I bought a 95 Ram vam a couple months ago and was going to wait until spring to put it on the road(salt). I went out a couple weeks ago to start it, nothing. Turned over, but that's all. It was really cold(10) and I hadn't started it since I brought it home. Figuing it was the cold, I didn't think much of it. I went out to start it the other day because it was warmer (45). It turned over really strong, but would not fire. When I turn the key, I don't hear the fuel pump like I did in the old van I had. Think it could be that?

 

It could be the ASD or the fuel pump relays. They are both together on the firewall in the engine compartment. I would start with both of these and see if you have power going into and out of their contacts.

 

You could also have some else turn the key on while you keep your ear to the gas tank filler with the cap off, maybe the fuel pump is quieter on this one than it was on the old one. Tracka96

 

You guys are good! I went out and had a friend turn the key. I heard a very faint "werrrr" sound. Well, I guess it isn't the pump. Think it's one of those relays? Just use a test light?

 

You can, but I prefer to use a meter so that I know I'm getting full power through the contacts. A test light will still light even though say only 9-10 volts are getting through.

 

I guess now would probably be the time to admit I'm about as green as one can get as far as fixing cars goes. I really want to learn, but we'll take things one at a time. What kind of meter would you recommend I buy?

One other thing guys, I bought this van with the intention of turning it into a camper-van. I was mulling over the idea of driving it out to Montana this summer from Upstate, NY for an extended bout of fishing and plein air painting. Any thoughts on the "saneness" of this idea? What should I replace, repair, or expect to break if I was to do such a thing?

 

Any digital meter that has a 0-20 volt DC range along with ohms for testing continuity will do.

As far as the saneness of your trip, it really depends on the condition of the van and your confidence level in it's reliability. Just make sure your tires are in good shape, no cracks, splits, uneven wear, leaks, etc. I would definitely change all of the fluids to synthetics for better mileage on such a long trip. Since you don't know the full history of the van, have a tranny shop (not a quick lube) do the filter/fluid change on the tranny along with adjustments to both bands. And finally, a tune-up probably wouldn't hurt.

 

I'm amazed the shape it's in. The old van I had which was a 94 was in far worse shape than this one. The whole underside showed rust, the tranny was about to go, and the shifter broke one day in my driveway.

This one however has ZERO rust underneath. Something living in NY I'm amazed at. It seems to run well(well, it did when it wanted to start). And the guy I bought it from had the receipts from a ton of things he had fixed on it like the computer, radiator, etc, etc.

I planned on having it looked over real well before I made the drive. The previous owner was a pharmacy tech that drove it to Buffalo and back on and off for over a year. That's about 250 miles round trip. Every time it farted sideways he had it in the shop cause he didn't want to break down on the highway with it. I guess it's just a gamble driving that far with any vehicle. Thanks for the input.