dakota runabilty

Yes, it's possible but Chrysler had very little trouble with computers back then. First check the ground wires. They should be near the head light on the inner fender.

Don't overlook a distributor problem. There was a lot of trouble with worn bushings that let the spinning shaft wobble. The camshaft position sensor inside it is what determines injector timing. That will also make ignition timing bounce around and the signal could cut out intermittently.

For the intermittent no-start, do you mean the engine doesn't crank or it cranks but doesn't run? If it doesn't crank, suspect worn contacts in the starter solenoid. The symptom will be a single kind of loud clunk from the starter each time you turn the ignition switch to "crank". It will crank eventually if you try it enough times. The contacts can be replaced for 20 bucks but most people just replace the entire starter. This is real common with the small silver Nippendenso starters.

caradiodoc

the engine cranks but wont start,, for the no start..
also for the runnability it backfires thru the T/B and stumbles horribly.. when trying to rev it up.

Grab a timing light and watch how steady the marks are while the engine is running. If it bounces around a lot, try a different distributor. Your description matches perfectly.

caradiodoc