Im itching to help, but you must understand there are many different causes and problems, each with their own symptoms and clues. You have to do the observing to provide these hints because we can't see or hear what your vehicle is doing. If you look at my previous reply, you'll see a few questions I asked to get started.
In the past, I've typed for hours to cover every possible scenerio only to get no further communication or interest in continuing the diagnosis. A few weeks ago, I typed a two-hour reply only to have my computer crash when I tried to post it. For these reasons, I don't type much unless I know I'm talking with someone who really wants help. Imagine if a friend called you and said they were in pain. What would you recommend they do? You would have to get some details. It could be a hang nail, a stomach ache, or they cut their foot off with a chain saw.
On a similar note, "would not start" and "does everything but start" can have a bunch of different causes, all with different symptoms. Without some clues, I will likely send someone into the wrong circuit. There are some common problems that will result in the starter not spinning the engine. There could be silence or there could be one loud clunk from the starter. The starter could spin the engine just fine but the engine won't run. Knowing whether the Check Engine light is on could lead to some helpful diagnostic fault codes stored in the Engine Computer's memory. A rapid clicking sound is related to a weak battery. That has dozens of possible causes. Each one can be narrowed down with a few simple tests. All of these things fall under the broad category of "won't start".
So, to both of you fine human beings, give me details so I can suggest some things to look for. Mary8285, do you also have a 1997 Caravan? I might need to know which engine each of you have. The 3.0L is very different from the 3.3 / 3.8L engines. All of them are V-6 engines.
Caradiodoc
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 AT 10:38 PM
