I was hoping if someone can help me with my dodge caravan? I am new on this site trying to get some answers and I don't know to much about cars. Well I am not getting sparks and the mechanic replace already to 2 sensors on it and don't really remember what they were I think one was called a crank sensor and the other don't rememeber. Now it still has no spark and he tells me he might be the cpu. Well basically guys I am trying to get a second opinion because I don't want to spend too much money to find out the problem wasn't the CPU. I told the mechanic who is working on my car that I will get another cpu at the junkyard then he told me that I need to REFLASH the CPU and don't have an Idea what is the meaning of reflashing that requires the Vin#? Can someone explaing to me what is REFLASHING? Can I just purchase a Cpu at a salvage yard and plug it in without reflashing or is theres anyway I can reset the old CPU because it wasn't running for a long time for about 8 months because didn't have money and maybe the Cpu just need to be reset. I hope someone outhhere with the knowledge can help me because I am running out of money everytime we replace something and still doesn't work. So if anyone can help me I will be in your debt.

God Bless...

 

If it is the PCM that needs to be replaced, it can't be reset. The PCM has transistors inside of it that ground the coils to make them fire. If they don't work anymore it's usually because they have failed so you need to replace the PCM. I'm assuming with a 2.4 that you have very few options in the van. When you install a PCM it is programmed with the vehicles vehicle identification number (VIN). There could be other modules on the vehicle that also know the vin so if you put in a used PCM the numbers won't match and you could get some warning lamps on. The vin is not over writeable. As long as you don't have the grey headed keys, it should start and run on a used PCM as long as the part numbers are the same. I will go on record as being against using used modules, I've seen it cause so many problems it's not funny.

 

Thanks for reply any help on the this vehicle is appreciate it. I just purchase a used one at the junkyard and has the same number as my old ecm but when I put it on still didn't have any spark. How can I find out the old ecu is still working because I have 2 now and don't know if they work. Well I want to see if I can reflash the one that I got at the salvage yard. The problem I am having is I tried to call different places around my area in San Diego but its hard to find someone to reflash it for me. Some won't do older cars and some want to reflash a new one instead of the one I got at the salvage yard.
Thanks again,

 

If it doesn't run, flashing it won't do any good. I have multiple posts on here on how to check out a no spark on a 2.4 minivan. Let me know if you can't find one and I'll try to find it.

 

Sounds like you need a new mechanic. You need to start with stuff like does the pcm communicate and give codes and data to a scanner? is there correct power to the sensors? does the scanner see signal from the sensors? Without using some good diagnostic skills, you'll end up buying and swapping parts that are not the problem