Chrysler Repair: Chrysler Town Country Van 1999 electrical shut off, solenoid switch, chrysler town

Question
My van turns over but shuts down within 2 seconds.  It was gone over by a repair garage who found all in top shape: battery, starter, alternator, etc.  He said we need to take it to Chrysler for a computer check so we did.  We paid for a complete service and they said they could find nothing wrong.  Nothing was logged in the computer.  But again today it left my and my children stranded.  It will turn over 2-3 times, shut off and then not even come on at all when turning the key.  Any ideas as to what we can do?

Answer
Hi Wendy,
It is sometimes necessary to leave it with an auto electric tech to drive so that they can experience the shut down in person when it happens. If it won't replicate your experience when you bring it in then it is a puzzle for them. It sounds like you have two different problems:
start and die in a second or so,
start and die in a second or so and then not crank over the engine at all.
In the latter case, do you hear and clicks from under the hood, or is the electrical response from the starter motor non-existent at the point? And then what happens later?
If I could get a more complete description of the various ways that it won't start I might have an idea. But tell me precisely what happen when you turn the key to the start position and from that point onward. Differentiate between cranking the engine, the engine running under its own power and for how long, and what sounds or visual indication lights on the dash occur when there is no response from the starter motor. There are two different systems involved in getting the starter motor to turn the engine over: a soft click from a relay in a long thin box near the battery and loud click from a solenoid switch at the starter motor. If you don't hear the latter, then open the hood and the long thin box near the battery and listen for the soft click when a helper turns the key to the start position.
It also might be simply a problem with the engine not wanting to run on it own for more than a few seconds due to sticky egr valve which then closes and the problem stops for the moment. Tell me which engine size (L) so I can describe how to find and test that valve.
So get back to me when you can give me a more precise account of what you are experiencing and I'll try to help you deal with it.
Roland