Dodge Ram Wont Start!?!? NEW PROBLEM DETAILS on page 3

[A.J. Hall]

Ok, its a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 ext. cab. short bed 4x4 w/ the 318 5.2



The truck was acting funyn like when you get to 3000 rpms it would sputter or wanna stall. The check engine light came on and when ever you would jump on it it the check engie light would blink. I didnt make it to autozone in time to test it with a scanner. But I started it late that night and the truck was running fine and no check engine lights were comeing up. But this is gonna sound stupid. I was moving out of my house all night. And at like four in the morning I jumped in the truck to warm up(no heat in old house) and fell asleep. I cant remember if I started the truck or not. But the next morning I woke up in the house and went out to the truck to find the igntion on and the parking lights. So I must of started the truck and it stalled or something. So I jump started the truck and it started but as soon as I would let off the gas it would stall right out. After about 15 minutes of restarting it it finnally would idle. This was yesterday morning. Then it ran fall almost all day. The truck was really muddy from my backyard and I parked next to this big puddle in a parking lot and had my buddy drive past me through the puddle to wash my truck off. And he did, then went I went to move my truck forward it was running like crap and the check engine light came on and and would hardly move. So I took the air cleaner off. It was dry. The truck would idle decent but wouldnt rev up it would just bogg down and stall when you gave it gas. So I figured the cap and rotor got wet. I changed them and the put a ne coil on it and it still runs like crap. Not it wont even start, idle, nothing. It will just crank and if you hold the throttle allt he way open the truck will try to start and will start for a like 1 second and then shut down. I have no check engine lights or anything else. And all my accessories work. Any one got any ideas??

[Norm Henderson]

fuel delivery? filter, pump?

[mudbrat71]

WILL IT FIRE UP WITH ALITTLE WD40  OR NON CLORIDATED BRAKE CLEAN, START FLUID   DONT DROWND IT  IF  SO U HAVE FUEL PROBLEM IF NOT I WOULD CHECK CRANK SENSOR THEY GO BAD ALOT ON THEM MORE THAN FUEL PUMPS DO 

[A.J. Hall]

Well I put some gas don the throttle body and it didnt help it only made it not fire at all.

[mudbrat71]

SOUNDS LIKE CRANK SENSOR

[A.J. Hall]

Would that through a code??

[Crazymays77]

yes it should but the check engine light might no come on. so u need to get it scanned.thats the best way to figure it out anyways.

[mudbrat71]

 not always with a good scanner u can see if it is working

[A.J. Hall]

Would a Autozone scanner show it?

[ride n dirty]

pretty sure you have to pull the sensor off to have it tested

[A.J. Hall]

How do you test it once it is off? I was wondering about this.

[ride n dirty]

when i had mine tested they used a little scanner and ran a thing trough the sensor and tell if it cut out or not

[A.J. Hall]

O ok cool ill try that then. Did you go to autozone?

[ride n dirty]

ya not sure if advance auto has the same tool

[A.J. Hall]

I just called autozone and mazzas. None of them do it??

[A.J. Hall]

I put the scanner on and it said nothing was wrong. no codes, and such. But Sooo, these truck deffinitly SUCK to work on. I came to the idea that the coil started going bad and it fouled out the plugs and thats why when I put the new one on it didnt help so I am now in the process of changing the plugs and coil. But wow is Dodge dumb. They put these metal things around the plugs. Not sure why?? But it makes it near impossible to get the spark plugs out because the socket wont fit down there. Anyone have a tip they can give me to help out with this poor design? lol not to metion its ten times harder doing out in the road in the ran with no street lights and no lights but the cell phone light.lol. And limited tools

[A.J. Hall]

Yea I riped one off and then took a break cause the rain.

[ride n dirty]

full coverage push off cliff

[A.J. Hall]

Hahaha If only it was my truck. Its my sisters. I love the looks of these 2nd gen rams but the motors suck except for the cummins.

[mudbrat71]

u need a data screen to see crank sensor working not a code puller like autozone has