I own a 2002 Dakota SXT - 3.9 V6 with approx 140K miles.

Everytime my truck sits outside in the cold rain for an extended period of time (8+hours), it won't start. It will turn over and over, and will eventually fire up, and sputter like hell initially.

any ideas what might be causing this? Is there mositure in the fuel lines?
One thing I will mention is that my spark plugs are 4+ years old. I'm changing them this weekend. I have a hunch though that the plugs are not the only reason.

 

Water/moisture in your distributor cap?

 

Welcome to the forum.

You might check the distributor cap for cracks, letting moisture in and therefore the truck won't start. If the plugs are over 4 years old, then the cap and rotor button are probably in pretty sad shape too. A good tune up with new plugs, cap, rotor button and a good set of plug wires may help.

Check your crankshaft position sensor too. It has a rubber grommet that over time gets deteriorated and lets moisture in. When the sensor gets wet, the truck won't start. Also check the Idle AIr Control Valve, remove it from the back of the throttle body and clean it and its orifice very well with a shop rag soaked in carb cleaner. Don't drop the sensor or handle it roughly or you will have to replace it. Check the Throttle Position Sensor on the side of the throttle body. With the egine off, key in run position the center wire on the connector at the sensor should read about half a volt. As you open the throttle plate by hand the voltage should slowly increase to about 4.5 to 4.75 volts. Anything different or if there is not a smooth transition and increase in voltage, replace the sensor.

Jimmy

 

my '99 did the same thing for weeks before i finaly had it fixed. everytime it warmed up i would have problems, when it dropped in temps it fired fine. it was moisture in the distributor that i had correctly diagnosed and was about to change the small dollar amount part when dad towed it down to the mechanic and had it fixed there