T4 Caravelle - Starting, Idle and running problems...

[wallerscott72]

Hi,
I have searched the forums and done some of the suggested fixes, but here is the problem.

1994 T4 2.5L Petrol (manual) Caravelle. I just bought the car off a mate who had it in his backyard for a year. He tells me it had starting and running problems, but none the less, I still bought it.

I am taking the family in it to QLD (from Sydney) in September.

Basically the issue is, that sometime it will start and sometimes you can sit there cranking and cranking and cranking and nothing. You could be driving along and then nothing, steering becomes heavy and you pull over. I was just at the servo filling up and it wouldn't start for 20mins.

I have replaced:
Fuel pump
Fuel pump relay
Coil Pack
Distributor cap
all leads
spark plugs

Any suggestions would be great.

Also happy to take it to an expert and have it looked at. I am in Riverstone NSW.

Thanks.

[Sunny43.5]

Welcome to the Forum / There is a relay that is a common fault with the T4 , it could be the one you have done already but not sure . My old T4 had the exact same problem and the dealer could not fix it until one day someone in the parts department overheard me pleading to the service people that the van was going to get me killed . He said relay no ? should be replaced $25 later and the van never missed a beat again until I drove into the back of car transporter trailer . I am sure someone else will be able to pin point the problem as I said I cannot remember which number relay it was and if it was the fuel pump one .Good luck .

[Umai Naa!!]

Probably has a few rotted vacuum hoses, as well as a dirty throttle body too.

[wallerscott72]

Probably has a few rotted vacuum hoses, as well as a dirty throttle body too.

Yeah cleaned that and checked hoses.

[wallerscott72]

Done the fuel pump relay. But it's as you described, very dangerous, luck just driving around Rivo and not on the F3 to QLD.

[transporterq]

I had a 1995, 5 cylinder petrol model, when I had problem with it just cranking and cranking and cranking, but not starting, it was the ignition switch, simple to replace and did not cost much, but I do not believe it caused the van to just stop. Might want to have the ECU checked as well, mine did cause me some grieve, not allowing the engine to run correctly, had it rebuilt to solve the problem. My 2 cents worth, Peter.

[wallerscott72]

I had a 1995, 5 cylinder petrol model, when I had problem with it just cranking and cranking and cranking, but not starting, it was the ignition switch, simple to replace and did not cost much, but I do not believe it caused the van to just stop. Might want to have the ECU checked as well, mine did cause me some grieve, not allowing the engine to run correctly, had it rebuilt to solve the problem. My 2 cents worth, Peter.

Have done the ignition switch as well.

Thanks

[Syncrotek]

The relay Sunny means is the ECU / Injection relay, quite common for them to get dirty contacts.

[Sunny43.5]

Anyone care to enlighten us with the relay number if possible .

[Pokie]

167 I'm pretty sure. Terminal 30

[wallerscott72]

The other thing I should mention is that, just before the engine died, the tacho started flicking up and down like crazy.

Relay 167 is correct.

[supclean]

The problem relays are 167 fuel pump as well as 30 ecu power relay
Sounds like you have feed to the ignition switch and your engine ground should be ok as you can still crank the engine
Also worthwhile to check your chassis ground