New here to the Forum, and hope some of you out there can offer some advice. I have a 1994 Ram SLT Magnum 318, and have just recently aquired a problem in the last few days, and its getting worse. Let me start by saying that I just love this truck its my first Dodge Truck, I have had the grand Caravans for a few years now, but again my first Truck. This truck has really surprised the heck out of me as I was always a Ford man, but now I'm converted. Anyway on with the problem, I have developed a problem over the last few days, as mentioned. Yesterday it became worse and it acts as though a Caburated engine with the choke on does. It has developed a real miss as though running on 6-7 cyls, and you can the odd time smell raw rich fuel. Had a recent tune up with all mopar parts, plugs cap rotor fuel injection flush, and cat converter. This was done in the last 1300 miles. The problem just started, in the last 200 miles or so. Any answers, as to what might be the problem? Thanks in advance, and sorry to be so long winded, here.

 

I had a mechanic change my plugs wires back when I used to be afraid to jump in the engine at all. He didn 't use the wire harnesses when he put the new wires on and one of them feel on the headers and melted straight thru and caused all kinds of hell with the engine. That kind of got me doing my own stuff cause I realized I could pay a lot less to fix my own screw ups.

If it's just now happened and the tune up was good 200 miles ago, I'd suspect something along your electrical has failed, cap, rotor, or wires, especially if you're smelling unburnt fuel. Inspect the wires and pull the cap and rotor just to give it a visual thumbs up. If it's been acting up since the tune up check the TSB on wire routing.

I don't know if this would cause it, but the heads are known to crack from heat on these trucks as well. Just throwing a few things out for you to check.

 

Appreciate the input and do agree with you on what you mentioned. Also you are right in the wire routing they were not done as they should have been. As far as checking the cap rotor etc, I wouldn't know what to look for let alone getting at it. Just don't understand why they put the Dist way back in there anyhow. I will check the wiring as you mentioned, as see if there is any fault there. This was a Chrysler Dealer tune up job?????????, you would think it would have been done proper, again thanks.

 

Yes, I agree it should be done right, but you never know who they've got working in there.

The distributor cap is a little tough to get to, but if you throw atowel over the fender and use a step stool it's not so bad. It'll take you a phillips head screwdriver. Check the cap after you pull it off there should be a 1 on top; that's the marking for the #1 cylinder.The firing order is on the top of the intake manifold right in front and you'll notice that the #1 on the distributor is actually on the passenger side of the vehicle, follow the firing order around the cap clockwise and you'll be fine. I alwayswrite the cylinder numberson tape with a sharpie and then wrap them around the wire at the spark plug end. After I unplug them all at the plugs and dist cap, I tape the other side of the wire near the rotor so they're easier tokeep straight on reassembly. Look under the cap for any electrical burns or scoring. Also check the rotor and see if the contact has been bent. Checking the wires requires you have a spare set to see if one of the wires was bad. Just replacethem all if you don't care about arguing over a faulty wire, or one at a time to track down the culprit.

Here's a link to the properwire routing per the TSB for reference:

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1998/18-48-98/18-48-98-v8.htm