Running rough, hesitates, stumbles, runs great at 1/3 throttle.

880

Asked by Richie Aug 20, 2013 at 03:40 PM about the Dodge Caravan

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

2001 Caravan 3.3
Van was running great then while driving down the road it was as if someone flipped a switch. It started missing, hesitating and just running rough. It ran okay (not great) when the throttle was pressed about 1/3 the way down. No miss, no stumble- smooth. But if I tried to accelerate (up a hill) it would jerk and miss. Half way home, approx 30 miles after this began, I smelled fuel- STRONG. I stopped and found a HUGE leak from the top of the tank. I pressed on. I had no other option. I made it 5 miles from home and it just quit. I coasted to a stop, tried to restart- nothing. Just cranked. I checked the next morning- just cranked. I had it towed home. After dropping the tank I found a hole in the fuel line at the filter. (Line going to motor) I replaced the filter, van started and ran but with the SAME issue- running rough, runs fine at 1/3 throttle etc... I'm at a loss! I don't have a lot of cash. I have ten kids and money is limited. I didn't want to just start replacing parts if you know what I mean. I get NO CODES (Except batry. disc.) doing a self diagnostic. (Ignition on/off X3)
I'm thinking it's the pump or TPS. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

68 Answers

"bagpipes stool"? ~ TPS are not so much money would go ahead with one so you could rest assured this is NOT the problem~

26 people found this helpful.

the EGR valve is clobbered/ganked up with exhaust deposits....and there is no guarantee that the vacuum diaphragm actuator actually is doing it's job~

29 people found this helpful.
320

Do not disconnect the battery, any misfire will code on that year. drive the car for a few drive cycles. mil should come on, then have a local part store check the codes (free). that should get on the path for further testing, egr, ignition, fuel, vacuum ect....

30 people found this helpful.

a faulty fuel pressure regulator who's hose has fallen off would NOT issue any OBD-II codes whatsoever, but would cause high-idle (cause the vacuum leak) and NO regulation running starved of fuel and suckin' air...at the very least take a look at the fuel pressure regulator, make sure the vacuum hose is there and the diaphragm still activates the flow~

22 people found this helpful.

fuel pumps go all at once....cause they are burned----do not drather on producing minimal pressure....that job is for the fuel pressure regulator...if your suspicion of it being the fuel pump can be put to rest if you hear the fuel pump running when the key is put to the 'on' position...you will hear fuel circulating through the loop~

33 people found this helpful.
19,845

You need to ck. fuel press. once gauge is connected, drive vehc and see if press drops off.

23 people found this helpful.
12,595

the fuel filter could be clogged. at part throttle, you are not sucking the fuel as hard, so it runs smoother. at higher engine speeds, you are not getting enough fuel through the filter to keep the engine running smoothly.

23 people found this helpful.
880

UPDATE: Can't get the vehicle to Autozone for a scan (live 47 miles away from one). Did some troubleshooting. Still no codes but I noticed that the fuel gauge wasn't reading what it was before. Then I started it and ran it up and down the road about six times. (Start & Stop) Gauge would read 1/2 tank, start again it would read 1/4 tank, start again it would read 1/8 tank and the fuel light was on, start again it read over 1/4 tank. The pump runs (Primes) when key is turned but noticed an unusual noise a few times. I'm thinking (And I'm NO MECHANIC) if the fuel gauge sending unit and the fuel pressure regulator are all part of the pump itself, maybe it could be the pump. I dunno... I realize this is a pain for you all without codes and my being able to run more detailed diagnostics. I appreciate the input fellas, I honestly do.

36 people found this helpful.
880

Oh, checked EGR valve riser tube for blockage and valve for gunk, checked vacum lines for leaks. Unplugged MAP sensor and idle and rev got REAL BAD. This is all the troubleshooting I can do with my limited tools.

22 people found this helpful.
880

FYI: Fuel filter is new and was replaced after symptoms began.

13 people found this helpful.

if you replace the fuel pump, the fuel level gauge and the fuel pressure regulator should be "built in" to the replacement assembly...three problems solved at once...give yourself a cigar (only do not smoke it...bad)~ will shop for you for a discount arrangement unless you insist on Quality that you can take back if it fails~

18 people found this helpful.

I think these don't have the regulator~ http://www.ebay.com/itm/03-DODGE-CARAVAN-Fuel-Pump-Assembly- module-assy-3-3L-w-FFV-9778-/400254555598? _trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI %252BUA%252BFICS%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D121161664502%26 ps%3D54

7 people found this helpful.
880

Replaced entire pump assy on 9/16/2013. Plugs and wires were replaced about six weeks before onset of problems so I'm fairly confident that I can eliminate these as issues. I'm just at a loss. Engine seems to be running rich. Moving on to other troubleshooting options. I'm going to try to swap the battery with one out of my car that is relatively new just to exclude the dreaded 'not enough power' in the system possibility. I know it's a long shot but I've been told to try it just in case. TO DATE I HAVE REPLACED: Fuel Pump Fuel Filter Plugs Wires Thanks in advance for all of your help and letting me pick your brain.

17 people found this helpful.
19,845

It would probably behove you to buy a cheap scanner off e-bay. For what you have laid out in parts, may be cheaper. Its always good to have one around.

9 people found this helpful.
19,845

If you start van,Dont drive. does the tube that goes from egr valve to the top of intake get hot while its idling? If so egr is stuck open.

30 people found this helpful.

these are around fourteen plus shipping....funny don't have one but a lazer spot thermometer to entertain the felines with~

10 people found this helpful.
100

the fuel pump is internal fuel pressure regulator you most change also the fuel filter is on top the tank regulator possible regulator not work good

10 people found this helpful.
535

I have a 1993 dodge caravan that has been runnin ROUGH and a little rich for a few months now and my brother is my mechanic. a few times when driving it would feel as if i couldnt get power or fuel or something and sometimes when idling it would act as if it was gonna die. a couple weeks ago it ran fine all day tues and when we headed off to school the next morning, it wouldnt start AT ALL! My brother just came by this morning to look at it and we have almost definitively concluded to replace the fuel pressure regulator and it is NOT with the fuel pump assembly! Its behind the air filter, under the hood and costs between 85-100, depending on where u buy it. Mine will get replace tomorrow when my brother has time to do the work for me but as of now and reading everything youve already done, THATS MY opinion! I will post again tomorrow with an update.

17 people found this helpful.
535

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/7-symptoms-of-a-bad-fuel-pressure- regulator my brother found this link and sent to me so i thought it might help u too!

35 people found this helpful.
210

I had the same problem and it is my fuel injector wire harness. The exhaust manifold melted the wires. The code the it threw said it was my EGR AND FUEL INJECTOR. nope wire harness. You will get horrible gas mileage, sluggish, won't go, and stinks so bad! Good luck.

21 people found this helpful.
930

I have a 2006 dodge caravan 3.3 engine. My problem is I have a code p0302. Cylinder #2 misfire. I have new wires sparks replaced. I pulled the #2 plug to see if the gap closed. The gap is fine. When I pulled the wire to check to see if there's fire to the plug, there's fire but no change in engine idle. I'm leaning towards bad injector or bad injector harness wire. I'm trying to find out if the EGR Valve might have a part in it. Can anyone identify by this problem?

93 people found this helpful.
390

my van runs fine in town....but if i go for long drive and go to stop and take off the van wont go anywhere and sputters...it 2003 dodge caravan se please help

39 people found this helpful.
170

so did u finally figure out what was wrong with your van

17 people found this helpful.
570

I am having a similar issue with my 01 caravan (only 98000 miles) I did have a leak at the top of my tank also. It was running rough at idle and would not accelerate past 30 without cutting off and hesitating. Once it warmed up it would run perfect with no issues even if I shut it off for a couple minutes. Assuming it was in need of a tune up I did plugs and wires which made it slightly better for a couple days but not by much. The other night I parked it in the back and the next morning it would not start at all. I tore the fuel tank off my other van (transmission issues) and put it on this one but no go there, at least the leak is fixed... all it does now is turn and sounds like it wants to start but doesnt. Also I took out the front plugs and there's black soot and oil on them all so I cleaned them off. Any ideas what my issue could be? I'm at a loss, thanks!

58 people found this helpful.
400

I have a 2003 same thing was doing it sometime and then stopped now it's doing it again feels like it isn't getting gas when driving then it stalls and feels like not moving at all what can it be

40 people found this helpful.
320

I have a 2002 and doing the same wont go past 40 and spits and sputters and I can smell gas.We have replaced hoses and plugs they hooked it up and it said no codes so we are at a loss as well.

32 people found this helpful.
630

I have a Dodge 09 grand caravan 3.3. Just change my spark plugs, wires, coil box. due to misfire/rough idle .. So i had it flush with that fuel injector cannister thing. Stop the problem for ONE day. Then the misfire/rough idle came back. SMH plz help WHAT IS THE PROBLEM!!!!!

57 people found this helpful.
230

Guys I have an 01 caravan sport runs great 3.3 cold air replaced plugs wires fuel filter pcv fuel pump coil pack i put it in drive and give it just a lil gas and it hesetates stumbles then shoots of drives great then 1nce it gets all gears feel like a miss uses gas like crazy takes 3/4 tank of gas from clarksdale ms to Memphis Wich is only a 2 n half hour drive please help me any1

23 people found this helpful.
350

I would like to help but when i read these same problems happening on the Dodge Caravan 3.3l I give up at the answers. Mine started out dying out after cranking and running for a split second. Restart the same way. I had to hold down the accelerator after starting and it picked up and ran. I then put it in gear and it went dead. I then restarted it the same way but it ran ok. I put it in gear and it died. I restarted it and put it in gear and it jerked hard and dragged out like it was in second gear. I had to force the fuel to get it to take off and shift out. I let off the accelerator and it went dead going down the road. I shifted into neutral and restarted it and put it into drive and it drove and shifted out. I went to turn and it went dead. I restarted it and it drove ok until the speedometer, lights, gauges, all went crazy blinking and flipping back and forth and wanted to die out and then all of a sudden all was normal again. I start it up and it goes into drive and shifts out fine. Then after a few miles it starts all over again. This is a common problem with these cars and it has already been solved but no mechanic will let anyone know where to look exactly. This has been going on for years with these Dodges. If anyone will be willing to just tell the truth and not tell everyone to do this and do that then it would benefit everyone. This problem is intermittent and that shows it must be a connection somewhere that is losing it connect, but where. Dodge knows.

35 people found this helpful.
670

Look, The fuel injector wiring harness runs too close to the exhaust crossover and gets burnt up. You can not tell by looking at the outside of the harness but cut it open and you will see several bare wires. The insulation they used on these wires is junk, the main harness that hooks to the FI harness is built much better also eBay sells these harnesses or you can just re-tape all the bare wires and REROUTE THE HARNESS!! Pull it up to the top of the engine and tie wrap it there. Do not just look at your harness and think it is OK, cut the harness cover near the connector where it hooks to the main harness (on the fuel injector harness side). This is a generation four problem only (if I remember right) This problem was a PITA to find! Gabe...

45 people found this helpful.
720

That is correct Fretless. may I add, if any bare wires are touching, it can damage the ECM/PCM. I am currently experiencing this and working through it.

12 people found this helpful.
670

You know, mine touched for a long time and never caused a problem with the ECM. They must use a current sensing circuit that dumps when it senses a short circuit? Just think if you had an injector short or one that draws way to much current, a possibility of fire could start from that. If these wires touching each other would kill the ECM my should have died a long time ago. (maybe I'm lucky) Mine started out only doing this when the engine was cold and I let it go for over six months before it got worse and I had to do something. This is one of the most difficult problems to diagnose I ever experienced and I did this for over 40 years. I'm Master ASE certified, Master Registered (European equivalent) and I taught it on the Collage level before retiring. What makes this so difficult is that it is generally intermittent at least at first and the harness shows no deterioration at all. This is why I stressed cutting open the harness and looking...

22 people found this helpful.
720

Ok, it seems many people have issues with the Caravan family. Let me tell you about my experience I am currently experiencing and in the process maybe I can help you. I own a BMW X5. My gf owns a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport 3.3l. I swapped her vehicles so I can work on hers. Im going to be honest it has been a nightmare for the last 2 weeks. This past sunday night I ended up sleeping in the car bc I couldn't get it running. let me tell you the story. A month ago she started having problems. The car died and when she turned the key, the fuel pump made a continuous hum and didn't shutoff. Long story short, I replaced the fuel pump. Since I had the tank down, I replaced the fuel filter as well. Started the car up and all was well. I was the hero but it was short lived. 2 days passed and she called and said it was doing the same thing. I drove up to check it out. It had been sitting for a couple hours before I got there. I tried it and it started, so I drove it home. All seemed to be ok. Again she called the next day she couldn't get it to start. Again I get there and start looking it over. I Checked everything out mechanically. I told her it has to be an electrical issue. Its acting like its not getting enough fuel. I could hear a miss in the engine. I check the plug wires. I asked her when was the last time the spark plugs had been replaced. she said she didn't know. I finally got it started and took it to Autozone for a code check. There were 2 codes present (P0204) #4 cylinder fuel injector circuit fault and one for the barmetric sensor on top of the intake. Her check like has been on forever as far as I know. Any I took the car back to her house and began looking it over. I started with the injector harness. I follow the wires back to the main connector on the back of the cylinder head towards the firewall. I unplugged it and behold I found one of many problems. All 10 wires on the injector harness were completely bare from the plug back 4 inches. I taped them and started the car. It still ran like crap. I grabbed a long screw driver and placed it on the #4 injector and listened for a clicking sound to verify the injector was working. I didn't hear the clicking so I tried the next injector in case it was just engine noise drowning it out. I could hear clicking on the #2 and #6 injectors. #4 was not working. I took the intake off and the fuel rail and replaced the injector. After re-assembling everything I started the car again. It was hard to start at first but it gave into my will. I could still hear a miss in the engine. I checked the injector and still no clicking sound. I took everything apart again and removed the harness. Pulled all the sheathing off to inspect the wires. They were stuck together so I peeled them apart. taped them and installed everything. I started the car. Still a miss. So, I started checking the wiring further down the harness on the transmission and down to the starter back up to the ECM/PCM. The wires were stuck together from the heat. I began pulling each wire away from the other. Guys this is a tedious task as you know there is limited space there with out disassembling parts. Is a lot of work but I wanted to do the process of elimination. Go through the motion even though I had a suspicion it was the ECM/PCM. I didn't find anything obvious in the wires. There is something because now, TODAY, the car shocks me when I turn it off and get out. Anyway, I cut the driver wire for the #4 injector (Brown w/ Tan stripe). The Brown w/ White strip is the common wire all the injectors are connected to. (Don't Cut It) . Oh, before I did this, I removed the injector harness and use my multimeter to check continuity from the injector pin to the harness plug pin. then from the injector to the ECM/PCM. For reference that will be the top connector, location pin 16. ok back to troubleshooting. I ran a wire from the driver wire on #4 injector and went start to the ECM/PCM. I re-installed everything and started the car. There was no clicking from the injector. Now I confirmed my suspicion the #4 injector driver is bad inside the ECM/PCM. I went to Pull-A-Parts (Salvage yard) and got a good injector harness and ECM/PCM. If you do this, try to get one from a vehicle that has the same options as yours. Before you do this, pull your ECM/PCM out and take a picture of the sticker on it that has your part # on it. You want to get another with that same part #. I installed the ECM/PCM and started the car and wallah!!! Now injector 4 is working. Take the car to the dealership and have the ECM/PCM flashed for the current update software and to have your VIN and mileage entered as soon as possible. I took the car to Autozone for another code read. There was one code for the map sensor. I took it off and sprayed contact cleaner inside of it the best I could. Put it back on. Sunday night, drove to walmart. walked out to leave at 6:30. Car would not start. I cranked and cranked the key. I took everything apart and went through there in the parking lot. To no avail. Next thing I know its 2am. I went back in the store and bought new spark plugs and installed them. Re-assembled everything and started the car. Sounds like it was good to go. Drove 3 miles and DIED on me in full range driving. I coasted into a parking lot worked on it til 5am. I was exhausted and crawled in the 3rd role seating and went to sleep haha. woke up at 8:30. Worked on it more. I could get it to start but It would only run for 30 seconds then die. Finally, called a tow truck to deliver it to the dealership. They pushed inside and flashed the ECM/PCM. Did a diagnostic check and it said "No signal from crank sensor to the ECM/PCM. They put another on it and had the same result. I told them everything I did and what I thought the problem was. They worked on it for 7 hours. They told me what I already knew. I need a new engine wire harness which they couldn't get and now the gauges fuel, speed, tach and temp were not working. Its is discontinued by Dodge which they only have to hold parts 10 yrs for any vehicle by law. They stopped stocking the harness for 2002 vehicles in 2012. They said there is nothing else they can do unless I go to a salvage yard and get one then they will install it which is according to them an 8 hr job with a labor charge of $125/hr. I DONT THINK SO!!! They said they could not get the car to start and run. So, they pushed the car outside as if I were just going to walk away until I had the part. I pulled two wires apart that were stuck together and started the car. I put It in gear and drove off. I download a speedometer app on my smart phone so I can see my speed and went to work. After work I fixed the gauges. That was easy. The technician did not tighten the positive cable on battery post. Once I did that everything worked normal. My only complaint at this time is in town while driving about 2000 RPM it stumbles like its not getting enough fuel. On they highway it stumbles when I let off the accelerator or running at 2000 RPM. I think I will replaced the fuel regulator on the injector fuel rail. Also I will go to the salvage yard this weekend in search of an engine harness. In the meantime I will be inspecting all the wires in the current engine harness checking for any kind of short or break. Also now when the AC is engaged while idling, it draws the engine down to the point you think the engine will die and then the engine revs back up. I will update my progress as I go. I hope my information helps many of you

60 people found this helpful.
90

miker71 did you get anywhere yet? Mine had the melted wires and have separated them now but runs terribly - I cannot even think of pulling off the drive. When I try then to push down the gas pedal all the instruments and lights go crazy then disappear leaving only the oil pressure warning light (which stays on throughout). Hate this!

3 people found this helpful.
90

miker71 - I found the cause of the crazy instrument displays - the alternator was kicking out 18v! Have disconnected that and the instruments are stable. Still have the oil pressure light on and a bad misfire. Gas is pouring neat out of the exhaust!

6 people found this helpful.
210

I have the same problem but I have a town and country 3.3 Chrysler. My cwr runs rough and not enough power like it used to have. I replaced the alternator, crankshaft sensor, camshaft sensor. Then it finally started now its running rough. Im lost idk whats wrong with it. The check engine light is on an blinking. It stopped blinking after I replaced those sensor then it came bk on when I was on the high way

16 people found this helpful.
480

I have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8 140k miles runs great went to wintergreen driving steep hill, got home the same day and the following day it hesitates when AC/heater turns on, no check engine light. I opened the hood when the A/c Compressor engage, it jerk. Clean the throttle, did nothing. Seldom jerk when it's on drive position and heater is off. I think when the Compressor engage and rotates it gives a lot stress on the engine and losing some voltage. I'm goin to replace the Map sensor see what will happen.

7 people found this helpful.
480

I had solve the problem engine hesitates when ac/heater compressor turns on and seldom jerk when in park and neutral position. I changed the ignition coil pack limited warranty duralast brand, I put back the old one I had changed last 80k miles. No hesitation and engine runs strong now.

2 people found this helpful.
210

My van sounds really loud n it starts to shake when the car is stopped n im letting off the gas..n when I hit 40miles n 60

5 people found this helpful.
130

Any updates from anyone? I am having the same problem with my 2005 Dodge 3.8L. Changed all wires, plugs, coil which cleared prior misfire in #2. About a month driving great now decides to studder on acceleration and has a bad gas smell.

13 people found this helpful.
30

.I was having issues with my Plymouth dodge Expresso voyager '98 and it not wanting to start occasionally after thirty miles with heater on... Turns out heater must have been warming this circuit board in the dash causing it to fail, just have to smack the dash on the flat spot and good to go... Eventually it'll fail for good but it's something like300$to rebuild it so... I'll keep layin my pimp hand down till then

3 people found this helpful.
830

i had a similar problem with my dodge dakota like the 2001 van mentioned above ,i replaced every thing except the egr valve i cleaned it put it back on but the truck would run the same no improvement , after 3 wks i took the egr valve off again and i don,t really know why i took it off maybe behind my head i wanted to buy one , as i had it in my hand i thought to myself that i did check the egr diaphragm and it was working good ,then i saw the little steel pipe coming out of egr valve base and try to blow air through it and it was clogged , i clean it out by heating up the little pipe with my mapp gas torch ,ran a little soft wire through it , high pressure air it bolt the valve back on ,started truck and kasumba the v6 was idling good i took it around the block and it ran perfect , all those problems by a little clogged tube...hope this helps you guys out there....good luck.....,...

8 people found this helpful.
55

I have a 1991 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 3.3L FWD and have been wrestling with the same problem for months now but I have finally solved the problem. Before doing so I took it to a reliable local shop and consulted a radio car guy but they were unable to solve the problem. So after changing out the components listed below (not necessarily all at once and no harm, no foul though - the car is, after all, 26 years old and many of those parts had not been changed before now), the problem went away after I next changed out the camshaft position sensor. It is located on the left side of the engine as you face the front of the car (passenger side). It is located below the ignition/distributor coil. I had to remove the engine mount to get at it. It was simple enough and only took about an hour. Item serviced/replaced before finally changing out the camshaft position sensor: Checked ignition wires (recently replaced). Spark plugs (were due for service). Fuel Injectors Ignition Coil. Engine Control Module. Crankshaft Position Sensor. Cold Start Sensor. MAP Sensor. Checked for vacuum leaks (none). Replaced exhaust system Including the catalytic converter (This was incidental to the problem but it needed to be done anyway; however, afterwards there was a white powder emanating from the exhaust. I replaced the single O2 sensor and that solved the problem). Throttle Position Sensor. Input & Output Speed Sensors (there is ls an intermittent speedometer cutout problem). Idle Air Control. Vapor Canister Purge Valve/Solenoid. There is not an EGR valve on it.

3 people found this helpful.
100

you who said about fuel injector wire harness yes i just fixed mine to day.. l had 10 wires were melted together. any one out there with a miss in your engine the wires go to close to the manifold and melt the wires together and makes the cylinders not work. 3 of them was not working.so thanks to you who said this problem on here your right.i told the man at the garage he looked and they were burned. wire harness. its fixed now. thank you who said this on here. and thank my god in heaven its fixed. on the dodge caravan 3.3 v6 2003.this is to help you all. m.w.w.

10 people found this helpful.
20

It might be a clogged exhaust that's what mine was

2 people found this helpful.

@Rickyboi.....were you ever able to fix your problem...? I k ow yoir post is 3 yrs old but i am having the same symptoms as you.

450

I was shocked. It looked like all of my fuel injector wires were melted together. I don't know hiw I rode in it at all.

7 people found this helpful.
70

Richie, I am having same problem you described with my 01 caravan 3.3L. My fuel filter line also ruptured while driving and I have been getting high pitched noise under the vehicle after driving the van for a long time in hot weather and then starting it after sitting over night. Fuel pressure readings are fine, fuel filter obviously was changed after the line bursted. Did you find a solution to your problem, would you mind sharing.

5 people found this helpful.
30

I replaced my engine and encountered similar issue. It was worse when it was raining. turned out to be a crack in the distributor coil. which is easy fix, thought half a dozen shops tired to tell me it was everything from bad engine to fuel filter I have seen learned to start there and then look at other issues. Particularly if you know it misses more when it damp outside.

3 people found this helpful.
40

I have a 2000 dodge caravan sport. I have some problem with the van ran rough and will not stay start no change in manifold or no air pressure from start to run so i had a couple people tell me that had change my cylinder head so i got the engine towing down to block am i doing the right thing can someone give the right answer. Pete

4 people found this helpful.
20

Well I just got done with a 05 dodge grandcaravan andx had #5 And #6 mis fire and changed coil pack plugs wires and kept missing and so I did a compression test and it was the head gaskets on it after replacing them it started to run with no miss fire so check the compression and it will let you know

2 people found this helpful.
10

All of yall's problems are most likely related to an electrical issue, corroded wires, bad ground and or positive connections, caravans are notorious for having bad electrical connections due to timing constraints in the manufacturing process, they should have never been allowed to be sold like that, but money rules the world on such matters. And if it's not only the wires, the computer may have been compromised from operating under such conditions for so long, hence you may need a good replacement computer, new or used, used is cheapest and if you can get one from a wrecked vehicle with a low amount of mileage then you are Golden''.

1 people found this helpful.
90

Fixed mine by replacing the PCM. The wiring melting took out the computer. I also had to replace the MAP sensor as it took that out as well. Funnily enough the alternator seems to be regulated by the PCM and that now kicks out the correct voltage too. No flashing lights on the dash and everyone happy :D I have a parasytic drain now to trace but think that's unrelated....... Good luck everyone.

20

Mine was like so many others I read about - - popping back thru the air box under acceleration and an intermittent miss. I was inspecting the EGR for functionality (found it working) but noticed water in that area - a few drops and the car does reside out side and it had rained - still made me wonder. Long story short, #5 plug wire was fouled - - the connector corroded in spite of the fact that wires were premium NAPA and fairly recent. I feel like it has to be this moisture as the others are like new.

2 people found this helpful.
20

One of the fixes was battery terminals and wires. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5N0X0BtKcs

2 people found this helpful.
10

I had some of these similar issues. After much diagnosis and replacing some parts... I needed up finding a broken exhaust valve spring on the #5 cylinder. Hope this helps!

1 people found this helpful.
30

I had a sputtering problem with my 2006 Dodge Caravan. After several hours of troubleshooting the problem, they found a burn mark from a crack on the electronic fuel injector. While it was going bad it decided to mess up the firing order and took out the cylinders. At over 100,000 miles most American cars are usually beyond help. It is in a junk yard someplace now.

3 people found this helpful.
40

For someone with similar issues: Symptoms: When floored, can't go past 4000 RPM, check engine lights light up, car shakes. Later, car dies when backing up. Later on car dies at idle over and over. Solution: Must be diagnosed with a computer and a really good technician, not someone at a dealership. Solution is to replace cam sensor and crankshaft sensor, as well as upstream (before cat) O2 sensor. Good as a new van.

4 people found this helpful.
20

I had these same symptoms and it turned out to be a bad spark plug wire... Issue resolved... Maybe I just got lucky or maybe it will re-surface in a few weeks... We shall see...

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Caravan

Looking for a Used Caravan in your area?

CarGurus has 51 nationwide Caravan listings starting at $3,695.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Paul
    Reputation
    2,070
  • #2
    tenspeed
    Reputation
    1,610
  • #3
    Dan Ritz
    Reputation
    1,530
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Dodge Grand Caravan
334 Great Deals out of 5,561 listings starting at $900
Used Honda Odyssey
703 Great Deals out of 17,719 listings starting at $700
Used Toyota Sienna
564 Great Deals out of 8,804 listings starting at $800
Used Chrysler Pacifica
542 Great Deals out of 14,283 listings starting at $1,528
Used Chrysler Town & Country
143 Great Deals out of 2,381 listings starting at $675
Used Dodge Sprinter Cargo
73 listings starting at $9,997
Used Ford Explorer
2,207 Great Deals out of 63,609 listings starting at $700
Used Ford F-150
5,866 Great Deals out of 131,415 listings starting at $1,100

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.