Questions and Answers

Dodge Caravan No Start Q. I have a 1989 Dodge Caravan SE 3.0 liter V-6 Mini Van and it will not turn over as of two days ago. My van had been in storage for a year and when I got it out of storage a month ago I just put a new battery in it and Slick 50® gas treatment in the gas tank and filled the tires with air and in minutes I then drove it 1500 miles home with not a single problem.

But then two weeks ago the fuel pump went out and I replaced it and it still seems to be working fine. Now two days ago when I went into a store and came back out and started the Van it would not turn over. I got some one to tow me home and have not been able to locate the problem. The Van engine rotates but it will not turn over, it seems not to be getting spark or something to turn it over all the way.

I checked the distributor cap and cleaned it out and also looked at the rotor but I guess this rotor don't come straight off because I couldn't remove it but I did clean it. All the spark plug wires seem good and removed them and cleaned them off. I checked all the wiring system and they seem okay too. I am having a problem checking if it is getting gas as the book says I need to de-pressurize the fuel system with caution!

And it says I have a fuel filter but I can't find it and also de-pressurize is needed for that too. I am a female and can do most of the work but I am really having problem with this one. Can you help me out?

Thanks a lot.

A. I had a little difficulty following what you are trying to say, but I think I got the gist of it. Basically it is a crank, no start. The engine turns over fine, it just doesn't start.

The first thing to do is find out what is missing, fuel or spark. You can make a spark tester from an old spark plug gapped to about 0.200". Unplug a spark plug wire, plug in your spark tester and lay it on something metal. Crank the engine and if there is spark, you probably have a fuel problem. To confirm this spray some carburetor cleaner into the intake and crank it. If it starts and runs as long as the carburetor cleaner lasts, then it is a fuel problem. At this point I would do a fuel pressure and volume test. I have a hunch it's a bad fuel pump.

The in-line fuel filter is found along the right side frame rail between the fuel tank and engine. This is the procedure for de-pressurizing the fuel system:

1. Loosen gas cap and allow tank pressure to release.
2. Remove wiring harness connector from any injector, then ground one injector terminal.
3. Connect a suitable jumper wire to a second terminal, then touch the positive post of the battery for approximately 10 seconds and release system pressure.
4. Remove jumper wires and service fuel system as required.

Before you do anything else, put in five gallons of gas in it. After sitting the fuel sender may have been damaged and giving you a false reading. I've had this happen to me a few times. Gauge says there is fuel when the tank is actually empty.