Dodge Caravan won't start

My wife pulled the van into the garage last night and it worked fine. This morning when she went to start it, it would not start. There is fuel but no spark. A friend of mine is a mechanic and he braught his tester over and it indicated a bad Auto Shut Down Relay. After replacing this the van still won't start.

Any ideas where to go next?

The same thing has just happened to my caravan. Worked great today, came home and parked it. Went to run an errand and it won't do anything. the ignition is now locked also.

Any ideas??

My wife pulled the van into the garage last night and it worked fine. This morning when she went to start it, it would not start. There is fuel but no spark. A friend of mine is a mechanic and he braught his tester over and it indicated a bad Auto Shut Down Relay. After replacing this the van still won't start.

Any ideas where to go next?


Does it crank over at all ? If not I have seen batteries do this , you drive it , park it and the next time it won't start at all .

It is not uncommon when the weather gets cold for this to happen [battery].

It turns over. But it never starts. There is fuel. But no spark.

Am I correct to assume you put jumper cables to this vehicle?

Have you checked fuses? Don't laugh....it can be so simple.

Am I correct to assume you put jumper cables to this vehicle?

Have you checked fuses? Don't laugh....it can be so simple.

You have not mentioned what year and model it is. (engine size)

I have had this problem with a 1992 Dodge Caravan 2.5L. First it was because the timing belt had gone bad. The engine at that time seemed to crack really easy---but no spark. It cost me about $200. to have a friend replace the belt. But now, I also have it not starting but it's because the fuel pump has gone out! Good Luck!

My wife pulled the van into the garage last night and it worked fine. This morning when she went to start it, it would not start. There is fuel but no spark. A friend of mine is a mechanic and he braught his tester over and it indicated a bad Auto Shut Down Relay. After replacing this the van still won't start.

Any ideas where to go next?
i have same problem i need to find the location of the relay can u help wwhich one is it ty

i have same problem i need to find the location of the relay can u help wwhich one is it ty



Jormeinmi,
Get online and go to: autorepair.about.com/library/illustrations/bl043a-lib.htm They have the schematic for the Caravan. Or to make it easier, search Google search Dodge Caravan fuel relay schematic. That's how I located the relays.

Hope it helps!
lcga

I Have The Same Proble Just Quit On My Wife, No Spark Fuel Ok - I Thought It Was The Ingnition Coil But I Called Friend Of Mine That Swaped The Eng On It, He Said It Is Common For The Crank Sensor To Cause That Sure Enough The Coil Works I Have Yet To Switch Out The Crank Sensor

I Have The Same Proble Just Quit On My Wife, No Spark Fuel Ok - I Thought It Was The Ingnition Coil But I Called Friend Of Mine That Swaped The Eng On It, He Said It Is Common For The Crank Sensor To Cause That Sure Enough The Coil Works I Have Yet To Switch Out The Crank Sensor


Thank you, can you tell me something about 'crank sensor' ...where it is located and just what it's function is? I was loaned a probe light to test a brown wire but do not know where it is. Also it starts okay but dies immediately, like it is choked out of fuel. Fuel injectors were changed, plenum & parts cleaned of carbon. it is an 87 Ply Voy 6 cyl 3.0

The Crank Sensor Tells The Comp That The Veh Is Cranking Then Starts The Rest Of The Normal Functions Like Sending Power For The Spark. Now As For Yours That Starts Then Dies You Might Be Running Lean Check Your Fuel Pressure

I had the same problem with my 88 Plymouth Voyager. After it would set for an hour or two it would start again. I took it to the shop and it had a short in one of the wires connected to the fuel pump. I had the whole fuel pump assembly replaced and haven't had that problem since. I'm not an expert by far, just sharing how I was able to fix a similar problem on mine.
~Ana Little

You Might Want To Also Check The Relays. Check For Power Going To The Injectors Aswell.

You Might Want To Also Check The Relays. Check For Power Going To The Injectors Aswell.
I was able to get a computer code and it tells me that there is high resistance at injector 1, 2, or 3. Haven't got it figured out yet as far as what needs to be done though. I had had the injectors replaced from another motor from a salvage yard. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

You Might Want To Also Check The Relays. Check For Power Going To The Injectors Aswell.


I hope you can help me out with this, or someone. It has still been too cold to work on voyager problem but a mech stopped by & helped me get veh. into garage earlier. Later, or tomorrow I will remove lines/connectors and plenum and prepare to check 'for power going to the Injectors' I have never done this.

It is getting critical for me to get this done as in a few days I need to take a road trip that will be over 2000 miles for my daughters' wedding. She is my firstborn and only daughter and it is important to be there. My bf is impatient with working on autos and I do okay when directed. I replaced fuel pump in son's '77 Ford Granada this week with no assistance and had to also drain/replace oil as fuel had seaped into oil pan after fuel pump went out. A success! But,...... this voyager has me in a hot seat. With a wedding to plan short notice and blah blah blah....I need HELP

I hope you can help me out with this, or someone. It has still been too cold to work on voyager problem but a mech stopped by & helped me get veh. into garage earlier. Later, or tomorrow I will remove lines/connectors and plenum and prepare to check 'for power going to the Injectors' I have never done this.

It is getting critical for me to get this done as in a few days I need to take a road trip that will be over 2000 miles for my daughters' wedding. She is my firstborn and only daughter and it is important to be there. My bf is impatient with working on autos and I do okay when directed. I replaced fuel pump in son's '77 Ford Granada this week with no assistance and had to also drain/replace oil as fuel had seaped into oil pan after fuel pump went out. A success! But,...... this voyager has me in a hot seat. With a wedding to plan short notice and blah blah blah....I need HELP

Before you do anymore costly things, when the plenium is off do a compression test. (If you don't know how I can help) I spent a long time and a lot of money changing things and guessing. I wen't back to basic's and did a compression test ... lo and behold I had burned exhaust valves. My van has 130.000 miles.

Are you still around?


Before you do anymore costly things, when the plenium is off do a compression test. (If you don't know how I can help) I spent a long time and a lot of money changing things and guessing. I wen't back to basic's and did a compression test ... lo and behold I had burned exhaust valves. My van has 130.000 miles.

I am having a time getting plenum off, believe everything that needs to be - is disconnected, it may be the gasket sealer. I do not know how to do compression test and if you can help with this it would be great. Do I need special equip? If so I may be able to get it....a local mech at a shop loans me test equip etc as needed. At present I only have Ohm meter that I am supposed to use to check resistance of injectors.

It ran fine before the injectors were put in and the computer tells me that there is high resistance at inj 1, 2 or 3. That reading is consistent with the work that was done [and that was to replace inj's, only one was leaking but think that the person who put them in may have replaced them all with inj's I picked up at salvage yard]

Before you do anymore costly things, when the plenium is off do a compression test. (If you don't know how I can help) I spent a long time and a lot of money changing things and guessing. I wen't back to basic's and did a compression test ... lo and behold I had burned exhaust valves. My van has 130.000 miles.

Plenum is removed! I do not know where to put test probes from ohm meter to test resistance of injectors.

To do a compression test, you'll need a compression tester, they look a little like a pressure gauge attached to a hose, some thread into the plug holes and some just push in. Basically, what you do is take out only 1 plug, put the compression tester where the plug was, and crank the engine so it turns over 4 or 6 times. Then get out and check the gauge, it will have a needle that's stopped at the highest compression that cylinder reached. Replace the plug, repeat for the other 5 cylinders. The compression should be close to the same for all the cylinders, if you have one that's 20 or 25 lbs off the others, that's a problem.

Thank you, just woke up & have to leave for work NOW. Hope you will be around later. I'lll see if I can round up tester


To do a compression test, you'll need a compression tester, they look a little like a pressure gauge attached to a hose, some thread into the plug holes and some just push in. Basically, what you do is take out only 1 plug, put the compression tester where the plug was, and crank the engine so it turns over 4 or 6 times. Then get out and check the gauge, it will have a needle that's stopped at the highest compression that cylinder reached. Replace the plug, repeat for the other 5 cylinders. The compression should be close to the same for all the cylinders, if you have one that's 20 or 25 lbs off the others, that's a problem.

Looks like I'll be able to come home off & on through this day to check mail. I need to know whether to switch out injector or if wiring is bad. all inj have same ohm reading but one and that is same one that had the leak and was replaced. What is confusing is that the diag connector is giving the same reading .004 as that inj. whick is front & center. [the rest all read .015-.017. Hope this all makes sense. I have today, tomorrow and Wed to figure out and hit the road for daughters wedding :) so any help would be awesome thanks

Okay I pulled an injector from #5 position from fuel rail picked up. The person that installed injector for me did not use one in same position as the one that had gone bad. Does that matter?

[I got that idea from someone's post the other day]. Anyway, that injector is testing at .015, the same as others. Can I assume it safe to install and check this out? Also, how are these cleaned?

[at this point I should be making lasagna & baking cake, but noooooo]





Looks like I'll be able to come home off & on through this day to check mail. I need to know whether to switch out injector or if wiring is bad. all inj have same ohm reading but one and that is same one that had the leak and was replaced. What is confusing is that the diag connector is giving the same reading .004 as that inj. whick is front & center. [the rest all read .015-.017. Hope this all makes sense. I have today, tomorrow and Wed to figure out and hit the road for daughters wedding :) so any help would be awesome thanks