Thoughts on a Ram B1500 Starcraft Van?

Originally Posted by Scrappah

The body does look nice. One of the most important things is the frame & cross members. Check for fine stress cracks and rot spots. It would probably be better to scrap it out if anything about the frame is bad.

Electrical problems can be hard to track down. Wire resistances change and oxidation starts to set in over time. Contacts and grounds get bad.

Is it a certain thing that it's the ECM ?

Basically, when it gets warm, it throws a code and shuts down. He has attempted to Ziptie the 3rd plug into the ECM.. says if it shuts down, and he wiggles it- it will go again. So all I can really do is go off what he says. He has been really honest with all its flaws. He and I have probably spent 2 hours going over and through the van together. It isn't perfect.. but at the price it seems hard to turn down. Even if I bought it and hauled work gear on a rainy day or hauled scrap in it and drove it until dead, I'd get my $ back out of the thing.. so that is where I'm leaning.



I appreciate the insight and info thus far gents!!

Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

My Dodge Dakota did the same thing. Ordered a reman ECM from ebay and no troubles since. I think I paid $147. Not saying this is your issue, but from what I've read when researching my issue the ECM develops a loose solder joint. That's why wiggling the harness gets it going again.

Or he maybe could go to a junkyard and pull one off a donor car and hopefully wouldn't have nearly as much in it.