replying via email.
>> --
>> Jeff Wieland
>
>Hmm, a vehicle that old, im curious did you happen to take a ride with the
>technician to point out exactly what noise you were hearing? sometimes when
>we get into a vehicle that old we hear all kinds of noises, maybe the one he
>heard wasnt what you were refering to.

Yes, I did take him for a ride. This was after they reported that they
couldn't find anything wrong.

Yeah, we know it's old. We were seriously looking at buying a new van
this spring, but gave up because the long minivans (like the Grand
Caravan) are too long to fit comfortably in our garage), and the short
wheel base models don't have the interior space that our '95 does.
Plus the new ones get worse gas mileage.

Note: Please remove the "nospam" from my address if replying via email.
--
Jeff Wieland

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005, Jeff Wieland wrote:

> >Engine/trans mount(s) are a potential suspect.

> I wondered about that. How would I go about determining which mount?

Visual-tactile inspection.

> One of the mounts was changed this spring -- I have to check the
> paperwork to see which one.

How long after it was changed did the noise begin?

> >Translation: "Dude, your vehicle is a decade old. We're a dealer. We
> >really don't like to mess with decade-old vehicles."
>
> Yeah, I know, but I've spent a fair piece of change on the old beast,
> and I'll probably continue to do so in the near future at least.

My point: Quit taking it to the *dealer*!

> >Translation: "If I babble an explanation I'm making up as I go along, then
> >will you go away and leave me alone?".
>
> You may be right here. If they'd say, "it's a motor mount", and it'll
> cost $$ to get it replaced, I'm likely to pony up for it.

My point: Quit taking it to the *dealer*!

"Jeff Wieland" > wrote in message
...

>
> Yeah, we know it's old. We were seriously looking at buying a new van
> this spring, but gave up because the long minivans (like the Grand
> Caravan) are too long to fit comfortably in our garage), and the short
> wheel base models don't have the interior space that our '95 does.
> Plus the new ones get worse gas mileage.
>

If your van's sheetmetal is good, and it's not rusted up, it's worth hanging
on to. The trans is the big killer in these and you did yours already, the
other thing to watch out for on the 3.0's is oil leaking past the valve
guides.
The permanent fix to that is pulling both heads and having new guides
installed,
the short term one is an on-engine fix where you just replace the valve
seals.
Other than those two problems, lots of people have got 200,000 miles out
of these vans.

Ted