Wire gets hot/Intermittent start
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Joined: Oct 2011
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From: Florida
Wire gets hot/Intermittent start
92 Dakota 3.9 2WD..Has been starting and running fine.(A little ruff on start-up but levels out.?)So now I had a wire that was getting hot but only when the truck had been started,(not just with the key on.)It is under the dash and so far I found it runs from the key switch plug to the wire harness above the fuse box.Have taken out as much of it as I can and replaced it with new wire.Still gets hot.Cant really find where it goes from there.It is Grey with a black stripe.Tried starting truck again but wire still getting hot.PLUS damn thing wont start at all now.Has done this before.I cannot find another bad wire and myself am NO electrician.Truck will turn over but not start.I may be able to go out right now and will start up then tomorrow,nothing again.
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From: NM
Sounds like maybe something is shorting out or just to much resistance. We got the service manual in the FAQ which has all the wiring diagrams. Figure out exactly which wire you think is that problem and trace it down.
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If you could respond with what year you have, I could give you a better answer, but it sounds like, while there is an issue with the wire, it is unrelated to the starting issue. I assume you have tried pumping the gas pedal before starting? I know this is mandatory on carburated engines that haven't been run in 2-3 hours, but i dont know if your engine requires this. If the engine is turning over, that means all the starting mechanisms are functioning. The wire getting hot is still an issue - how did you discover this? just start, then randomly feel all the wires? - but it is not the most urgent. If it is turning over, then either there is not enough fuel in the firing chambers to ignite and run, or there is no spark in most of the cylinders to ignite the fuel. It could be bad fuel, i know i have had a couple times where the engine hesitates like it is running out of gas, and have isolated the cause to some bad, watered down fuel.
It would be kind of difficult to bring the good part back up if you refilled the tank, cause the line holds a lot of gasoline, so you would have to pump the accelerator many times, and wait a while for the engine to unflood, plus waste precious gas.
It could also be an electrical problem. I have heard of something known as "the notorious splice", I am not exactly certain what this is, but from the name, i gather that it is a connection that commonly fails. You could try checking this. I would also check all the connections for spark plug wires, and make sure that none of the contacts are corroded. Also check the distributor cap and rotor for obvious signs of significant damage. A little wear is to be expected, but if you open it and find the rotor in 15 pieces, obviously you have found the problem. Try checking the ignition coil for good connections. A lot of these places you cannot check the internal components, so you are relying on the assumption that if something went wrong, it would be obvious from the outside. You could try replacing the stuff, if they werent the problem, return it, or just deal with a nice, new part... so sad, something new :-(.
In summary, if the engine turns over, but does not start then the wire that gets hot is not of immediate concern. You should check the electrical system, and fuel system for any obvious issues, you need quality fuel, and a good spark to reach the chamber in probably all but one or two cylinders in order to get it to start, if there is anything restricting either of these components, then you have found the problem, fix it, and return to enjoying your first gen dakota.
As for the hot wire, you will need to trace its path the whole way, and identify the problem, it could be a short circuit, or damage of some other kind. Identify this, and fix it. If you cant find it, just replace the whole wire. You could go with a larger one, and not worry about the heat, and just mask the real problem, or if you are like me, you will replace it with the same size and try to find the root cause, even if it takes you an entire week, you just have to know what is causing it.
There are service manuals in the FAQ, and i have found the wiring diagrams at alldatadiy.com very helpful, but it does cost to join. Find what the wire connects, and use common sense to determine its path. Wire is expensive, they went the shortest route possible when they made the vehicle.
It would be kind of difficult to bring the good part back up if you refilled the tank, cause the line holds a lot of gasoline, so you would have to pump the accelerator many times, and wait a while for the engine to unflood, plus waste precious gas.
It could also be an electrical problem. I have heard of something known as "the notorious splice", I am not exactly certain what this is, but from the name, i gather that it is a connection that commonly fails. You could try checking this. I would also check all the connections for spark plug wires, and make sure that none of the contacts are corroded. Also check the distributor cap and rotor for obvious signs of significant damage. A little wear is to be expected, but if you open it and find the rotor in 15 pieces, obviously you have found the problem. Try checking the ignition coil for good connections. A lot of these places you cannot check the internal components, so you are relying on the assumption that if something went wrong, it would be obvious from the outside. You could try replacing the stuff, if they werent the problem, return it, or just deal with a nice, new part... so sad, something new :-(.
In summary, if the engine turns over, but does not start then the wire that gets hot is not of immediate concern. You should check the electrical system, and fuel system for any obvious issues, you need quality fuel, and a good spark to reach the chamber in probably all but one or two cylinders in order to get it to start, if there is anything restricting either of these components, then you have found the problem, fix it, and return to enjoying your first gen dakota.
As for the hot wire, you will need to trace its path the whole way, and identify the problem, it could be a short circuit, or damage of some other kind. Identify this, and fix it. If you cant find it, just replace the whole wire. You could go with a larger one, and not worry about the heat, and just mask the real problem, or if you are like me, you will replace it with the same size and try to find the root cause, even if it takes you an entire week, you just have to know what is causing it.
There are service manuals in the FAQ, and i have found the wiring diagrams at alldatadiy.com very helpful, but it does cost to join. Find what the wire connects, and use common sense to determine its path. Wire is expensive, they went the shortest route possible when they made the vehicle.
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From: Florida
WOW what a wealth of info thank you.Sorry for responding so late but never got message you had replied to this thread.Dakota is 92 3.9.Only thing I found not working is the temp gauge.The wire does run up the steering column.Comes out and runs over fuse box to a splice and goes through the fire wall.I have yet to trace it but will soon as I really want to know what it goes to.Only gets hot when running.How I found it? Smoke coming from under the dash,lol.Got so hot it burnt the plastic off the wire.I cut it in half and traced and replaced as much of it as I could but left it unattached until I can figure it out.I found the wire diagram but I have no idea what Im looking for.I am NOT any kind of a wire man,lol.
P.S.wire is Grey w/a black stripe....
P.S.wire is Grey w/a black stripe....