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dave a · Dec 19, 2012, 04:29 AM

Once in a while, ( maybe 1 out of 20 starts ) , our 98 venture will stumble and fail to run. If I give it a little tthrottle it will be more likely to start. After it stumbles and chugs for a few seconds, the rpms surge and it settles down and runs perfect as it's allways done. It has never left us stranded, but it can take a few tries to get going. This bothers the Mrs. a lot.

Also, at highway speed it will occasionally cut out for a split second. It's just one jerk and it never happens again for days or even weeks. When the van isn't having these two problems it runs flawlessly.

I have replaced the ICM and cleaned the MAF. There are no codes. I was thinking about a new fuel pump relay just for something to try, because the startup problem has been the main one. The cut out at speed situation came later and it's very occasional.

Afterworking with it myself for a while, I took it to my mechanic, He said there were no codes and he couldn't get it to act up. The next thing he would try is to hook up his gauges and drive the thing till it acted up. He has a few ideas what it could be, but doesn't want to throw parts at it without a good diagnosis.

Does anyone have experience with a problem like this or have suggestions about something I could try? Thank you. Dave

TxGreaseMonkey · Dec 19, 2012, 05:06 AM

Yes, I have experience with that exact situation. Here's what I would do:

Attach an advanced scan tool that shows pending codes (e.g. Actron CP9580). It may show pending codes that will lead you to the MAF Sensor and/or MAF connector. It's not unusual for both items to require replacing. The new connector will have to be spliced on to the wiring harness (5 to 6 wires). It needs to be done properly and wrapped afterwards. Stay away from remanufactured MAF Sensors--it's best to go OEM for this problematic sensor.