Just bought a 98 Dakota (5.2L V8) a week and a bit ago. Has a newer starter and has fired up immediately upon turning the key every day until yesterday. First start of the morning took about 20 seconds of cranking before it started. Every start after that with engine warm was fine, started immediately.

This morning the truck will crank and crank and crank but shows NO signs of starting at all, no coughing, sputtering..just the starter cranking away at speed and the tachometer showing 100-200rpm. Battery and starter wiring is fine as it still turns over super fast. Pulled a spark plug and there's a strong spark every second or so while cranking. There's also a good smell of gas when the air gets pushed out of the open spark plug hole on cranking and another plug I pulled smelled like gas and is a little wet. Both plugs have nice, tan electrodes

So the truck has enough spark and enough fuel to at least sputter and attempt to start...but its showing no signs of either. What could the problem be?

The top of the fuel vent tube leaks (when truck is filled some fuel comes out of there) but I can't see how that can reduce fuel pressure that much. I suppose it could be flooding itself, but yesterday it started after excessive cranking and today I tried cranking with throttle wide open (maybe that doesn't help but again, nothing to lose). Any help/suggestions appreciated!

 

If the plugs are wet then you're not getting spark. I'd suggest replacing the distributor cap and rotor for starters.

 

The electrode part isn't wet, just the very end of the plug threads on the bottom. When I pulled the plug out and clipped it in to the plug wire then grounded it on the exhaust manifold and had someone crank the engine over, there was a STRONG spark every second or so. What would make the plug spark like that but not when its in the engine? Since there's strong spark under that condition, it led me to believe all the ignition related stuff should be working at least well enough to make the engine cough or fire 1 cylinder, or do SOMETHING.

 

Fuel pump. There is a pressure regulator as part of the fuel pump - when you had to crank for so long yesterday was because the pressure had bled back down over night & the pump had to bring the pressure up before the injectors would fire.

You may still have some fuel dropping into the cyls but if the pressure is not correct it wont atomize/spray & just trickle which doesn't burn well. For my money this sounds exactly like a fuel pump issue.

 

+1

Jimmy

 

that could *potentially* be your problemo with the EVAP system, as these dang dodges have a really narrow fuel pressure range they must be within to operate and a little leak could mean reduced pressure....try sealing that/fixing that and see what happens....couldn't hurt anyway as you said fuel leaks out....
CF

 

The leak in the vent tube wont cause it cause I have a hole in mine. Next time try turning the key to the on position 3 times before you start it and see if that works

 

Thanks for the answers guys! Well, later in the day the truck randomly decided to start again and its worked fine under all conditions since that day :s. I can hear the fuel pump come on (I can hear it from the driver's seat with the door open) before I start...and it starts. Not sure if I listened for it before hard enough.

However, I did spray penetrating oil all over the slid plates and tank strap bolts in case the pump decides to die sometime...heh

 

That's ususally how a modern in tank fuel pump dies - a little at a time. Be prepared for it to go out on you some time on the highway. Leaving you stranded for 30 minutes or so while it cools down before it will pump up again.

They tend to fail - then work then fail etc. as they are going out.

Keep at least 1/4 tank of gas. Because the pump is in the tank the gas actually cools it. If you get below 1/4 the pump (especially if going out ) will over heat.

 

Thats how mine died I was driving for about 30 min doing 70 passing cars left and right truck showed no signs of not having enough fuel then a mile before my house I hit the gas and nothing just stalled out and wouldnt restart I towed it home and hr later started up and ran fine left it idle for about 10min and it died again. Also I found it easier to take my bed off then to deal with my skid plates and gas tank strap and then deal with a 1/2 of tank of gas.