Broken and desperate
#1
Broken and desperate
1996 Dakota 5.2, 4wwd, A/T...... Engine quit, like turning a switch off. Dodge dealer ran scans and said cam pos. sensor was bad. Wanted $400 to replace $30 sensor. I trailered the truck home. Replaced cam pos. sensor, crank pos. sensor, ign. coil. Still no start. Replaced PCM. Still no start. Voltage to PCM, 12 volts +. Grounds good. No CEL or Gen light. Cant check codes without CEL. Have read threads here and checked factory splices that cause most trouble. I'm lost. Have another PCM on the way from a different rebuilder. If that does not work guess I will have to borrow or rent a scanner. I think the CEL and gen light problem is a clue but don't know where to turn. Have disconnected and cleaned all grounds. Blue wire to the PCM has 12+volts with key on so I would guess the ign. sw. is good. Anything obvious that I'm missing? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
#2
1996 Dakota 5.2, 4wwd, A/T...... Engine quit, like turning a switch off. Dodge dealer ran scans and said cam pos. sensor was bad. Wanted $400 to replace $30 sensor. I trailered the truck home. Replaced cam pos. sensor, crank pos. sensor, ign. coil. Still no start. Replaced PCM. Still no start. Voltage to PCM, 12 volts +. Grounds good. No CEL or Gen light. Cant check codes without CEL. Have read threads here and checked factory splices that cause most trouble. I'm lost. Have another PCM on the way from a different rebuilder. If that does not work guess I will have to borrow or rent a scanner. I think the CEL and gen light problem is a clue but don't know where to turn. Have disconnected and cleaned all grounds. Blue wire to the PCM has 12+volts with key on so I would guess the ign. sw. is good. Anything obvious that I'm missing? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Last edited by 89newbie; 01-31-2011 at 11:42 AM. Reason: too long
#4
let them have one of our trucks and watch, in a week one of their techs will be driven it, miraculous knowledge occours when its one of theirs.
#5
i know there are alott of techs like that out there but i can assure you that out of 1000 there are a few good ones. i've been lucky enough to work alongside of them. it sucks i know but it comes down to greed. shop owners and dealers (dealers especially) want to keep the cash themselves. we charge almost $100 an hour here and i keep $17 of it. im a 26 year old ase certified tech with diesel training. it's hard to make it. i rarely make it to 40 hours a week because of honesty. but i know and they know that when it pulls into my stall if the cust wants to spend the cash to fix it that it will be fixed. funny thing is that im in a dodge dealer and work on more fords than dodges
#6
Check your grounds, such as voltage coming out of the PCM, alternator ground, etc. I doubt it'd be fuel since it didn't sputter before it cut off. Just in case, listen for fuel pump hum when you turn key to ACC. Also swap around your relays, to make sure the ASD relay didn't go bad. The fact that you aren't getting PCM or Gen lights makes it sound like an electrical issue (grounds, relays, etc.) Definitely check your PCM ground (two black wires bolted in at back of passenger head).
Does it crank w/o starting, or do you not hear anything at all?
Does it crank w/o starting, or do you not hear anything at all?
Last edited by sammatthews2007; 02-02-2011 at 04:01 PM.
#7
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#8
i know there are alott of techs like that out there but i can assure you that out of 1000 there are a few good ones. i've been lucky enough to work alongside of them. it sucks i know but it comes down to greed. shop owners and dealers (dealers especially) want to keep the cash themselves. we charge almost $100 an hour here and i keep $17 of it. im a 26 year old ase certified tech with diesel training. it's hard to make it. i rarely make it to 40 hours a week because of honesty. but i know and they know that when it pulls into my stall if the cust wants to spend the cash to fix it that it will be fixed. funny thing is that im in a dodge dealer and work on more fords than dodges
Last edited by 89newbie; 02-03-2011 at 03:53 AM. Reason: spelling
#9
Check your grounds, such as voltage coming out of the PCM, alternator ground, etc. I doubt it'd be fuel since it didn't sputter before it cut off. Just in case, listen for fuel pump hum when you turn key to ACC. Also swap around your relays, to make sure the ASD relay didn't go bad. The fact that you aren't getting PCM or Gen lights makes it sound like an electrical issue (grounds, relays, etc.) Definitely check your PCM ground (two black wires bolted in at back of passenger head).
Does it crank w/o starting, or do you not hear anything at all?
Does it crank w/o starting, or do you not hear anything at all?
#10
i know there are alott of techs like that out there but i can assure you that out of 1000 there are a few good ones. i've been lucky enough to work alongside of them. it sucks i know but it comes down to greed. shop owners and dealers (dealers especially) want to keep the cash themselves. we charge almost $100 an hour here and i keep $17 of it. im a 26 year old ase certified tech with diesel training. it's hard to make it. i rarely make it to 40 hours a week because of honesty. but i know and they know that when it pulls into my stall if the cust wants to spend the cash to fix it that it will be fixed. funny thing is that im in a dodge dealer and work on more fords than dodges
I didnt mean to sound harsh either...I too was an ASE certified tech for almost 15 years...I worked in a fleet environment and got paid hourly though, which was great cause I could do my job to the best of my ability and not wory about the time being spent to do it right. When that shop closed down, it was too hard for me to make it on flat rate when you had to "rush" to make any money and alot of times things can be overlooked. This prompted me to change careers. Now I only work on my own stuff and maby a side job here and there. I do still enjoy working on vehicles though..only at my own pace.