Mr Allero please help my pos no-start van

[Robwashere]

i recently bought this loaded luxo van
its a 94 318 auto

the main problem is this
it started by

in the mornings i would have to turn ignition on and Leave it on in run position

wait for the relays under hood to Start clicking //check engine lite flashes while this happens and then Wait until they stopped clicking,at which point check engine lite comes on,solid lite-then off,then i can start no problem.
normally even.
would drive all day Fine after this hard start in mornings.

it has gotten worse,to the point where i had to literally try cranking the motor over While it was clicking,otherwise it would click for Hours!!

now,we have nothing..no clicking,will crank all day long till battery dies.
ive tried changing the relays,checked the grounds,the crank sensor,even tried cleaning the pcm and body harness plugs themsleves.

nothing seems to be working? still refuses to start...no clues,ive looked at tons of posts all over internet,seems that you answered most everyone elses question with knowledge so im hoping you can teach this dummy something too

o,and i did try taking the ground wire loose -grey wire coming from harness near relays to firewall,it seems good and i even cleaned body there..wire feels good,no breaks? i think.

thanks in advance.


oops,second problem,when running,van has serious pinging or rattling top end noise..??
you can gas it hard and upon acceleration its good.
however,light acceleration you can hear it rattling..what gives?

i thought maybe timing chain,but it seems tight and runs great once you get it started..
no,i did not try moving the distributor timing yet,i wanted to try fixing wiring? issue first.


its a real nice van,but im ready to tear my hair out over these two problems--> esp the hard starting issue

van is currently broke down,so any help is Greatly appreciated

[angus10]

Can you hear the fuel pump whirring for a couple seconds when you turn the key to the on position?

[Robwashere]

yes,and i even tried using a jumper wire and checked the fuel
you can hear it when take off the gas cap whirring.

van refused to start at all today.
totally stumped now,please help and thank you in advance.

[alloro]

Originally Posted by Robwashere

in the mornings i would have to turn ignition on and Leave it on in run position

wait for the relays under hood to Start clicking //check engine lite flashes while this happens and then Wait until they stopped clicking,at which point check engine lite comes on,solid lite-then off,then i can start no problem.

This is usually due to a bad computer (PCM). There are two reasons a computer can go bad and cause this type of problem to occur.

One, the computer's lifespan has just run it's course. In this case, you can try heating up the computer with a hair dryer before attempting to start the van. If it starts fairly easily, replace the computer.

Two, the +5 volt wire that goes from the computer out to feed the sensors has a spot where the insulation has worn through and is shorting to ground. If that is the case, it is important to find that short and repair it before installing a new computer.

[Robwashere]

good Lord,youd think i could at least spell your name right....Sorry about that...

the van runs fine after it starts tho??
keeping in mind i know nothing,why would the computer be bad yet still run?

i dont have a lot of money to throw at this van,so im hesitant to replace parts

thanks again for any advice and pray for me..i really need this van .

[alloro]

If the problem is the computer like I think it is, the reason it runs eventually is because it has warmed up enough to work correctly. Even leaving just the key on for a bit will warm it eventually due to the electricity running through it. Although as winter approaches and the weather gets cooler, the problem will get worse since it will take longer to warm up the computer.

Tomorrow morning try the hair dryer trick and see if the van starts right up after you warm the computer. If it does, you will need to replace it. Depending on where you buy it, you can get a used one for $100-$150, or a rebuilt one for around $300, instead of dishing out $600 for a new one.

[txptree1]

OK guys... newbie here from Texas. My son's newly purchsed van has the exact sme problems here. If the problem turns out to be the computer, where would I locate it for 'warming up' or replacing it? I am a X-ASE master tech (foriegn BMW / Mazda / Subaru) from the late 80's-early 90's. Needless to say the electronics have changed some and I have gotten a little rusty on my diagnosis of cars having been out of the loop for many years now. Appreciate these forums from what I have learned to assist me on all of my automotive problems. So prematuraly I would like to thank you for your help in this matter.

[alloro]

You didn't specify a year so I'll go with the later models. Open the hood and look for a gray box above and in front of the air cleaner. It has 3 large wiring harness plugs going into it, and measures approximately 9x6x2 inches.

[txptree1]

Sorry, thought I had stated the year mod. It's a '92 with a 318 CDI I believe. I am guessing the ECU would still be in the same location. if this turns out to be my son's problem... heck I'll dance at your next wedding. LOL Really appriciate guys like you in these forums. So much info can be found. Thanks for the reply.

tree

[alloro]

I'm fairly certain that is the location of the computer starting in 1992.