Hey guys I'm new here and wish I had better news for my first post. A little background on the truck its a 95 Ram 1500 SLT with a 360 mag 4x4 with roughly 105k on the clock. Anyway here it goes I was driving home from a few errands before work the other day and I was braking to slow for a corner and stop well about at the entrance of the corner my truck just died, I mean everything engine went off ignition everything. So once I got the truck actually stopped I threw it in park it started back up and I made it back home (only a few more blocks). So I go inside and get lunch, come back out to head for work and it was no go. It would crank but never fired up, tried it a few times cursed some then got in my car and drove to work. I get home that night and it starts right up! I drive it around the neighbor hood a couple times let it drop down to idle a few times try my hardest to kill it nope doesn't die. Ok then take it out the next day to go run it through DEQ so I can renew my tags truck is sitting there running waiting for them to test it on the dyno and it dies again, this time it does not start back up, so me and a few guys push it outa the bay and off to the side and I get to walk home 7 miles because I can't get hold of anyone to come give me a lift. I head back out there later that night prepared to call a tow truck and have a friend drive me out, but the truck starts right up! I manage to drive it all the way home with no issues. I get home shut it off and turn it back on, no problems starting up. Do that a few more times no problems, rev it and let it drop to idle doesn't have a problem most of the time but then once it does die but I was able to start it back up. So this one really has me stumped, only thing I can think of is possibly the fuel filter but I'm praying its not that since I would have to drop the tank (whose idea was it to put the filter on top of the tank?). So do any of you guys have any ideas what this could be? I have a 3 day weekend and I want to get this think fixed this weekend if possible. Let me know what you think cause I'm stumped. Thanks.

 

you may just need a tune up... check your wires, plugs, all that stuff.... i cant really say on the filter, or even pump without looking at it...

 

I'd say check the filter. SOmetimes when they run for a while it stirrs all the crap up inside them, and you let it sit and it all settle back down to the bottom.

 

well i cleaned the tb on the truck and thought all was well. it was ideling alot smoother i could rev the engine up let the rpm drop and it wouldn't die. i drove it around for about 30 minutes or so on sunday no problems went and filled the tank while i was out. drove it to work and back yesterday no problems. i go out this morning starts right up drives fine run some errands come back home eat breakfast and go out to head to work and the damn thing doesn't start! the thing cranks but doesn't fire up at all. i get home tonight and it fires right up. seems like it is only doing it when the engine is warm now. i can start it up and turn it off back off and on again as much as i want with the engine cold. fires right up like there isn't a problem in the world. any ideas?

 

couple of things to check/swap are your battery for starters, have it checked and make sure it's working properly, weak battery's do strange things on the rams.

next would be to check your fuel pump relay. it should be the same as your wiper relay so you can swap it.

when it doesnt start, turn the key on and listen for the fuel pump to turn on, it should turn on for 2 seconds to prime the fuel system.

another thing is to check your o2 sensor wiring and make sure you dont have a short on the heater wires.

two other things it could be is the crank position sensor is going bad or the cam sensor in the distributlr.

 

I'll second that!! Check that first and then try the rest and after that is done get a priest to perform an exorcism.

 

Could be the coil.[sm=americanasmiley.gif]

 

good point, forgot about that one. if it's an Accel then that would be the 1st place i'd look...

 

well an update damn thing didn't get driven much and didn't die on me again until today. it did die while driving (right as i pulled into a parking space so it was ok). i tired starting it right back up and it started right back up. i turn it off get out pop the hood let it sit for 5 minutes and try it again and it doesn't start (kinda what i expected). did the on off thing to get the stored codes got 12 and 55. so a lost power and end code. checked for spark at the plug wire and got nothin. i HATE intermittent problems. it started raining so i couldn't finish troubleshooting wich means waiting for it to die again. have i mentioned i HATE intetmittent problems?

ok so again engine was hot when this happened so it has to be somthing that is being triggered by that. it never has a problem starting cold. next trick is to try and get to the coil wire at the distributor when it dies again. anyone have a trick getting back to the distributor on these things? i can't even see the damn thing through all the other crap under the hood. its like all the wires go back into oblivion. is there a way to test is the coil is bad without waiting for it to die again? or should i just change it out?

oh i also heard a high pitched tone coming from the control module on the passenger side fire wall while the key was in the ignition and turned to "on". is that normal?

 

here's a question for you... does the idle ever seem funny at any time? warm/cold etc? could be the IAC has died...