92 caravan quits, won't fire until it cools down

I have a 1992 dodge caravan 3.3. Bought recentley. Had problem with it dying after it got warm then wouldn't fire until enough time passed that it would cool down. Then it would start fine and run great until it did it again. (like a bad condensor on a distributor with points)
I put in a new coil in and thought it was fixed until today(about 7 days). Did the same thing again. No codes except 12 because I had battery cable off today when I put in new radiator.
I'm thinking that it's probably the engine control module. Is it probable that I am correct, or am I overlooking something obvious? Would crank sensor, or cam sensor throw a code if bad? Would conrol module throw a code?
Any help will be appreciated since the parts store wants $225 for new one.
Thanks

I don't have an answer to this (yet) but am facing exactly the same problem with my 1995 Grand Caravan 3.8 liter engine.

Mine only misbehaves when the both the engine and the weather are hot. OK again after it cools off. It left me stranded for 15 minutes in a left turn lane at a stoplight two weeks ago until it cooled enough to start. When it is stalled it fires occasionally but not enough to start. When misbehaving the first symptom is a sudden momentary loss of power while in motion. It's like turning the ignition off and then immediately back on - a "bump" in the power, but not like a misfire.

If it happens when at idle, the engine simply stalls and probably won't start again right away. It starts easily after a few minutes of "cool down" time.

So far I have tried unplugging and replugging fuses and most of the electrical connectors in the engine compartment against the possibility of corrosion causing an intermittent electrical problem. Thought it might be fixed until it misbehaved again today on the way home from work.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Dan Nordell

Thanks for your input!!!
I just purchased a junk yard ecm today. So far it seems to have cured the stall, but this is just day one!!!!! I will keep you posted on my trip through Chryslers land of Oz. (strange electrical world for an old mechanical operation type of guy)

how the van running, after you cjanged the EMC ????

Sorry so long. No the ecm didn't fix it. nor crankshaft position sensor. I am leaning toward it being either the alarm system, or something simple like bad wiring. I've looked things over a little more and found places where someone has wired hot or ground wires into the wiring harness, and some of the sheathing on the wiring not so good. Still havn't found the problem. very frustrating

Sorry so long. No the ecm didn't fix it. nor crankshaft position sensor. I am leaning toward it being either the alarm system, or something simple like bad wiring. I've looked things over a little more and found places where someone has wired hot or ground wires into the wiring harness, and some of the sheathing on the wiring not so good. I undid one fusewire hot wire and wired the original wires back together and then didn't have headlights, so wired hot wire back in. Still havn't found the problem. very frustrating

I have seen the 3.3 Liter Caravans with this issue either the fuel pump is on its last leg, or the coil pack is arcing out. Check the coil pack & check for fuel pressure - 3.0 's have the overheating ECU (SMEC/SBEC) issue if the hose from the intake is unhooked. This draws air through to cool the ignition transistors. THe fuel pump can also apply to all engines

i replaced the fuel pump 2 times now it has me thinking that the fuel pump was good and i spent 100 bucks for nothings..

its funny cause she will run with no issues and from one dat to antoher
she acts up dying on me while driving at around 35 mph...

im going to check all the connections on it, i fwas told to check the trans computer ???

also to change the main computer ???? where is that on located ??

no wonder theguy GAVE it to me , not to mention parts that he changed ! ( water pump,hoses,brakes etc)

Excuse my ignorance but I had a problem once with a Dakota just as you describe. I don't know when they did away with Distributors but that is where my prblem was. There was a copper plate at the very bottom of the distributor that centrifugal force would eventually throw out, due to a bad rivet, and that would short out the secondary system. Just like you said you would only know it happened by loss of power. I could pull over and wait afew minutes then restart and drive another 20 miles and repeat. Sometimes I would just coast along with no power and it would all of a sudden take off again.I happened to have a good friend who was a mechanic by trade with me the one day it happened and since he had heard me complain about it for a month or so he jumped right out and troubleshot it. To wrap up this novel, the secondary electrical system was my problem.

mine does have a distributor ??

If it is a 3.3, no distributor. The coilpack was the first thing I replaced. I had the fuel pressure checked and it was good.

i was looking at the coil pack , i will check to see how much one of these cost, i also noticed that the red wire which connects to the coils looks like its broken ???, i went to the salvage yard and got the whole plug as the one that is on there now looks like some one removed/broke the clip which holds it in place.

i will splice the wires and replace the clips...

i was looking at the coil pack , i will check to see how much one of these cost, i also noticed that the red wire which connects to the coils looks like its broken ???, i went to the salvage yard and got the whole plug as the one that is on there now looks like some one removed/broke the clip which holds it in place.

i will splice the wires and replace the clips...

If it was making connection & then engine heat was causing it to expand it is possible that you found the problem.

I so not like to use the crimp connectors as they get corroded after a while - if you know how to solder than do it, otherwise some time down the road you will have a revisit of the same issue.

thats not a bad idea, !!!

I had a 92 Caravan with this problem. We've now owned six Caravan/Voyager's and this one quit on I-81 in Pennsylvania when we were on our way to Mississippi in February of 2001. After about 1/2 hour it started again and we made it all the way to Knoxville before it quit again. The further south we got, the more frequent it quit, until finally we arrived in Tupelo where I had an interview scheduled, and it just wouldn't start again at all. Had the fuel pump replaced there, but it continued to drop dead at will, specifically whenever it got warm. Once we got back to NY, I lived with it until warm spring weather made it frustratingly impossible. Replacing the computer ($400) completely solved the problem.

Which computer did you change, and where is it located ??

It was the main computer. I know some models have a main and a transmission computer. I'm not sure where it was located as a mechanic did all the work. On my 1995 PV, which is currently having some weird electrical system problems, the transmission computer is located on the passenger side firewall, and the main computer is located underneath the battery (great place for it, eh?).

WOW !!!!under the battery.

i will have to take a look at this weekend, and take a ride out to the salvage yard.... see if i find a replacement one....., the salvage yard i go to is in PA (Allentown), named HARRYS U-Pull it.....

Thanks for the info.

Yep. Under the battery. I never would have thunk it until the mechanic working on this van showed me that. I thought the unit on the firewall was the *only* computer. On the '95, you take the battery out, and I think you even have to take out the battery mounting plate, and the computer is located inside a plastic housing that has an air tunnel passing through it from the front of the body to the air cleaner, apparently for cooling purposes. When you unbolt the computer and pull it out, you can see the heat sink fins that are supposed to be cooling something in there... The PC board and most of the parts are sealed inside some thermal/shock resistant goo that is poured into the plastic housing.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!