Help with a 99 Grand Voyager

[burn_your_money]

I'm having some issues with our van. I'm thinking gasoline and matches are the best solution but thought I should check here first.

It's a 3.8L. The van will start and immediately shut off. Sometimes it has a horrible idle for a few seconds before dying but usually just fires once on one cylinder and that's it. It started off a few days ago cutting out as you were driving but it never stalled. It was parked overnight and the next day it would run for about 20 seconds at a time, just enough to limp it into my shop.

It threw a code for missing cam or crank position sensor. I forgot to write it down before I cleared it though. I replaced the cam position sensor (new) and it's the same, possibly even worse. I replaced the coil as well with a unit from the junk yard as I thought I wasn't getting spark on #5.

Right now, when I'm cranking I get spark for 1-2 rotations and then no spark, and then maybe it will spark once or twice more. Then nothing. The method of testing for spark is I pulled a plug, hooked it back up to it's wire and then I have it grounded using jumper cables. I've tested all the towers on the coil and they are all similar. #5 has the weakest spark but it is sparking.

Any clues?

Fuel pressure is 55psi while cranking.

Alternatively, if anyone knows of a good website for this van that would be handy.

[TylerDurden]

http://www.chryslerminivan.net

I have a family member with a 98 Grand Caravan LXI.   POS refuses to die (the car)... >300,000mi.

[burn_your_money]

Thanks. IMO it's a great van. It gets near diesel mileage on the highway somehow

[TylerDurden]

We never got better than 27mpg at highway speeds (fully loaded).   

[burn_your_money]

I typically get 40 US MPG. Crazy eh?

[RabbitJockey]

i drive a 98 grand caravan for work, 99% highway driving and i only ever get around 22mpg, i usually just set the cruise control to 70mph and pass anyone not going that speed.  27 i could see like maybe if i was on backroads maintaining 45mph, but 40mpg i find hard to believe.

[burn_your_money]

I also find it very hard to believe. But it did a 4000km round trip and that's what the numbers compared to gas receipts said.

Do you guys have the 3.8l?

[TylerDurden]

Yep.  3.8l v6

A metric conversion might be the issue: 40 / 1.6 = 25...?

[RabbitJockey]

pretty sure it is a 3.8l  it has about 150k on it now how ever i have driven it for most of the last 50k

[burn_your_money]

If it ever runs again I'll get them to verify the mileage.

[745 turbogreasel]

I  don't think the 4 bangers  can do 40, let alone the V6.
That aside, does it have a suicide switch turning it off because it is, or believes it is out of oil pressure?

[TylerDurden]

...does it have a suicide switch turning it off because it is, or believes it is out of oil pressure?

Not sure about the oil switch, but they do have bad circuit boards in the cluster that randomly kill any normal operating function: security system freaks, engine dies, gauges go crazy... there is a chip tied to the body control-module with a bad solder joint. Many folks have replaced ECMs and BCMs ($$$) only to still have problems because of one leg of one chip.

[burn_your_money]

I've already soldered the pins on the cluster. I was planning on replacing the ECM next but if there's a common weakness maybe I'll pop it open and see what I can see. Any more insight as to where the problem is exactly? Where is this oil pressure switch? Is it the one right beside the oil filter? I'll try grounding it and see what happens.

[745 turbogreasel]

I'd expect a large 2-3 wire like GM if it actuallt has a switch inside..

[burn_your_money]

That aside, does it have a suicide switch turning it off because it is, or believes it is out of oil pressure?

Interwebs says no.

I'm pretty much convinced that my flexplate is cracked.



Apparently it's a common problem and you can't really tell for sure until you pull the tranny. Yippee.