Hi everyone. I have to add fuel to my tbi to start the truck when cold. Sometimes if it warms up I can restart it without having to do so. I have pulled the tank a couple of times, but have not replaced the fuel pump, but have replaced the filter and yesterday the defective fuel pressure regulator.

The diaphragm was bad and it cause fuel to come out of the vacuum line. I am getting ready to drive it on the road now for a test ride since replacing the regulator. Before it would just hesitate off and on at all different speeds and the gas mileage was insane. It just does not seem to be dumping fuel into the TBI before starting, but once I add fuel to it, the Dakota starts up and runs okay.

I have not pressure tested the pump yet, but it seems to me that it will either work or not work. Maybe it is not that simple. I have also replaced the Throttle body position sensor, but don't believe the old one was bad.

I also replaced the ASD relay, but again I don't believe that was a problem.

I wish I had of tested the fuel pump with a 12volt headlight to see if the pump was getting the right amount of voltage under load, but only read that after I had put the tank back up under the truck.

I have a feeling if I replace the fuel pump it is not going to solve the starting problem when cold.

Any further input would be greatly appreciated.

 

You know of any electrical work done to it? Sounds like the fuel pump isn't turning on with key turned to accessory. Try turning the accessory on a few times(like a diesel) then start it, if not try the fuel pump relay and check for cut or damaged wires.

 

I had a friend listen to the pump turn on when I turned the key on. I replaced the asd relay although I don't think the old one was bad. I replaced the distributor. I have stripped all of the plastic covers off the wire to inspect them. Found nothing so far. I replaced the temp switch and temp coolant sensor. I checked the map sensor at autozone. It passed. I put a new TPS sensor on it before doing any of the above. I have a new fuel pump to put in the tank and an Air charge temperature sensor which I can not locate on the 89 v-6 manifold. I have also replaced the fuel pressure regulator on the throttle body with a new on. When I did that it just ran worse.

It just get's worse the more I do to it and it has an overheating problem as well. The only way I could keep it going was disconnect the Temp sensor and map sensor completely....

I had cut the pipe before the catalytic converter also trying to make sure the exhaust was not blocked up. It seems like it is starving for oxygen. When I give it gas it just dies.

The error message I have gotten consistently from the start is error 37.

I have found little on that message to be of any help when I did research and it all conflicts and the are two or three versions of that error code.

The truck does have over drive, but it does not work properly.

will keep you updated.... thanks for your help.



I don't know if it had any wiring work done before.

 

After I put the distributor on it I checked the marks on the timing chain cover and it was right at zero degrees, and the distributor rotor was right on number one as well. I disconnected the the temp sensor to time it and started it, but the timing was not even close and as I tried to turn the distributor to advance or retard it, it did not even come close to where it was supposed to be. I also had put on all new wires and also inspected the cap and rotor before. I also checked the wires to make sure they were not crossed.

At some point in the past maybe a month ago, I was able to get the timing close, but I did not disconnect the coolant temp sensor at that time.

Sometimes it ran okay, then it would start bucking and trying to stall not all of the time, just sporadically. But now that's all it does.