About 6 months ago my 1993 DC started “bucking” and then either stalling or completely dying, leaving me high and dry in major traffic. I do therapy work with the elderly in nursing homeS and take a miniature horse with me in the back of the van. I am not able to do my work because my van leaves me stranded. It has been at 3 mechanics and no one has been able to find and fix the problem. I have just picked it up from the 3rd mechanic and he said that if I just let it idle until it is totally warm, it will not “buck” and die. This is not good enough for me, my jobs are sometimes 100 miles round trip. I am a young senior, living on a limited budget, cannot afford another car, or big repair bills on this one. I NEED HELP!
Get back to us with what has been done so far. What parts have been replaced, i.e. ignitor, fuel pump, fuel filter, ignition coil, spark plugs, spark plug wires, etc.? Which engine is this 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder? Engine size in cubic inches or liters. When it will not restart, is there spark at one of the spark plug connectors?
When the engine stalls (stops), is your foot on the gas pedal, or on the brake pedal? Can you easily restart the engine? Do you know if the fuel filter has been changed? Has the fuel pump pressure been tested? Does it have a carburetor, or fuel injection, or TBI?
If your van is an automatic, this could be computer-related. Have the engine control module scanned for a code ($50). Your torque converter on the transmission may be the culprit. If your computer is in need of replacement, it may be sending/receiving the wrong code and causing the transmission to act as if it is “in gear with the clutch out” when you stop. If you have to replace the computer, look for a $500 repair bill. This is usually a dealer-only job, as the computer must be “flashed”.