OK guys I need to see if anyone has any ideas on my latest problem. Today I was driving along in my 96 5.2L 4 speed auto. I was pulling my trailer but I don't think it had anything to do with the problem. I was driving along and there was a pretty good dip in the road which you could feel but nothing bottomed out or anything like that. Just a dip in a low spot in the road. I was likely going about 50 MPH at the time. Well the truck just died. No sputtering or jerking or rough running or anything, it just quit running instantly.

Here is what I can tell you about the problem. I found a blown 30 amp fust for the auto shut down relay. I replaced it but it keeps blowing when the ignition is turned to the run position. I have a fair service manual for the dakota. It shows that the circuit branches off several times to different places. I bought some more fuses and here is what I have disconnected to isolate the problem. The problem does not seem to be caused by any of the injectors, the ignition coil, the alternator, either one of the O2 sensors. When I turn the ignition to the run position I held down the valve on the fuel rail and gas pumped for about a second and then the fuse blew again and the pump quit pumping. If I unplug the 3 connections to the PCM the fuse does not blow but the fuel pump also does not energize.
So I have a feeling that it could be a defective fuel pump or perhaps the PCM may have just died. I have never experienced anything like this so I hope some of you guys might have some idea's as to what else to check or perhaps you have seen this before. Do the PCM just quit suddenly? Could a fuel pump just quit. Well I know that there is a connector at the top of the fuel pump but so far I have not been able to get it disconnected to isolate the fuel pump. I am sure it is easy to disconnect but I can not really see it well and may have to drop the fuel tank to get to it.

Please let me know if you have any clues.
Thanks guys.

 

Check the splice that goes to the the fuse/relay box in the engine bay, it's notorious for going out, it happened to me and it's happened to lots of others, it can cause the fuse to pop especially if there's a short as a result from the broken splice. It's a bitch to get to but it has a tendency to corrode and eventually kill the truck, check for corrosion in the wire loom going into that box, very easy to fix once you can actually see what you're doing. You said the circuit branches off in 3 directions...the fusible link is basically one wire that splices out into three, find that splice and I think you'll find you're problem.