1996 Dodge Grand Caravan won't start or barely runs

My 1996 Grand Caravan (3.3L) stalled last week at a light. It does that
often, but this time it was difficult to get it restarted. It finally
started and off I went. About a mile later, it stalled again, this time
it wouldn't restart. I left the van and came back to it periodically to
try to get it started again, but with no luck. I got it towed home over
the weekend and went to try to start it. It took about 20 minutes (and
a constant jump from my wife's Quest), but I finally managed to get it
to start, but it would only idle at about 500RPM and would stay running
for about a minute on average, with the longest being about 5 minutes.
If I even so much as breathe on the accellerator, the car dies and I
have to start it again.

My first thought was the fuel pump's dead, but getting the car to run
(barely) all but ruled it out. I thought that maybe the filter needs to
be changed, which could be the case seeing as how it's never been
changed since I got the van (90K miles, it now has 126K). Someone
suggested the EGR or fuel pressure regulator. Any thoughts on what this
could be? I have no problems doing the work myself (I've replaced the
water pump, front and passenger side motor mounts, and several hoses)
so I kinda just need to be led in the right direction and I'll take it
from there.

I'm not sure from your description what the problem is with your van not
starting, but the fact that it idled rough and then died while idling at a
stop light tells me it probably needed a good and thorough throttle body
cleaning.

Before doing anything, you should check to see if there are any stored
engine diagnostic codes to help point you to a possible cause.

On the fuel filter, just replace it as it is long overdue and could be
causing fuel starvation or already caused permanent damage to the fuel pump.
Also add a bottle of good fuel injector cleaner, like DuPont Techron, to
the gas tank too since your injectors could be badly clogged from the old
filter as well.

Also, you do not say when your 3.3 was last properly tuned. Symptoms you
describe could be related to fouled plugs or bad ignition wires.

Bottom line is that I'd recommend you start with these above simple actions
first so that you know where you stand. It might be the fuel pump has gone
bad. If so, then a pressure test on the fuel rail will reveal this to be
the case.

Bob

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> My 1996 Grand Caravan (3.3L) stalled last week at a light. It does that
> often, but this time it was difficult to get it restarted. It finally
> started and off I went. About a mile later, it stalled again, this time
> it wouldn't restart.

I haven't given it a tune up at all. I did buy new plugs, air filter,
and oil filter the day before this happened figuring that I had put it
off long enough. I'll grab wires today and see if this helps at all.

BTW, how do I clean the throttle body?

wrote:

> My first thought was the fuel pump's dead, but getting the car to run
> (barely) all but ruled it out.

I think it probably IS the fuel pump. They don't always fail completely,
and may continue to try to pump. Go down to Autozone, or equivalent, and
rent or borrow a fuel pump pressure gauge. Hook up at the fuel rail and
monitor the pressure as you try to start the vehicle. The fuel pump
should run the first 2 seconds when the key goes to "on" and give you
approx. 45psi. Then when the engine starts (if it does) it should
continue to give a steady 45 - 48psi.
My bet is that your not getting much if any volume or pressure.

I had a similar problem but mine is old spark plug wires. the one
between the distributor and the ignition coil was bad.

you can eliminate the fule problem by spraying carb cleaner in tothe
intake and see if it runs that way. ifnot you have a spark problem...

I had the same thing happen to my 1996 -- it would stall and then after
wating awhile run just fine. It was the fuel pump.

Tim

wrote:
> My 1996 Grand Caravan (3.3L) stalled last week at a light. It does that
> often, but this time it was difficult to get it restarted. It finally
> started and off I went. About a mile later, it stalled again, this time
> it wouldn't restart. I left the van and came back to it periodically to
> try to get it started again, but with no luck. I got it towed home over
> the weekend and went to try to start it. It took about 20 minutes (and
> a constant jump from my wife's Quest), but I finally managed to get it
> to start, but it would only idle at about 500RPM and would stay running
> for about a minute on average, with the longest being about 5 minutes.
> If I even so much as breathe on the accellerator, the car dies and I
> have to start it again.
>
> My first thought was the fuel pump's dead, but getting the car to run
> (barely) all but ruled it out. I thought that maybe the filter needs to
> be changed, which could be the case seeing as how it's never been
> changed since I got the van (90K miles, it now has 126K). Someone
> suggested the EGR or fuel pressure regulator. Any thoughts on what this
> could be? I have no problems doing the work myself (I've replaced the
> water pump, front and passenger side motor mounts, and several hoses)
> so I kinda just need to be led in the right direction and I'll take it
> from there.

Just out of curiousity, it is my understanding that the fuel pump is
actually in the fuel tank. Does the design allow for the pump itself
to be replaced? or are you stuck replacing the tank/pump as an
assembly? What were the approximate costs? (I have a 94 GC w/3.3l)

On 1 Mar 2006 16:23:21 -0800, "Tim" > wrote:

>I had the same thing happen to my 1996 -- it would stall and then after
>wating awhile run just fine. It was the fuel pump.
>
>Tim
>
wrote:
>> My 1996 Grand Caravan (3.3L) stalled last week at a light. It does that
>> often, but this time it was difficult to get it restarted. It finally
>> started and off I went. About a mile later, it stalled again, this time
>> it wouldn't restart. I left the van and came back to it periodically to
>> try to get it started again, but with no luck. I got it towed home over
>> the weekend and went to try to start it. It took about 20 minutes (and
>> a constant jump from my wife's Quest), but I finally managed to get it
>> to start, but it would only idle at about 500RPM and would stay running
>> for about a minute on average, with the longest being about 5 minutes.
>> If I even so much as breathe on the accellerator, the car dies and I
>> have to start it again.
>>
>> My first thought was the fuel pump's dead, but getting the car to run
>> (barely) all but ruled it out. I thought that maybe the filter needs to
>> be changed, which could be the case seeing as how it's never been
>> changed since I got the van (90K miles, it now has 126K). Someone
>> suggested the EGR or fuel pressure regulator. Any thoughts on what this
>> could be? I have no problems doing the work myself (I've replaced the
>> water pump, front and passenger side motor mounts, and several hoses)
>> so I kinda just need to be led in the right direction and I'll take it
>> from there.

"NewMan" > wrote in message
...
> Just out of curiousity, it is my understanding that the fuel pump is
> actually in the fuel tank. Does the design allow for the pump itself
> to be replaced?

yes

or are you stuck replacing the tank/pump as an
> assembly?

no

> What were the approximate costs? (I have a 94 GC w/3.3l)
>

I think pumps are around $100-200. For most people the
labor is the expensive part. Hopefully your fuel tank is nearly
empty.

For the future, note that the fuel pump is cooled by gasoline.
If you make a point of refilling your gas tank when the level
hits the 1/4 mark instead of letting it draw all the way down,
the fuel pump will last a lot longer.

Ted

that depends if your going to do the work or not.

Ted

> On 1 Mar 2006 16:23:21 -0800, "Tim" > wrote:
>
> >I had the same thing happen to my 1996 -- it would stall and then after
> >wating awhile run just fine. It was the fuel pump.
> >
> >Tim
> >
> wrote:
> >> My 1996 Grand Caravan (3.3L) stalled last week at a light. It does that
> >> often, but this time it was difficult to get it restarted. It finally
> >> started and off I went. About a mile later, it stalled again, this time
> >> it wouldn't restart. I left the van and came back to it periodically to
> >> try to get it started again, but with no luck. I got it towed home over
> >> the weekend and went to try to start it. It took about 20 minutes (and
> >> a constant jump from my wife's Quest), but I finally managed to get it
> >> to start, but it would only idle at about 500RPM and would stay running
> >> for about a minute on average, with the longest being about 5 minutes.
> >> If I even so much as breathe on the accellerator, the car dies and I
> >> have to start it again.
> >>
> >> My first thought was the fuel pump's dead, but getting the car to run
> >> (barely) all but ruled it out. I thought that maybe the filter needs to
> >> be changed, which could be the case seeing as how it's never been
> >> changed since I got the van (90K miles, it now has 126K). Someone
> >> suggested the EGR or fuel pressure regulator. Any thoughts on what this
> >> could be? I have no problems doing the work myself (I've replaced the
> >> water pump, front and passenger side motor mounts, and several hoses)
> >> so I kinda just need to be led in the right direction and I'll take it
> >> from there.
>

Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:

> ...For the future, note that the fuel pump is cooled by gasoline.
> If you make a point of refilling your gas tank when the level
> hits the 1/4 mark instead of letting it draw all the way down,
> the fuel pump will last a lot longer.

I believe that to be a myth. The overwhelmingly greatest amount of
cooling is from the continual flow of the fuel *thru* the pump (bathes
the armature, commutator, brushes, bearings/bushingds, etc.). The
cooling effect of mostly stagnant fuel around the envelope of the pump
(or its absence) is going to have little effect on those ciritical
internal parts. There might be some small thermal effect on the magnets.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

On Fri, 03 Mar 2006 06:25:20 -0500, Bill Putney >
wrote:

>Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
>
>> ...For the future, note that the fuel pump is cooled by gasoline.
>> If you make a point of refilling your gas tank when the level
>> hits the 1/4 mark instead of letting it draw all the way down,
>> the fuel pump will last a lot longer.
>
>I believe that to be a myth. The overwhelmingly greatest amount of
>cooling is from the continual flow of the fuel *thru* the pump (bathes
>the armature, commutator, brushes, bearings/bushingds, etc.). The
>cooling effect of mostly stagnant fuel around the envelope of the pump
>(or its absence) is going to have little effect on those ciritical
>internal parts. There might be some small thermal effect on the magnets.
>
>Bill Putney
>(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
>address with the letter 'x')

Myth or not, I HATE IT when my tank gets to less than 1/2 a tank. When
I was a child, my mom had a Volkswagen Square Back. The gas gauge on
this car was NOT linear, it was exponential! So it looked like it was
"full" for a long time. THEN, the needle would drop like a rock! Worse
than that, there was no "E" for Emplty, there was an "R" and a little
warning flag to signify "RESERVE". You could travel around 40 miles on
the "Reserve". The problem is that mom would jump into the car day
after day and say "Oh, I'm on reserve, no problem!". We would often
run out of gas and get stuck. Henceforth I have an aversion to letting
my tank get "low". I always feel like a car runs better on a full tank
as well (personal superstition .

As well, I find that the gas gauge on my GC does pretty mych the same
thing. It will stay "full" for a long time. But once is starts to
drop, it drops very quickly. So I avoid any problems and just fill up
before it gets below 1/2 - unless I am on a long trip on a freeway.
Then I will look for a fill as I cross 1/4.