I have read through many stalling and stumbling issue posts here, as well as on other forums... but none seem to be just like my problem.... I'll explain.

My 2000 3.9 Ram van conversion will sputter,stumble, and lose all power to accelerate occasionally, both while cruising along or sitting at a stop light..

This is similar to many other posts I have seen... but my problem can be temporarily fixed by popping the van out of gear, killing the ignition... and starting it back up again... Boom.. problem gone... for a little while... it may be a week, or a few minutes... What could reset... or be fixed by shutting down for 2 seconds??

This happens whether I have been driving along for hours.... just starting it up after a couple days of non-use... or anything in between....

I did have an engine code... only once... and it was P0132, which is the O2 sensor... but I reset it. and it never came back.... It did come on right in the middle of a sputter attack however...

Dry gas and fuel system cleaner has no effect... and the van runs excellent at all other times.... but my fuel mileage is terrible... less than 12mpg, but the may be due to a little V6 in thisheavy conversion van with only 3 gears in the auto box...

Any insights... ect, would be wonderful... since I had a similar problem with is 94 Sentra a few years back.. and replaced everything..and I mean everything....(except the computer since it checked out fine...)even rings and injectors... and ended up junking the car....

Help Please!!

Crispy.

Oh, and by the way... I'm glad to be here!!

 

Could be a dirty pickup screen in the fuel tank. As the fuel is getting sucked through, the screen is collecting dirt to the point that fuel flow is heavily restricted. Shutting off the engine stops the suction andallows the dirt to fall and the screen to be able to pass sufficient flow once again. Checking for low fuel pressure during the times that the engine is sputtering would confirm this.

 

It could be the O2 sensors. Having bad gas milage and the engine stumble usually are indicators of this problem. Also, you are resetting the PCM from this wacky problem. The O2 sensors will reset and then work to being bad in a week or in a short time. If you would dig up info on O2 sensors across the web, especially the Bosch data, you'll understand better why this trouble is driving you crasy (pun intended).

Alloro could also have a good point too. years ago I had a 1979 Dodge Aspen, a car like a dodge Dart. The fuel delivery to the fuel pump was being starved. Shutting of the car and turning it back on "reset" the issus too. WHY? Well, think of sucking through a straw. If the straw end gets plugged, you stop. The blockage moves and then you can start again.

Auto repair can sometimes drive us crasy. Just this week I changed out the brake pads on the B2500 3/4-ton Ram Van. It has TWO pistons per caliper. You push on on piston and the others moves out. It drove me nuts until I understood how to colapse them and put the caliper over the new wider pads.

Keep us posted on your progress. Your O2 sensors are 7 years old. If you mileage is approaching over 80k, they are more than likey need to be changed anyways. The replacement will pay for themselves in a short period of time since fuel prices are going up. The O2 sensors will help regain the lost mpg.

Peace!

Stev

 

I thank you both for the insights.... I dread the thought of dropping the fuel tank to get at the pump.. and I know from experience that replacing an oxygen sensor is not much more fun.... but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

According to my manual, and the parts store, my van has no fuel filter to change as it is an integral part of the fuel pump module...... So what is there to filter the gasoline? Can it be cleaned or something without spending the cash for a new pump... especially if the old pump is working fine?

I think I will rig up a fuel pressure gauge to look at while driving first... then I can see if the tank must fall... lol...

Hey, thanks again..

Crispy.

 

That's your best bet to confirm, because I've been wrong before.

 

UPDATE.... Problem was solved by replacing the O2 sensors.. how about that??

I also gave Van a tune up earlier today, but that did not help any....so I went and got thesensors just to get itoverwith... and boom... there ya go..

Thanks for the help in fixing my problem...

Crispy..