Questions and Answers

Dodge Caravan Is Dumping Fuel Q. 1993 Dodge Caravan, 3.3 liter, ABS, cruise control, P,S, 170,000 kilometers. When I try to start the engine it will turn over but will not fire completely. When I try to start it the engine will sputter/chug and then die. If I pump the gas pedal it will try to start but will die. Sometimes it will backfire when I try to start it.

The plugs are black. There is gas going to the injectors. All the injectors test out on the scanner as okay. There is spark to all the spark plugs. When I try to start it the air intake seems as if the air is being pushed out of the engine as there is a great amount of noise in the intake. Can you offer me any solutions to the situation?

Thanks...

A. It sounds like it's flooding out. Since you have a scanner, check the Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS) when the engine is cold and see what it's reading. It should be within three or four degrees of the ambient air temperature.

If the CTS checks out good, and I'm assuming you used your scanner to check for codes and there were none, Then you will need to do a fuel pressure test. It's possible the fuel pressure regulator is bad or the fuel pump is putting out too much pressure. It will also tell you if the injectors are dumping fuel into the cylinders.

At this point the engine oil is probably so diluted with gasoline that it is contributing greatly to the starting difficulty.