97 Voyager 3.3 HELP!!!

Having serious problems with my van..... :confused

1. Van intermittently stalls when coming to a stop or slowing to tur
corners, all times - not just when cold. Somedays it doesn't happen..
the temperature or weather does not seem to matter. It always start
right back up (that is until yesterday anyway...more on that in a bit

2. Driving down the road (speed does not matter - happens 35+) th
vehicle will 'jerk', the check engine light will flash on and rpm guag
does it's own thing.... this is all VERY BRIEF and at the same time...
then it will give a slighter 'jerk' and go back to normal. (happens ou
of the blue and I would say that the car is warmed up

I can not get any codes to be read.... everytime I check it reads tha
there aren't any codes found

About a year ago the c.e.l. stayed on for a while (none of the othe
problems described were happening yet) at that point the code suggeste
a cam sensor, which was replaced (aftermarket). It was recentl
suggested to me that it may in fact be the cam sensor again and t
replace it with dealer part. Did that.... yesterday it died whil
driving and now wouldn't start right back up.... I coasted it home an
managed to get in the driveway and it started. (the car was warmed up

Not relevant (I don't beleive) but recently the alternator went and i
the midst of it I got a new problem...
3. Lights on diplay board for rear windsheild wipers (which i neve
use LOL) and for the ac controls started flashing. They flash all o
the time now, replaced the alternator with no effects on any of th
above mentioned. (this doesn't really bother me that much and i
certainly not on my FIRST TO FIX LIST, but thought I would mention al
that is happening. Which reminds me...LOL the heater/ac fan switc
only works on hi for about 3 months now. Again, not another biggie
just thought i'd mention it

I know the van is getting 'tired', but I need it to 'hang in' there
bit longer...

Just so you know... I have disconnected the battery and let it 'sit'
bit to try and reset the computer..... but NO LUCK

In advance I would like to Thank You for any input concerning thi
problem

 

Had some similar with an Opel only in autumn, till I disconnect every
connection and cleaned with a contact cleaning fluid, coonectors from
air-mass meter, throttle-valve sensor, etc.

Regards,

Ralf

 

How are you checking for stored error codes? You really need to determine
the error code from the check engine light. If it stays on, then AutoZone
will read this for free if you have one in your area.

It also would be helpful if you posted some other useful information as
well, starting with the vehicle's mileage and the maintenance history
(specifically, when was the throttle body last properly cleaned and when
were the battery, plugs and ignition wires last changed)? What is the
battery voltage (both when engine running and off) that led you to suspect
and replace the alternator?

Good luck. Many on this group will help you, but you need to provide more
info to allow anyone to do more than just guess.

Bob

 

clean the battery terminals real good and them peel the left inner fender
splash shiel and look at the wiring harness that comes thru the wheel well
from the battery and make sure there is no corrided wires there
if that is all good play with ingition switch while you are driving and see
if acts up then just some stuff to look at that might or might not be the
issue

 

And when you go to AutoZone to have them pull codes, borrow their fuel
pressure gauge and make sure you have a steady 42+ PSI. It could be the fuel
pump starting to go bad.

 

Didn't we have a thread a while back about another vehicle where the problem
was the knock sensor was making the computer (still an SBEC on a 97?) reset
once per trip which cased the CEL to flash and caused the engine to buck
once as it came back online? IIRC the fix was simply to unplug the knock
sensor itself.

 

Your fuel injection has a problem. The most common is that one of
the sensors has gone bad and is intermittent and is giving
intermittent
inputs to the engine computer. This also could be a vacuum leak
but most likely a sensor. Possible ones are

cam sensor
o2 sensor
egr valve
map sensor
throttle position sensor
vehicle speed sensor
coolant temp sensor

There is of course a possibility this could be low fuel pressure or
bad ignition coil or wires but it doesen't sound like that.
Particularly
since most of the time the van starts right up again.

For what it's worth, recently I had my van develop similar symptoms,
problem was bad MAP sensor. I was lucky in that it did set a code.
I also own a code scanner. But besides the MAP sensor code it also
set a lot of other codes. Relying solely on codes can make you waste
a whole lot of money.

I hate to break it to you but if an engine sensor has gone
intermittent it
can do so in a way that is NOT detectible by the engine computer.
Remember
the old Garbage In Garbage Out for computer systems.

The computer can easily detect sensors that have shorted or opened.
But a failure where a sensor just starts reading off what it's
supposed to be
reading isn't going to always set a code. Particularly if the thing
being
measured is NOT a digital quantity. (ie: MAP sensor)

However my personal opinion is that there's a code, your just not
reading
it properly.

In one of these designs I forget which, when the code says cam sensor
it's actually the crank sensor, and when the code says crank sensor
it's
actually the cam sensor.

If your insistent on shotgunning then
go to a wrecking yard and pull ALL of the sensors I mentioned and swap
them in one at a time and cross you fingers and hope the ones you got
from
the wrecker are good.

Now you see here is the problem, you have been putzing around with it
for so long now that now something else has gone wrong and now you
have
2 problems in the van. These may or may not be related, but you won't
know if they are now because you've let it go.

Yeah well these are the kinds of vehicles that get sold on the used
market
for pennies and picked up by someone who spends a few hundred bucks
having a really competent mechanic diagnose it, and ends up with a
vehicle
that is worth a lot more money.

Ted