Ok folks a bit of help here...please Its a 96 ram full size, 360, 4x4, 1500, 5 speed.... wont start... it turns over just fine. I have no power to the coil, when I pull the fuse to the fuel pump the ac clutch engages, and the dammed check engine lite comes on....dim...it used to be on all the time and bright...due to the lack of automatic tranny i assume.. and run fine it was originally euipped with an auto tranny...changed to a 5 speed by the previous owner. I have done alot of reading on this and some testing under the hood.. thoughts people? I will gladly listen I am an old school carb and points kind of guy....this is a new world to me...dammed computers!!!! HELP!
Just like with a carb and points, it needs a spark, air, fuel and the spark needs to happen at the right time. Diagnosing requires a good service manual. First thing, when the key is turned on is there fuel pressure? While its cranking, is the computer recieving a signal from the crankshaft position sensor ( camshaft position sensor if equipped, I don't know)? We can cheat here, is the fuel injectors (two wires, one hot, the other goes low when the injetor is suppose to work) working? Sorry, only very general info. Not familiar with dodge ignition systems. Seriously a good service manual is needed. Lets do some net searches and see what we can find. By the way, are there any code stored in the computer? how do we retrieve those codes in a Dodge?
found this site.....http://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen-ram/232230-no-power-to-coil-2.html seems to be some valuable info. The manual i have is a chiltons. just enough info to get you by it seems. When the key is turned on the fuel pump does not engage. however it is operational. verified this by manually overiding the fuel pump relay. I plugged in the code scanner and interestingly enough, it shows "fail" to read. the molex appears to be OK on both the reader and the truck. Verified the scanner works on another vehicle also. Tried to extract the codes using the cycling of the ignition key per what the manual says...will NOT bring up codes with the check engine light. But it used to work, as I tested this shortly after I got the truck.
When I was a kid, Chilton's manuals were all there were basically and it gave very general information over a wide range of vehicles. Now I buy a Haynes manual for every vehicle I own. Haynes manuals ROCK. Tons of pictures of work in progress and very specific info not only with just your vehicle model, but also different procedures depending on what equipment you have (engine size,etc..) If you work on your own car, its the best $20 you ever spent IMO.
The Klinkster may be right. My Haynes manual for my Ranger is pretty good. That fail to read thing may indicate a computer problem. These computers are super reliable. Can you determine which pin provides power to the computer? In my Ranger, power to the computer is supplied by a relay. Haynes manuals do have a basic wiring diagram (atleast it does for my Ranger)
My chiltons has a good schematic...well at least for most people...LOL it conveys the message ok. I might look into getting a haynes. Upon further reading on the other dodge site, I may be looking at a new computer for the thing. I did alot of reading and alot of electrical testing today....things are not adding up at all. I am debating on whether or not to get a new PCM...I hate to crap out the cash for it..I am a cheap SOB...especially if it does not fix the problem... I need to find out about the crank and cam / or cam sensor......this seems to be an issue . But then from what i have read the PCM in these things are not the most reliable, dont know...may just throw on a after market intake and carb with a primitive elecrtonic mopar ignition if worse comes to worse... I can do that!!!! and then actually work on it! LOL!
**** it. go old school on it. im right now in the process of rebuilding my fuel pump assembly. bought the pump online for 23.00 as opposed to 200~310.00 for a whole new assembly that i don't need. i just hope its the pump. all tests came to this. 41 lbs of pressure, i need 57 to start. grinding noise when the pump was priming. i'm just glad it ran long enough to pump out all 12 gal of fuel i had in there. man it man the wosrt noise doing too. i wouldn't mind slapping a carb on mine either. good luck with your truck.
Went out and bought a new (used) ECM for this thing tonight. Will install it tomorrow and see what happens. I sure do miss driving this truck.
I was wondering if you had it fixed yet.I know this might sound stupid,but I would check all of your power and grounds.A little corrosion on a terminal can cause low voltage.9 times out of ten if it's not the fuel pump,that's the problem I've run into.
installed new ECM, as I was doing it I found that while the ol truck was sitting a mouse decided to eat at the injector wiring, so repaired it and checked throughout the engine compartment and under the truck for any other damage. Found the mouse nest in the air intake hose going from the fender to the air filter box....A- hole mouse! Anyways....got all back together and she fired right up! OUTSTANDING! Runs like it should and very happy now!
