1997 Dodge Caravan Emergency Fuel Shut off

Your vehicle is not equipped with a fuel shut off switch. If your fuel pump is not getting power check for faulty fuse and relayl.

What's the symptom or problem? Chrysler's fuel control is very effective at stopping the pump in the event of a crash that ruptures a fuel line, but to get yourself into the right circuit, you must also check for lack of spark. If the pump is dead AND there is no spark, suspect the crankshaft position sensor or camshaft position sensor. It's their pulses that tell the Engine Computer when to turn on the automatic shutdown (ASD) relay which sends current to the pump, coil(s), injectors, alternator field, and oxygen sensor heaters.

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Based on your description of "chugging", and especially the mileage, it sounds like you have a fuel pump that is intermittently not starting up. On Chrysler products, they will rarely quit once they're running, unlike the GM pumps that often leave you sitting on the side of the road. When the brushes in the pump motor become worn on Chrysler pumps, they often don't make good enough contact for the motor to run unless you bang on the bottom of the tank to jar it a little. That is likely what happened when the van was rocked. Intermittent electrical connections will act the same way but that would cause the engine to stall at times while driving too and you haven't noticed that. The chugging you mentioned is due to the engine running for a few seconds on the pressurized fuel stored in the hoses until that pressure is depleted. Sounds like it's time for a new pump. The next time it doesn't start, listen for the hum of the pump motor. It should only run for one second after the ignition switch is turned on, then again during cranking. If you have to, listen under the tank while a helper turns on the ignition switch.

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