Occasionally with weeks or months apart there is a starting problem. The motor starts for a few seconds, and then stops. Meters are without reading, and meter/dashboard illumination is not on. While problem lasts gasoline pressure is okay. After resting between 30 minutes and several days the car starts and runs perfectly again. Beeing started the motor never gives any problems.

A couple of times while driving meters stop working and the "alarm set" turns on while the car keeps running all right. In this condition the anti theft system does not work, as the car starts and runs without activation of the remote control. After a while everything works as usual again.

If these two conditions are connected in any way I am not sure.

If anybody have a good idea where to look for a solution I would be really happy.

 

Sounds like a classic VTSS failure. Car starts then dies in a few seconds. Your subsequent alarm light points the same direction. On your model year the Body Control Module (BCM) controls the VTSS alarm system. Disconnect the battery to attempt a reset. Check BCM connections for corrosion or damage. Beyond that you may need to have the system reflashed or replace the BCM. Your BCM is mounted on the back of the junction block (interior fuse panel).

Thinking on it, this could also be caused by the very common instrument cluster cracked solder joint issue plaguing 3rd generation 96-2000 vans. Specifically, the solder joints that secure the instrument cluster connector to the instrument cluster circuit board. The fact your instruments stop working plus the alarm light points to it. The fix is free - remove the cluster then remove the circuit board from the cluster and reflow the solder joints with a hot soldering iron. You may be asking how the instrument cluster can cause an alarm system problem. It's all to do with the CCD multiplex data buss. Most of the vans electrical systems use the data bus for communications. A fault anywhere on the buss can effect seemingly unrelated systems. The instrument cluster is a primary conduit on the data bus.

This isn't fool proof but next time there's a problem smack the dash above the cluster. If something comes alive it points to the cluster solder joints. Unfortunately, it can still be the solder joints even if nothing happens.

 

smack the top of the dash see if the cluster comes back to life then u know which one is the issue

 

Thank you for the precise reply. First I tryed the hard fist method with no response. The BCM module looked fine, and "no currency resetting" did not work. Then I took the dashboard apart and looked through the soldering joints. They really looked nice apart from two, which were slightly discolored. I cleaned and resoldered them to a larger part of the copper strip which I cleaned off at the print plate. All the connector solderings looked really perfect, but it gave them all a resoldering anyway. After refitting the cluster, the car has not made any trouble. It either works perfectly now thanks to you, - or takes a good pause before the next troubleful malfunction. I cross my fingers.