06 Dodge Caravan 3.8 very poor acceleration & mpg

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Originally Posted By: Quest
sorry it doesn't sound like helping (at all) but personally, I would not buy used vehicles from shops (presumably bodyshops or mech repair shops), for if there's profit to make from cars that can be easily repaired, they would do so in a heartbeat (instead of selling them to you).


I'm confused by this statement. If there's profit to make, they have to sell the car to somebody to realize that profit. If they keep the car and use it, that may be useful for them, but not actually profitable.
 
@HF:

it's a fairly common practice here that bodyshops or mech shops would sometimes bid on salvage titles or go to auction houses and get some cars (fix them before flipping them on craigslist, etc.) to make extra profit.

However, esp. from auction houses, sometimes you just get the rotten apple which may either costs too much (ended up costing more than avg. 2nd hand selling price on craigslist), they would then do a "patch up" job: i.e. dump motor hunny +20W50 into an oil burner and then try flipping them through affiliated shady user car lots, or sell them to unweary customers.

Putting a sticker to cover up CE light (or delibrately pull the instrument cluster off to replace it with a burnt bulb, or sometimes none at all) would be one of the common tricks exercised there also.

Ask me how I know so much about this trade...

Q.
 
Originally Posted By: Quest
i.e. dump motor hunny +20W50 into an oil burner and then try flipping them through affiliated shady user car lots, or sell them to unweary customers.



To that note, check the oil (This IS BITOG!). How thick is it? I'd change it anyway. May experience with Chrysler MAP sensors is, if it's bad the car won't run at all. How many miles are on the overall car?
 
The oil looks ok, a standard 5w-30 or 10w-30, it doesn't look overly thick at all. I'm going to have to send it to the shop next week. I was hoping to not have to, but I'm freezing outside already and having trouble getting underneath it to get at the converter. I will keep you posted as to the outcome.
 
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