I have heard from a friend who is a diehard caravan owner that a few years of Caravans had a 4 cylinder engine that was imported from Japan, but was not sure which models this was. Does anyone know anything about this? Was it a good engine? Easy to get parts for?

 

I dont Know about any four cylinders being imported, however, i do know that the 3.0 V6 used for many years was a mitsubishi engine. I own a 2000 Grand Caravan with it, and its no more fuel efficient then the 3.3 in my old 95 caravan.

For my 2 cents, having driven all of the "smaller" engines at one point or another, the 3.3 V6 is the best for power, reliability, and fuel economy.

As far as parts availability, i've never had a problem finding parts for any of my vans, except when its the fault of the teenager behind the counter at the parts store.

 

Do you have a model number on that engine? I have heard that folks with the four banger would get up to 30 mph on the freeway. What kind of mileage do you get with your 6?

 

Havn't had to much time to play with the 3.0, i just got her. I believe she is a mitsubishi 6G72

my 3.3 used to get 9L/100km highway, and average closer to 13L/100km city. im not to good with the conversions, but i know that 13L/100km is close enough to 18mpg.

That being said, i do drive my vans pretty hard, and it's not unrealistic to say that other drivers would get far better mileage.

One thing that i have noticed is that i stop for gas more often with the 3.0. Im sure that the highway mileage might be better, but i do alot of city driving and that smaller engine has to work a bit harder to get the van started.

Your kind of in a catch 22 with these vans. the fuel economy can be really good if you don't load it down too much. but if your like me you drive vans because they're versatile, there will be times that you have it full of stuff, and your fuel economy gets alot worse.

 

The 4Cyl engine that your asking about was the 2.6 liter Mitsubishi. This engine had a carb on it. This motor was strong but not very durable. When the warranty expired the engine wasn't far behind it. They were installed in model years 1984 - 1987.

 

And that explains why i've never seen one. i was barely even an infant when they stopped using them, couple that with a short life span.