On Wed, 7 Sep 1994, Norman Leong wrote:

>         Reply to:   RE>>EuroVan Winnebago Test Drive
> 
> On 9/7/94, Ray Landers wrote:
> 
> >and speaking of gas guzzling, 10mpg in the city, and 15mpg at 65mph on 
> 
> Do you suppose that the combination of an automatic and a wheelchair lift
> (increased overall weight) might be the cause of your poor mileage?

that's good thinking on your part. when we removed the lift from the 
other van,and even though it was a V8, the difference was noticable. 
especialy on long upgrades like the highways going towards lake tahoe 
from here (san francisco bay area).

our paranoid little minds told us not to put a lift on this van. we did 
it to foil the efforts of the able-bodied folks that always park in the 
handicapped parking places so that 
we-who-either-are-disabled-or-family-of-someone-in-a-wheelchair would 
have to use a regular parking place like everybody else. 

this way we can use a parking place with either side OR rear access,
rather than being forced to find ONLY one or the other depending on where
the lift is attached to the truck. 

sorry about the soapbox mode there, but it is one of my pet peaves, and 
realy is why we now use portable little ramps to get in and out of the 
van rather than a lift.

> Unfortunately, I have a 5 sp and the absolute worst overall mileage I've
> gotten is 17.x mpg, so it's tough to do a fair comparison.  70 mph w/AC
> on the freeway returned 20+ mpg.

my suspicion is that it has to do with a combination of the way the 
transmission shifts, and the fuel/air mixture dictated by the fuel 
injection part of the computer.

those are aspects that i had very good control over in any GM product 
that i owned.
and i would like to gain control of the computer in the van to see what 
is going on, and hopefully, maybe make some changes in the way it 
determines shiftpoints and mixtures.

> Any engine mods to boost those 109 horses?

no. the only things i would consider, and they may not be needed, would 
be an exhaust header system. but not till the warranty has expired.

ray
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