My 93 Dakota is driving me....no wait....it's not driving me because I can't get it to run. Here's what I've replaced: Coil, PCM, Crank & Cam sensors, Dist cap, rotor, wires & spark plugs. The previous owner had damaged the PCM connector and I found several loose & damaged wires in the connector, so I replaced it. I so want to pull the wiring harness out and run just the basics, like old school. It's fuel injection, so I would either figure that out or go carb. I know I have to keep in mind the transmission electronics too. Maybe pull the engine & trans out, strip all the wiring out, find another transmission, intake & carb? OR I could scrap the truck which I don't want to because I really like it. I need some guidance here. Irritation is getting the best of the whole situation.

 

did you check too see if your getting fuel up too the fuel rail?

 

To know what to fix or where to go you need to establish a few things. Do you have spark, at the coil and at the plugs? Do you have injector pulse? You can have all the fuel pressure in the world but if the injectors aren't being commanded open it won't run. Do you have fuel pressure? Do you have good compression? Check/confirm those four things and get back to us.

A.J.

 

You've probably got a very simple electronic problem, although it may be hard to pinpoint the idea of putting on a carburetor and pulling all your electronics on this thing seems very counter productive you'll loose power, fuel economy, and reliability. Slow down, take your time, get a multimeter, and a test light, go through the basics.

Many of us have been in your shoes at one time or another with our Dakotas, we help each other out here so be patient we may not know the fix but we can help learn with the skills so go can fix it.

Like AZ 360 said, check for spark and injector pulse. You may want to spend some time and do the infamous splice fix. If you haven't already. It may not fix you problem, but it will prevent problems in the future. Have you been through the FAQ section yet? Spend some time reading other posts where people have similar issues, that might give you ideas on where to be looking.

 

I checked the codes and besides the battery disconnected (12) and end of codes (55), I got code 54 for no cam signal at PCM. I checked the wiring from the cam sensor to the PCM and they checked out good. Today I'll check the fuel pressure again. Last time I checked it, I got 43 PSI. I'm pretty sure it's not a fuel problem other than if the PCM isn't seeing the cam signal, it's not going to energize the relay. I appreciate everyone's response and will update as I continue to figure this out. I forgot to mention that the known wiring issue on the drivers side fender by the fuse box area has already been done.

 

"cam sensor" = distributor pick up not that expensive

 

Already replaced the cam sensor. Fuel pressure is good. No spark. Pulled battery negative off, checked codes before cranking, god codes 12 7 55, cranked for 10 seconds, checked codes again, 12 - 54 - 55. I wonder what the odds of getting a new wiring harness for my truck. I did a Google search with no luck. I am thinking of searching for a 93 Dakota at a auto recycle yard and if they have one, seeing if there's a wiring harness intact. I would rather get a new one, but don't know if one is available. Oh, I also found the the transmission wires have been repaired and have wire nuts on them. :-) Still looking for more ideas. I wonder if there are other harnesses that will interchange?

 

you can get a v8 wiring harness from any v8 dakota 92-95. i ran a 94 harness in my 93 with no alterations to the wiring other than i had to cut it in half to remove it.

 

I'll look for one out a truck in those years. Thanks for the info.

Sorry for your loss.

 

If you found wire nuts in your wiring harness I'd go through it with a fine-toothed comb or swap it for an intact harness. Had that happen with my '94 and I found at least 10 more problems caused by the previous owner hacking the wiring up.