Not sure if anyone else has had this one happen.. but i frequent the mudpits in my '96 1500 4x4, has a 5.2 and 4" lift, but in deep water/mud water flings up behind my motor and soaks my distributor, causing it to short out and misfire (when i grab a wire i get a nice shock).

Now, should new wires fix this? or new distributor? also, how would i get to the distributor? it's near inaccessable..

 

That's where i would start. I would try to take off the distributor and check for cracks. i know it's a pain to get to. But as a tip before you take the dist off take a silver sharpie and mark where it currently sits and make some alignment marks this will help since its really hard to see the alignment when you try to get it back on. But I would check the cap for a crack and check all the wires for slits. just my 2 cents.

 

if the wire shocks you when you grab it then it is bad and should be replaced.

 

Maybe the truck is trying to tell you not to beat it up. But yes definetly check the cap and plug wires. Also do an ohms test with a meter on the plug wires to make sure you have proper resistance.

 

i had the same problem but it was with a 93 Nissan 4x4. when the dist. got wet it would misfire, i changed cap, rotor, plugs and wires, and it did it again. then i found a leather boot thing that covers the distributor, and its been fine since (its my mud truck)


but dodges could be different

 

sounds like a bad wire. they should NOT shock you, wet or dry. there's a really complex wire routing process thats recommend in a TSB.. f*** that, i just put mine in wire looms so that touch anything or each other.

 

For all the puddle hopping i have done at 20 i have never had a problem.

 

dvaughan, the re-route only moves two wires on each side and the coil wire. its the ones that fire one right after the other.

 

Sounds to me like you no-doubt need a tune up.


And for ease of access to it, install a body lift . Good excuse for more lift, and access to it is so much easier (as well as access to everything else).

 

i have a 4in body lift, still a bad place to put the distributor, might do the wires this weekend. then test them out ofcourse