98 durango slt won't start
 

Ran for 5 minutes shut it off. attempted re-start unsucessful. Vehicle cranks but will not start. If I let vehicle set over night it will start. battery is new and so is starter. I did smell gas after several attemps so I believe it may not be fuel pump. This problem has been intermitent. at least every 3 months, any ideas. Thanks DAV

do you have the 5.2 or 5.9? does it shut off on its own or will it keep running. could be an intermittent fuel pump or an ignition issue. when were spark plugs and wires last changed?

next time it does this try holding the throttle open (gas pedal to the floor) and see if that lets it start, if you shut it off too early (after starting when its cold) or flood it from cranking too much it wont start, holding the throttle open helps (it even says this in the manual if you take ac ouple of minutes to read it).

otherwise id start checking the obvious culprits fuel (sounds like you have that if you can smell it) and spark, pull a plug and hold it to the block to see if its sparking, if not check it at the wire coming off the coil, if nothing there you probably have a bad coil.

Don't pull a plug out for this, if you do get a spark you could light off any fuel that shoots out of the empty plug hole. Instead, use a plug from something else, a lawn mower even.

your not going to be able to touch the plug to the plug hole, you will hold it to the block someplace where you would be able to see the spark int he gap, that is plenty far enough away from the opening that igniting any fuel is not a concern.

Thanks for help. Took it to a mechanic and he replased the crank shaft all is well for right now. Lets see what happens in a few months

Wait...do you mean the crank shaft sensor? Or the whole crank?

Pretty sure he means the sensor...if his crank had been replaced he'd still be crying over the check he wrote, rather than speaking so non-nonchalantly about seeing how it goes over the next few months :)

yea I was thinking that...but I read it the first time and said-holy S***! Bet that was crazy expensive! lol