This 2001 Dodge Caravan 3.3L V6 (VIN 3 FlexFuel) came in last week from another shop.

The guys at this other shop had just put a new fuel pump in this thing about a week ago and couldn't get the problem to go away. The symptom was that the vehicle would run fine as long as you didn't go into passing gear. If you hit the accelerator hard enough to get it in passing gear, it would slowly stall and not restart until it rested a bit.

I put this thing on the rack, cause I didn't want to get stuck on a test drive... but it wouldn't act up. So I grabbed my cell phone, along with a bunch of tools and drove out of the shop. On my way out the door, I told my boss to get ready with the tow strap. :-)

Sure enough, the van quit less than a mile away from the shop. The fuel pressure gauge showed 0 psi. But, while I was waiting for the boss, I could hear the fuel pump running when I turned the key to on. Also, using propane I could get it to start back up. Obvious fuel supply problem.

We quickly got it back on the rack. I figured I would go ahead and drop the tank and see if I could find a mistake in the install of the fuel pump; maybe something in the tank that would point to the problem. So, I unhooked the fuel supply line at the tank and got soaked with fuel. No big deal. Not the first time I've went home smelling like gasoline. Obviously, I had more than 0 psi at that point in the system.

Next, I hooked up 2 pressure gauges, one at the tank, the other at the schrader valve underhood. I commanded the fuel pump on with the scantool. I had 65 psi at the tank and 0 psi underhood.

I built a makeshift underhood fuel supply line out of pieces from my fuel pressure gauge adapters, in order to replace the suspect restricted line. I went for another test drive... the vehicle ran great!

The O.E.M. replacement fuel supply line has no schrader valve and no check valve.[2001 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport, Fuel Supply photo]

Jeff from Missouri

Files Referenced: