Have a question for you guys, I took my 94 ramvan to school for a prom fundraiser after i managed to make it somewht moveable (will not go above 10kph and backfires and sputters and stalls like no tomorrow) Anyway it's devolped a new annoying problem, it takes forever for the checkengine light to come on and before it does a faint clicking noise that gradually gets louder over a span of about 30 seconds untill the check engine light flashes a few times and then it will start, but untill then no go.... the clicking somes from both 2 little square electrical things on the firewall and a vaccum thingy on the engine..... then the van will run like crap for about 10 minutes untill it stalls and refuses to even give a hint of starting again.... I hate new cars please i need help before my principal tows the van away

 

Classic symptoms of a failing PCM/ECM/SMEC. Engine computer.

Or a bad ECM ground, or hot power lead to it, or excessive water in the connector to the ECM.

Goto www.rockauto.com and lookup your year and model and look at the photos.

It is on the firewall up top on the passenger side.

If there is any doubt which one you might have, you should open it up and look for a model number somewhere on the circuit board(s).

 

hi thanks thats what i was fearing.... is there any way to save it? i cannot afford a new one and i called every wrecking yard i know of and couldn't even find a ramvan let alone a computer for one

 

Before you replace it, look at his other suggestions, ie excessive water in the connector, bad ground or hot power lead.

Find it on your van and disconnect the wire connector. If it shows any signs of water or corrosion, clean the prongs as best you can and reconnect after smearing some dielectric grease inside.

Test the ground or at least follow it and clean the parts that touch, putting them back together with dielectric grease.

Look for any other engine grounds you can see, cleaning, greasing and tightening them all as you go.

In other words, test before replace. It's a lot cheaper that way...

 

Nope, no way to save it.

Post the number off the label on the computer and maybe one of us can find one for you. The number is the one that ends with something like AA, AB, AE.

 

I saved mine by changing the 25volt - 470 microfarad capacitor in the PCM. I pulled it out of an old DVD player I had setting around. BTW your van exhibits the same symptoms as mine did prior to the capacitor change. Hope this helps.