1995 AEROSTAR 260,000 MILES V6 3.0 RUNS FINE IN PARK OR NEUTRAL BUT STOPS RUNNING WHEN YOU SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE.VAN WAS RUNNING FINE,PULLED INTO A STORE AND WHEN THE VAN WAS CRANKED TO LEAVE(JUST A FEW MINUTES IN THE STORE)IT WOULD NOT GO.

 

Check for a vacuum leak, like at the vacuum tree at the rear of the intake manifold.

Sometimes if you don't hold the key to the start the engine long enough, it will backfire through the intake. That has blown off vacuum lines and caps onmy van at least a few times. This make the engine run horribly, when it was fine a minute before. It may or may not throw a CEL.

 

TRYING TO GET AS MUCH FEEDBACK AS POSSIBLE,THE VAN IS SITTING AT A QUICK TRIP STATION (STORE)PEOPLE I HAVE ASKED HAS SAID ITS PLUGS,SOMEONE EVAN SAID IF THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE OUT IT WOULD STALL IN GEAR.

 

Does the engine die slowly like the ignition was shut off..? Or does it stop turning abruptly like the a manual that you dumped the clutch? You may have a wire issue. When you put the tranny is drive the engine moves and maybe causing a connector to come apart...Try going to Neutral really fast see what happens..

Dick

 

THE ENGINE CUTS OFF ABRUPTLY.IT RUNS GOOD IN PARK OR NEUTRAL BUT ANY OTHER GEAR IT STALLS.IT MAKES A LOUD CLANKING NOISE WHEN YOU SHIFT INTO DRIVE THEN DIES.

 

Tranny or torque converter is what comes to mind..Pull the fuse for the converter clutch maybe its locking when you shift to drive...You could jack the rear up and see if once the tires spin the engine will keep running...
Almost sounds mechanical...Good luck..


Dick

 

jacked up the van,when you crank it and shift from neutral to drive the the wheels spin

 

I sugest TC. try to cut TC lock-up wire near tranny connector, may be you have bad wiring ore short transistor in PCM, but I saw bad insolation inside trannies, especially allison on LIAZ buses, wire insolation is usually bad if truck/bus was overheated. and TC is groun controlled, when wire is bad and short to ground TC is olways lucked up. To drive bus to me they pushed it to 5 MPH and put tranny into L position and slowly drow to me...

 

Sounds like TC's Locked possibly. locate the fuse or wire..