van died on hiway ,, help

[97taurusdude]

I have 02 ram van 1500 v6 starcraft conversion 60,000 miles, no owners manuel. going down hiway and started sputtering so I pulled over and shut it off even thou it was about to die anyway. all gauges read normal , no check engine light, acts like it ran out of gas. had half tank of gas, . is there a fuel pump reset button on this van? what do you guys think? fuel pump? fuel filter? probably not that or it would try to start if it was dirty filter, just cranks with no attempt to run. had it towed to dodge dealer lot, like to find out if there is a reset button before monday is fuel pump in gas tank or on engine? . also once and awhile the head lights flicker if that means anything. thanx

[stamar]

the easiest way to diagnose a fuel problem is with starting fluid. if the car runs with starting fluid then fuel is not getting to the engine.

however youll also need to invest in a fuel pressure gauge to be sure if the fuel pump is out

however when you turn the key to run, you should hear the fuel pump turn on and create pressure in the tank

you might need two people

if you dont hear a thing you can try having one person bang on the fuel tank with a hammer while the other cranks.

the fuel pump is in the tank

you can do this job with 2 jacks and very few tools roadside. i think youd need some plywood and a syphon if its half full

15 gallons weighs 60 pounds

you should replace the filter as part of diagnosis


were there any signs of running bad before this happened?

[97taurusdude]

no other signs other than lights flickering once and awhile. so if fuel pump is in gas tank is there a reset button? and reading another thread on a 2000 van someone mentioned there is no fuel filter to change its built into pump so if they change pump that takes car of filter also right? like to get good insight on it, dont want to call dealer lot monday like I don't have a clue and they stick it to me. If its the fuel pump that needs changing how much can I expect to pay them?.

[stamar]

youre right no fuel filter.

mine is an 89, a generation before.

Im honestly not sure if it can be done as easily on the 2000, the fuel pump replacement.

well you open up a huge can of worms just giving the dealership a car to fix lol that scares me more than anything.

Im not at all certain the fuel pump is out on your van. why i say is that they usually go out slowly, that is their design. I mean, electrical wiring can stop suddenly. thats more my feeling.

there are a few circuits that cause the fuel pump to turn off.

Im not even certain you have a fuel problem. can you take off a spark plug wire and hold it near a plug post and see if there is a spark?

you need to look up a good no start guide first and have that information. are you sure the car is getting no fuel?
Ill try to give you an even easier diagnosis. get a spark plug wrench. crank it over for 30 secs and as fast as you can take a plug out. do you smell gas? it should be wet even.

did you do these things? do you hear the fuel pump turn on when you turn the key to on position?

[97taurusdude]

well couldnt hear anything due to breaking down on 6 lane interstate with heavy traffic. dealers lot is closed , only vechicle i have, and just moved here so dont have anybody to take me to van to check anything had it towed to dealer to save 2 tow charges, if i cant do anything with it, cost me 86 bucks to have it towed once. hate to pay high cab charge back and forth. i guess there is no fuel pump reset button! since you havent mentioned it or location of? if there is a reset button I may cab over and check it. but it may not be fuel pump. IS THERE A RESET BUTTON?????????????????? also is this 6 banger fuel injected or carb? also if you dont think its a fuel problem then what next on your list? thanx again

[stamar]

no fuel pump reset button

ive never even heard of one of those

i dont know if its a fuel problem or not i didnt eliminate that.

cant give you any advice really. cant diagnose with that information. it broke down, it didnt start.

could be too many things to even suggest one. you have to go to the car.

[97taurusdude]

It was the coil, went out cost 179 bucks , not as bad as i thought, dont know where its at but looked under hood and some little squarish black box thing looks new, probably could have did it myself lot cheaper but didnt know what the problem was. i dont know if any dodge vechicles have fuel pump reset button. but at one time i owned 97 taurus and 95 contour and both had a reset button, think they where both in the trunk. but anyway up and running , until next time

[stamar]

doesnt sound right to me.

could have even been your battery cable and thats what they decided to charge you for.

I mean, without looking at it to see if there was spark how can you even know.

You need to spend some free time reading a no start guide on cars or youll be spending 1000s over your life and being without transportation many times.

good luck if you even check back.

[fredjacksonsan]

Fords do have fuel pump resets, they're set up to cut off fuel if the vehicle is in an accident.

Glad you're back on the road.

[97taurusdude]

I looked under hood when I got home same battery cables, and dirt was rubbed off some cover on left if your standing in front facing engine. The part that looks new has the coil wire coming out of top so guess thats gotta be it. Maybe they're honest. Hard to believe but just maybe.

[stamar]

oh i fully believe they replaced the coil.

Im doubtful the coild went out all of a sudden on highway driving. on a 2000 van no doubt. most coils last decades and the ones that go out are intermittant. Im sure someone will have a story contradicting me but I just have my own experiences. its a often mis replaced part, 100 to 1 over a bad coil.

what it sounds like is something very similar to your taurus, a fuel cut off switch.

in diagnosis the mechanic likely saw no spark from the coil and ordered the part.

[97taurusdude]

Well doubt if they had to order part , it was at a dodge new car dealer, everytime I order a part they always had the item in stock for a 02 anyway. I didnt mention earlier but when I called them that monday that my van was towed there sat. and ask if it had a fuel pump reset button, they said no. I just said earlier I dont know if ANY dodges have one, meaning other models and years. the van cranked normally but didnt attempt to run. seems like somebody told me years ago that some vechicles fuel pumps can overheat and kick off, especially if running low on fuel, since the gas is what cools pump. and I know somebody said a dirty fuel filter can make pump work harder. my first thought fuel pump went out. that where they could have stuck it to me, no telling how much that would cost me. one thing just about 2 min. before it went out I had popped in a cd and cranked up stereo , think there is at least 6 speakers, kinda wonder if some increase surge in electrical demand burned out coil. but anywho ,