Yesterday I purchased a new 2007 Caravan with the 3.3 liter engine to replace my 93 Plymouth Voyager with the the 3.3 engine.
The Voyager has 220,000 miles on the odometer and will run circles around the new Caravan. Why??
I do lots of highway driving and I need the power.
Are there any AFFORDABLE modifications to make this engine just a little quicker without adding superchargers and blowers or whatever.
I am married and can't convince my wife that I need to add speed enhancement parts to a brand new vehicle; especially since I just finished restoring an old Corvette.
I have heard of places that do things to modify (not replace) the computer chip for enhanced performance and improved mileage. Is any of that true or is that a pipedream.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions,
Kurt
gsmagnum
10-28-2007, 01:53 PM
You should've gotten the 3.8.
The van has gained alot of wait since your old one was new. More weight needs more power.
The 3.3 in the new one should be adequate.
hcmq
10-29-2007, 07:56 AM
Sorry but I am a little confused by your post.
You test drove the van didn't you?
You know engines because you just restored a vette right? 327 vs 350 vs 427
The best modification I can reccomend is to take it back and get a 3.8 I have an 02 and 05 and they are very nice to drive and have plenty of power.
There really isn't anything you can do to the 3.3 that isn't drastic to make up for the power to weight ratio.
If you have to keep it I would wait until it is broken in that usually helps a bit. make sure you are using the proper weight oil, make sure the tire are inflated to what the door sticker says (Not what someone tells you what they should be), use a K&N drop in filter, re-set the computer every few months, make sure none of the brakes are dragging.
Lastly make sure that your newer quiter smoother van isn't just perceived as slower! Watch the speedo carefully while driving around compared to the roads speed limit.
Good luck
kbunting
10-29-2007, 08:12 PM
Yes, I test drove the new van, it was during the test drive that I noticed it was slower than my existing van.
I was not aware of the 3.8 option; but it doesn't matter since this is a daily commuter, object hauler, and used by my neighbors when I am not driving it. I was told by a friend that the engine management system could be manipulated and that is what my original question related to.
This is one of 4 vehicles I drive so it is not the end of the world if it doesn't fly but I was curious if it could be made to perform better or why it didn't do as well as the 200,000 mile vehicle it is replacing.
kbunting
10-29-2007, 08:15 PM
Tell me about this computer resetting every few months that you referred to.
What is that all about, how is it done (with an OBD reader or laptop??) and what does it specifically do to the computer in the car.
Define resetting please
Thank you
Kurt
vipergg
10-29-2007, 09:09 PM
He said a Caravan which to me means a SWB , the 3.8 is not available in the SWB models . I'll admit as i have a 2007 SWB 3.3 that it certainly is no quicker than my 96 SWB with the 150 HP mitsu V6 in it with the 3 speed which I would take any day over the 4 speed they use now . This 4 speed gets no better mileage than my old 3 speed and i have a lot more faith in the old 3 speed . I think the 4 speed sucks some of the power out of it , myself if i am not driving on the highway (above 50 mph) i drive it around town in 3rd gear instead of overdrive , just performs better all around. For most driving the 3.3 is adequate except if you get into mountain highway driving in which case you will have to keep in 3rd to maintain 60 mph thru steep mountains . As previous poster said is mostly weight driven even the SWB are well over 4000 lbs now . For a 175 HP engine that is a lot to move down the road .
hcmq
10-31-2007, 10:15 AM
what meant be re-setting the ecm
is that these vans have electronic transmissions and engine management and they "Learn" routines and trims. if you have a lot of different people driving the van the learned info can get convoluted. plus it's good to re-set them when the weather changes.
the best way to re-set is to undo the neg battery cable. (Never ever the positive one first) once the cable is off turn the headlights on. yes they will not come on but there will be enough power drain to fully clear the computer.
turn the lights off, re-connect the battery cable, start the engine and let it idle for 5-8 minutes do not touch the gas pedal at any time during this proceedure, then drive the van for a minimum of 20 minutes varying the driving conditions and don't worry about any strange behavior this is normal.
it might only help a little but it is a good practice for fuel ecconomy
2000TC
10-31-2007, 03:11 PM
what meant be re-setting the ecm
is that these vans have electronic transmissions and engine management and they "Learn" routines and trims. if you have a lot of different people driving the van the learned info can get convoluted. plus it's good to re-set them when the weather changes.
the best way to re-set is to undo the neg battery cable. (Never ever the positive one first) once the cable is off turn the headlights on. yes they will not come on but there will be enough power drain to fully clear the computer.
turn the lights off, re-connect the battery cable, start the engine and let it idle for 5-8 minutes do not touch the gas pedal at any time during this proceedure, then drive the van for a minimum of 20 minutes varying the driving conditions and don't worry about any strange behavior this is normal.
it might only help a little but it is a good practice for fuel ecconomy
This seem more likely to mess things up rather than fix things. The computer adjusts automatically to the conditions you are driving in. If you reset it like this it will take a few driving cycles for the information to be stored and it will drive terribly until it does.
These vans are very sensitive to changes in voltage and I would avoid disconnecting battery or jump starting with it as much as possible. Many guys have fried the computer if not careful.
kbunting
10-31-2007, 06:19 PM
Thanks all for the information.
Had no idea the engine computer systems were so sensitive
Kurt
hcmq
11-01-2007, 09:29 AM
yes the engine will run slightly worse while re-learning however it is re-learning to different conditions that it would not otherwise pick up like a change in fuel blend (winter or summer) contrary to popular belief these things cannot tell what you put in the tank!
and as I said before it will re-learn your driving style which may be better than what it has already learned.
in the old days they were very sensitive to voltage now not so much. just always be sure to disconnect the negative batt cable before you do anything electrical (even changing the spark plugs) and you will never have a problem.
