1/29/2025 – Van Update
I finally have some solid information about my van. Its officially dead. The dealership replaced the starter and it still wouldn’t start. Then they tried turning the crank shaft and it wouldn’t move. The engine is locked up. I have no idea what would’ve caused it. It was working fine the night before and wouldn’t start the next morning.
I had to shell out $1600 for the starter and install, which is crap. The starter replacement is an hour job and the part is $150. They charged me for four hours of labor and $600 for the starter, just because it’s a dealership and they can. What a waste of money.
On the other hand, the mechanic that was working on it loved my customization and wants to buy it off me. He’s supposed to call me tomorrow and I’ll see what he has to say. If I don’t sell it, there is a shop in Augusta, GA that I’ve been in contact with that can do an engine swap. I don’t have an estimate, but I would hope it would be around $5-6000.