Chrysler Repair: 05 mininvan: no power, chrysler grand voyager, crankshaft sensor

Question
Roland,

I hope you can help me here. I have had this problem for over 18 months. I am from Scotland.

I have a 2005 Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.3L Petrol Automatic with LPG conversion UK model.

Mileage is now 77000.

The engine runs very rough and cuts out. There is no engine power in the car at all. As my father says there is not enough power in the car to "pull the kilt off a drunken Scotsman"

There are no diagnostics coming out from the engine and they have already replaced the outlet manifold, O2 sensor, carried out a diagnostic check, removed plugs,  replaced crankshaft sensor, valve egr, gasket for egr valve.

They initially told me car faults were in my imagination but car packed up during a long drive and I nearly crashed vehicle when it stalled. They have had car for 6 months and now tell me it is the LPG conversion which has been on car for 4 years and that these cars cannot be converted to LPG. Chrysler UK have also written to me to tell me this.

I have had the car from new and the LPG conversion was done around 2000 to 3000 miles. This is not the problem but I need some idea or I am going to end up with a car I can't use.

I have had the compression checked so the engine is fine. I really need a place to get the internal codes for the 3.3L engine.

many many thanks
happy new year
Ian

Answer
Hi Ian
I don't have any knowledge on the LPG conversion issue.
Setting that aside, I would wonder whether the shops have successfully readout out the engine controller for fault codes. Did they show you any evidence that the reader had communicated with the memory of the controller?  If not, then ask for that. Another possibility is to use the ignition key:"on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the odometer window to see if the mileage reading changes to show a 4-digit number preceded by a P, which would be such a number. I am not certain this access was available in '04-05, but it was in '02. If you get any codes that way please tell me what they are.
If the shop has a high quality engine controller reader it also should be able to monitor all the sensor values under load to see if any specific measurement is off-value. Have they tried that?
As to possible system impairment without codes, the egr is a suspect but that has been replaced.
Another possibility that would be worth checking out is for a partial obstruction of the exhaust pathway, specifically for example a catalytic converter with it internal honeycomb loose and off-axis which can impede the flow to the extent that power is severely reduced. A shop that specializes in exhaust systems would be the best place for that diagnosis, measuring the back pressure up-stream from the converter.
Other than those ideas I am at a loss as to how to procede. Please let me know if any of these ideas 'bear fruit' by means of a follow-up question.
Roland