The other day (~10 days ago) I went out to start up my truck to give a neighbor a jump-start (not my DD, run it roughly once a week for a few miles to keep the battery charged) and it refused to start. Starter cranked strongly, battery is nearly new. I looked in the intake and saw no fuel coming from the injectors when the key was turned (had help for that, not for any subsequent tests). Turning the key to "on" without starting produced no whirring noise of the fuel pump coming on (that I could hear-- I had to turn the key and then stick my ear to the funnel in the gas tank as quickly as I could, may have missed it). The engine also had no spark. A few hours later, I went out to diagnose it in more detail and it fired right up as usual with no problem. Yesterday, I took it on its usual three-mile run to the dollar store and, once there, it refused, again, to start (had to get it towed home). Just went out to check again and still no start.

Anybody else have this issue and, if so what was it? I don't want to throw parts at the thing, so any help is appreciated.

 

I pulled the codes and got a "42," ASD relay fault. Where exactly is it on my truck and would it act up, work again, and then quit again like this? Or is there a wiring fault that would account for this? Maybe the fuel pump?

I read on Allpar that feeding 12v straight from the battery to the positive terminal on the coil will cause the pump to kick on if the ASD is bad. Has anyone tried this?

 

running power to the positive side of the coil will do the same thing as the asd relay. the asd relays is on drivers side fender.

 

Big help, CW! Thanks!

 

Ok, I don't have a working voltmeter, so I substituted a test light (I know, I know, I need a voltmeter-- maybe next paycheck). Step one was fine, voltage present at 30. Step two at 87 annoyed me. Cranking caused the test light to flash briefly, then go out. This happened on three further attempts, then, for no apparent reason, the light stayed on and the damn truck started! Turned it off, cranked it right back up, no problem. What the H?

Any ideas?

 

well it sounds like you are getting output when cranking. i think the flashing is normal since the relay wont stay on until the truck is running. i think you would need to recheck this when it is not running and possibly try running a wire from the positive terminal to terminal 87 next time it wont start.

 

Could the pickup coil have anything to do with it? Still no spark no fuel (until it starts, obviously).

 

No fuel I'd be looking the fuel pump or the relay controlling it.

 

i think the a bad pickup coil might cause other symptoms but it might be related.
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...-my-truck.html

 

I did read that thread, but my symptoms are obviously different, and the OP still hasn't posted if it resolved his issue.

Where's the PCM? Maybe testing pins will lead someplace.