new van owner needs help.

[timsrv]

[alaskanherbs]

Hey Tim,I am running out of patience on my van.I was wondering if you do work on other peoples vans and what you would charge if you do?Any chance you could come out to Astoria and help me get my van running?Cheers,Jared

[timsrv]

Lol, I'm happy to help with the forum but other than that my time is very limited. Perhaps somebody else here is in your area. Good luck. Tim

[Don Kihote]

Does the CEL (Check Engine Light) come on when the engine is off & the key in the "run" position? If not then it's likely the bulb is burned out or has been removed. If your van runs with the key in "start" position but not in "run", then that sounds like a problem with the Air Flow Meter. The AFM has a switch inside (Fuel Pump Switch) that becomes engaged when there's adequate airflow to sustain an idle. This switch supplies ground to the coil insdie the "circuit opening relay" which in turn powers the fuel pump. If this switch goes bad the van will start but will not continue to run when the key is released (the "start" mode of the ignition switch temporarily bypasses the fuel pump switch). For more troubleshooting info read THIS THREAD. Here's a schematic that may help.



You can easily test this by putting a jumper wire in the "Fuel Pump Test Connector". This effectively bypasses the Fuel Pump Switch inside the AFM. If the van runs with the switch bypassed then your AFM most likely needs to be replaced. For safety reasons don't permanently bypass the Fuel Pump Test Connector..........If you have a bad AFM, then replace the AFM. Tim



PS: Before replacing the AFM, make sure it's harness connection is tight and inspect the conductors inside for damage and/or corrosion.

Dear Tim uncle, is MAF inside the Air Flow Meter? For replacing MAF, have I open the Air Flow Meter, there is fixed with alot of glue?!

[timsrv]

Sorry, I was improperly interchanging the term MAF with AFM (my bad). Terminology is important so I just went back and edited my post to prevent future confusion. Technically our vans don't have Mass Air Flow sensors (MAF), we have an Air Flow Meters (AFM). The fuel pump switch is inside the AFM and is not repairable or replaceable. If the switch fails then the entire AFM needs to be replaced. Tim