GETTING ACCESS TO THE FUEL PRESSURE TEST PORT

Thank you very much for the information.

I have the original printed manual from Daimler Chrysler for the Dodge Grand Caravan 2002, 3.3 litre, V6. This manual does not breathe a word about the fuel pressure test port. None at all.

However, after I got your diagram, I put my hand behind the engine and felt a rectangular or square object near the rear intake manifold which appeared to be similar to the one shown in the diagram. Is it the protective cap for the test port? If so, is it to be removed by unscrewing it? I tried to unscrew it with my hand but I could not. Will a wrench be necessary? I do not want to break it.

Please advise. I await your response.

Regards,

Kabeer Sayeed

Thank you very much for your prompt response.

I looked in the front at first. I could not find anything that resembles the rectangular object shown in your diagram. That is why I reached into the back over the plenum and felt something rectangular in the back.

Do I have to remove anything to expose the test port?

I will double check and get back to you as soon as possible.

Regards.

Kabeer Sayeed

Once again, thank you for your response.

As mentioned earlier, I looked long, hard, and as carefully as possible at the front of the engine to see if anything resembling the a test port (also referred to as "Schrader valve" in some circles). I could not find any such test port. Also, there was nothing resembling the port that you recently sent to me.

Incidentally, according the Daimler Chrysler manual for the Dodge Grand Caravan 2002, 3.3 litre, V6, there are two intake manifolds, namely, the upper and the lower manifolds. Both these manifolds are right in the middle of V6 engine block and cylinder heads.

I am sorry that the last message was incomplete. I am continuing it below.

In a previous message of yours, you referred to the vehicle in question as a "truck". I am wondering if you and I are talking about the same vehicle. As already mentioned earlier, the vehicle I am talking about is a mini-van.

Furthermore, if there was a test port, I wonder why the original Daimler Chrysler manual has not said a word about it. Their engineers and technical writers could not be so negligent.

Perhaps, it might help you to know that I am trying to solve a vehicle stalling problem. The vehicle runs for about 15 minutes and then stops. If after about 30 minutes, it is started again, it runs for another 15 minutes and then stops and so on. I am wondering if it is a fuel pump problem because I just replaced the fuel filter with a brand new one costing about 45.00 $. There was no improvement. I would like to confirm that the fuel pump is the problem or if there is a much deeper problem by testing the fuel pressure before I spend about 300.00 $ for a brand new pump and lot of time replacing it. I don't want it ending up as a wild goose chase

I hope I have given you some food for thought and look forward to your response.

Regards.

Kabeer Sayeed

Thanks again for your response.

I checked the mini-van for a fuel rail rest port similar to the one shown in your last diagram. I looked near the ignition coil (this is similar to the one in your diagram) but no test port was visible.

However, there is a Power Steering Pump Reservoir above the Ignition Coil in the minivan which is not shown in your diagram. This Reservoir may be obscuring the fuel rail rest port. I am wondering if removing the Reservoir will expose the test port. What do you think?

By the way, does the diagram that you sent me depict exactly the same engine as the one for Dodge Grand Caravan 2002, 3.3 litre, V6 engine? Kindly clarify.

I await your response.

Regards.

Kabeer Sayeed

Thanks very much for your very prompt response.

The following is the VIN of the mini-van that we have been discussing:

2B4GP44R32R601774

The 8th alphanumeric symbol appears to be "R".

I hope this helps.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards.

Kabeer Sayeed

Thank you for your response.

I found something that looked like the "Fuel Rail Test Port" that was shown in the last diagram that you sent me. I had to remove the power steering reservoir and it was behind it. It is rather strange that the designers of the vehicle made it so very difficult to obtain access to a simple test port! The design was as bad as the design of the fuel tank and filter where I had to remove the tank to replace the fuel filter which could have been, quite easily, kept in the engine compartment as was the case with other vehicles that I have owned.

However, the "Fuel Rail Test Port" has a peculiar cap on top of it. When I tried to unscrew this cap, it just kept on rotating and did not come off. On examination of the cap, it appeared to be secured to the port in a rather odd way which was quite unlike the usual threaded caps on Schrader valves. It had metal tabs below it which seemed to secure it to the test port.

Before I try to remove it using some other method and perhaps cause damage to the cap and the port, I would like your expert opinion on the best way to get it off.

I look forward to your response.

Regards.

Kabeer Sayeed

Thanks for your response.

I have checked and DOUBLE CHECKED for any object that looks like a test port on the fuel rail close to the induction coil which looks similar to the "Fuel Rail Test Port" shown on the last diagram that you sent me. There is NOTHING other than the object that I described to you in my last posting and it is located in EXACTLY the same location as the object that was shown to be the "Fuel Rail Test Port" in your diagram.

The object looks like a miniature top hat and it is attached to and covering a projection with an opening on the fuel rail. It appears to be some form of a dust cover. It is attached to the projection by about 4 tabs at the bottom of the hat. It appears possible to open the tabs and remove the hat like object. It is made of aluminium or other non-ferrous metal since a magnet does not get attracted to it. It is shiny metallic white in colour. It is smooth on the outside and has no knurling (to provide a grip) on it unlike the usual dust covers for Schrader valves.

Its dimensions are approximately as follows:

Diameter of the top of the hat: 12 to 14 millimetres (mm)
Diameter of the rim of the hat: 20 mm
Total height of the hat including rim: 12 to 14 mm.

I hope the above gives you an idea of what the object looks like. I will try to send you a photograph or a diagram as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the above information may provide some food for thought.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Regards.

Kabeer Sayeed

Here is the image of what seems to be the "Fuel Pressure Test Port". You will notice that it is sitting on top of the Fuel Rail. I had to remove the Power Steering Fluid Reservoir to expose it to take a picture of it. You will notice that it is exactly as described by me in my previous message. Note that the top hat like cover is attached by clips to a projection on top of the fuel rail.

I feel that this has to be the fuel test port because there is nothing else on the vehicle that could be a fuel pressure test port.

Regards.

K. A. Sayeed

I take note of your response. We live and learn.

Can you confirm that that it is indeed the fuel pressure test port?

I await your response.

Regards.

Kabeer Sayeed