EVERYTHING WORKS BUT THE MOTOR WONT ROLL OVER?

75

Asked by phattony Jan 25, 2008 at 03:10 PM about the 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan SE FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

EVERYTHING WORKS BUT THE MOTOR WONT ROLL OVER,CHECKED EVERYTHING, IT STARTED FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS THREE TIMES IN A ROW, AFTER THAT IT DOESN'T ROLL OVER,CAN YOU HELP ME?

2 Answers

83,675

If it's not cranking, you may have a blown motor. If the starter is engaging but the engine will not turn, it could be head gasket related, etc. It's hard to say. Start with a compression test if you can, and have your starter checked -- I'm not sure what you mean by "roll over," perhaps the starter is not cranking the engine. I would suspect a head gasket if it ran and shut off.

75

Actually thanks for your input however I have found the main problem for every Dodge caravan made with a power distribution panel, I read many explainations here but I have found the biggest problem with all dodges with this unit under the hood. Between the Service manager of the local dodge dealer and myself , we have found that the power distribution panel (pdp from here on) The PDP has a false bottom that can be removeed without a great deal of pain: Repairs as follows: 1- Remove positive post of battery 2- Remove two main power cables at top end of PDP 3- Unbolt and remove PDP, don't worry all the plugs are unique and will only fit one place, one way. 4- take PDP to a clean surface for easy access 5- Remove 6 little plastic type rivet plugs around the bottom edge of PDP, be care full but they are fairly strong( cotter pin pliers work really well for this) 6- Remove false bottom of PDP, be careful not to crack this piece 7- When you look under the Fasle bottom you will see a series of metal rails called Bus Bars that are clipped into the plastic bottom, these are all friction fit and they only fit one way. 8- remove one bus bar at a time cleaning it and replacing it as well as each clip that snaps onto it, these are the contacts for the plugs you removed when removing the PDP from the vehicle. The best way to clean these rails is to use an alcohol based cleaner like Electronic contact cleaner on a soft rag, if you notice alot of rust etc... then use a steel wool pad but make sure you clean them well. Just reverse this process to reinstall, please note the removal of this unit will reset you computer units as well as the body control module so some lights will flash for a bit until the computer relearns everything.To clear everything you may need to take it to your local mechanic and have them clear the codes. PDP ditributes all the power for every electric devise in your vehicle so each contact has a purpose. Make sure to clean everything. This process took me about 20 minutes and fixed every gremlin I had and now my van is working better then ever.

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Whitney C
    Reputation
    3,540
  • #1
    timof5
    Reputation
    3,540
  • #3
    Rowefast
    Reputation
    2,770
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Chrysler Town & Country
7 Great Deals out of 131 listings starting at $3,207
Used Toyota Sienna
42 Great Deals out of 614 listings starting at $2,499
Used Honda Odyssey
37 Great Deals out of 774 listings starting at $2,900
Used Dodge Durango
54 Great Deals out of 1,919 listings starting at $7,999
Used Dodge Caravan
8 listings
Used Ford Explorer
69 Great Deals out of 2,278 listings starting at $7,990
Used Ford F-150
338 Great Deals out of 12,689 listings starting at $2,888
Used Chevrolet Tahoe
28 Great Deals out of 879 listings starting at $9,980

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.