Hi all. I found this forum when searching internet for help with my problem. Seems to be a very knowledgeable place.

Here's my problem:

1998 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4
360 motor
200,000 miles on engine (80,000 on rebuilt trans)

The truck won't start after having been inactive for 4 days. It's cold weather here (below 30) and the truck has been difficult to start in cold weather recently (last year or so).

In normal temps, it would start right up, idle and drive just fine. Had the weather improve to about 50 a day ago and it still wouldn't start up this time.

Battery is brand new and fine. Turn key, and all lights come on. Can hear fuel pump. Go to start it up and it cranks, but won't turn over. Coughs every now and again, but that's it.

Checking basics, fuel and spark:

Fuel shoots out of the fuel rail pressure test point. At first I was blaming fuel pump in cold weather... but I tried starting fluid too but truck wouldn't even start up on that. Which means it's not a fuel problem.

Spark: put a tester inline on the spark plug and the light goes on when turning the key. So it seems the spark plugs are getting spark.

Had ex-mechanic brother-in-law check it out and he is guessing it's the CKP sensor or timing chain is old and has skipped, because he thinks it's a timing issue (since spark and fuel are alive).

I would like some opinions if possible before I go with that diagnosis. I have hooked an OBDII scanner to the truck and no error codes. When the truck was running (in normal temperatures) it ran absolutely perfectly fine and never rough idle or any other indicator that CKP is failing. This starting problem has been around for me in COLD weather before, but when temps warm up it has went away. How could htat have anything to do with a CKP sensor? And if the timing chain had skipped, it would have been running like garbage. The truck, when it was running, was running just as well as it ever had.

I really don't want to work on that sensor because it's impossible to do, and the timing chain is massively time consuming. Would rather exhaust other options first. If those are the problem, then I will handle them.

I've also put a hairdryer on the PCM in hopes it might be the trouble (freezing weather could mean it was frosted or getting wet). No go.

I'm thinking about pulling the distributor cap and checking it and the rotor. I can't think of any other reason cold, wet weather would make my truck not want to start in general.. and specifically in this case cause it to completely die.

Any help please? Sorry to be so long, trying to get as much pertinent info in the post as i can.

 

Sounds like a distributer problem to me. How are the plugs?

 

take look at dist. cap and button fuel sounds good check ur batt again if u tried canking it so many times its hard on a batt in the cold take it to auto store they will put a charge on it for free even if a timing issue truck would nt just stop turning over four days later unless it timing broke

 

You're getting power to the plugs, but are they actually firing?
Your buddy may be right though. A bad crank position sensor will let your engine crank, but it won't fire.

 

TY for replies and help.

The spark plugs are normal looking, slightly brown.

When I get a chance here, I'll get at the distributor cap and rotor to check them out. I'm only guessing at them because they haven't ever been changed and cold/wet nonstarting could mean the distributor is moist or gets wet inside which might corrode and cause problems if it frosts up.

At least, it's something I can do without a major hassle and it doesn't have to be terribly expensive. It very well might be the CKP sensor, but I'd rather leave that til I've run out of options. It's unbelievable where they put it.