I ended up cutting the 2 power wires, the ignition wire & the starter wire under my steering colum to bypass the ignition switch which I believed was the reason behind my Van's problem.
I did not have a multimeter or any other diagnostic tools to help so this was a fishing in the dark type of thing.
So I cut the wires, got them hooked up to eachother, touched the starter wire bvb to the other 3 & voila! The van started right up.
I thought I had solved my problem.
And this is how ive been starting the van ever since.
But I have noe discovered I had only found a temporary fix to the Van's problem because now it's back to losing all power as soon as I touch the starter wire to the 2 power wires+the ignition wire that are all 3 twisted together.
But this time when the van started the problem, it took me trying to start it 5 times before the power cutting out started.
So the 5 times I attempted to start the van, when I would touch the starter wire to the power+ignition wires, the engine would try to turn over but for some reason just didnt have enough oomph to turn all the way over & start.
Then the 6th time I attempted to start the van, all power cut out as soon as I touched the starter wire to the power+ignition wires.
My van is currently sitting in a walmart parking lot because that's where I was when it started not starting again.
The only thing I've tried so far is cutting the 4 wires for hotwiring, re wiring them & connecting them. I did that after the 4th attempt to start the van.
Sobi got 2 more attempts in when the power cut out during the 7th attempt.
I have researched & researched & researched for hours online trying to get some type of answer to what it might be.
The only thing I've been able to find is that many other people have ran into this problem & nobody has really been able to figure out what causes it or how to fix it.
I'm a female who has learned some mechanics on my own with the help of Google, online tutorials & brainstorming from a couple of people over the years.
I am usually successful in solving my own problems, despite what the problem is.
I have a determination drive like no other & dont give up until I've figured out whatever is.
I dont have the money for a mechanic to test my vehicle & repair it.
I dont have the money to just replace parts until my van works again, as in a trial & error run.
I am homeless. My best friend got me this van a couple months ago so I didnt have to live in a tent in a homeless camp.
I have already invested a couple hundred dollars into replacement parts & new fluids.
I was told that the van had a blown head gasket & that there was water in the oil.
None of that was true. The cooling system is perfectly fine. It needs an oil change that I haven't done yet but there isnt water in the oil. That I am sure of.
About a month & a half ago, I used a pretty up to date with technology wireless bluetooth obd2 scan tool with live data.
The codes that came back needing immediate attention on that scan were the following:
1. Replace 02 sensor bank 1, sensor 1
2. Replace spark plugs & wires
《 which is weird because I had new spark plugs & wires put in about 3 weeks prior to this obd2 scan 》
3. Replace fuel injectors (x6)
4. Replace fuel injector (x1)
5. Replace ignition coil pack
(Theres 3 coil packs. When the spark plugs & wires were replaced, 1 of the coil packs was replaced with a brand new one. The coil packs cost $30 a piece where I live 《 oregon 》)
There was another section in the report for all parts that had to do with the emissions system.
None of them passed.
The battery test came back with full battery life.
Since the spark plugs+wires were replaced, the check engine light has never came back on.
The only warning light that does come on is the ABS light & that only sometimes comes on & when it does it's very random.
In the last week I've noticed the fuel gauge doesnt work correctly sometimes.
What I mean by that is say the van has a quarter tank of gas, ok? The needle in the gas gauge will be at that quarter tank line.
I'll get somewhere, shut the van off & when I start it again & start driving, the needle for the gas gauge will suddenly be sitting just above the empty line & the gas light will be on.
Then when I get to my next destination & shut the van off, when I restart it & start driving again the needle will suddenly be back where it's supposed to be.
I dont get it.
None of the diagnostic tools diagnose electric or fuel problems to my knowledge.
A couple of weeks ago I ran another scan on the van with a basic obd2 that you plug into the vehicle.
The codes that came back were for the folowing:
1. 02 sensor bank 1, sensor 1
2. MAF sensor
3. Random engine misfires detected
When I got the van it was not in great condition. Replacing the spark plugs and wires + the 1 ignition coil pack seemed to have helped but a couple of weeks later, my engine started stalling while driving whenever I would go to break & while idling. It eventually started also stalling within seconds of letting up off the gas pedal, so in order to keep the engine running I would have to flutter the gas pedal as if it were a clutch while breaking & at a complete stop.
I dont have a floor jack to jack the front end of the van up to get to the starter solenoid or the starter motor itself, nor do I have ramps to drive it up on.
I am very frustrated because I dont have anyone with the knowledge that can help me to help me. Because nobody is willing to just help people put to help them out & because it's the right thing to do.
Everybody wants paid in one way or another for their help & once most people find out that someone is homeless, forget it.
I'm about to go to my van in a few minutes to get my bike.
If I can figure out how to restore the power back to the van, I'll take a video of me touching the starter wire to the power+ignition wires so you guys can see what happens.
Maybe I'm missing something I'm not aware of but idk.
Thanks
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Monday, April 5th, 2021 AT 11:11 AM
