Yes it could be a bad ground.

 

So, I checked the ground splice with an ohm meter & it checked out. I tested pin 30 on all of the relay's & have 12v. There definately isn't a splice in the red wires with the white tracer however I tested each of these wires by skinning them & have 12v there too. Can i test the cam sensor with an ohm/voltmeter? Does this lead me to a potential issue with the crank sensor too? This truck ran great when I test drove it last week although the battery was dead & we had to jump start it. I have since installed a new battery so theoretically that shouldn't be the cause. I unplugged the annoying buzzer in the fuse box under the dash so i could hear the fuel pump but still nothing. I also tested the funky looking fuses in the Power Distrbution Center......................so what's next?
Colin

 

So, here we go again. I've checked terminal 30 on the ASD relay & the fuel pump relay & there is constant 12v with the key off.
Then i checked terminal 86 on both, with the ignition off & no power, then with the ignition on & i have power there.
I then checked terminal 85 of the ASD with the ignition off & don't get any power but with the ignition on I get power. If i take the fuel pump relay out, there is no power on 85 of either the fuel pump relay or the ASD. I read on another thread describing this problem, dodgerules86 said that terminal 85 should have ground when the key is in start position. The voltage drops slightly when i turn to start but that would be normal as the starter draws power but it certainly isn't a ground. I'm not exactly an electrical dummy, nor am i an electrical engineer either, but wouldn't one side of a relay require ground & the other side power in order to activate the electromagnet to close the circuit between terminal 30 & 87A? The spring inside the relay should return the relay back to the "de-energized" state & terminal 87................correct.
I've also looked at the wiring diagram in the Haynes manual (never had much faith in them but its what i have) & they only show four terminals on these relays not five like mine have. I've cleaned every ground i can find on the fender & firewall. So what do i do next?

 

I guess i should also add that the "check engine" light doesn't come on when the ignition is turned on, plus I can't get it to throw any codes if i turn it on & off as noted in some other posts.
Colin

 

That's no wueno, senor. Check connections at the brain box, computer. It should show you some kind of CEL sometime. Is there a parts yard nearby? Maybe time for a replacement.

 

Yeah, if your check engine light isn't coming on it's gotta be the computer. Check that the computer's ground is good first (cable running to bolt at back of passenger head), then start checking your power into the computer.

 

I just pulled the multi pin connector off the computer & almost every pin had some corrosion on it. I cleaned the pins up & cleaned out the socket side, then added dielectric grease to the whole thing. I put it back together & still nothing. I guess i have to dig deeper. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks everyone,
Colin

 

I wouldnt rule out the suggestion that the PCM is failed. This seems to hold especially true if you found corrosion on the connectors. I will say that I have heard of the occasional issue where the CEL bulb is burned out.

None the less, the corrosion at the connector is not a great sign IMHO.

Good Luck!

 

Could a burn't out Check Engine bulb actually cause any of these symptoms? Sounds way to simple to me. It seems strange for the pcm to decide to crap out on the day i'm picking the truck up after purchasing it. I've never owned a Dodge before, so this nightmare isn't the greatest introduction. Don't get me wrong, i've owned many other cars & trucks that have their own "issues" that are a pain to chase down.
Colin

 

It most certainly could be a bad bulb. Pop open the covers and swap around your bulbs and see if you're getting any voltage at the bulb connection.