Hi all,
I have a 1996 Plymouth Voyager 2.4L, 4 cylinder with 176,000 miles. During a trip, it began to lose power when put under load (e.g. accelerating from a stop, climbing). My initial thought was the fuel filter so I had that replaced. (The fuel system did have very low pressure before the replacement.) This seemed to help the problem only a little and only for a few days.
The problem has slowly gotten worse over the last couple of thousand miles or so. Now...
- Difficult to start when cold. Backfires. Odor of raw gas present around rear of vehicle (exhaust).
- Idles only slightly rough.
- Almost no power when accelerating from a stop. Sometimes backfires. (When it gets up to speed it does okay unless it's forced to climb.)
- Almost no power when climbing. Backfires some.
- Problem is sporadic but present more often than not.
I tested the charging system and found it to be normal so I checked the fault codes. It returned 12 (battery disconnect), which I expected. It also returned 43 about four times before flashing 55 (end).
Code 43 deals with the ignition system. I purchased a new coil which I will install today over lunch. However, I tested the resistance of the old coil and compared it to readings I'm getting from the new coil and they are pretty much the same so I'm not too confident this will remedy the problem.
Here's the recent service history:
- Clock spring replaced at dealership (over 10,000 miles ago).
- Throttle body, injectors, and cylinders washed at dealership (over
- A gasket replaced at dealership (over 10,000 miles ago; was causing a misfire on Cylinder #4).
- Fuel filter replaced by my father (under 1,000 miles ago).
- PCV valve and related cracked vacuum hoses replaced by me (under 10 miles ago).
- Oil changed and oil filter replaced by me (under 10 miles ago).
Thanks in advance for any advice. After I replace the coil, I'll post a follow-up.
-- Christian