1995 Caravan starts and dies

[Caravanwriter]

Hi all,

I have a 95 Dodge Caravan 3.0 L V6. I recently changed the serpentine belt just fyi.

I came home for lunch and when I left to go back to work the car wouldn't start. It would barely turn over and then rapid clicks.

I had a friend come over to jump it and we figured out that it will start but only if you mash on the gas pedal. The second you let off the gas it dies immediately. I'm a do-it-yourselfer and learning how to fix these things as I go.

Any ideas on where I should start?

[mfahey]

I would get the battery fully charged up and then try it. The fact that you recently changed the serpentine might mean that there isn't sufficient tension on the alternator pulley to keep the battery charged which in turn would lead to excessively low voltage, not enough to run the car.
Be sure the tensioner is actually free and keeping tension on the belt.