Hi there,

I have a 2001 Dodge dakota sport and am having troubles with it starting. Seems to only do it when it's been sitting for a day or so. Will turn over and over sputter a bit but won't start. I'm thinking it's either flooding itself or not getting enough fuel. Fuel pump kicks in when key is turned on than goes off which seems normal.

Yesterday it wouldn't start, tried it a couple times throughout the day but would just turn over. Today tried it again and it just started right up!?

Last time this happened i ended up holding the pedal to the floor and turning it over but it wouldn't fire and then stopped but keeping the pedal to the floor for 30 seconds or so and than turning it over again and it started sputterin and coughing and eventuall stayed running. No problems again until it sat for a couple days.

Thanks,
Joel

 

Same thing seems to be happening to my 05, I got a new MIL so I will need to take it in to get the diagnostic....I think it is either flooding too easily when trying to start or it isn't getting enough fuel, which is why it starts when I too followed the manual for starting a flooded engine. (holding gas pedal down)

Did yours limit itself to 2500 rpms as well?

 

I'm not sure on the 05 but to the OP, try on your 2001 turn the ignition to run but don't start the truck. Keep the ignition on for 10 or 12 seconds then turn it to start. If it starts right up then you probably need a new fuel pump. There is a check valve in the fuel pressure regulator (which is built into the pump assembly) that holds fuel in the fuel line when the truck is parked and not running. When the check valve is bad, the fuel pressure in the line slowly bleeds off, which is why it takes a while to get the truck started. Which makes it seem like it's flooded.

You can get a fuel pressure gauge at Harbor Freight cheap, or maybe at a parts store. Relieve the pressure in the fuel line by removing the fuel pump relay then start the truck, let it run till it dies (it will run pretty rough till it dies), then crank it a couple of times to get any residual fuel out of the line. Connect the line from the fuel pressure gauge to the test valve on the driver's side fuel rail just below the throttle body. Reinstall the fuel pump relay, start the truck and you should have at least 47 to a maximum of 52 psi on the gauge at idle. Turn the truck off and leave the gauge connected. If the pressure goes below 30 psi in less than 5 minutes, the check valve is bad and you need to replace the fuel pump assembly.

This is a pretty common problem on Dakota's, and I think it has more to do with the age of the pump rather than mileage. It happened on my 2001 a couple of months ago. It has 125K on it. I replaced the fuel pump with an Airtex brand pump from Advance. Their price was $225.00 but I had a coupon and bought it online, picked it up at the store and saved 20%, so the pump cost about $185.00. Check their website or if you or a friend has the sales flyer Advance mails out, there may be a coupon you could use, look on the back page of the flyer. They send me one every month with $5.00 off of a $25.00 purchase, $10 off a $50 purchase and so on.

It was not the easiest repair I ever did on my truck, but not the hardest either. It's better if you try to run the fuel tank just about empty before you change the pump out. The tank is pretty heavy when it is half full.

You can check for trouble codes from the PCM too by turning the key on and off 3 times then on the 3rd time leave it on and any PCM codes will display in the odometer. You might have a bad TPS sensor. I would definitely check the fuel pressure though.

Jimmy

 

Wow great info. I have the same problem. Left my 2001 Dakota sit for several weeks when I returned it would not start. The codes I got were: check gages and no bus, whatever that means. Any help would be appreciated.
Joe

 

Wow great info. I have the same problem. Left my 2001 Dakota sit for several weeks when I returned it would not start. The codes I got were: check gages and no bus, whatever that means. Any help would be appreciated.
Joe

 

No bus means the PCM can not communicate with any of the electronics in the truck. You could have a bad PCM, bad Central Timer Module, instrument cluster or some other problem. I have read that "No Bus" usually means the PCM is bad. The best way to find out what is wrong is to have the Dodge dealer check it with the DRB scan tool. If the truck sat for 3 weeks, maybe the battery is dead, have you treied a jump start?

Jimmy

 

Thanks Jimmy, I may have it. I got it started and noticed the gages are all activated. When they don't show that is when it does not start. I took it for a couple of runs, it acted like water in the gas. My son said it could be this gas with the ethanol. It plugs up the jets. Any comment on that? I am waiting until I need to fill it up but here in Florida I cannot find a station without the ethanol. The truck does try to stall going down the road. Guess it didn't like being left at home.

 

injectors, not jets. But yes, the ethanol does attract water, so yes, there is probably some traces of water in the fuel. We racers fight that problem all the time b/c a majority of us run on alcohol. Any container that is not 100% sealed off will get water in it. Also why NASCAR changed the fueling cans when they switched fuels, ditto to Indycar, ect. Everybody that is now on some form of ethanol or alcohol have pressure-tight containers and fuel tanks.

 

Glad to know you got it started up. Maybe try adding a bottle of Heet or some other dry gas/gas line drier and topping off the tank with fresh gas. I have never used Heet, so I don't know whether it really works. I don't know what part of Fla you are in but maybe this list of ethanol-free gas stations has one close to you:

http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=FL

If there is one close by, maybe try their gas, see if it does any better. I have read ethanol-free gas costs more, as if gas didn't cost enough already. I use Marvel Mystery Oil in my gas to help offset the negative effects of ethanol. It also lubricates the fuel injectors and helps keep them from fouling up. It is a pretty good upper cylinder lubricant too. I add 4 ounces of it to every 10 gallons of gas I buy. Maybe it might help you too, but you might have to use it in a few tanks before noticing any difference or improvement.

Jimmy

 

Well I am back and same problem. This must be an electrical problem. I get it started go down the road and it just stops. Wait for the gages to move and it starts right up. The code reads check gages. I really need this truck and will sure appreciate any info. Thanks, Joe