# Dodge Caravan dies

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-caravan-dies/8262>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [December 12, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-caravan-dies/8262 "2007-12-12T16:22:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shanan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Shanan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shanan)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-caravan-dies/8262/1 "2007-12-12T16:22:39Z")

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I have a 94 dodge caravan that will die while driving. It doesn’t sputter or anything, just dies!!

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**Author:** ![Roadrunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@Roadrunner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Roadrunner)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-caravan-dies/8262/2 "2007-12-12T17:23:23Z")

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Sounds like it’s losing spark.

Trouble is, that can come from almost anywhere in the ignition system.

Perhaps a fault in the computer?

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**Author:** ![Shanan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Shanan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shanan)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-caravan-dies/8262/3 "2007-12-12T17:35:00Z")

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it always starts right back up when I hit the key, its very annoying.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-caravan-dies/8262/4 "2007-12-13T00:00:34Z")

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I agree that there are 1000 possibilities. Since it stops dead, doesn’t sputter, and starts right back up I too would suspect that you’re losing spark. The problem is that it could be anything from a corroded connection to a bad relay to a bad coil to a bad distributor component.

How many miles does it have? When was the last time you had a complete tuneup with new ignition components and filters?

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**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 6:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-caravan-dies/8262/5 "2007-12-13T06:12:36Z")

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Rule out the ASD relay by swapping it with the horn relay. They’re in the relay box under the hood. The VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) feeds directly to the distributor…could it…?

rul

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**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-caravan-dies/8262/6 "2007-12-13T13:57:26Z")

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First things first: Which engine do you have?

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**Author:** ![irlandes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5e925/32.png) [@irlandes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/irlandes)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dodge-caravan-dies/8262/7 "2007-12-14T04:13:09Z")

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The idle speed control can cause something like this. They can become sticky. It is hard to diagnose without seeing it happen.

I had the problem on my '89 Caravan twice, and once on my 2002 Sienna, though it would only fail like once every month or two. On my '89, unlike on a Sienna, it was easy to replace.