Hey guys. Got a serious problem with my truck right now and don't know where else or who else to ask. I was driving it last week at about 50 mph, went to go faster and the truck died on me. Brought it home and found out I only had 10 PSI in the fuel rail, so boom, replaced the fuel pump (airtex pump) yesterday. Now the truck has 48 PSI but the engine wont stay running now. When I start it, it will run for a sec and go to 1000 rpm and then will die, or it will just puff like it wants to start but fuel pressure stays the same either way. I was told to reset the ECM and I did so by unplugging the 3 cables and cycling the key 3 times and plugging them back in (which i don't even no if this is the right way for my year, I was told by my buddy with the same issue this is what he did for his 2001) .... still nothing. What else could be the problem cause its my only vehicle and don't feel like paying to have someone else look at it. Could it be a bad ECM?

 

Remove negative cable from battery for 15-20 minutes. I've read that turning on light switch and stepping on brake pedal while it's unhooked as other methods. Unplugging the three harness connections at the PCM by itself may work , but mainly it seems just unhooking the neg battery cable is a sure thing.
Look into cleaning the idle air control, especially if it stays running with a little throttle.
1996 may have egr valve also.

 

i think it has the right pressure but im not sure without a fuel pressure guage, i touch the shrader valve and it sprays out like a cannon, so i think it has the pressure (with the old pump it just came bubbling out) It runs on starting fluid , i can get it to 3000 rpm for a few seconds with the starting fluid but it just dies after that. Would it be a bad ECM? How do u test those?

 

Need to figure out what's missing when it dies. Fuel, or spark.

 

just throwing it out there, your catalytic converter?? I went thru 3 of them in the 14 years I owned a '98 Ram. Towing kills them. Well, the first was the computer caused it, too much fuel. Long story on that topic lol

 

It has fuel, I tested each injector and the connections to each injector. I got a fuel pressure gauge now and I have 48 PSI even while cranking with a 28 PSI drop when each injector fires so the injectors are working (tested them each separately). I also tested the spark on all spark plugs and coil, shoots spark fine. @Kayakman I have a straight pipe on the truck lol.... but starting to think I got a bad ECM because I didn't have a Check Engine light when the pump went out and it still doesn't come on when the ignition is turned to the ON position, Can anyone give me input on that?