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88 Dodge Caravan....fuel pump?
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crow
New User
Jun 26, 2006, 10:30 AM
Post #1 of 4
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88 Dodge Caravan....fuel pump?
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K its a 1988 Dodge caravan 3.0 L V6 with aprox 300 000 km on it ...
Now the weirdest thing has been happening ...
i drive for a while then all of a sudden it will stall out on me .. then im stranded for like an hr ... after it stalls it wont start back up again, but if you let it sit for an hr or 2 it will start up again .. during the time its stalled , it seems like its not getting gas to the engine.. everything turns over but no gas seems to be getting to where it needs to be ..( i tried taking off the hose to the fuel pump to see if there is any pressure or not,there is nothing ) normally it should spray right out while i try to start it right ?
now im not a mechanic but after owning a dodge for while i picked up a few things lol .. now i dunno if this is a fuel pump problem or a relay problem ..
ive been stranded about 12 times in the last 3 weeks ..
Each time id just let it sit for an hr or 2 and boom she will fire up again ..
Can a fuel pump overheat ??
what would tell it to shut off ... its like something tells it to shut off while im driving ..then it dosent get gas .. Could this be a sensor problem ?>
Im mind boggled .. Plz help .
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DanD
Veteran
/ Moderator
Jun 26, 2006, 1:11 PM
Post #2 of 4
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Re: 88 Dodge Caravan....fuel pump?
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Ok I’m going to try and explain how it’s suppose to work then you’ll understand why I’m going to ask you to check for spark the next time it stalls out.
When you first turn the ignition to the run position the fuel pump is activated for approximately 2 seconds and then shuts off; this is called the prime cycle.
You continue to turn the ignition towards the start position and the engine begins to crank. The computer now sees a RPM signal and then turns the fuel pump back on.
So if there is something shutting off the ignition system you’re not going to have a fuel pump.
This is mostly a safety issue that if the engine quits during an accident and a fuel line becomes ruptured; the pump isn’t going to be spraying fuel all over the place while the ignition switch is still in the run position.
The next time it quits try and check for spark at the spark plug end of the ignition wires.
I’m not saying it’s not the fuel pump or its circuit but if we know that there is or isn’t spark it’ll take us in a different directions to hopefully find the problem.
Let us know what you find.
Dan.
Canadian "EH"
(This post was edited by DanD on Jun 26, 2006, 1:12 PM)
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crow
New User
Jun 29, 2006, 7:59 PM
Post #3 of 4
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Re: 88 Dodge Caravan....fuel pump?
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ok not sure exactly how to check for a spark.. You mean take a plug out and see if it sparks while on a metal object While still conected to the spark plug wire ? ( sorry im a putz when it come to vehicles , but im trying to learn ) . 
I found out something today .. i got stranded once again .. i decided sice im gonna be a while ill give er a try . I unhooked the battery for 3 min or so ..As i put it back on i made it spark a bit on purpose to try to , (like Zap it , i was desperate ) . then it fired up ... I went home right away .. so im gonna take it for a cruise tomorow and try the same thing ... does this sound right and what does it mean .. Or was it Just a fluke ? does it rebout any type of internal CPU ? Heck i dunno if there is a CPU in this thing ..
In the meantime i Just got a good deal on a 95 winstar off a family member .. gonna put that on the road for now ... but still want the dodge as the work van..
So if ya got n e ideas fire away .. Try to be decriptive because im not a mecanic , just your average day Joe .. thanx yall ..
Ryan
(This post was edited by crow on Jun 29, 2006, 8:05 PM)
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DanD
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/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2006, 4:08 AM
Post #4 of 4
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Re: 88 Dodge Caravan....fuel pump?
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You don’t have to remove a spark plug to check for spark; there are spark testers you can by. Here’s what one style looks like.
Or you can use a plain old screwdriver stuck in the end of a spark plug wire. Hold the screwdriver by the handle other end stuck in the wire where the plug would normally attach. You then hold the shank of the driver against a metal object on the engine. Have someone crank the engine as you slowly move the shank away from the object. As you move the shank away, you should see the spark jump from the screwdriver to the object. Do not create anymore then a ¼ inch air gap or you may feel what 80,000 plus volts feel like. LOL
I shouldn’t laugh; the voltage that an ignition coil can produce will kill you if all the circumstances are right.
As far as you disconnecting the battery, it likely was a fluke that the van started. By disconnecting the battery you’ve erased the computers adaptive memory; in other words everything the computer has learned to keep the van running properly. No harm done the computer will/should relearn within a couple of miles.
What may have happened is that by disconnecting the battery you may have inadvertently disturbed a bad connection and in turn got it to make a good connection allowing the van to run again. (For a while?)
There are few wire splices close to the battery; they are there to feed power to the different systems (computer, ignition, fuel pump, injectors and so on). To find these splices you would have to open up the wiring harness and look for taped connections that may have three or four wires stamp welded together.
Keep it fun and let us know what you find.
Dan.
Canadian "EH"
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