Have a 1997 Dakota Sport with 5.2 engine, auto 4x4 daughter was driving down the road everything just quit and would not restart.
I have fuel, pump runs and can smell gas after a few craning attempts, checked spark, seems weak but is there. Poured gas in carb still no start. Guy brought over scanner and produced no codes. Is it the PCM? or what is the problem. I am open to suggestions.

 

Check your ignition coil. I was having trouble with stalling and starting again and figured out that my ignition coil was cracked. I discovered it when I started stalling during a heavy rain and tested the engine with a water hose the next day.

I don't claim to be a mechanic, but it seems to me that a partially broken coil could fit all of your symptoms. The cracked coil did not produce any fault codes on my truck.

Does your truck have a carb?

I am not sure on my Dakota, but on my Grand Cherokee, when I crank it, the check engine light comes on for seconds and then goes off. This is what tells me that the PCM is functioning.

 

CEL comes on and the goes off as u say. I took coil off and examined looks fine and it is firing. Was checking spark at plugs last night and they all were not firing. Took cap and rotor off today and cleaned. When wife comes home going to check fire at each plug. After that I guess if not start I will order a PCM. Thanks.

 

crankshaft position sensor might be something to look at.

 

I'd check the crank sensor.

 

x3 ^^

 

I thought crank sensor also ordered one, just installed it. Same thing will not start. Just cranks and doesn't even hit a lick. Next suggestion? Is this the only Dakota that has done this? I need some help here, last option I know of is to order PCM, anyone else?

 

The Distributor Pickup Coil will cause the same thing a no start but rarely go bad.

Do you get a spark at all?

All fuses and relays checked you did look in the power distribution center correct its in the engine bay the big black box next to the battery?

Check it pull the distributor cap and rotor its under those parts and looks like this check for damage.

 

Your coil may have died also they are cheap around $25 all the wires look good?

Have you pulled the sparkplugs and looked at them if the gap was very wide that can kill a coil.

All these parts are cheaper than any shop

The PCM I think is ok they usually start acting up before they go bad like a weird running engine bucking bad idling.

But I have seen some just die

 

I pulled the pick-up coil seen no problems with it, cleaned cap/rotor, installed new Bosch plugs, coil is firing, all plugs are firing I checked each one. I checked each and every fuse inside and out, all were good. Checked all wiring that I can see no problems. I thank you for your help, any other suggestions? I just contacted a PCM place online they said they would refund money in full if returned in 14 days. I honestly do not know what else to do. I have never been stumped by one this is a first.