3.8 #1 misfire on my grand caravan

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Phily

Phily

3XL, loud pipes, loud music, loud weed
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Not an a body sorry. Most active site I'm in tho.
So my 05 grand caravan 3.8 shows a misfire and I can feel and here it. Kinda like a Tupperware popping.
Now I thumb checked compression and it seems to be getting plenty. I have read somewhere that it could be in the wire harness of the fuel injection. I don't have a micro camera to stuff in there to see if all the valves were opening but I'm sure since there is enough compression to blow my thumb off no prob that they are closing or at least stuck closed. I didn't notice it sucking on my thumb either.
New coil pack was installed a few months ago and that definitely seemed to help with overall engine performance. Sounded a hair bit more, how do you put it, perky and clean? No real noticable power to say.like maybe it was getting a more powerful spark and ignition g the cylinders better
The spark plug didn't look bad. Maybe a bit hotter than. I'd like. But a slight tannish color and not blackened or melted or anything. So I think it's sparking but maybe not getting getting gas.
No codes saying injectors or fuel. In fact codes if I remember right are misfire cylinder 1, seat belt sensor malfunctioning, there might have been one more.
So sometimes a problem can be due to something completly diff but can still effect other parts of the vehicle. Like a bad grounded abs screwing up shifting in an alero. It happens and have seen it other times as well . So here is a list of things that should have no bearing on the issue( and is probably pointless to read) would be my driver seat doesn't move up and down where my *** sits but reclines back and the front part by the knees move and the pass side window visor that has a light got ripped out. O and my driver side back door doesn't open or close itself, but clicks like it something is recognizing it.
 
Probably wire or plug. The old school holding the finger over the plug hole does not work anymore. The computers on modern cars can see even very minor miss fires.
 
I've replaced the plugs at least 3xs since this started and I've replaced the wires once it twice. All this last year maybe less time.
I think this started after it seemed to have tranny issues. When going up the mountains on the big hills when I was in third and it hit 3k rpm it would jump to redline and not shift. Was saying I put and output sensors. Replaced those a few times along with tranny fluid and filter. Finally found out the cat was clogged so I hollowed it out and then this misfire began.
 
Have same problem with last 2 coils. Need to get new one from Chrysler all the rest from advance/Rock have been problems. The vehicle now runs great and by the way the last few coils have been bad on different cylinders. Just my experience. Same error codes and chrysler tech said they are aware of problem with aftermarket non-chrysler parts..
 
I was also wondering that. There is no coolant oil mixing anywhere.
I check pricing on intake manifold gasket and get oriellys to order me one. Hopefully that's what it is cause that should be a relatively easy fix considering working on anything else on this van. Racket pinion steering was not fun.
 
I have the. Get me another coil pack as well the . This one I'm sure is sti u der warranty.
O and for ppl that need to replace the window motor be weary with these. Sometimes the spin in part of the motor doesn't have something that keeps it up high enough in the magnets to spin. Went thru 3 before I took o email apart and made it work lol. I thought it was my switch but they all tested fine.
 
I had a brand new Astro Van work truck back in the day and that thing would throw misfire codes left and right going up hills. It didnt have more than 9k on it. and when I reset the code, the reader would tell me how many it had, like in the thousands...but I think it would only trip if there were more than x in a row or something. What a POS>
 
Move the ignition coil on the skipping cylinder to another hole and see if the skip follows. If it does, replace the ignition coil.
 
If you have a digital multimeter, you can check to see if there is 12 volts D.C. To one side and it will pulse ground to the other pole of the injector when car is running. You can also swap plug wires from one cylinder to another and see if the miss follows it. You can also listen to the injectors with a stethoscope for a difference in the way they click. They have been known to have injectors hang up or partially clog, ecm injector drivers fail, or ignition/ compression problems. Also, I hope you know that cylinder 1 is the rear bank
 
I can test the coil pack. Maybe the injector although it will be a pain.
Lol at knowing which cylinder is which. Couldn't replace coil pack or wires very well if I didn't.
Wouldn't be bad to change the intake gasket regardless. The timing chain set is on my to do list also. Van has over 225k on it easy. I put about 150 miles a day on it or more.
When I change the gasket I'll have an injector on hand just in case.
If these don't work them I'll change part of the wire harness as I've heard these are a common failure when all else don't work. I'll report back when I'm done. Might be a few weeks. Money has been tight lately due to the dart having issues and picking up a ticket and a vet bill due to my dog.
Thanks for the info . Feel free to add to it
 
These years of vans have a wiring harness that droops towards the exhaust manifold in the back of the engine over time. They have been known to melt and cause problems. Something to check into. I tied mine up with a stupid zip tie. I'm at 200k, and my brother is over 250k. We both have 3.3's, but they are basically the same engines externally. He has only replaced the water pump, and mine.... nothing
 
Phily said:
I can test the coil pack. Maybe the injector although it will be a pain.
Lol at knowing which cylinder is which. Couldn't replace coil pack or wires very well if I didn't.
Wouldn't be bad to change the intake gasket regardless. The timing chain set is on my to do list also. Van has over 225k on it easy. I put about 150 miles a day on it or more.
When I change the gasket I'll have an injector on hand just in case.
If these don't work them I'll change part of the wire harness as I've heard these are a common failure when all else don't work. I'll report back when I'm done. Might be a few weeks. Money has been tight lately due to the dart having issues and picking up a ticket and a vet bill due to my dog.
Thanks for the info . Feel free to add to it
Click to expand...
I wasn't trying to be insulting about where cylinder position was, just have seen a lot of techs miss that. As a Chrysler tech for many years, I always found that to be the hardest cylinder to get your hand into. Believe me, I have many scars from just trying to get the wire off that plug. Mice have also been known to get under the upper plenum and chew the wires. You can get a separate upper intake gasket and injector o ring set, and swap #1 injector to the front , and if miss follows, at least it is easy to get to. Also, when you go to do the chain, spray the bolts a couple days ahead of time, as I have had to drill several of them out over the years due to corrosion, just trying to help
 
I realize that and i didn't take it as an insult. But I did find it funny.
 
I might have one in my book and one of my friends is an ex navy electronics specialiast. And he is damned good about those things. I'll have him check over it with me
 
Ok so a bit of an update.
I went and bout the i take manifold gasket kit. Came with upper Mani rubber rings also.
Pulled it all apart and cleaned it a lightly sanded it all. Noticed some pitting where ports were matched to flat connection surface from Mani to heads. Didn't look too bad. But still worries me. I should have e taken pics.
I put it all back together. then when I started it I noticed it was leaking coolant between head and manifold. I had a party to get to so I said screw it I'm driving anyways. Then I drove the 45 minutes to the party got out and looked under the hood and it stopped leaking. Cool t res is still full. I'm gonna a check the radiator level tomorrow. It will be odd if it just stopped leaking. Especially since I didnt go and tighten again as I didn't have time.
Anyways when I popped the hood to change it I noticed my battery was boiling water out the caps. Ya me. Blew a cell. Good thing I buy duralast gold from auto zone. Wasn't in the 3 yr warranty but was prorated and I paid 108 for a new one. I always buy bigger batteries than the vehicle needs cause I run nice stereos. My van for instance has a 2000watt system.
So I slap the new battery in which resets my computer. Drove an hour and half home and engine light is still off. And get this my interior lights start working again well not the two up front which may just be blown. Odd that a bad battery would let my 2 rear lights work but not the middle sets of lights.
Felt alot easier pulling up hill accelerating.
Still has a shaking sputtering almost feel when idling. But I do know my alternator is going bad. The pulley is on tight but wobbles. So ya next on list.
I do think the miss is still there but seeing the coolant leak it doesn't surprise me. I did have the missus rev it up multiple times while I was behind it and it wasn't leaking fluids out the exaust pipe which is good news. Could barely see the exhaust gases coming out.
On another note I put new tires on it from big o and had them align it as I upgraded the struts and shock a couple weeks earlier that have the ability to adjust the alignment where my old one couldn't. Well I noticed my tires are bald after only a few thousand miles of driving. And it began shaking. The only thing I haven't replaced in the front end are the CV joints. So I replaced em. The whole front end is about a year old or newer. Rack and pinion, tie rods, shocks, ball joints etc.
So I noticed they stripped my week stud bolt for the struts on one side and the bottom nut and bolt we're hand tight on the driver side, face palm. The top one did t get torques barely more than hand tight.
So I took it to a different big o I trust a lil bit more. Sat they are gonna give it a shake down and try and find what's causing it. Tires are under warranty and will get replaced. They may try and prorate them. I have a feeling if it's the vans fault and not theirs I may be replacing the rack and pinion again. Good thing it's under warranty too. Just sucks cause it's a pain in the *** to do. I think shop rates at 8 hours. I can probably do it in six. But it's a pain lol.
I hope everyone else is having better luck than me haha
 
318willrun said:
These years of vans have a wiring harness that droops towards the exhaust manifold in the back of the engine over time. They have been known to melt and cause problems. Something to check into. I tied mine up with a stupid zip tie. I'm at 200k, and my brother is over 250k. We both have 3.3's, but they are basically the same engines externally. He has only replaced the water pump, and mine.... nothing
Click to expand...

The 3.3 and 3.8 are the same engine except for bore and stroke... All parts on both engines are the same except for fuel injectors and throttle body are different from 3.3 L to 3.8 L.

The 3.8 used to have an aluminum upper intake manifold, but they changed it to the plastic 3.8 L intake after a couple of years for cost reduction...
 
What do you think about the plastic vs aluminum upper intake. The certain I have had the highest hp rating but has the plastic
 
Have you also verified that the crank and cam sensors are working properly???
 
Usually if those sensors are bad the motor won't run . Plus I'm not getting any other codes but the misfire and bad wiring for my pass side seat
 
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