Well after two days of trouble shooting a no start problem and reading alot of the forums I am stumped. I have a 1999 2500 Ram Quad cab with no spark. The engine turns over good, I tested the coil, the cam sensor, and the crank sensor, all test good. The crank sensor test is not a very good test other then Ohming out the sensor and checking for an open. I found that I have no power at the coil and I was wondering if the crank sensor is what tells the ECU apply power to the coil? Any other ideas? Scanner shows no trouble codes. Help there is a foot of snow on the ground and I want to go play in it.[:@]

 

I'm not a mechanic but my 98 acted the same way it sounds like you covered the bases but is it possible your fuel pump went out mine quite when I shut it off and would not fire after that or if I let it sit it would fire but not run. Probably no help but just a thought. Good Luck

 

DOES THE COIL HAVE POWER? ALSO THERE IS NO TRUE WAY OF TESTING A CRANK SENSOR. IT WORKS OFF A MAGNITIC PULSE. I HAVE TESTED THESE BEFORE AND THEY CHECKED OUT GOOD, AND AFTER ALL ELSE FAILED , SWAPPED IT OUT. CURED PROBLEM.DO YOU HAVE COIL PACKS OR A SINGLE COIL? THE FUEL PUMP CAN NOT DIRECTLY EFFECT YOUR YOUR IGNITION SYSTEM. IF YOU HAVE COIL PACKS, DOES YOUR IGNITION MODULE HAVE POWER? THE IGNITION MODULE IT WHAT THE CRANK SENSOR SENDS THE SIGNAL TO. AFTER YOU MODULE DETECTS THE SIGNAL IT STARTS THE FIRING SEQUENCE THROUGH THE COILS.

 

It a single coil and the coil does not have power. So it sounds to me like a crank sensor. I will wait untill monday to get one incase someone has any other ideas. Thanks for the help.

 

SEE IF YOU CAN LOCATE A WIRING DIAGRAM FOR YOUR TRUCK. I BELIEVE THE COIL IS SUPOSED TO HAVE POWER CONSTANTLY AS LONG AS THE KEY IS IN THE RUN POSITION. SORRY ABOUT THE LATE RESPONSE. WE HAD ABOUT 20" OF SNOW OUT HERE. (NORTHERN CONNECTICUT ) I WAS OUT ALL DAY PLOWING.

 

Well maybee I should add some more of the story. I have a company truck and dont drive my Dodge very often. It has sat in the driveway for about two months with a bad battery, I noticed it was going bad a while back and didnt get a new one until Friday. I put the battery in it and tried to start it with no luck. It snowed a foot on friday night so on sat morning i plowed it out and winched it into the garage. I got the book out and started testing. Fist I checked for spark at the spakplug- nothing, then the coil-nothing, tested for power at the coil -nothing, tested cam sensor- good, tested power wire from coil to the power dist box-good, tested crank sensor- good, the test looks for an open curcuit only so this doesnt really test to make sure the the sensor is operating corrctly. I went and got a scanner and it pulled no codes, so now what??? any ideas????? The factory sevice manual doesnt go through trobleshooting a no start problem so I am stumped. Thanks for your help.
Ken

 

HEY MAN i WORKED ON THEM THERE DODGES FOR 5 YEARS, i HAVE A 2001 RAM MYSELF-THE IGNITION IS JUST LIKE ANY OLDER ONE, THE CRANK SENSOR IS MAINLY FOR THE FUEL PUMP TO RUN, TRY CHECKING FUSES , YOU PROBABLY DID THIS ALL READY, CHECK FOR MOISTURE IN THE CAP ESPECIALLY OF ITS BEEN WET, THEN JUST TO ELIMINATE OTHER THINGS RUN A HOT WIRE FROM THE BATTERY DIRECTLY TO COIL, IT SHOULD START NO MATTER WHAT. TRY IT

 

ok thanks I will try that when I get home from work

 

ONE OTHER POSSABILITY, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE IGNITION SWITCH IS, NOT THE KEY TUMBLER, THE SWITCH IS ON THE STEERING SHAFT UNDER THE DASH, THE KEY TUMBLER PUSHES A ROD WHICH OPERATES THE IGNITION SWITCH, MIGHT FIND A DIAGRAM TO HELP THERE, I'VE SEEN THEM FRIED BEFORE, OR EVEN BROCKEN.

 

FOR SOMEONE WHO WORKED ON DODGES FOR 5 YEARS THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR SENDS PULSES TO THE ENGINE CONTROLLER TO CONTROLL TIMING AT DIFFERENT ENGINE SPEEDS. IT IS ALSO THE SIGNAL FOR THE CONTROLLER TO BEGIN ITS FIRING SEQUENCE. ALSO IT IS THE PICKUP IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DISTRIBUTOR KNOWN AS THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WHICH RUNS THE FUEL PUMP. IF YOU HAVE NO POWER @ THE COIL, YOU NEED TO DETERMINE WHERE IT IS LOST. THE COIL HAS TO HAVE POWER TO SPARK. ONE OF THE WIRES ON THE COIL IS SUPOSED TO BE HOT IN THE START AND RUN POSITION OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE OTHER WIRE ON THE COIL COMES FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR. THERE IS ONLY ONE OR TWO WIRES ON THE IGNITION SWITCH YOU NEED TO START A VEHICLE.ANY VEHICLE. (OLDER CARS ONLY NEEDED ONE) THESE ARE KNOWN AS IGNITION WIRES # 1 & 2. THESE WIRES ARE HOT IN THE RUN & START POSITION AS WELL. THEY POWER THE FUEL SYSTEM AND THE IGNITION SYSTEM. IF YOU HAVE EVER INSTALLED A REMOTE STARTER YOU WILL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TWO WIRES I AM TALKING ABOUT. IF THE DIST. BOX HAS POWER THEN IT IS DEFINETLY NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH OR ANY OF THE WIRES NEAR THE STEERING COLUMN. ANYHOW YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT WHERE THE COIL GETS ITS POWER FROM AND SEE WHY IT ISN'T THERE. YOU CAN BYPASS THIS AND RUN A SWITCHED POWER FROM ANY WIRE THAT IS HOT IN THE RUN AND START POSITION ONLY. REMEMBER TO FUSE THE WIRE IF YOU DECIDE TO DO THIS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU FIGURE IT OUT . ANY MORE ? JUST ASK.