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Caravan/Voyager Starting and Stalling Problems

222 messages,  Last post on Nov 19, 2012 at 2:06 PM

You are in the Chrysler/Plymouth Voyager, Dodge Caravan Forum.

What is this discussion about? Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Voyager, Plymouth Voyager, Electrical, Van

Messages Page 2 of 23

#5 of 222 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3 Not Starting by flavijon

Sep 20, 2006 (5:43 pm)

Hello everyone, I hope there is someone that can help me out. Here is my situation, bought the van new from the local dealer and had no problems for 5 years and 1 month. Thinking that I have a great vehicle I am excited that I no longer have to make a monthly payment. One day mid July 2006 I go to start it and it does not start, just turns over. Close to 100,000 km, I figure I should bring it in for the routine maintenance anyway I have it towed into the dealer. They tell me that the Power Control Module is no longer working and needs to be replaced ($1200 for the part + labour). Being in shock at the cost but I figured that it is covered under the bumper to bumper warranty I purchased I had no worries. No they tell me.... but they did find out that it would be covered under the federal emissions control. So I'm happy. I go ahead with the full 100,000 km maintenance. Thinking that I lucked out, one day later I get my van back and now my radio is no longer working and I my check engine light is on. Now what... I take it back to the dealer and they tell me that the radio is not working (just happened to stop) and they are not going to replace it and it is not covered under my bumper to bumper warranty. They engine light is one because a hose was broken, I can only think that it happened when they were doing the maintenance. No charge to fix/replace the hose, but nothing with the radio (out of luck). OK, I will have to get a new radio. I can live with that. Three days later the van doesn't start again, take it back in and this time they tell me that the ignition coil is gone, have it replaced. Get the van back and about 4 days later the van is not starting, just turning over. Have it towed in and again they say that the ignition coil is not working. Have it replaced. I get the call that the van is fixed and come and pick it up. I get to the dealer to pick it up, get the keys, start the van and nothing, it's just turning over. I had a mechanic have a quick look and no spark. Ignition coil that they just replaced and tested is not working again. The next day I speak with the service manager and they said that they replaced the ignition coil and found that there was a higher that normal voltage on the O2 censor wire. They also replace the O2 censor and got the vehicle running. They kept the van over night and started it the next day. Picked up the van and they assured me that the vehicle was repaired and working. This is the day that we were going on a family camping vacation. 7 hours after getting our van we got to our camping spot. 3 days later the van didn't start... towed in to local dealership and yet again the ignition coil was not working, replaced again. Got the vehicle back a day later. 3 days later we decided to leave a day early and get back home and it does not start again.... we end up staying another 2 days, now an extra day, missed work and this time we tried starting it so many times that we drained the battery. No codes for the dealer ship once we had it towed back in. They charged the battery moved the wiring harness around a bit and it started. This got me thinking that the problem must of been the wiring harness the entire time. The dealership put some non-conductive grease in the connector to the ignition coil and up until now (about 3 weeks) from the last dealer ship visit the van has been working. As of yesterday Sept 19, 2006 it is not starting again. I get the P codes 0352 and 0351 which are the ignition coils failing. The dealer can't figure this one out and I have run out of options.. Is there anyone out there that can help me or maybe has had the same problem with a resolution. Please post any ideas or thoughts. Thank you...

#6 of 222 Re: 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3 Not Starting [flavijon] by badgerfan

Sep 21, 2006 (7:39 am)

Replying to: flavijon (Sep 20, 2006 5:43 pm)
Find a different repair facility. These people obviously do not know what they are doing.

#7 of 222 Re: 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3 Not Starting [badgerfan] by flavijon

Sep 22, 2006 (9:39 am)

Replying to: badgerfan (Sep 21, 2006 7:39 am)
Thanks,
But I have taken to two different dealers and they both can't figure it out. I have even talked with another mechanic that I know and I feel he will not steer me in the wrong direction and he is also unsure of the problem and how to correct it. Who better to find and fix the problem than that ones that specialize in their own vehicles. I am just hoping that someone out in cyberland may find this post that has had a very similar problem and has had it corrected.

#8 of 222 Re: 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3 Not Starting [flavijon] by thowell

Sep 24, 2006 (5:06 am)

Replying to: flavijon (Sep 22, 2006 9:39 am)
Taking it to a different dealership doesn't help. I've even called the manufacturer and had the dealership manager call the problem center at Dodge. At least you got reading on the coil. This is what they do. The just don't start. Mom has actually taken her key out, turned it over and it will start. We're still wondering if it's not in the ignition.

#9 of 222 Re: 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3 Not Starting [thowell] by ongjoy

Oct 05, 2006 (11:00 am)

Replying to: thowell (Sep 24, 2006 5:06 am)
My wife has a 1998 Grand Caravan Sport that worked fine until about 12 months ago, we started to have "Not Starting" problems. When you get in the car, either the battery seems completely dead or when you turn the ignition, it tries to start very briefly and then goes dead. I took it to Walmart service, thinking it was a dead battery that needed to be replaced. Instead one of the battery cables at the terminal (positive?) was so corroded that most of the wiring has been eaten away. You could start the car by turning or twisting the cable such that the wiring made contact with the battery. Well, the handy Walmart technician (bless him) cut the cable end off and installed a new terminal block with the existing cable (it was just barely long enough to reach the battery terminal). Everything worked fine for several months, until one day, the same thing happened. Battery seemed completely dead and the car would not start.
 
To make a long story shorter, we found out it was not the battery, but that we could start the car by just pushing or jiggling with the cable to put it in a slightly different position (Yes, I inspected the wiring and it still looks good, at least at the new exposed end). Usually one to three simple pushes (pushing the wire toward the battery terminal) did the trick. I suspect that part of the wiring further inside the cable may be corroded away inside and is the reason for this random action.
 
Last week, I got tired of this occuring randomly, perhaps once or twice a month, and called a Dodge dealer to find out how much to replace the entire cable. It turns out the battery cable is part of a larger motor wiring harness and the dealer wants $1470 just for the new part! (that is NOT a typo, add about $100 for labor). I will be looking at a used part from a parts junkyard or to selling/trading it for whatever I can get for it.
 
Hope this info may be helpful in your case.
Good luck.

#10 of 222 2000 Town & Country Ignition Problem – won’t start or turn off by whatever10

Oct 07, 2006 (4:57 pm)

I have a problem in which the ignition won't engage when the engine is cold & then, after I finally get it to start, the engine sometimes won’t shut off if I turn the key back to “off” immediately afterwards.
 
The starting problem goes like this: I turn the key & hear a click. If I repeat the process several times (I hear one click each time), the vehicle will eventually start (within ten key turns). At first I thought this may have been a starter problem, but now I don’t think so. Also, the battery is fairly new & the terminals are clean with firm contact.
 
As for turning the engine off (cold engine) & occasionally not getting the motor to stop running: When the key is returned to the off position, the motor sometimes continues to run. Also during these episodes, a constant clicking sound is heard. My wife drove the van like this once & the clicking stopped after a mile or so. She was also able to then turn the engine off by returning the key to the “off” position.
 
Any thoughts?

#11 of 222 Re: 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3 Not Starting [flavijon] by upnrunnin

Oct 11, 2006 (9:13 am)

Replying to: flavijon (Sep 22, 2006 9:39 am)
Did you find any solutions? My no start issue was fixed by replacing the cam sensor. Now I have a misfire issue that seems to be related to the coil connection. I'm wondering if it is nesc. to replace the entire wiring harness?

#12 of 222 Re: 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3 Not Starting [upnrunnin] by upnrunnin

Oct 11, 2006 (12:58 pm)

Replying to: upnrunnin (Oct 11, 2006 9:13 am)
Actually, it was the crankshaft position sensor that fixed the intermitent no-start problem. The cam sensor was replaced as a precaution.

#13 of 222 engine stalls by jagir03

Nov 03, 2006 (12:21 am)

Hi, I have an engine stalling problem with my 92 plymouth voyager mini van, the engine stalls but starts back right away but I have to put my left foot on the brake and right foot on the gas pedal to keep it running at idle speed it is not gutless on higher speeds, no check engine light is on I was wondering if somebody can help me with this problem. Thanks

#14 of 222 Re: engine stalls [jagir03] by jpf

Nov 03, 2006 (4:29 pm)

Replying to: jagir03 (Nov 03, 2006 12:21 am)
We had a 91 Caravan (3.0 liter engine) years ago with a similar problem. I remember a fuel system service being done that cleaned out the fuel injectors. Afterwards, it ran fine. This type of service is not very expensive. Good luck.

Messages Page 2 of 23

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