Chrysler Repair: Intermittent no crank/stall on 2003 Chrysler TC, chrysler tc, gas mileage

Question
Hi Kevin -- I'm wondering if you have any ideas on an issue I'm having with a 2003 TC 3.8 van, just turned 40k miles.

Symptoms are that the car will intermittently not crank, and it will intermittently stall while driving down the road. Sometimes it stalls completely, but I've also had it stumble and recover while sitting at idle.

Seems like an electrical problem to me!

The battery is fine, the instrument cluster lights up, and I'm pulling no codes at the cluster. I've read about the cluster issue in earlier vans, but I'm not sure if it applies to this one. All gauges appear to work fine, sooo...

With the key in the ignition at RUN, I can determine if the car will crank and start by looking at the overhead computer -- if it won't start, no AVG gas mileage or distance remaining info is displayed (I assume it gets this from the PCM).

Also, I've noticed that it seems that it WON'T crank when the check engine and oil light are NOT lit up during key cycling to start. Also, it WON'T give me diagnostic codes (P1684, DONE -- no codes) when it doesn't crank.

When it doesn't crank, the starter relay still cuts power to the accessories, and I can hear a (small) RELAY click by the forward electronics box. It doesn't sound like the starter relay. So I'm thinking the sentry key is fine because of that and because the accessories all still work.

Which leads me to think that it's 1) the ignition switch, 2) some kind of relay between the ignition switch and the engine PCM, 3) the PCM itself.

I had a look in the forward electronics box, and didn't see anything that looked useful. Am I missing something?

How can I best troubleshoot these components without replacing them all? I really don't want to take it to the dealer to have them replace the PCM, or even look at the car -- they keep screwing us.

Any advice or info would be appreciated!  Thanks!

Answer
so far  u are doing good  The cluster with your year is not the same so thats not a factor.I live in the Atlanta area I would be glad to look at it for u. IF not we will need some way of getting more info when it does happen  I have a few ideas but with out seeing what some sensors and switched are doing at that time I would be guessing as well.