I have a 1998 Grand Caravan with 120,000 miles on it. This was purchased used a couple of years back, and has been utilitarian until now.
Here's the problem: At a stoplight, the RPM's jump, revs and almost dies. It also gets hot and goes into the red. On the highway, it acts like it's missing, but runs. The Mayberry mechanic (an independent, but otherwise competent and has a lifetime of experience, and nice guy) has had the van for a month; he has found and patched 2 leaks in the manifold; did a tune-up, changed the fuel filter, and the problem persists. Sounds to me like a timing belt problem? But I am very mechanically challenged, and so my opinion is pretty much worthless.
The van has sat in the back of his shop untouched for two weeks, and he made the statement to my wife that he needed to set it aside and come back to it because he doesn't know what to do with it.
I've currently paid him for a tune-up, patching the manifold leaks, and we're sort of at a standstill.
The plan is to just get this fixed enough to sell, so I can take what we get out of it and buy an new(er) van.
How would you proceed? Anybody know what's causing the mechanical problem?