I have a 2000 Dodge B Van 3500 318/A 518 it is a 15 passenger. I was towing my car trailer with it going through the mountains pretty good and it was running fine, but the grades were pretty steep, got home all was well. The next day I went to start it up and it fired and ran like crap and was backfiring like mad and died. Then I restarted it and it ran fine. I went into town and half way it just stumbled and died. Again I started it and it ran rough and was sputtering and backfiring. Then it died.... restart and it ran good and died once again. I fired it and got it home ok... I stopped by Autozone and they put their OBD scanner and it showed NO CODES.... I was suspect it was fuel related so I put a fuel injection pressure gauge on the fuel rail and it was a strong 48 pounds..... It fired up yesterday fine when I tested it.... Today I go to start it and it started and backfired and died again.... now it fires up and immediately dies.... Is it a bad crank sensor? Or Still fuel related? Bad Gas? too many darn possible culprits......
It has 77k miles on it... and of course 4 Brand New Tires! haha.....

Any help would be appreciated.....

Ray

 

Usually - with the symptoms you are describing - it is either (in order) coil, CPS, or PCM


Rare causes are o2 sensor, grounding issues, unusual/cooked battery, bad gas, or flakey fuel pump

 

So I have a engine code that came up PO443 the evap system. I changed the purge solenoid thinking it may be the culprit... The van will run good and then when it warms up it dies.... yesterday I limped it home but I kept cranking it to start and once it backfired out the throttle body and burnt a hole in my new air filter.. I have the fuel pressure gauge on it and watch the vehicle die and the gauge stayed at 50 pounds so it must be electical!!???

when it is warmed up I will start it and it starts, but immediately dies again.... the check engine light will come on and go off randomly... I do not know what it can be now.... I don't think the charcoal canister would be the issue.....who knows. any ideas?

 

A bad gas cap seal or loose gas cap can cause the P0443 code.

The random CEL is usually caused by a bad upstream O2 sensor. A bad O2 sensor can also cause the engine to run poorly.

 

so the trouble continues..... today We hooked up the Snap On computer to the van and tried to fire it.... no spark..,. then after cranking a bit it started and ran like crap, had to keep the throttle on and pump it to keep it running, it was backfiring through the intake like mad.... the computer still showed the same code but the new purge solenoid I installed was working good when we manually switched it. Now my friend thinks it may be a faulty crank sensor..... or perhaps a knock sensor.... I don't know why it would have spark one minute and not another.... NO o2 sensor would cause the van not to run and then run and then run like crap? Any ideas?

 

bad MAP sensor and/or the power/ground/vacuum? that is, after ruling out possible issues FUNAIR suggested.

 

I bought a map sensor and put it in and it made no difference. Everyone says it must be the crank sensor. I have one on the way so if that doesn't fix it then I don't know what it is????

 

Well i put on a Map sensor and a crank sensor....still same problem. A friend brought over a vantage machine and hooked it up.... he tested the cam sensor which read perfect. we tested the engine and it would run fine and then die apparently the signal is going out to the ecm and from the ecm to the coil.... randomly the signal gets lost to fire the coil for no apparent reason. Everytime the van dies we lose signal/data to the vantage computer. At this point i don't know if the computer is haywire and needs replaced? at this point the van is just sitting in the driveway cause I don't know what I really need to fix it and I am tired of buying sensors that aren't fixing the problem...

 

I do hope you have checked and cleaned grounds from the battery to the body and from the body to the engine. There is a ground strap close to the coil from the frame. I have added an additional ground from battery to frame on my '01.

With battery disconnected have you inspected the 3 connectors on the PCM? Maybe take some fine scotch bright to the contacts. Your symptoms may be caused by a poor electrical connection.

 

I have wiggled the connectors on the ECM and my grounds look ok, I will pull them and sand them down and re check everything. I haven't figured out yet how to get the connectors off the ECM but I will pull the battery cables off first and see if I can't get them off and check them out then see what happens...