Thank-you for the suggestion. My husband got home to late to try it, but he knows what you are talking about. What does it mean if it does run and what does it mean if it doesn't run? My husband and his friend are at their wits end trying to figure it out. Also my son said before the timing pulley(or what ever it was that broke) he would drive it and it would stop. after it cooled down it would re start. is this another problem or a symptom of the fuel problem thank you soooo much for your help!! Tina

 

Not sure if the old stalling and then restart would be related but possibly. Have run accross similar problem a few times that turned out to be a burnt/damaged center button on the distributor cap. Give that a check. As for what shorting the yellow connector does I will try to explain best I can. I am not a very good teacher so please try to bear with me. There are two different ways that your fuel pump is supplied power. The power is supplied thru the circuit opening relay ( or fuel pump relay if you will ) and it has two different magnetic windings that close the same contacts to allow this power thru to the pump. The first way is when you start cranking your engine, power goes thru one of the magnetic windings from the starter circuit and closes the relay and powers up the fuel pump. Once you release the key that circuit shuts down and fuel pump would no longer run. Which brings us to the second set of windings in the relay. Once the van starts and you release the key, the mass air flow sensor door opens slightly due to engine now running and a small switch inside closes. This closed switch in the air flow sensor now provides power to the second set of windings in the relay which then allows power to the fuel pump. Engine starts and runs normally if all of this happens correctly. If the Mass Air Flow sensor door is not moving or is sticking it will not close this switch to allow engine to keep running. Same if switch itself is defective. Shorting the Yellow connector completely bypasses the air flow sensor switch. If you short the connector and engine runs normally then the problem would have to be in the sensor or switch. If shorting the connector makes no difference then we are back to square one.[:'(] Is just a quick check to rule out one possibility.

 

Hi we did what you said it still starts and cuts off like before If we unplug the "mass flow sensor" it runs a little longer anything else to try? thanks Tina

 

Darn it, thought we might have been onto the problem.[:'(] I want to try and get a better idea of how engine runs and stalls as this helps to figure out problem. So the engine seems to start up normally and run ok for how long? When it does 'cut out', What does it do? start running rough and gradually stall or does it seem to run fairly well up to the point of stalling. Does it sputter before stalling of just stop instantly. Any description you can provide will help since I can't be there to observe.

 

It doesn't sputter when it shuts off --it runs out of fuel and then shuts down. we pulled the fuel line off and in start mode it pumps fuel out then as soon as it cranks it runs out of fuel thanks for your help and suggestions waiting to hear back Tina

 

Not sure what you are meaning by start mode? The fuel must be getting some signal to turn on or you would not have any flow at all. You might try going back to the fuel pump and supplying power directly to the pump although jumping that yellow connector should have done that. What happens if you have the fuel line off and turn key to run only. Jump that yellow connector and you should have continuous fuel flow. Also take the top of the air cleaner off and make sure the door flapper for the air flow sensor moves easily without any hanging up. You might even try holding this door open slightly while trying to crank and start.
Almost forgot to add. The timing belt was replaced because it broke, yes? I am assuming that it did not have this problem before the belt was replaced?

 

Here are the picts of the circuit opening relay and airflow meter. Note where the B/R wire exits the circuit opening relay and ends in an arrow with a '22'. This shows that the wire goes to another page which is on the second pic in the bottom right corner and goes to that switch in the air flow meter. Hope this makes things a little more clear to your help.

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