[LAZ 1]

Driving along nicely from Canada to Arizona when I turned into William's Arizona and the van died suddenly. After a few minutes it sputtered back into life, and ran rough enough to get it off the street and into the Macdonalds parking lot.
The fuel pump has been humming for months.
Could be that?

I just did a tune up with new plugs, distributor cap and rotor. Something could have come loose?

Any locals with advice on mechanic or shop close by?

 

[WinnieVan]

Did it sputter when it died or was it like turning off the ignition? If it died like turning off the ignition could be the ignition switch or the bulkhead connector on the firewall directly back from the battery. Try shaking the key aggressively in the ingition and see if you can get the van to shut off.

If it sputtered, it is likely fuel-related, I think.

As a first course of action, I'd check everything you just did. Could be bad parts or a loose boot on the coil or something.

Also, go rent a fuel pressure tester and see what's happening when it dies (assuming you can recreate the situation). That'll give you some information into the cause of the problem.

If it dies -- climb under and hit the tank with a wrench a few times -- if it starts back up, probably the fuel pump.

 

[LAZ 1]

Thanks for the troubleshooting tips.
The van just DIED, on a hard right turn,
as if the spark cut out.

The fuel pump is still humming away loudly, but of course I always carry a spare on a long trip. Hopefully I will make it to Mexico and get the pump replaced ( $ 40 us)
(;-{)
PS:
After sitting for half an hour, the van started right up, idled solid for a few minutes. So I headed in to Flagstaff. Most likely some electrical gremlin to track down. Maybe find a garage with a scope and check out a few things. I just did the distributor cap, rotor, and plugs, so it could be a loose coil wire.
Bah Humbug!!

Tomorrow,
in the daylight,
will pull the doghouse off and look.
(;-{)

 

[LAZ 1]

Mechanic thinks it is the fuel pump getting too hot and cutting out.
Maybe?

 

[WinnieVan]

Seems reasonable. Isn't unheard of on these vans.

If you're going at speed, a fuel pump cutting out will fill a lot like the car just simply turning off.

Can you recreate the situation with a fuel pressure gauge on it?

Even if the mechanic is guessing a bit -- the fuel pumps are known to fail.

Intermittents suck...

 

[LAZ 1]

as long as I don't drive all day in HOT weather, the pump seems OK.

BUT,
just had another issue.
Before I left Canada I changed plugs ( platinum) dist cap, rotor.

Started getting a "Cyl 3 misfire detected" code after. Checked cyl 3 plug wire, and it was loose at the plug.
Tightened the plug connector.

Still getting the code, so I installed a new set of plug wires.

Still getting the code.

What else could possibly cause this code?

Possibly a bad spark plug? That would be super rare?

 

[Big_kid]

I once had an electrode fall out of the distributor cap on a 350, it bent the rotor contact. THAT was super rare. I've also fouled a brand new set of plugs with 0 miles in a Ford, that was rare too. Pull the plug, read it, and check for spark through it.

 

[LAZ 1]

Made it all thecway South to Lake Chapala, Jaisco, Mexico. The fuel pump died afain only a few miles from.my destination. A short wait for the pump to cool off and I crawled into town. A few days later, had my fuel pump replaced for 600 pesos labor cost. That would be a small fraction of what a Canadian or US shop would charge.
The p0303 ( cyl 3 missfire detected) is still there. The mechanic was hoping the new pump might cure that, but no such luck. In the shop again, he double checkedcall the new ignition system, and I am definitely getting spark at number 3 cyl, so now assuming it is the fuel injector.He will try force feeding some extra powerful injector cleaner through it, and hopefully that will do it.

OTHERWISE,
The dreaded fuel injection system fix. My mechanic is less than enthusiastic about doing this big job.

My van is a 2004 Astro,
Any advice on parts and procedures for this fix?
Thanks
****** LAZ 1
.

 

[sfeaver]

A valve going bad is another thing it could be. A compression test will tell you for sure. A replacement head will fix that. Or take apart and replace valve and seat.

As for fuel injectors, not a bad job, remove upper intake and replace. You already have the newer style injector spider, the ones before 2000 or so were more problematic.

If this problem just started after the fuel pump went, probably not a valve problem. If its been doing funny things for a little while, a compression test is fairly quick to rule it out. To change the injector spider, I would think for a shop it would be easy to do in four hours or less..

 

[LAZ 1]

The fuel injection cleaner force fed provided a noticeable improvement in the rough idle, but the p0303 code came back. Fortunately, a few days running a few bottles of LUCAS fuel injector cleaner in the gas tank, cleared up the code. Several days running now with no codes.

It is great that some " MAGIC POTION" cleared the injector so I did not have to pull out the injector.
(;-{)

 

[AstroWill]

Congrats! Glad it worked for you!

 

[LAZ 1]

WELLLLLL ...
the misfire on # 3 cylinder in my 2005 Astro is back. The Lucas injector cleaner worked for a few months, but now the van is running rough and throwing the P3003 code.
DAMN!
I am on my way over to the BAJA to do some BEACHIN'.

I will pick up some injectors before taking the ferry over.

Can a patient man with basic mechanical skills replace the injectors himself?

What other parts should I get BEFORE digging in?
Thanks
Larry Z

 

[gavio]

Can a patient man with basic mechanical skills replace the injectors himself?

I did. It went OK. Not exactly easy, but not all that bad.

Make sure you have the upper intake gasket, and make sure your new injector kit includes the o-rings for the fuel lines.

Figure out a way to that the new injector assembly up before putting it in, the lines are very stiff and have to be bent a LOT.... I've heard of people sticking it in the oven, or in a black plastic bag in the sun... I used a solar oven....

Give yourself some time, and you'll be fine.....