Hi:

2002 Grand Caravan with a 3.3L. roughly 145K miles. Up until this week, never any engine problems. Now rough idle and cutting out at all speeds. Sounds like it's running on either 4 or 5 cylinders. Faint smoke coming from engine, but I can't tell where.

Code reader showed no codes and no engine light on, etc. Everything external seems to be okay. Anybody have any ideas what I should be looking for? I thought maybe fuel injector, but that doesn't explain the smoke. Changed plugs, etc about 3 months ago.

Thx,
Dave

 

What brand of plugs. Some have problems if not Champion,

 

Champions were installed. I don't think it's anything to do with plugs or wires. Plus, they wouldn't cause the light smoking coming from the engine. Still baffled.

 

Did you check the coolant level? And are you smelling oil burning on the manifolds, causing the smoke?

 

Coolant level is fine. Smoke is coming from the plenum (somewhere near the throttle body) in the front of engine. Not a distinctively oil burning smell, but definitely a burning smell.

The smoke is not thick. It's pretty lite, but only started since the engine is cutting out (at all speeds).

 

How about a fuel leak? And i would check the injector harness on the rear head near the power steering reservoir. These engine sometime start melting the harness and cause the engine to run bad. You may have to open the harness to inspect the wires. With engine cutting out, you should have stored or active codes.

 

Nope, I have an excellent code reader and it's showing no codes. I'll check the harness, but that wouldn't explain the smoking though. Very perplexing

 

This sounds a lot like a melting harness - I'd definitely give that a check next.