Strange loss of power
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Joined: Dec 2012
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Strange loss of power
I have a 1991 Dodge B350 12 passenger van. 5.9 l engine. Strange problem...after 8 hours of driving van loses power. Throttle becomes unresponsive and car slowls down gradually. Let rest 15 min and ok for half hour or more. Then repeats. Recently had tuneup that had problems getting timing set correctly. No computer codes. Recent items replaced: air filter, cap and rotor, spark plugs and wires, sensor in bottom of distributor, temp sensor, speedometer and sensor, MAP sensor. Any ideas what could cause this?
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Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Minnesota
I have a 1991 Dodge B350 12 passenger van. 5.9 l engine. Strange problem...after 8 hours of driving van loses power. Throttle becomes unresponsive and car slowls down gradually. Let rest 15 min and ok for half hour or more. Then repeats. Recently had tuneup that had problems getting timing set correctly. No computer codes. Recent items replaced: air filter, cap and rotor, spark plugs and wires, sensor in bottom of distributor, temp sensor, speedometer and sensor, MAP sensor. Any ideas what could cause this?
This seems to be a sign of a PCM/ECM issue .... That is where I would lay my cards on an issue like this if the Intake and Head gaskets checked out good. I know on some Chrysler mini vans (like the Town & Country) they were known for a bad wire harness (fuel rail wire harness) it was a bad design where the 10 - 14 pin plug was above the exhaust cross over pipe and would fail due to excessive heat exposure. Would cause random shut downs and ghost codes a few actually took out the PCM/ECM due to wire shorts from the heat.
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Joined: Jan 2013
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From: San Fran East Bay
I have a 1991 Dodge B350 12 passenger van. 5.9 l engine. Strange problem...after 8 hours of driving van loses power. Throttle becomes unresponsive and car slowls down gradually. Let rest 15 min and ok for half hour or more. Then repeats. Recently had tuneup that had problems getting timing set correctly. No computer codes. Recent items replaced: air filter, cap and rotor, spark plugs and wires, sensor in bottom of distributor, temp sensor, speedometer and sensor, MAP sensor. Any ideas what could cause this?
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Joined: Dec 2012
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I had a similar problem back before computers
and emission controls. New fuel filter was part
of the cure, and a tank clean-out was the other.
Cutting open the filter revealed the cause..
Rust from a gas can got into the tank. The
fuel filter was mounted horizontally so the face
of the filter element was vertical. When the
particles covered the face the engine stopped .
The rust particles would slide down the face
of the element and I could drive off. For a while.
The rust got into the tank from a steel gas can.
Stationed in Italy at that time all military with
resident families were required to have a 5 gal
gas can in the car for possible evacuation. And
the gas was to be dumped into the tank regularly
and refilled with fresh gas.
That rule was dropped after a few bad events
and thinking about the hazards of a loose,
maybe leaking gas can.
and emission controls. New fuel filter was part
of the cure, and a tank clean-out was the other.
Cutting open the filter revealed the cause..
Rust from a gas can got into the tank. The
fuel filter was mounted horizontally so the face
of the filter element was vertical. When the
particles covered the face the engine stopped .
The rust particles would slide down the face
of the element and I could drive off. For a while.
The rust got into the tank from a steel gas can.
Stationed in Italy at that time all military with
resident families were required to have a 5 gal
gas can in the car for possible evacuation. And
the gas was to be dumped into the tank regularly
and refilled with fresh gas.
That rule was dropped after a few bad events
and thinking about the hazards of a loose,
maybe leaking gas can.