Hopefully this will be helpful this guy was adding a pin but it should work to open it up and tighten the connectors.
http://www.merkurboys.com/wiki/index.php/SMEC:ExtraPinInstall

 

That - exactly!

Pull it out, tighten it up. slip it back in.

Do NOT cut any wires!

RwP

 

Ok, truck ran well for a couple of days. Yesterday it started skipping again but the #3 injector was working. Now the #5 wasn't doing anything, put a new thermostat on it today bc the gasket was leaking on the old one. Crunk it up this evening and drove it about 3 miles to town and didn't know if It would make it back.
It would barely stay running even at idle. I got out and bumped the ECU and it cleared up for the most part. Dohh.
I'm really starting to regret selling my 1997 Z71 in dern near perfect condition to fool with this truck... The only codes I get are 12, 27, 27 and 55.

 

12 - Battery disconnected in the last 50 start cycles.

27 - Injector driver circuit failure.

27 - Injector driver circuit failure.

55 - End of codes.

With it intermittent, I'll bet it's a connector. One more thing if you have a decent bone yard in town - grab a ECU out of a matching truck (92/93 Dakota 5.2 or RAM 5.2, same transmission) and see if that fixes it. Or at least changes the error codes (the 12 and 55 will remain for a while; the 55 any time you read codes.)

Also - I highly recommend picking up the factory service manual for your truck, so you can easier parse out the wiring diagrams (and if you say you have a Chilton's or a Haynes, be warned we'll point at you and laugh - THOSE diagrams are worse than useless most of the time!)

(It's like me talking to guys who drive Peterbilts and MAC trucks about being a "real truck driver with my 1988 Dakota 3.9 3 speed auto" *grins* )

RwP

 

Thanks RwP,
I will be purchasing a FSM shortly.
I have another 1993 with the same ECU (I think), It has the intermittent shut down problem, but now you have peaked my interest. I can hook it up because it runs flawless in between shut offs. That should tell me something.
Also I have to figure out how to fix the ECU connector like you were talking about. I'd like to redo (tighten) the whole thing.

 

Ok, I took the ECU out of the ole gasifier Dakota and put it in the driver.
Cranked and idled fine.
Put the 1 year old ECU back in and it wouldn't even stay running.
Swapped them back out and it cranked, idled and revved up fine.
Drove it down the road it ran fine. Turned around to come home and it started to run rough.
Pulled in the driveway and parked and it wouldn't even stay running.
I just don't get it.
Kinda sounds like a dern fuel pump or filter problem other than the running differently with the 2 ECUs.

 

Could be.

Both will have inline fuel filters on the frame under the cab; have you ever changed them?

I'd start there for this bout.

RwP

 

No sir, I haven't changed the filter. I didn't have the truck "no time" before my Pop put in for it. The only thing I recall doing to it when I got it was put the ECU in it.
The guy I got it from said he had changed all the sensors in it trying to find the problem. It too was an intermittent shut down Dakota.
It would be going along fine and just die.
I asked had he tried a new computer and he said he hadn't. I bought it and put this new one in and it has never just shut down again.
Anyway, I guess I will try the filter next. Thanks again for your help.

 

Did you happen to check for codes when the 2nd ecu that let it run and drive started giving problems? I hope its just the simple plugged filter.

 

Hey OM94,
I did check the codes with the other ECU. It showed the same: 12, 27,27 and 55.
Is that good or bad IYO? I have been swamped all day and may be tomorrow as well, so I wasn't able to buy and replace the filter. Maybe I will get a chance tomorrow evening.