If so, I wouldn't mind as much as not knowing what's wrong. I have to take off the Altenator anyway to replace a bad thermostat I put in while doing the plenum repair. The only reason I did use it is all the threads I read of other doing the repair. Many of them also used RTV. Many were witht the Hughes kit, but some were with the Felpro.

Well it looks like I'll be back tracking everything thing I did to eliminate any possibilities of mistakes with plenum. It's not so hard once you know what to do. Cleaning everything was the most time consuming part. First I think I'll check the vacuum check with hand over oil fil hole. That is if that works with cranking over engine only?

Thinking too maybe something just came loose on the way home that first night. A sensor clip, maybe a plug wire. It was bucking pretty good. But again this all happened after van was running fine and it seems once in closed loop when warmed up I would have problem at first. Then the no start problem. From those conditions it sounds more like something happened once warmed up. I would say maybe a blown plenum gasket, but I already had a faulty gasket for years and never had problems with engine like this. If not cat, what other problems would cause this choking, bucking problem?

Head Gaskets?
Cracks?
Clogging from cleaning below intake?
EGR?

Just throwing out things now. One thing I know is having have a mechanic tell me it was something stupid like a loose clip or wire or something would really be disappointing and also the best thing to happen if giving up and bringing it in.

I'm gonna search a bit more for now. Can't do a thing for 2 days anyway.

Alloro, Just want to say again Thank you for all your replies. I was told to search you out from another forum here. That you would have the best advice for my vans situations. Wish I could return the favor. If you need PC help or construction help, be very happy to do what I can.

 

Not trying to make you feel bad, and it sure seems like you're having your share of trouble here already - BUT - I never would have accepted that SMEC from Autozone with a broken plastic ear. Either it experienced rough shipping or it may be a faulty customer return. Either way, it's bad news as you've seen. These retailers have very strict policies about returning electrical parts so the least they can do is supply you with a new one in perfect condition.

All the best & I hope you get the problem sorted soon.

 

I have a fan club??? Wow, I'm touched.

 

No chance of you feeling it with your hand during cranking only. If the engine were running you could do it, but at cranking RPMs there is not enough vacuum generated to be able to feel any pull. If you have a vacuum gauge stick it in the oil fill hole and plug the PCV valve hose and it's hole in the valve cover. Then crank the engine and look for needle movement. The gauge is a lot more sensitive than the feel from your hand will ever be. If the plenum is leaking you will see the vacuum gauge move.

 

This is a copy of my reply from another thread on this. Just some more insight. And just to make sure, I bought a new battery. Asked mechanic after explaining details of everything that's happened. He said battery is not your current problem since you've already been starting it over and over. More of an ignition problem. Quite possibly a connection popped off from doing my own repairs. Happens to them.

No time today to work on it. Except I did try to start it in the cold. And it would barely start and idle for a few seconds. If I pump the pedal just right I could keep a very rough idle. This I think is a sign that the old ECM was bad. Because I wouldn't be able to get the engine to get spark or fuel when cold until I heated up the engine of ECM. Now at least it will want to start. So maybe it's just a matter of some connection that disconnected. I'm going to try to find time tommorrow and back track all the steps for the repair I did 2 weeks back on the plenum.

Fuel pump was just replace last year. Not that means anything. I'll check for pressure and spark again. I did have great spark which nearly blew me back by surprise when checking when van wouldn't start in cold until I heated the engine or ECM. Same with fuel pressure. With old ECM van would not start or give any hint of wanting to start. Or any sign of spark of fuel pressure. Once heated with either a space heater or overnight block heater or hair dryer pointed at ECM, van would start right up and have plenty of spark and fuel pressure. So with new ECM I'll check when cold first and after heating up to see any difference. But I already know the van will now at least start at a very rough idle for a brief time. So I got to guess there is some spark and fuel. I'll find out more.

Did talk to a mechanic tonight and he said sounds like ignition problem. Recommended back tracking all connections I messed with. Maybe one popped off. Also when doing intake repair, I clip wires to crankshaft position sensor and had to re solder them. He said to go to Dodge and get the wiring harness for that sensor and replace it. May have heated up and loosened up. So I'll start there and see how solder looks. It's been running great since repair so never thought to check it when all this new crap happened. I like that van wanted to start in cold weather. To me it means replacing ECM was worth it. We'll see.

 

Earlier I looked at my ragged old Haynes manual and remembered that it is slack regarding schematics for 93',94' vehicles. ebaymotors,manuals and literature,ramvan, then put in 1994. Dodge factory manuals for as little 20.00. You'll really be glad you did.There is a wire for instance that comes off of the PCM that visits the tps,map,charge air,coolant temp,vehicle speed sensor ,crankshaft position,camshaft position and oxygen sensor it is black/light blue tracer. It is called the sensor return.
Another is 5volt and supplies all the same sensors except the vehicle speed sensor, crankshaft and camshaft sensors it is violet/white strip(tracer) Speed,crank and camshaft sensors are fed 8 volts by an orange
wire. Most have a third wire feeding a signal (voltage) back to the PCM.
With your meter and the manual you can KNOW whether or not these things are failing.I haven't noticed you saying that you'd bought a Haynes manual but if you did the 95'-98 schematics are not to much different.
Best of Luck

 

Definitely check those solder joints for a cold joint and shorting. Also, carefully inspect the wiring going to the crank sensor. The cam sensor in the distributor controls the fuel injector timing and the crank sensor at the flywheel controls the ignition timing. Either one of these sensors malfunctioning can throw the engine timing out of whack.

One thing we haven't looked at so far is the IAC valve on the back of the throttle body being stuck open. If it is stuck open the engine will run too lean. How is the wire going to that, any damage?

 

I'm hoping to take this one step at a time. I change battery. Now it's new and last longer without recharge sofar. Battery's not the problem. I check again for fuel pressure and I also check IAC which I cleaned real good this summer. I have only sputtering amounts of fuel coming out of hose to fuel rail injector. Not like it was a week or so ago when it would squirt out pretty good. Also after taking out IAC and connected back to juice I tried to see if plunger would move in or out when turning ignition it it does not move. I also tried starting van with my finger plugging up IAC port on TB with fuel line still connected and it didn't start. But I did notice that the loud hissing sound was gone with my finger on IAC port, which I was getting while trying to start van with the recent no start choking problem I've had lately.

I also reverse the 2 relays on the firewall next to battery to see if this would help with fuel pressure. And I looked for fuel filter which I thought used to be on frame passenger side underneath. Now I only see what looks to be a male coupler connecting fuel lines to and from TB and fuel pump where I thought filter used to be. I had fuel pump replaced last year 07. They had to drop tank and all. And I had to bring truck back for new strap when it arrived on order (it was cracked). So I have to assume I got the new fuel pump like told. Can't see how that would have clogged or gone bad so quickly. If so I'm pissed now. I'll have to drop tank just to check.

I'm going to parts store to see if I can get a fuel pressure guage. But any advice will be more than welcome. I got a access to a car for a few days so I'm going at this hard now. I still don't really hear a whinning sound that others have said I should hear from turning key to see if pump is working. But I do see it and hear it spit and gurgle for a second or 2 and if I try turning key again and again fuel will spit out but by 3rd or 4th key turn gas seems to stop coming out almost to the point it's more air than gas. But the pressure doesn't seem to last but for a second or 2 while turning key. I'll have to try this again to see if I'm describing this correctly.

I do believe new ECM has solved the 30 degree and below no start problem I had. I can now hear the engin trying to run and it will actually idle for a bit, but I have to play with the pedal to help. But even that won't last long. Got to be not enough fuel I think? If so now to find out why. I'll be back to post after pressure check of gas

 

For a quick and easy check, take some carb cleaner and spray it into the throttle body as soon as you start it. If the engine roars to life during the blasts of CC then you know it's starving for fuel.

 

Checked fuel pressure and only got 7 psi when turning key to on and about 11 psi when cranking over.