First to forums, but looking for some advice or help on solving some mystery mechanical problems with my truck, as the mechanics cant figure it out, and I don't have the money to play the "lets replace this and that til it fixes it" game. I honestly don't know if this is the right place to put this post, so if it isn't, I apologize in advance, and feel free to move it to the correct place. Also, if anyone else has had this problem and solved it in a previous post please link it and I'll read it, as I didn't see it yet =/ Now for the issue.

My truck is
Dodge Dakota 4cyl
standard
no modifications
1998

What has been done to it since I have had it for the past 8 years or so would be as follows. Typical oil change and break change, but recently and bigger things being. (granted I dont know all the correct terms for these items but I hope u get the idea)

Front shocks, ac condenser, front ball joints, clutch (twice as the first part was mismatched and broke 1 month after install), crank shaft sensor, spark plugs, air filter, distributor cap and wire harness, ahh and something to do with the alignement not staying straight...but I forgot what it was called, I'll ask later and come back and put in what it was later sorry. =/ Its located in between the two front tired along the axle, but I cant remember what its called so.

I also had a broken screw in the catalytic converter attached to the engine underneath the bottom of the truck, I had to have the entire engine taking out to get to it and they took it apart and a machine shop had to drill it out of the engine, fill it and re-drill the whole, and everything was put back together including some new seals. I also had many wheel alignments. The catalytic converter I think underneath does need to be replaced, but I ran out of money at the time after that fiasco. But I'll replace that eventually I think O.o I hope.

Now the problem is this. The car doesnt want to start all the time, and when it does it acts like its got bronchitis and has to cough itself out before it can run without hesitation. Normally when its really bad its like it just turns over and over and over and over, but never catches flame to start. Other times it will turn over and over and over and then catch and start and then sounds like its trying to run threw flooded amounts of gas. Sometimes when it doesnt start when I turn the key or act like its catching anything I try to give it gas, mind u Im not flooding it, but even when it starts and my foot is on the pedal and its like its not even registering Im giving it gas at all, and then after it runs a bit started it will just vvvrrooOOOOMMMMMM!!! like the gas finally registered.

Now when it rains, forget about it, it will just randomly turn off the engine, and wont start at all. It will crank over and over just never catches. Though if the rain is related to the recent development I don't know.

First mechanic said oh maybe its the crank shaft sensor thats getting wet or humid and causing it to not register right. Something about magnets spinning and if they stop or get wet..I donno. So I replaced it. And still problems. Then there was the maybe its the wires needing replacing in the distributor cap etc. So I replaced those, and still problem. Then someone said maybe its the fuel pump, but it was checked and the pressure read a constant 50, which when I looked it up was what it was supposed to be.

Well one time it did rain and the car just flooded itself out or so I thought it did cause of the rain maybe getting into the catalytic converter (at the time I did go through a huge puddle) which as I mentioned needs to be replaced i believe. Well I did manage to get it started in the rain and was on a perfectly above water level road, car running fine and smooth, no water puddles of any sort, and it just turned off. For no reason at all and I could not get it started after that.

Normally once the car is running after it finally starts and coughs itself free of its bronchial Flem, it seems okie, but I dread turning it off, cause i have no idea if its going to start again.

As of late tho, even when I get it started, its driving very heavy. Hard to explain, but even when I'm driving it, its like I feel like it could stall easily and I really need to rev the engine before letting out the clutch to let it take off.

As a last minute thought, could exhaust problems with the catalytic converter create all these issues? Maybe its time to get some money and replace it =/

The latest things to be suggested to the fun fun list of things to replace have been

1. cam shaft sensor
2. halofax switch

I have no idea what to do, but all these things cost money, I really wish I could find the problem, and not guess.

anyone have this issue or any ideas or a link to a place that might. If u have any questions post and I'll try to get u more info. Reply and I'll keep checking, thanks in advance.

Aq

 

Are there any check engine lights? These trucks are notorious for vacuum leaks in the emissions system. A large vacuum leak can contribute to the problem. Have you replaced the TPS or MAP sensor? They both can have a big effect of starting and idle. Also I have been told that excessive back pressure from a clogged CAT can cause rough idle loss of power as well.

 

after TPS, IAC, MAP, and clogged cat, I would put possibly injectors.

It's impossible to flood a fuel injected engine. The injectors only fire for the milliseconds the computer tells them to fire, regardless of TPS position (granted, the pulse widths get adjusted as TPS opens, but nothing that can flood an engine like a carbureted engine).

The shutting off when wet is rather confusing, but I have to wonder is water is getting in the cowl and killing the distributor.

 

[QUOTE=magnethead;2239561]
It's impossible to flood a fuel injected engine. The injectors only fire for the milliseconds the computer tells them to fire, regardless of TPS position (granted, the pulse widths get adjusted as TPS opens, but nothing that can flood an engine like a carbureted engine).
QUOTE]

You'r right that you can't flood a FI engine, but if the engine is pulling spark but still pumping fuel it will cause the eninge to "load up" so to say when the spark comes back on.

When it won't start for you next time, test for spark. Pull a plug wire, insert a screwdriver down into the plug wire and lay the metal shaft of the screwdrive close to a bolt somewhere on the engine. DO NOT HOLD THE SCREWDRIVER. Crank the engine, or have a friend do it, and listen/look for a spark shooting across the screwdriver to the engine. I think it's important to know if you are losing spark, fuel, or both when this happens.

The symptoms you describe I also have with my 98 3.9 V6, 5 speed manual. I have never got a CEL that was helpful (usually the CEL is for random misfire). Not necessaraly to try to solve this problem, but I have replaced the fuel pump, MAP sensor, coil, ignition wires, dist cap and rotor, crank position sensor, catalitic converter, O2 sensor, fuel injectors, new relays for the fuel pump and ASD, cleaned the throttle body and IAC, check that the TPS was within OEM spec, replaced with a rebuilt motor and new plenum gasket for the intake. Nothing has changed the problem. I know that what happens in my truck is the spark cut's out, but the fuel keeps pumping, which creates some extravagant backfire's from time to time. It also is temperature and humidity depentant (dosen't happen year round) I've also heard of issues with the main feed for the fuse box getting corroded, but I believe that is for the 1st gen trucks as the 2nd gen's have a different setup.

I've heard that replacing the ABS sensor has fixed this issue with other members before (not sure why), so I have one in the mail currently. I'll let you know if it makes a difference. In retrospect, I realize that I should have tried to take apart and clean the ABS sensor 1st, but too late now.

 

What the heck is a
.... 2. halofax switch.... ?

Or did you mean the Distributor Ignition Pickup which works on the Hall effect principal?

This might be the most interesting of all the suggestions I haven't tried because if the trigger in the distributor is malfunctioning, it could drop spark...... I see Rock Auto has these for $35.00 + shipping, so I may try this as well.

oh yeah, you also mention the
.... 1. cam shaft sensor...
but I thought this was the same thing as the Crankshaft Position Sensor for our vehicles. Some vehicles have a seperate sensor, but ours do not (as far as I know)

 

I've been reading on the forum, and found this little nugget of wisdom.

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-r...o-spark-5.html

Read the whole thread if you want, but after much testing and chashing, Spence found the problem to be the alternator. See post #42 for the explination. Sounds encouraging!

 

hey what can I say but thanks for all the help and suggestions, Im going to start checking all the things listed, and I'll give u and up to date response as to what i find out lol. Wish me luck ^_^

Halofax/Halifax? switch? what is it? well its supposedly in the distributor somewhere, so maybe its what u called it, and I just remembered the name wrong O.o

There was a check engine light on after it rained and stalled and I could not get it started again, and it said intermitant signal from the crank shaft sensor. Funny thing tho, the next day after the rain was gone the check engine light went away....yes my truck is possessed... It also read misfires on the codes as well, but as of now there are no check engine lights on at all.

Aq

p.s. so we don't have a cam shaft sensor?, its the same as the crank shaft? well that's one less thing I will not have to buy to try, but wow ramjamhemi, u scare me, u replaced ALL those things?! ur crazy! u coulda bought a new car by now i bet =( I hope u get ur car fixed.

 

did I replace those? Not sure on those acronyms, but No I did not, the tps is the throttle position sensor? and the map is?... O.o Not sure what an IAC is either, but maybe my mechanic will know if I tell him to check it.

Aq