Our 2010 Grand Caravan has been having issues lately. Usually only cold mornings (it is winter...), once started it generally will start normally all day.
Turn key, motor cranks hard and steady, but will not start. After a few tries it will start no problem, and run more than fine thereafter. Van has 87,000 KM if that matters any, for reference.
It does not do this every morning for that matter.
Thoughts?

 

Our 2010 Grand Caravan 3.3L did the same thing. Intermittent no start cranks but won't fire. It never threw any fault codes. In the end it turned out to be the fuel pump relay in the T.P.I.M. it seems the contacts can't handle the current load and get burnt. The T.I.P.M. for these vehicles does have issues and is subject to recalls in the U.S.A. The relay is soldered on the circuit board but can be replaced. Many things can cause this including a bad fuel pump. I chose to replace the T.P.I.M. with the revised factory part. It's now been 1 1/2 years since I replaced the T.P.I.M. and no problems and still running the original fuel pump at 175,000 km. A quick You Tube search will show how it bypass the relay to verify the problem and how to replace the relay. Not saying this is your problem but it was ours.

 

Hey, Sorry for the Typo's I'm getting old. That should read T.I.P.M. or Totally Integrated Power Module aka fuse box under hood

 

have any of the members taken apart TIMP? I have taken PCM on older dodges, are they the same inside

 

Did it ever keep cranking after you let go of the key?

 

It's supposed to do that. It's called TIP Start. Last usually 7 seconds.

DON'T take the TIPM apart. Get a relay bypass kit.

You can use the recall kit from the Jeep R09 recall. I do it on a weekly basis.

 

Mine lasts longer than 7 seconds. It will crank in the run position until I turn the key to accessories or off. Does it every time unless it's warm.
Once it even started RPMs were on zero would not rev shut it off turn it on and hasn't done that since.

 

As a retired Chrysler mechanic this "stuff" pisses me off. Why Chrysler would decide that a "mission critical" item like a fuel pump relay should be almost inaccessible by soldering it on a circuit board and burying it inside a T.I.P.M. is mind blowing. It is inexcusable that this generation of T.I.P.M. was only recalled for certain vehicles in certain countries when it is obvious the problem is across the board. Installing a recall kit from a different vehicle converting the internal relay to an external one just illustrates what I'm talking about. This is the way it should have been in the first place. As mentioned the external relay route is the way to go to prevent future issues. What happened to the good old days when you just plugged in a new relay when you replaced your aging fuel pump that was drawing to much amperage? That being said not all the T.I.P.M. issues were just due to the fuel pump relay there are also various other electrical issues that have been addressed with revised T.I.P.M.s and that is the reason I chose to replace the T.I.P.M. At times our Caravan did crank longer than 7 seconds trying to start. Thankfully my experience allowed me to figure the problem out without wasting a fortune in diagnostic time and unnecessary parts. I still have a fly up my nose though over the price of the part even at trade price. Sorry rant complete.

 

You retired??? I had just planned on dropping dead in my stalls if I didn't win the lottery or find a rich sugar mama

 

@TNtech L.O.L. No I'm not quite that old. I'm one of those mechanics that spend most of my life training to keep up and just got tired of fighting flat rate, warranty times and rust. I had to learn the hard way in my neck of the woods that the more you know the less you get paid. The dealership I worked at for 20+ years slowly degraded to the point where you could barely make a living on flat rate. Had a mid-life crisis and walked out. Found a new job that pays hourly without the stress and never looked back. My first love was auto mechanics but the state of the trade forced me leave. Sorry to hijack the thread. Second rant complete.