New Montana owner (well soon) questions

Last fill up, it was 21mpg mixed driving.

I do have to vent. Replaced the air filter today. Whover designed the engine bay needs to be shot. I had to remove the air intake tube just to get the air box cover off. Replaced cabin air fitlers, air filter and cleaned the MAF sensor while i was at it.
 
Interior lights......for lighting. I thought maybe a door sensor was messed up.
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I moved out of home, but had to go home today to check the transmission fluid. Apparently yesterday, my mom couldn't get the van above 50. Fluid is fine. It has always had a hard shift between 2nd and 3rd since we got it. I thought it could be a design flaw. I also checked the fluid and it was very high and it was just changed about a few months ago. I am guessing the intake manifold gasket has gone out. When it rains, it pours.
 
Seemed to look like it, oil change was less then 1,000 miles ago and oil level was real high. Oil was pretty clear (might be sign of just fresh oil still). I did check the oil with the engine running, so that might be why it was high.
 
antifreeze in oil causes a brownish sludge, there is no point in checking oil with engine running you cannt get a reading since the oil is running through the engine
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I am not too worried about the oil level (I thought about the running motor affecting the level after I posted that) as much as the transmission.
 
have you driven the vehicle? Is the transmission slipping?
 
I drove it today from where my moms friends house to her friends neighbor. It was slipping bad. The neighbor is a mechanic (and also where the van was stored for a while). He drove it and said it was bad and while driving it would not go above 20mph in D or in individual gears. Also said the fluid smelled burnt. It is parked for a while. Neighbor said he might have a used one he will sell to my mom for 300. Thing is she doesn't have that yet. Hopefully I can win the lottery so I can buy her a new van. Then I will pay off the Montana and put a new transmission and fix all the issues (intake manifold leak, oxygen sensor, air bag light comes on) and use it for a trip vehicle. I like the van a lot and it only has 110k.
 
If you find a good mechanic that could do the work for cheap it may be worth it cause the van does have low miles ,you may be able to find one used comparable van for 3k - 4k ? I would think you could fix this one up for maybe 1500 ? Not sure what to tell you about the tranny cooler some people swear by them and some think its just an added expense but I don't think it would hurt so maybe $40 may be worth it .Also not sure if that 3100 tranny will fit ,probably not but you may have to do some research perhaps a salvage yard may be some help . Good luck keep us posted.
Try this link for used parts.
http://car-part.com/
 
It will be repaired, my mom still has years of payments left on it. Just when she gets the money to fix it is the problem.
 
The other day I saw how many views this topic had, its over 5000 how can that be??

edit : I never new how popular the Montana is/was LOL
 
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Maybe the issues I post about are common?
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My mom got her van back last week. Happy for her as the car she was driving (1990 Ford Tempo) was a piece of crap. Fuel gauge is still messed up, and supposedly the bushings are going bad. The person who replaced the transmission also said it has a slight oil leak. I haven't had time to look at it, but who knows if those are true.
 
Well, it lasted a year....

Nothing mechanical went wrong, and the van is very safe as my mom and sister were involved in a head on accident and apparently were not hurt. Van is totals.
 
Glad to hear everyone was ok and the van is a safe ride,but sorry to hear about the van. Whats next another montana ? any pics of the wrecked van ?
 
No pictures yet, I was not in it and I am at work. I don't know if a Montana will be in the future. Between getting what she can afford, I am not wanting to get another one because of the intake leaks and also because I have read a few reviews where transmissions gone out like hers did. After a major repair, I really don't like to get another of the same kind (I was leary of the 3400 after the issues I had with my 3100).
 
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