Chrysler van electrical problems...
 

Our neighbor has a 2000 Chrysler van that starts but everything electrical will not work.
Any ideas before she takes it to her indy shop?

Look for a master link, shipping pin, or system fuse.

Does the air-bag or check engine light come on when the ignition is on?

Also a bad ground...

If the car starts and runs you have an ECU that works.

'everything electrical will not work' needs a bit more definition...

Yes - first thought is what is the rest off the story? Has there been any recent work or other issues prior to this? While running have they tried slightly rotating the key switch either way?

I talked to the owner and she says sometimes all the lights are on or sometimes not at all. In addition she says the key in the ignition is hard to turn to start sometimes.

So possibly a defective ignition key lock?

Yes, ignition lock is where I would start.

Thanks all!

It is a 17 year old Chrysler minivan... the real value here is the gasoline in the tank.

These things were designed to barely survive their warranty period.

Before she spends any money on it, she should consider getting something else or let the nickel and dimeing begin...

I echo your thoughts exactly. But these couple of women have two. The older one in question and another about five years old. I am not about to rain on their parade and tell them they really suck because they do.:)

My experience of my old 95 Chrysler AWD van was the same. Got 160k kms or 100k miles out of it. Before I sold it it was costing me about $100 a month to keep it on the road. The transmission needed a rebuild just outside of the warranty and the company rebuilt it for free.

The last time I set foot in a Chrysler dealership the salesman appraised my 95 as a trade in and I had trouble getting the keys back when I decided to leave. No more Chrsyler products for me.

I will let the ladies know what you said UB.

Mouse get into the wiring harness?

Fusible link?

Chrysler hell....
 

No I did not pass your thoughts on to the neighbor. It is painful enough for her to experience Chrsyler van ownership.

Just yesterday I went to talk to the owners. The mechanically inclined one had her head under the dash fixing the heating on the newer Chrysler van and the other gal was standing there watching. I asked her what the plan was for the older one.
She said they are going to scrap it and they are going to buy a used Corolla. I said it sounds like a good plan.

Thanks everybody for your help and opinions. I thought it was good to let you know what happenen in this kind of situation....:)

its probably a relay.
there may be a relay that de-energizes when starting so that all power is available for the starter. BMW has 2. they call them an unloader relay.