Caravan running rough after parking on a hill.

[Surrey]

My wife has a 98 Dodge Caravan, 3.0l.

Recently, it started acting up. Whenever I park on a hill, even for a short time like 10-15 minutes, it runs really poorly when I start it again. If I park it on nice, flat ground, it doesn't do this at all. Drive it a few blocks with very little power and a clunking noise from the tranny if you throttle too much, and then it returns to normal.

The check engine light has come on and off 3 times in the last while, when I pulled the codes the first time it said random/multiple cylinder missfire.

If it was running bad all the time, then I would start replacing plugs and wires and stuff, but it runs fine most of the time, it only acts up after I have parked on a hill.

Im totally stumped....
Anyone have any ideas what it is/might be?

 

[ab_slack]

On a hill...pointing up hill, pointing down hill or either way?

Only things that occur to me would be fuel or oil accumulating in a low spot and something there allowing oil or fuel to get into the cylinder and foul. Or maybe sediment/water in fuel tank that normally isn't getting to the fuel inlet manages to migrate on the steep hill.

With a clunking noise from the trans I would start wondering about trans fluid level is good.

Just cause they are simple checks I would look at the oil and trans fluid. Like could it have too much oil? Or is trans fluid low?

I admit it sounds weird.

 

[Surrey]

On a hill...pointing up hill, pointing down hill or either way?

Only things that occur to me would be fuel or oil accumulating in a low spot and something there allowing oil or fuel to get into the cylinder and foul. Or maybe sediment/water in fuel tank that normally isn't getting to the fuel inlet manages to migrate on the steep hill.

With a clunking noise from the trans I would start wondering about trans fluid level is good.

Just cause they are simple checks I would look at the oil and trans fluid. Like could it have too much oil? Or is trans fluid low?

I admit it sounds weird.

Uphill or down, doesn't matter. Also doesn't have to be a very steep hill, almost anything thats not flat will do it.

Trans fluid was low, so I added a quart. That didn't change anything though.

It leaks oil, so Im always topping it up every week or two. Just dumped two quarts in the other day...

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

Check the distributor for oil inside.....

I would say maybe the Evap system is flooding with fuel, but that wod only happen with a very full tank.

 

[Darren99bora]

Kinda a stretch but if your harness is damaged in an area that flexes from the body to the engine parking on a hill would cause more flex in the harness possibly opening up cracked insulation causing shorts. Driving it would then "settle" the harness and "fix" the problem. Have you tried starting it and playing with the throttle (parked) like your driving it while on the hill and see if the problem times its self out or stays as long as it's on the hill?

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[Surrey]

Could something like this be caused by a bad battery? Just a thought I had when I noticed my blower was slowing down when I came to a stop, and speeding up again once I got back on the gas...

Its already dark, and miserable out, so I will take a look at it tomorrow and try the battery out of my truck in the van to see if it runs nicer.

 

[Darren99bora]

Sounds like a bad alternator with a good battery that is barely getting a charge. Runs rough when low on charge, once charged it works fine sorta. Depending on the year it could be a pcm.....the alternator regulators were moved to the pcm, not chryslers brightest moment in my opinion.

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