Hi first I want to thank everyone for their help.
The truck is a 98 dakota with a 5.2L with 152k miles
the problem with the truck is that it will not start. it cranks and cranks but will not fire. got in the truck this morning to a dead battery so i put a charger on it. it cranked slow and wouldnt fire. after a while it started to crank good, but didnt pop. the fuel gauge and the battery gauge do not show any activity which i found to be odd, even though the battery is producing 12v. we checked for spark and it showed no spark. i checked all the fuses and swapped a few relays around including the auto shut down. i checked all the grounds and cleaned the terminals. i was thinking it was the pickup module but i was wondering if that had anything to do with the gauges not working. i did some searching and came across alot of threads about the crank pos sensor, could that be it? if i leave the key on for a while all of the lights on the dash go off except the low fuel warning light, but i know there is fuel.

thanks for all of your help,
Nick

 

Hi and welcome to the forums.

I'd start by replacing the battery, or at least making sure it has a full charge and can pass a load test. Dakota's have all sort of problems when the battery voltage is low. For example, the fuel gauge and no spark may be due to the PCM not getting enough power.

What is the battery voltage when cranking?

Make sure all cables/connections are tight too.

 

Thank you,

the battery gauge doesnt show any voltage while cranking or even when the key is in the acc position. i have another battery that i know will pass a load test. i will swap the two and report back

 

changed the battery, the gauge was still showing barely 8v on a battery that i know is fully charged. cranked but did not fire. tried a shot of ether in the throttle body and nothing.

 

Don't bother with the gauge. Put a voltmeter on the battery and have someone crank the engine.

Seriously, the PCM is very sensitive to low voltage.

It still sounds like the battery is a goner.

 

the battery is out of my other truck so i know its got 12v, i will put a voltmeter on it and see what it drops to while cranking

 

battery puts out 12v while cranking. no power to the injectors but there is pressure in the fuel rail. the mileage is flashing on the dash and my scanner will not connect with the computer. is it time for a new pcm? checked all wires running to the pcm no visible breaks or burnt links.

 

It's seems more than a coincidence that the dead battery and now the no start are happening together.

Try the key trick to get codes. Starting with the key off, go key on, off, on, off, then leave it on. It should display codes in the odometer window.

 

going to try that now thanks.

 

no luck with the key trick just showed the miles