I have two questions about my GMC cargo van!!

[blizzard2014]

Will the DOT mechanics at Travel Centers of America fail me for not having a spare tire on my van? I am having a hard time locating a spare tire (my van did not come with a spare tire when I bought)!

Also, do any of you guys have a problem with rough idle on GMC Savana or Chevy Express cargo van? I just did a tune up (put new wires and iridium plugs in) and the van is still idling a bit rough. I took it on a 620 mile trip yesterday and averaged 16 miles per gallon "I did 330 miles on approximately 20 gallons of fuel."

The maunfacturer rating for MPG on the highway is 16 miles per gallon. I'm assuming that if the rough idle was not normal, or a indication of an underlying mechanical problem due to tune up or whatever else it might be, it should not be getting optimal fuel mileage.

Well any help on these two issues would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone knows where I can find a cheap used spare tire to throw on the van, it would be breatly appreciated.

 

[Turtle]

The DOT vehicle inspection deals with the safe operation of the vehicle. Items to be inspected are either "OK" or "Needs Repair." When the tires are inspected, the front tires (A. Tires on any steering axle of a power unit) are inspected separately from other tires (b. All other tires). The spare tire and other parts of the vehicle and the load must be such that they cannot fall onto the roadway. No spare tire at all pretty much eliminates the possibility of the spare tire falling onto the roadway, I would think. No law that says you have to have a spare tire. In fact, during the rubber shortage of WWII and then in Korea, it was against the law for manufacturers to sell new cars with spare tires.

As for having trouble finding a spare tire, have you tried a, uhm, tire dealer? They sell tires there.

I'd go to a junk yard. Lots of vans and light trucks get junked, but have perfectly good tires and rims. If I were looking at buying a new tire for the spare, I'd still probably get a good used rim at a junk yard for it.

 

[blizzard2014]

Thanks Turtle. I'm still looking.

 

[chefdennis]

2 inspections, no spare tire, passed both...i do now have one and got it at the junk yard as Turtle suggested. Yes i have a rough idle also, but i am also about to turn over 300,000 miles...till getting 16 at 65 mph....

 

[Moot]

Blizzard, what year is your van? What engine and mileage? Have you checked the rpm's at idle with a tachometer?

I agree with Turtle. Go junk yard shopping. If I find my spare missing I will know who to look up.

 

[blizzard2014]

It is a 6.0 liter v8 Vortec with 119k miles on it. I got iridium spark plugs in there and they are gapped at 040 and the gm dealership said not to deviate from that gap. My old double platinum plugs from AC Delso were gapped at 060. But this made no difference so i'm assuming something else is causing it to run rough.

Thanks for the advice moot!

 

[blizzard2014]

2 inspections, no spare tire, passed both...i do now have one and got it at the junk yard as Turtle suggested. Yes i have a rough idle also, but i am also about to turn over 300,000 miles...till getting 16 at 65 mph....

I am gonna have it looked at when i get my e-track installed tomorrow. Yeah, the rough idle is very annoying when just sitting in a parking lot running the van for Air Con. I was in Las Vegas doing a load as a favor for my previous carrier to make a little bit of extra money and what not and had to sit in a parking lot waiting for more precise directions to the consignee.

Chef, did bolt pass you to go out on the road without a spare tire? Did they look under the truck for it? I need to build up more operating capital before I go all crazy and start
buying stuff.

 

[Moot]

Is the idle rough only when the AC is on?

 

[chefdennis]

my last inspection was at Bolt's shop, they do them and issue the sticker.....you should beable to have it done when you are there for orientation, and they don't charge you either....

 

[Dakota]

don't need a spare, cube vans don't have them, semi's don't have them, not a requirement to be legal

 

[blizzard2014]

Thank you all for the advice. This getting back out on the road has been an overwhelming experience for me. I have much more experience with what can go wrong this time around. Back in 2007 I went out on the road with a newly purchases 03 Express van and 400 dollars in my pocket. I was gun ho and really green when I did that. This time i'm a bit more prepared for whats to come.

Take care everyone. Tomorrow morning will be the last day that I post on EO until I get another netbook. It's going to be an all out communications blackout for me. I wish you all luck out there and I will be working hard so that I can get back in touch with everyone.

 

[cheri1122]

Until you get the Netbook, you can use a computer at the local library - easy to do in a van, esp now that there are helpful signs posted showing where they are. Or just ask the locals.

 

[Jack_Berry]

had the fuel filter changed? run any fuel line cleaner thru recently?

 

[FrankChicago]

Intake gaskets for sure, I just did mine and engine runs a lot better. all the LS based engines 4.8 5.3 6.0 have some shake to them...

 

[DST001]

Try amsoil pi injector cleaner or there throttle body cleaner it sounds like your injectors arw gummed up

 

[fastman_1]

You guys know this is a 4 year old thread?

 

[RedBird]

You guys know this is a 4 year old thread?

Dang, you aren't kidding!!!! At first I was going to say just let'em talk whether it is a 4yr old thread......but after reading some of the replies......one expediter is MIA here! Another is in heaven looking down upon us, keeping us safe!
But maybe someone got some useful info from a 4yr old thread?

 

[DST001]

I definitely got use out of it read the date on the post before you start tapping lol