1997 grand caravan camshaft sensor

gumby538

Can some one please give me any info on the location of the camshaft sensor on a 1997 dodge grand caravan 3.0 se. My van just died while driving got it towed to the house run my tester on it code came up that it was a malfunctioning camshaft posistion sensor. so i got one order but know i am having a hard time finding it

tedebear

Can some one please give me any info on the location of the camshaft sensor on a 1997 dodge grand caravan 3.0 se.

Here's what it says from the AutoZone website:

Under hood, passenger side, upper engine area, between cylinder heads, mounted behind the power steering pump reservoir.

gumby538

i h ave looked at that but i still cant find it. i have read that it may be in the distributor but i have taken that out completely and still nothing if someone has a pix of where it is located that would be helpful..thx

lreed70

NEED HELP !!!!!!! My wife has a 1997 Grand Caravan that I have replaced front and rear motor mounts,put new tires and rims on, had alignment done, checked struts and everything else with two other guys and found nothing bad and still has a terrible shimmy in front end, but only when you apply gas or put it under a load and also makes a thumping sound sometimes when going into left hand turn and shimmy lessens and worsens when going up and down on uneven road surfaces also can get the thumping when coming down off of uneven surfaces. It will not do it coming down hill or when I let off gas. Is it the two side motor mounts or what ?????? Could someone help me out because I'm ready to loose my mind over this !!!!!!!!!!

xwesx

My '98 van is beginning to do this, too. I suspect the tie rod end(s) or the ball joint(s) are beginning to go bad, but cannot say for certain without further inspection. I have two older vehicles, both 1969 model years, that have "shimmy" problems that most notably occur on uneven (rough) road surfaces. On one, it is tie rods. The other, it is ball joints. Both are rear-wheel-drive, though, so acceleration does not induce the symptoms.

On my van, it only happens under acceleration right now, and I plan to nip it before it gets worse.

I strongly suspect this is in the suspension/steering of the van, but you could confirm that by checking your front tires for signs of uneven wear. If it is motor mounts or non-wheel related, it is not going to affect your tires. But, if you feel it in the steering wheel (i.e., it pulls the wheel left/right), as I do, it is definitely in the steering or suspension.

reddog607

on the pass, side just under the line where the Head bolts on

martyszy

Hey Ya'll: I am looking for the location of the fuel pump relative to the floorboards in the back to cut a hole to gain easy access to the pump. I had it replaced a coupla years ago (in the dead of winter so I had a "repair shop" do it) and I have long cranking before it starts issues. It always starts but is never consistant. I did have a smell of fuel before when I used to top it off but since I only put 10 gallons in at a time there hasn't been any, just the slow starting. I want to cut out a bit of the floorboards above the fuel pump to access it without dropping the tank, and then make a removable cover for it. Any info on how to find it appreciated. Also where is there an online maintenence schedule for the AWD? I only have 110k on it but want the tranny fluid&cam chain specs. Thanks Marty

joepeterson56

Hey guys, it sounds more like bad cv joints than anything else. Have either of you ever replaced either one of the drive axles? When the cv joints go, it very often gives subtle hints that they are bad, as opposed to very obvious ones. The main sign being the groaning or noises under acceleration, especially when the wheels are turned to any point accept straight ahead. My money is on that. As far as what you are describing as a "shimmy", I am not exactly sure what you mean, but on one of my minis, two of the wheels or rims had been bumped against a curb prior to my buying the van, and the rims were no longer perfectly "flat", kind of like this ) as opposed to this I, they way they should be. Not visible to the eye, but enough to make the van shake or shimmy from side to side at low speeds. but not noticeable at hight speeds, because the velocity would compensate for the warpage .

It took quite some time for me and a suspension specialist to pin point it to this problem, but a set of replacement rims got rid of the problem.

It sounds like you have checked and eliminated all other possible sources except this one as far as the noise goes.

corr1gan

I have had a problem with my 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan pretty much since I purchased it used about 10 months ago. Not too long after I drove it off of the lot, the gauges would stop working ( this includes the digital odometer, the PRND3 display, temp, speedometer, rpm) and the ABS light would come on. But after a couple hours to a few days, the gauges will start working again but the check engine light comes on. I took it back to the dealer and their service department replaced the computer. That worked for two or three months but then it started happening again. If I remember correctly, the codes were engine control module and transmission control module ( I think). I just recently noticed that when the gauges come back on the miles are unchanged. Could the problem be wiring to the transmission? Could someone have attepted to roll back the odometer? I would appreciate any help on this matter....

joepeterson56

Siounds like the problem many of us have had with the circut board solder joints on the back of the dashboard display panel have you tried smacking over the center of your display on the dash a few times when this happens? It sometimes works and fixes the connection. The fix is here in this forum, do a search for it. Sorry I don't have the link to that discussion handy.

mikea38

i have a 96 grand caravan that left me sittin on the roadside.After towin it home i discovered it wasnt firing.Replaced coilpack first with same results. So i bought a chiltons book and was tryin to diagnose with a indicater light by puttin it in the coil pack plug and it keeps sayin i have a relay or circuit problem. I replaced the relays under the hood with no difference. But i found some under dashboard and cant figure what theyre for. looked all through owners manuel but nothing .Theyre by pedals on drivers side with the fusepanel.Anybody know if this is my problem

haderson

On 97 Grand Caravan, we have changed the Gas pump 3 times, (the computer also, but changed back to the old one because it was not it.) the spark plugs and cables recently, all of the problems of misfiring, explosion like sounds, trembling or shimmy like problems as you push the gas and at about 55mph, Under 55mph in town it seems to work okay, similar to what Ireed70 and xwex commented on, the smell of gas once you shut off the vehicle and the misfiring was how it started. Once we changed the pump and the spark plugs it helped for 3 days and back to the same exact thing. Today is all of the above and now it's acting just like when you have a spark plug stripped out of threads, as you accelerate it gradually gets worst. No puff of smoke, or overheating so I don't believe is the seals on the engine block...Engine light is now on, but it scan inconclusive, no code comes up. Hope to hear of anyone who may have found a solution to these issues. I'm going to take it to an Auto Electrician Specialist as a last option.