My 97 Astro (2wd, auto) has multiple electronic issues…some manageable, others not, eg: the heating system has melted its own wiring and died a number of times. That seems to be fixed at the moment, but we are now dealing with the following:
1. Suddenly, the fuel gauge goes berserk; the needle flopping around like mad, and at the same time,
2. The engine light comes on, and
3. The car begins shifting up or down with a massive THUNK!..and
4. racing and jerking…and
5. I have had it towed twice now. Thank heavens for AAA Plus.
My excellent and patient mechanic has replaced a bunch of parts, gone over and replaced a number of wires, and tested and re-tested the computer which now reads normally…BUT…
The fuel pump is making a louder hum, and every now and then the fuel gauge does its mad mazurka for a few seconds when I turn the key.
Any insights?
The fuel gauge problem may be due to a problem with the sender unit in the tank or the wiring to it.
To see why the engine light is turning on there should be some error codes stored in the ECU. By looking at the error it should help determine what is causing the engine trouble.
This van is nearly 11 years old. With the electrical gremlins your dealing with, I’d drop this money pit in a heartbeat (pun intended), and find a replacement vehicle. Unless your willing to re-wire the van from front to back (read as mucho dinero), this is going to consistently be a major migraine for you.