This is my mother inlaws van. About six months ago My brother inlaw changed maf sensor,coil,plugs,wires because of it misfiring 3 months later I did the wires again due too misfiring so now it's doing it again changed plugs and wires and no luck I'm running out of stuff to try I don't really have the money to keep dumping in to it. I did notice if I unplug the maff sensor it does not change the way it runs could it be the maf again or is there something else I need to look at first the maf is like $120 I don't really have to spend. I know you can check it with an ohm meter but I don't have one.

 

....a multimeter is about 5 bucks.
A misfire could be caused by a fuel delivery problem or a vacuum leak e.t.c.
I suggest you buy (or loan from your local library) a Chilton's or Haynes manual and look at the trouble shooting guide.

I agree with you, throwing parts at it is a money loosing game.

 

i was tinkering with it today and i had it running and smelled sulfur coming out of the exhaust that tells me catalytic converter is that what you think

 

Christish:
I bet the CEL is on. Go to a parts store and ask them to scan the codes for you. Report the code back. It really will help narrow this down.
How many miles are on the clock?
What's the maintenance history?

 

i took it to the parts store last week and no codes today i cant smell the sulfur today i'm lost. My bro in law changed stuff the last time so everything he changed that has a warranty i changed. coil,plugs,wires,maf sensor and still no luck. 150000 miles and the maintenance history i have no clue on.

 

None of this is cast in stone, but if you disconnect the MAF sensor the system defaults to an alternate programming that allows operation without the MAF sensor so ,,, if the vehicle runs better with the Maf sensor unplugged the sensor is causing the problem and should be replaced. Avoid rebuilt MAF sensors and try to stay with new OEM sensors.
Usually,,,, when you smell the rotten egg/sulfur odor there is a rich condition and the converter is attempting to clean it up.

 

what about the distributor cap, did you change the cap and rotor ? if it has a coil pavk instead of a distributor then check the towers where the plug wires hook too and see if any of them are corroded !

 

bandit: this van does not have a distributor, coil pack and electronics only.

Christish: the rich condition could be caused by a bad fuel pressure regulator or a leaking injector....

 

if it has a coil pack then maybe 1 of the towers where the plug wires goes at is bad inside or corroded on the tip !

 

In post #5 he said he changed the coil which I take to be the coil pack...