NHTSA Complaint #10070077 — 1996 DODGE CARAVAN

I WANT TO GET YOUR ADVICE ABOUT MY CARAVAN. EVEN THOUGH I REPLACED THERMOSTAT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEM RECENTLY THAT I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FOR A LONG TIME. CARAVAN LOSES POWER WHILE RUNNING, I MEAN THAT ENGINE IS RUNNING BUT VERY UNSTABLE AND GOING TO STOP IF DEEPLY PRESS GAS PEDAL. ONCE I LOSE POWER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT POWER. BUT IF I WAIT UNTIL ENGINE COOL DOWN (TYPICALLY AN HOUR OR SO), IT RECOVERS TO NORMAL CONDITION. EVEN THOUGH I CHECKED IT AT THE CHRYSLER DEALER, THEY DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WOULD BE THE REASON. ONLY WHAT THEY CAN DO IS BASED ON THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS FROM MULTIPLE MISFIRE. WHEN IT WAS CHECKED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN THE FUEL PUMP AND REPLACED THERMOSTAT. BUT SOME PEOPLE, WHO WORK AT A GARAGE, TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE FUEL PUMP IS NOT NORMAL. THE FUEL PUMP PROBLEM MAY NOT BE MONITORED BY COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS. THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS EVEN THOUGH I REPLACED A LOT OF PARTS; SPARK PLUG CABLE, (NOT SPARK PLUG BECAUSE IT IS LESS THAN 20000 MILE AFTER REPLACED), ROTOR, ROTOR CAP, FUEL FILTER AND AIR FILTER. IF THESE PARTS ARE REPLACED AND THERE IS STILL SAME PROBLEM, WE NEED TO SUSPECT FUEL PUMP. HE TOLD ME TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE SOUND THAT CAN BE HEARD WHEN WE PUT THE KEY TO THE IGNITION POSITION WHEN STARTING ENGINE. IT IS POSSIBLE TO HEAR FUEL PUMPING SOUND FOR ABOUT ONE SECOND EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING IF TURN THE KEY TO IGNITION POSITION. AND HE TOLD ME TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS SOUND AGAIN WHEN MY CAR LOSES THE POWER. IF THIS SOUND IS NOT HEARD, HE SAID THAT IT IS DEFINITELY DUE TO THE FUEL PUMP DEFECT WHEN THE POWER IS NOT SUFFICIENT AND NEED TO REPLACE FUEL PUMP. DO YOU AGREE WITH HIS SUGGESTION. UNTIL HIS ASSUMPTION IS PROVED, IT MAY BE A WASTE OF MONEY IF SIMPLY REPLACE FUEL PUMP WHICH IS QUITE EXPENSIVE.