Just got a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 V8 5.2 liter truck. I have had some problems. There have been a few times when the vehicle would not crank. There have also been a few times when the vehicle has turned off. The only time it will turn off is whenever I am sitting idle or when I am accelerating. Also, when it turns off it will crank right back up with no problems. It is very random. I can go a full day with no problems, but the next day it may want to turn off over and over again. The battery, starter, and alternator have all been checked, and they are good. The check engine light is not on. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

 

As a guess, I'm going to say it is worn contacts in the ignition switch, or at least some part of it internally. I have a Jeep that sometimes won't turn over at all, but at other times it does just fine. I've replaced the starter solenoid, and verified that the starter works fine. I have finally determined that the ignition switch is not making the proper connections when I turn the key. Recently it has evolved to no spark to the plugs but the engine was turning over so I jumpered a couple of wires and suddenly it started right up. Through the elimination process I've concluded that it is in fact the ignition switch assembly. It must be worn significantly internally, enough to sometimes work and others not. The ignition cutoff part of it must have finally quit working so even when I do get it to turn over now, and I don't have the wires jumpered, there will be no spark and it won't start. Reconnecting the jumpered wires and it starts right up. On this same note, if the engine is running and I separate the jumpered wires, the engine stalls. The only difference I see between what what my Jeep is doing and what you've described is that yours will sometimes shut off when you don't want it to. My Jeep hasn't done that yet, but it makes sense that if the internal contacts of the ignition switch are worn out, this could happen to it as well.

 

Hey man i have a 1997 dodge with the 5.9 and mine did the same thing! i turned out to be my coils were shorting out and turning my truckoff.after i figured that out its been fine ever sence.