97 T&C Starts then stalls out
 

Several months ago this problem started and I thought I found the fix. Now it's back. The van starts but will shutdown after 2-3 seconds of running. At first I changed the relays and I thought I fixed the problem, then last week it happened again. It's not the relays.
Tested relays all OK
Checked fuses all OK
Checked fuel pressure OK
Changed Cam sensor
Disconnected battery cables and cleaned and reinstalled
Checked pulse to injectors - Initial pulse good then shut down happens

I suspected the security system thinks the van is being stolen and shuts things down.
I tried every combination of lock, unlock, set alarm off, open with key, open with remote, and hit the panic button.
I let the van sit for about 6 hours and presto - it started and ran flawlessly towing a pop-up for over 600mi. (went on a long round trip across PA) and it rained most of the time then another 200mi trip to NJ plus daily runarounds with kids to and from.
Went to start the other day and same problem.
Now for the weird part.
This time I noticed that when I turn the key to "ON" the blue Odometer and PRND321 light do not work nor do the tach, fuel, etc.. dash guages however other warning lights do their typical on and off again when starting.
Tried some of the previous mentioned security system combinations with no luck.
Let the car sit for the weekend (took another trip to the Jersey Shore) and when I got back it started right up.
Drove it around town doing errands with several stops and restarts without a problem.
Next day problems back.
Good news is every time this has occured it has happened at home and not left me stranded somewhere.

What Da @#$%! is wrong?

HELP PLEASE!

DAD without a VAN
The van has 140,500 mi. on it

RE: 97 T&C Starts then stalls out
 

Sounds like my probs with a 1996 Town & Country LXI.At times whenthere is visible moisture or a large temperature drop, it will not start. It also dies in traffic. I placed wires on the auto shutdown relay, the fuel pump relay and the key-on power connected to LEDS mounted in a box by the dash. The auto shutdown and fuel pump relays are not energized when this happens. No codes and no engine lights (oil, alt, etc) come on when it dies while driving. I verified that the starter relay operated but there was no battery comming into the output leads from the "black box" so I too suspect something in the theft device system, although there is no beeping horn. Maybe the park/neutral switch is faulty, but that would not explain the dying in traffic. Since the car usually started after 5 to 10 minutes, I checked all of the PTC (positive temperature coefficients) that would open if over current and then close after a few minutes, seemed OK. I pulled every connector I could find apart as well as opening every "black box", there was NO corrosion present, same with any grounds. Changed/checked the cam & crank sensors, even disconnected one or the other and it still runs (as designed). I swapped relays to no avail and will now change all three of them (auto shutdown, fuel pump and atx transmission). ANYBODY got any other ideas???????????
Carl

RE: 97 T&C Starts then stalls out
 

well u guys have either 1 of 2 issues happening here. Either the Cluster board is going bad which i ahve see on here a reapir that u guys can do yourself with solder or replace the cluster board and have it relearned by the dealer. Next thing i have seen but will need to know what the van is installed with inorder to rule this one out. The BCM body computers will give bad info to the PCM engine computer and tell it that it has Theft when infact it does not so once that happens the PCM will alwase think it has alarm and when the BCM is not acting right it will make the pcm think the alarm is active and the pcm will not turn the fuel pump on and so forth. Inorder to tell this one I would need to see what told the pcm to shut off last and weither or not it was installed with thef from the factory. If this is teh case then a pcm and bcm would need to be installed. expensive and haft to be programed with the vin. On the other hand the clucter is not so bad if u find the broken solder point. PS if it stopes working for u then HIT the top of the dash right above the cluster if u start up then u know what so do from there if not u start then die more then likely Theft issue.

RE: 97 T&C Starts then stalls out
 

Hi Chrysler Tech

I have a Grand Voyager 3.3 1997, which have a bit of the same problems as mentioned above:
- PCM has been changed
- Fuel pump has been changed
- Cluster board replaced with another for a while
- Crankshaft censor changed

Still every second day or so it will not start for me in the morning or it dies during a trip, with no lamps or anything light up in the displays. I get a error code 42 when I do the ignition test "ASD relay circuit" will that also be the error code in the case you mention with the BCM sending a false alarm code to the PCM?? to be honest I dont know if I have a alarm system in it, anyway to find out??

One thing I notice, is that the central lock act a bit strange when the fault is accuring, normally I press one time on the remote and the main dor unlocks, and if I press twice all doors unlock, but for some reason I think there is a connection with the fault because when it's there it's impossible to unlock any other door than the drivers door, all the others stays locked are has to be "forced" open??

Know it's been a while since you comment on the cases above but maybe you have some idea in my case as well.

Thanks
Thomas
Denmark

RE: 97 T&C Starts then stalls out
 

u put a used ckt board in?

RE: 97 T&C Starts then stalls out
 

No, a brand new one which I borrowed from the auto repair shop. Since I already had paid for a new PCM, fuelpump and crankshaft censor they made the deal thatI could try the clusterboard without me buying it before we knew if it did solve the problem, but after just 3 days same problem again :-?

Another detail is that when the problem is not there, I can hear the fuel pump start up shortly when I put the ignition in the On position, but when the fault apears it dosent do that so in that respect it's not a big mystery why the motor dont start, the mystery is why the fuel pump dosent start op.