HELP!!!!
I thought I had a handle on this truck (my father-in-laws) when it refused to start but boy was I wrong. It's a 1986 Ram with a 318 & 4WD, automatic that runs great when it starts. The other day I shut it off and it has refused to start ever since. It had been having some difficulty starting for a while but I attributed that to the weather. After towing it to my house I replaced the coil (x2), coil wire, ignition module, plugs, rotor and cap. Nothing. I get a VERY weak spark from the coil wire to gound and from #1 plug to ground. I remember years ago there used to be a resistor mounted on the firewall of Mopars. I don't see one of those though. I'm at my wits end and am appealing to anyone out there for any suggestions. I confess I know little about the truck since I've been out of the business since 1978 and haven't kept up on the technical aspects of any vehicle (no where to work on them anyway).
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! If there's any of you out there that can point me the right direction I'd be eternally greatful. The truck belongs to my elderly father-in-law and he really needs me to keep his 300ft driveway clean because he's too old to do it himself. Otherwise I'd sell the thing and be done with it. But as long as I'm stuck with it, I have to keep it up.
Anyway, thanks in advance to anyone who offers assistance.

Doug Vensel

 

What condition is the engine to battery ground wire in and connections.
Check all the battery and all primary wiring condition.

 

Hi. Thanks for responding.
Thus far I've checked all the wiring and can find nothing wrong with any of it. I though I had the culprit when I noticed a problem with the coil positive wires. Repaired same and still nothing. I've replaced the battery because that was the first thing that went wrong with the truck this year so far. Cables are all good too.
I ran a wire directly from the battery to the coil and at first it appeared that might work (to troubleshoot the problem) but still nothing. What could I be possibly be missing here?
Any other suggestions from anyone will greatly be apprecitated. I've about had it with the truck and am ready to retire it to the crusher.

 

Its not a fuel issue I take it.

 

Hi.
Nope. All kinds of gas going into the carb. Won't fire on ether at all either.
Any other suggestions? I've been 2 days on this thing. Tried all the usual things. Coil, coil wire, plugs, ignition module, cap, rotor, new battery. Ran a wire from the battery positive to the coil positive to eliminate the ignition switch but the results were the same. VERY weak spark out of the coil and at the plugs.
I'm totally perplexed.

Doug

 

I'm not sure, but does your ignition use a mechanical trigger (ie contact points,magnetic breakerless,or acrank trigger)? If so, have you tried that? I used to have a Chevy with an electronic ignition module. It had a point set type (not like the points prior to the ignition module)in the distribuiter. The module was below the point set under a plate. I had crank and run issues untill I replaced both (I think both cost around 25$...back in 2003).

 

Hey..having the exact same problem as you only mine is an 81 Dodge ram....have tried for two days on it and no success.....so looking forward to hear what you've done since and will keep you posted....

 

could be your hall effect pickup or interruptor under the rotor.

 

If you changed the ign. module, double check it, I have had a bad one right from the box.

Next try the VOLTAGE REGULATOR, should be behind the distributor on the fire wall. I have had that go bad and the engine would turn over but would not fire up.

 

Sounds like your Control module. It is located on the driver side. If that goes bad you will get little to no spark going through the coil. They run about $23 bucks at your local parts place. (Most likely this is going to be your problem)