'98 3.3L GC Starting Problem

[4g63t]

Hello - new here. Been lurking and reading. Seems I am not alone with the dead Caravan problem - misery loves company...

It's a '98 3.3L Grand Caravan with the factory alarm system driven by my mother-in-law. It has the original factory radio and has only been in one wreck - driver side - minor fender/headlight damage. The wiring harness on that side was cut by the fender but I repaired it 5 years ago. It just died before Hurricane Gustav hit nearby... It recently started stalling out after starting or while in the middle of driving - I once had it kill while on the I-10 and it restarted after giving it more gas - all the other times required a nuetral start while coasting. It would always restart - now it doesn't.

Here's what I do know:

Good battery and terminals - even tried a jump start. Starter does not even try to spin while turning the key. When I turn the key you hear clicking noises from the PDC. The dash and all features light up as normal - just no cranking noise. All of the fuses and relays check out fine. Tested the starter on the vehicle with a remote switch and it turns over and over and the engine rotates with it - so does this rule out a siezed engine?

:help:

So I am left with four things left to check - not in this order.

How do you test for a bad PCM? Will a PCM from a '97 3.3L GV work? It has the factory alarm also. I would like to swap it for testing purposes and then return it to the working Grand Voyager.

What exactly is a fuseable link - some special wire? The one that comes off the PDC - how can I check it without cutting into it - where does the other end go to - the alternator? Is this a dealer only part or can you just cut out the bad section and repair? Can a visual inspection reveal a bad fuseable link?

Do I sound like a bad-solder-joint-on-the-cluster candidate? Thumping the dash didn't help any.

How do you test the Nuetral/Park switch? It doesn't start in any position.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

BTW - Yes - I read just about every post related to 'dead caravan' on this fourm. Surprised how well the SEARCH button works here. Lots of good info!

[Dakotah18]

It sounds like a bad wiring situation in the starter relay circuit. From my experience with Dakotas, there are multiple wire splices (4 to be exact), if I remember correctly, on the dakota the starter relay has blue wires 3 into 1, yours would probably be very similar if not the same, just look for where the starter relay itself is in relation to the wires below (you'll need to separate 2 pieces of the power distribution center to see the underside of where the relay plugs in). Should be 3 wires coming off the relay and then they are joined to one, how they join is critical, if there is any corrosion there, repair the connection. Test the relay itself first, swap it out with the A/C relay, I believe they are the same and see if results change. Relays wear on the inside and can cause intermittent problems as well as corroded wires/splices.

[4g63t]

Yeah - I've tested the relays and even swapped them with the known working '97 Grand Voyager. The relays start in the '97. That's why I was asking if the '97 and '98's were the same to try and swap the PCM - I'd rather find another way to test it then get into the security issues.

I need to look under the PDC box for that corrosion you mentioned. I'll try that tomorrow.

Thanks for the feedback!

[usg4595]

Just curious if you ever got this fixed - working thru the same thing on my 2000 GC right now - exact same symptoms.

[4g63t]

No - I'm not fooling with it any further. Not worth my time and effort. I did check on a siezed engine and that is not it - it rotates. Starter isn't it either. Won't jump start either - battery is fine - starts my '07 GC. So I suspect either the computer, ignition switch or the cluster. The computer is on the same side she had a wreck on a few years ago. Right after Katrina it was stolen so the ignition key assembly had to be replaced. The cluster lights up but that is as far as I'm taking it. Space and condo rules prohibit working on it and I don't want a 'project' at my house...LOL!!!

[usg4595]

Well I hope I got it fixed. I ended up cleaning all of the starter related connections - at the starter and at the battery. I also cleaned the red & green wires on top going into the relay box. I also pulled the starter relay, and the part of the wiring harness on the bottom going into the starter relay. I gave everything I could a few passes with a wire brush on a cordless drill to clean them up, and everything got a liberal dose of CDC Electronic Cleaner. It has been running fine for a few days now, so I will keep my fingers crossed. My guess is that over time enough corrosion creeped in here and there to overall prevent a solid contact. It finally it me this was the exact same sound as when you have a battery terminal on but not tight - enough to flow 'residual' current but not enough to support the demand to start.

Only problem now is that after driving my Intrepid for 2 weeks my wife doesn't want to give it up now.......

[ml2f]

I had this problem with my 97 caravan I would be driving down the road and it would totally die, I shift into neutral and give it a few cranks and it would start. I changed my crankshaft sensor and haven't had this problem again.