Questions and Answers

Dodge Maxivan Dies, Restarts Is Fine Q. Vincent, I have an old 1980 Dodge Maxivan conversion "Bubble top" RV. The engine is Chrysler 318 V-8. It is in very good condition with 123,000 kilometers on the clock. Carburetor, automatic transmission, and P/S. The problem is that every now and again after warming up for about 10 minutes, I take off, within about a mile or two it dies on me.

I wait for 15 minutes and it starts fine and then seems to be okay. I adjusted the carburetor by bending the arm slightly that holds the butterfly flap on the carburetor. However, I noticed that the exhaust manifold heat valve thermostat is not opening after getting the engine up to running temperature.

Question? Do you think this could be the problem, or something else? I enjoy reading your Q&A, I hope you can help.

Yours Sincerely,
Gerry
Calgary, Canada

A. It can be very difficult to diagnose problems without knowing specific factors such as the presence of fuel pressure, spark etc. Your heat riser valve being inoperative shouldn't cause the vehicle to stall completely unless the heat riser passage in the intake manifold and cylinder heads is completely blocked, which could be the case as this was a common occurrence in the carburetted 318s.

However, I recommend that you check for the presence of spark and fuel pressure while the vehicle is stalled. Ignition coils, ignition control modules, distributor pickups, and even carburetors can all cause stalling when subjected to heat if these parts are nearing the end of their service life.