Dodge Caravan has check engine light, jerks, and cuts off occasionally. What's the problem?

Question

Hi, i have a '97 Dodge Caravan with a ton of miles on it (115K). The check engine light has been on for about 8 months now and the problem seems to be getting worse.

It started when i was going up a hill at a high altitude. The car barely made it up and while i was going up, it would not go over 80 mph no matter how hard i pushed on the gas. Shortly after that the engine light came on and the car would jerk violently when i accelerated over 60, then 70 and at certain other points.

Lately it's gotten worse - more jerking and the car sometimes cuts off in traffic. It'll go off while i'm at around 10 mph and the oil light comes on. I was able to start it right back up, but i was terrified. I plan on taking it to the mechanic this weekend but i'd like to know what to expect and how much it might cost to fix. Thanks!

Answer 1

Go to auto zone or advanced and have the codes scanned , the check engine light comes on when something is out of perimeters running it so long may have caused more problems and damages.

Answer 2

Are you still at high altitude? it might be/ have been vapor lock, though it sounds like something that keeps happening in which case it wont be. Next time get the check engine light figured out as soon as possible. Go to your local mechanic and have him connect the to the computer and it should tell you whats wrong. If theres been a problem for 8 months then you might be looking at a big repair instead of a small one if you had gotten it checked earlier. Well being smart isnt about not making mistakes its about making them once and only once. You might luck out and it might just be a malfunctioning sensor or some such but i suspect it might be something much worse such as a failing tranny or some such. Fingers crossed

btw try not to go to autozone or places like those as ive heard of many horror stories where they charge you for work they never did (there is hidden camera footage to prove it) best go to a dealer, or even better look for a specialist who many people have rated as good, fair, and informative (there are websites for this). again good luck.