Will not start

It has been really weird weather lately and very wet. My car will turn over and over but never start. I didn't know if it was weather related or maybe another issue, I didn't know where the distributor cap was located to see if it had any water in it. Hope you can help.

Thanks,
Ryan

How do you check the spark out of the coil?

Mid back of engine
check the wires and may be its time for a tune up
check if you have spark out of the coil
also check the coil they fail more often[/quote:a8dc9b11a3]

Truck broke down coming off interstate. Smoke coming from intake manifold. Looked through throttle body and noticed pool of oil all across bottom about 1/2 in. Deep. Researched and replaced steel belly pan with Hughes reinforcement kit for the 5.9 Magnum. All that work and the truck cranks but wont start. Has fuel to the rails and spark to plugs. Also installed headers, plugs, wires, thermostat and reconditioned fuel injectors. Why wont this thing start? Please help, thank you.

Have been having an intermittant starting problem for 2years. It would start within 1-3 switch turns
The battery is new and was starting good, within 1-3 switch turns. Now it starts within 20-50 switch turns. Is it the starter, the starter switch or the solenoid?

Thank you, Ron

My Dakota has been starting fine until a few days ago. It was starting fine a few weeks before problem with the temperatures below 0. I started having this problem when it was in the 30's outside, only when cold. The engine turned over fine but wouldn't kick over after cranking several times for 20 or 30 seconds each time. I thought is was flooded so I floored the accelerator and eventually it started. This happed for 3 to 4 days leaving home and leaving work. Once it started, it ran fine, and started fine if I just shut off while warm to get gas or go into store. The last day I couldn't get it started so it's been sitting since than. I did a fuel pressure check and the pressure goes up to 46-48 psi which is within the spec. The pressure went from 48 to 35 psi in 10 minutes 1st time, and 46 to 26 in 30 minutes 2nd time. This leakdown rate seems to be within limits from my Haynes repair manual, but I assume that a leaky injector must be my problem, do you agree? How do I determine what injector is leaking, at $73 apiece I don't want to just go out & buy a set of 6. What would be your suggestion on figuring out this problem?

Thanks
Iroc_Russ

I did the 5 minute test as stated in my first note. As I said the pressure went down but did not go below the acceptable pressure within the allowed time (lower than 30 psi within 5 minutes) as the manual suggest, although it went down to 35 psi in 10 minutes. My question was even though my pressure did not go below the stated 30 psi within 5 minutes, do you think that the injectors are the problem? If so how do I figure out which one is leaking through? If the regulator was leaking I believe it would be back to the fuel tank, thus would not be leaking back to the cylinder and causing hard starting. As soon as I turn the key on the pressure goes up immediately. I'm sure the reason the vehicle doesn't start easy is because it's flooded, but after it does start it runs fine. My pressure regulator is part of the fuel pump module on the top of my fuel tank, so it is not easily accessible, what other suggestions would you have about this. Is there anything other than the injectors you think could be the problem?

Thanks

Hello,
I have a 1999 Dodge Dakota with a 5.2 liter 318. I have been having problems starting after wet conditions after the truck has been sitting for a day. I have automotive experience and I am very good at trouble shooting. I have replaced the distributor cap, rotor button, and plug wires and spark plugs last year. I might have put 10k on since. It started great all summer and I use it as a work truck. It is a gas aholic so I commute with a car. I love my truck but I am getting frustrated with the issue. Dodge trucks in there older years always had moisture issues. This truck was doing great up until recently. I have replaced the fuel pump a few years ago because it failed on me on the road. It almost seems like its not firing the gas. I think because it sits more now that something has become corroded. If that was the case it wouldn't start in any weather. On a dry day it starts within seconds. I don't see any bad wires or connections. It does start after turning it over a lot. I mean a lot. What should I look for? Is this still a mopar issue? Is there something I spay to dry it out? It does run great after it starts.
Thank you

I haven't purchased a noid light kit yet. We also haven't had rain since I posted last time so the truck has started right up. However I did make a purchase with an auto scanner plus tool made by Actron. It was on sale and thought this may help with all the cars in my family. When I took the truck out on the highway I mashed the gas and it did spit and sputter. The engine light came on and stayed on. I connected the scanner and it told me I had multiple misfires. I had a misfire with #4 cylinder and #7 cylinder. There were no other codes. We are going to get a big snow storm tomorrow. If it doesn't start I will connect the scanner. I have new plugs, wires, and distributor cap and rotor button. I will continue to try isolated the problem. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.
Matthew

It is snowing here now. I had a hard time starting the truck today. I use it for plowing our driveway. I didn't get an engine code until I drove to my parent’s house. It spit and sputtered enough to make the light come on. Again it was the P0300 multi misfire and P0304 which is cylinder 4 misfire and P0306 cylinder 6 misfire. This happens driving down the road low RPM then giving it lots of gas to fast it is spitting. That caused the engine light. It will also spit and sputter from idle flooring it real quick. It comes out of it around 4K RPM. If you give it gas slow in park it doesn't spit and sputter. I took # 4 plug out and it looked beautiful. Nice golden tan brown. There wasn't a bit of carbon on it. I am wondering if it could be the distributor Pick up or the coil. I don’t think it's the coil but it does look beat. Like you said it could be the injectors not keep up or working when they need to. I know it’s not the computer because I have an extra 1 with the performance chip that makes me run high octane. It does the same thing with each module. I think it’s the wet weather that keeps throwing me off. I tarpped the truck and it didn't help this morning. What ever it is it is very sensitive to moisture after sitting for a day. It's in the electrical. I did put dry gas in the truck just to be sure.
Thanks

The truck ran I parked it and I went to start it, it stutterd and stalled. Wont start now. Put it in the shop and checked all fuses and relys all checks out good. If your familiar with the wireing, the two wires that go to the pickup coil are green with orange stripe and black with gray stipe. When testing for power, the green has power for about two seconds when I turn the key on, same with black. The two seconds is the same time the fuel pumps kicks on when you turn the key on. Take the rely out and the power to the rely is the same two seconds. When I crank the engine, the test light shown no power. I checked that there is fuel by pressing the bleed off valve on the injection supply line. I have not pulled the spark plug out to test for spark beause of the power issue. Also the coil, cap, wires, and plugs are all new one year ago, I took that all apart and it all looks clean, also now corrosian in any conections. I hope this is a thurough diagnosis, if you can help, that would be great. Thank you, sam

Hello,
Problem solved. I replaced the coil because of how bad it looked. It turns out it was cracked underneath in 2 locations. It runs great no spitting or sputtering. I purchased the part at NAPA for $50.
Thank you
Matthew

Hi thanks for responding. Yes I checked the power supply to the rely, the power supply cuts out after two seconds. No keep in mind, I tested it again today with the same results, two seconds, and then I cranked it again, and I fired, so I got jumper cables the battery was getting down, and I started it up and it ran didnt want to idle very good, but after I rand it for a couple minuits it idled fine. I left for the day, came back and it started right up again, I drove I around for 15 min, it was fine. Went to leave town and it quit again. Came back in an hour, put jumpers on agiain, dumped gas in it, thought it might be that stupid of a gas gage not working, and it fired up and idled on its own for five minuites and it stalled again. I cant get it started now again. I did all the same things I did before to get it started. Im wondering if it is the ignition coil itself. I did not put a test light on the green wire when it was running, I was just so excited that it was runing I took it for a drive. Thanks for your respons this has shore throne a big curve at me.