95 Villager intermittent starting help

[banjomaniac]

My son had this van in college, and it left him stranded several times so I got it to the house and the alternator belt was just hanging. He just had the alternator replaced but I discovered a broken pivot bolt. So I fixed all that and with a new battery all seemd ok and I drove it a few times around town so then I drive it to work yesterday. I drive it out to lunch at noon and when I come back out from lunch it wont start. It starts up but never gets to a full idle, kind od stumbles for a couple seconds then dies. after 2 or 3 tries it just turns over and doesn't start. I left it and in 2 hours went back and it started right up. I drove it to work, shut it off and restarted it 3 or 4 times and it started right up and ran fine. 2 hours later when I go to leave same thing, no start. I tried several times no luck. I pulled the fuel line off at the fuel filter, that was replaced a month ago too, and fuel shot out with alot of pressure. put it back on still no start. next morning it fired right up and I drove it 22 miles to the house, it ran great. after I got home it started back up 3 or 4 times within about 5 minutes and I had to get back to work. So thats what I have , sometimes it starts sometimes it doesn't. once it starts it runs fine, idles fine and has plenty of power. It has never died while driving, like I said once it is running it seems to run great. I don't think it's bad gas and I know it's not missing or running bad so I'm stumped. Next time it wont start I will shoot some starting fluid in and see if it makes any difference then take it from there. seems like something is heating up and needs to cool or something. Maybe it's vapor locked?

banjomaniac

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by banjomaniac

My son had this van in college, and it left him stranded several times so I got it to the house and the alternator belt was just hanging. He just had the alternator replaced but I discovered a broken pivot bolt. So I fixed all that and with a new battery all seemd ok and I drove it a few times around town so then I drive it to work yesterday. I drive it out to lunch at noon and when I come back out from lunch it wont start. It starts up but never gets to a full idle, kind od stumbles for a couple seconds then dies. after 2 or 3 tries it just turns over and doesn't start. I left it and in 2 hours went back and it started right up. I drove it to work, shut it off and restarted it 3 or 4 times and it started right up and ran fine. 2 hours later when I go to leave same thing, no start. I tried several times no luck. I pulled the fuel line off at the fuel filter, that was replaced a month ago too, and fuel shot out with alot of pressure. put it back on still no start. next morning it fired right up and I drove it 22 miles to the house, it ran great. after I got home it started back up 3 or 4 times within about 5 minutes and I had to get back to work. So thats what I have , sometimes it starts sometimes it doesn't. once it starts it runs fine, idles fine and has plenty of power. It has never died while driving, like I said once it is running it seems to run great. I don't think it's bad gas and I know it's not missing or running bad so I'm stumped. Next time it wont start I will shoot some starting fluid in and see if it makes any difference then take it from there. seems like something is heating up and needs to cool or something. Maybe it's vapor locked?

banjomaniac

Check the distributor, it has the camshaft sensor in it. Remove the cap, rotor and cover beneath the rotor. Look for any brownish dust on the cmp, if there is dust on it the bearing is bad. Also the cmp will get warm and cause running issues including not starting.

[banjomaniac]

Originally Posted by tempfixit

Check the distributor, it has the camshaft sensor in it. Remove the cap, rotor and cover beneath the rotor. Look for any brownish dust on the cmp, if there is dust on it the bearing is bad. Also the cmp will get warm and cause running issues including not starting.

I checked the distributor,took it apart, it looked good. I think I figured it out, I started it up in the Driveway and let it run for 20 minutes or so. Shut it off and restarted it about 4 times then let it set a few minutes more. I turned key on several times hearing the fuel pump run and then it nothing. waited a few minutes and still no pump sound. I beat the tank with a rubber hammer and no sound still. next morning it fired right up so I ordered a new pump and I'm planning on installing it this morning.

Thanks for the help.

banjomaniac

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by banjomaniac

I checked the distributor,took it apart, it looked good. I think I figured it out, I started it up in the Driveway and let it run for 20 minutes or so. Shut it off and restarted it about 4 times then let it set a few minutes more. I turned key on several times hearing the fuel pump run and then it nothing. waited a few minutes and still no pump sound. I beat the tank with a rubber hammer and no sound still. next morning it fired right up so I ordered a new pump and I'm planning on installing it this morning.

Thanks for the help.

banjomaniac

How many miiles on the vehiicle???

[banjomaniac]

OK, the van has 14000 or so but I think it's fixed. I ordered a fuel pump assembly from Advance, it was supposed to be the whole deal with sending unit and all but the sending unit wasn't in the box, Airtex brand. Advance said they could refund but didn't have anymore and the wharehouse was on back order so I kept it and just switched out the sending unit. Now, I pulled the relay and put 12 volts to it and it was working so I put it back in and said because I had voltage to the relay when I turned the key it must be the pump. I changed the pump, stupid thing has little screws holding the pump in and they were all rusted bad, I sprayed them with PB blast and let it set for about an hour and worked them back and forth and was able to get 4 out of 6 out but the other to snapped off, no way to tap these cause the metal ring is tapped then welded to the tank and it doesn't go all the way through SO I had to figure that out, took an extra hour but I got it. Put it all back together and nothing. So again I checked the relay, now it isn't closing? I pulled the horn relay, don't know why I didn't do this the first time it acted up, and put it in the fuel relay position and it was working. So I changed it out and it seems to be working good. ALL in all I spent about $130 and 4 hours of work. The old pump strainer was pretty nasty and the van seems to idle a little faster than before, it's probably just me cause the fuel pump regulator should keep it the same. Thanks for all the advise and if it is still acting up I'll let you know.
Now if I could figure out how to reset or turn off the airbag light I'll be set?

Banjomanic

[banjomaniac]

Well I replaced the pump and nothing. When I first had the pump not working I checked the relay first with a meter. I wasn't sure what lead went to the pump but THOUGHT I had it right, well I was wrong and have advice to anyone not sure if the relay is the problem it's a simple quick free check and I did it and felt stupid for not thinking about it first. The relays are all in a row and the part numbers are the same just different colors, I pulled the horn relay and switched it with the fuel pump relay and the van fired right up. so it is running fine now. Thanks for all the help and I'll help anyone that needs it for this install. If the fuel pump screws are rusted, spray them ahead of time and CAREFULLY work them back and forth cause if you brek them you can't re tap, they don't go all the way through! Took me 2 hours to change the pump, wasn't too bad at all.

Banjomaniac

[banjomaniac]

I forgot to mention, after driving the van a few days the airbag light went out all by itself, it only comes on when I turn on the key and then goes out.

Banjomaniac

[ericktj]

On my 95 villager I'd experienced vapor lock a few times, specially idling after a long trip on a very hot day... I release vapor pressure by opening gas line at fuel filter on hood compartment, put inginition swith 2-3 time at running positiong without cranking engine to build some pressure and after that cranking the starter,, that it, after that I'll put some gas at gas station to get fuel cooled a little bit...ready to go... .... should be some aftermarket cooler to prevent this but I'd not going in to that yet.