2002 Town and Country stops running
 

I put a rebuilt Jasper engine in my T&c ONE YEAR AGO, AND IT HAS BEEN RUNNING GREAT. jUST RECENTLY IT HAS JUST STOPPED RUNNING










I put a rebuilt Jasper engine in my T&C last year and it has been running great. In the last 6 weeks it has died 3X and each time I have quickly pulled to the side of the road. No dashboard lights with the reason, no shutter, or fluxuating power...just dead as a doorknob! Thought the first time is was fuel pump, so I replaced it. Did it again the next day. Mechanic took it and drove it an hour, no repeat. He checked for the vapor lock, fuel filter, throttle body etc was cleaned when he put in the engine...we have no clue at this point.
When it dies, you just sit for 4-5 minutes, and it starts right up. Full power , perfect..There are no symptoms except it just dies. As if I turned off the key. It drives perfect the second before it dies, and the second after it restarts. There are no codes, no dashboard lights that come on..and I do have interior lights etc..when it is off. If I try to start it before the 4-5 minute wait, it cranks but won't turn over the engine. I am driving this car out of state for Thanksgiving and nervous. Please help..Any suggestions. My Chrysler guy is stumped..

Sounds like a typical cam or crank sensor failure. They often fail out of the blue without throwing a code. Will crank all day but won't start. What lead you to the fuel pump? Which engine?

Just to clarify when you say it dies are you saying the engine quits and you see just the normal dash lights or are you saying the engine quits and you see no dash lights whatsoever? In other words you're loosing the engine and all electrical power?

Yes, when it dies, I see normal dash lights. Not losing electrical. We did the fuel pump because it seemed a likely start of it's failure. I have had the car since 2003(used) and never replaced fuel pump. Thought it was going to fail. The car starts right up again after it sits for 5 minutes. It then runs great, til it cuts off again. Is the cam or crank sensor a difficult repair? Cost? It's a 3.8 engine.

When you say "Chrysler guy" considering your symptoms I would think these sensors would be high on his/her list. Even a shop. Did he test them and eliminate them? Not so sure that would do any good anyway considering the intermittent nature of the problem.

Ok you still have power so the sensors are still on the list. The sensors cost anywhere from $30-$60 each. If you DIY it that's your cost. The dealership/shop will charge around $150 -$200. The cam sensor is on the top left of the engine. The crank sensor is on the lower right on the transmission case. Disconnect the negative battery cable and isolate it, disconnect the sensor connector, remove the retaining bolt, remove the sensor, install the new sensor, install the retaining bolt, reconnect the connector, reconnect the battery, done. Make sure there is a paper spacer on the tip of the sensor before installing. If you want to try just one sensor I would pick the crankshaft sensor.

Before you change them make sure the connectors on the sensors are not loose or corroded. Inspect as much of the wire harness as is visible. If you're good with a meter there are some things you can check.

Understand there are several things that can make the engine die. The sensors are just higher on the list of probable fixes. Again, considering how intermittent your problem is it's unlikely testing will reveal anything. The best you can do is discover anything obvious like a loose or corroded connection, a chaffed wire intermittently shorting to ground, etc. If all looks good then you're down to picking the most likely culprit.

Why these sensors? They establish engine timing. If the engine computer (PCM) can't determine timing, the system cuts power to the ignition coil, fuel injectors, fuel pump, and O2 sensors. Why does it restart in 5 minutes? An engineer may be able to tell you. Suffice to say, recycling power resets microprocessors. Beyond that I can only guess.

Just popped in the bean. One easy thing to try is a shake test. Start the engine and wiggle/tap on the fuse box (IPM) and its connections, battery connections wire harnesses to the connectors, any other wire harness you can find in the engine compartment. Usual problem areas are in the IPM, PCM area near the battery, and a wire harness that wraps around the right and back side of the engine. Just be careful of all those spinning objects like the cooling fans behind the radiator and serpentine belt area on the left side. If the engine dies you have greatly narrowed the possibilities.

Thank you ... I will pass on to my guy. He is Chrysler mechanic that I have know for years. He works on my car for me, and installed the new engine. And yes none of the sensors are showing codes...when he was looking I assume he went throught wires etc..I will chat with him soon..I will let you know the outcome..

I just got home from errands, and I must say I have never been happier to see an engine light pop up on my dash!!!! Diagnosis is eminent!!!! I will let you know what it turns out to be, prob. one night early in the week..yippee...

Good news. Cycle the key from off to on/run three times within 5 seconds leaving it at on/run. Now read the codes off the odometer display. Funny how when you want to see a code they take their sweet time showing up but when you don't want one they are Johnny on the spot.