Hello all, I'm new to these forums and hope someone could give me some insight to a problem my truck has been having.


Recently, my truck has started acting up.
it is a 97' 1500 Sport, 5.9 Liter, 2WD
Things I have done: Checked fuses, coolant, battery

Over the past few months it was giving me trouble with starting after running it for about 30 minutes. It would seem to run fine and I would shut it off to go in a store or what have you, but when I returned to my truck it would crank but fail to start.
This would happen 1 or 2 times a month, but letting the truck sit for a few would let it start again and run fine.
More recently however the problem got worse, when driving down the road it actually shut off on me, however it would start right back up when i cranked it.
Now the problem has gotten a lot worse, when it shuts down after running it for about 15 minutes it takes an hour or two of sitting for it to start again. And dying while driving it had started happening a lot, again, usually about 15-20 minutes of driving. Again, having to let it sit for a few hours to start up.
I did some research and did what little i could to troubleshoot the problem, and came to the conclusion that the most likely culprit was the fuel pump becoming hot and failing. Keeping the fuel tank full so as to stave off the rapid heating of the pump seemed like it helped a little, but that could be in my mind.

Two days ago I brought it to the shop and they said they had a problem repeating the issue i was having, but called about 6 hours later and said that they finally witnessed it and the engine wasn't getting fuel and it was in fact the fuel pump causing the problem.

I paid 600 bucks for a new fuel pump and labor and as I was driving it home today the problem happened AGAIN! Leaving me on the side of the road for 2 hours while triple A sent a flatbed to take my truck back to the shop.


So I'm looking to get some insight from anyone who owns a dodge who may have had this issue with their truck/car.

Thanks for hearing me out, I know this seems long winded but I'm about on my last nerve and have a major headache.

 

I had something like this happen to my '96 a few times back when I still had it. It ended up being the coil. They're right near the alternator, & its' only a coil wire & a plug at the bottom to change over.
I tried another coil just to see when I was having my problems - so for the time being I just zip tied it to the other one. Would run ok on the "backup" coil, but when I plugged everything in to the 'original' coil, it died every time after running it a while.
Also, they have 2 or 3 different style plugs on the coil bottoms between '94-'01, so make sure the connectors are the same. Don't ask me how I know....

 

I'm new to these forums also, and i just happen to stumble upon someone else that is have the same problems as me...

Recently, my truck has started acting up.
it is a 97' Ram 1500 SLT, 5.9 Liter


Although I claim it's the same problem, there are some slight differences

Over the past 2 weeks, I noticed a little lag when starting the engine, it didn't seem to interfere with the running of the truck. The problems have gotten worse very quickly, the lag has gotten longer and longer every day and the lights were starting to dim quite a bit when i started it. Once it was started and run for a few minutes it was fine. My first thought was the battery was bad.

Tuesday of this week, I almost didn't get the truck going. it seemed to take everything battery had to offer to get it to turn over, it had me worried quite a bit. But i thought that I would have it check out that night...didn't make it...It quit on me in the middle of an intersection on my way to work, after about 25 or 30 minutes, I was able to start it again and move it outta the road. I didn't trust it to go much further, so i had it towed to my mechanic.

My mechanic too had troubles repeating the problem, they cleaned the throttle body and told me that the computer "lost" the idling program, and they had to do a "relearn" with the shop computer.

Well, 157 dollars (includes towing) and 2 days later. I'm having the same problem again, This morning after i got it started I dropped it at the shop again. I just got off the phone with them so that I could explain what's happening. He indicated that there might be air in the fuel line caused by the fuel pump...the fuel pump is about a year old, I replaced it last summer myself.

I'll be calling them again at lunch and see if they've made any progress, hopefully we both can get some answers.

 

I almost leaning towards the coil.

 

are you guys talking about the ignition coil?

about a year ago the truck would run fine but would have serious issues restarting, sometimes not starting at all
my local mechanic back home explained it was something to do with the engine remembering which pistons/sparks to fire when restarting and fixed the problem.
now, a year later the problem is worse than before but I'm pretty sure the mechanic who has my truck now thinks its the same problem as before


would a year be enough time for the problem to occur again if it was fixed properly the first time? and if not is there something else that's making the coil go bad this soon?

 

This used to happen to my brothers F350. It would start great for the first time, then he would go to a gas station or something and shut her down. When he would go back to start it after fueling up or getting something inside the store, it was hit or miss. It would barely start and have to crank over hard. It wound up being the connections to the battery terminal. He also had a bad starter that wasn't grounded very well. It's going to be something in the ignition system.

 

Yes, the ignition coil is what I was talking about.
I've never had a bad ECM in any of my Dodges, but I have run into 2 maybe 3 bad coils.
That said, I would try a junkyard coil &/or ECM just to see what happens. It may narrow down your possibilities.

StupDu: A fuel problem seems possible. But I would say only if you have a pinhole in a fuel line, etc. Once the pump is in there & seated properly, I don't think there's a reason why there should be air in the system besides.

I've got a '97 Ram w/318 & it too has 'some' lag to it when I start it...I don't know why, its' just always done that. Never has gotten better/worse.

Let us know what you find out.

 

Well I just off the phone with the shop, and it sounds like they have no idea what the problem is...they swapped out the battery for testing purposes and now I'm waiting on a call back...Thanks to you all, you've given me a few ideas to go to him with...I'll let you know as things go on

Thanks again.

 

Shop finally called me back...says it a bad battery, couldn't they have tried that on Tuesday.

 

well few ways to test the fuel pump

1 pour a little gas in a contain of some sort and carry it with you so next time it breaks down/wont start u can test it.
2 when it wont start loosen the air filter and pour the gas into the carburetor should only need to pour a little
3 try to crank it up ( its should start but only for a few sec b/c it already burned up that little bit of gas u put in it )

another way but not as good of results

dont turn the truck on only on aux mode and try to hear the fuel pump cut on ( it should sound like a high pitched hum from behind you ) might have to have somebody turn the key so u can listen.

but thats what it is if u cant hear it or u have to put the gas in the carburetor to start it
id say its the fuel pump.

but my second opinion might be the alternator not charging the battery right

i had a fuel pump go out while i was driving -_- almost caused me to wreck. had a turn coming up and lost power steering and breaks b/c the truck shut off truck was a-o-k though