First off, I dont think I know how to modify my garage, so I have a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport Extended Cab. Has basically all the options except power/heated seats.

Ive been having electrical issues with this truck since I first changed out my radio. I was being naive and didn't unhook the battery in a rush to get it done. I blew the IOD fuse and after I replaced it, the radio has repeatedly shutoff, blinked, and threw fits. The stock radio does the same.

Then I hit a deer that did no damage except bend the bumper up a little. However, it caused my ABS and airbag lights to go off. I repeatedly have issues with my ABS light going off now and it will alternate on and off while im driving without cause.

Lately, the whole system has been having spasms. The other day I turned it on and it ran but started to sputter and all the lights started blinking, the truck died and the alarm went off. The truck would not start. Nothing turned the alarm off except hitting the unlock button on the key. THat has always been like that, so I wasn't too suprised. After it stopped spazzing out, i got it started again.

I got half way down the road today, however, and the lights blinked once, then the truck died and refuses to start. After turning over for a bit, I can hear the fuel sending unit in the tank going to pump back up to pressure. Exhaust smells of gas as well so I assume it is getting fuel. Due to the electrical issues, I assume its not getting spark because it has everything else. WHen it runs, it runs good.

Anybody have a solution they had expirence with? Ive read that it could be an aftermarket alarm. I will check into that deeper, but I couldn't find anything. As I said, its gotten worse since the blowing of the IOD, then the deer hit, now this. Maybe coincidence, but Im not one for auto electrical fixes. I will engineer and design products, plant crops, manage the farm, rebuild engines, wire up a house and all the bells, but pretty much a caveman to automotive electronics.

 

Check your electrical connections. Especially the main battery connections, and grounds. Check your radio wiring, and see if you don't have something grounding out in there.

 

Did all that. I made a makeshift spark tester and hooked up to the coil...no spark. Went to the input wires and I get 9 volts on the green (I think), but the other I get none. I know one is a switching line and the other constant. The constant is fine. I used a test light for both as well. Went back to the crank position sensor and Im thinking I either have a fried CPS or my ECM has been fried. Reason I say it could be fried is with all the electrical problems, I wonder if I dont have a short that could have did that. Other wise, Its my CPS.

Thats my outlook on it. I dont know much about it though, so its really just theory in my world.

 

If you aren't getting any spark at all, CPS is a good bet. (it's also cheaper than the PCM.)

 

When it dies does the dash gauges go blank? Do all the dash lights flash(check engine, gen,oil, etc..)? How did you put in the stereo? Direct fit wire connectors(adapters) between the two or did you cut and splice wires? is the alarm factory or aftermarket? If after market what brand? Did you try disconnecting the battery to reset the pcm? I had a similar issue and it was the 5 volt supply voltage coming from the pcm was grounding out. Need more info to try to figure out what is going on.

 

No, I did have some issues with the gauges going back and forth when stuff started going whack tho. I can't give you a solid answer tho, I didn't pay attention to which things went wrong, but the alarm, unlocks, dash lights, radio, and everything started going on an off. I put it in using adapter cables that I spliced. No sweat there. Radio currently in a tractor and works fine.

Im pretty sure its factory...no sign of aftermarket stuff. I haven't disconnected battery. I did some tests on the CPS though, and I get a good 5-6 volts to the sensor, also get good ground to the CPS. I know they both come from the PCM.

I did a resistance test on the sensor, and I got 1 (for my multimeter, thats the same as infinite with the dial all the way up) Open circuit, but Ive heard that don't mean much. A lot of people get pretty irritated in fact, when others say to test the resistance of the sensor. At any rate, I couldn't get a flash from a test light or a reading from my multimeter when hooked up to the middle wire. I didn't try getting a AC reading from the terminals yet, but I think there is enough stuff point towards the CPS that I went ahead and ordered one.

The interior light issue is still bugging me though...cant figure that one out. Im assuming my PCM isn't bad or I wouldn't be getting ground, power, and be able to read codes and do diagnostics. It told me soon as I pulled the fuel relay out that it was missing, so its not just reading stored codes.

 

You can try doing the key dance. Turn the ignition on, off, on, off, on. Do not try to start the truck. ON the third "on", codes should be displayed on your odometer. Be ready to write them down.

 

What do you mean? Ive tried the keydance BTW, its never been sucessful. THats why i bought a CEL/ABS scanner with fix it. I dont really need the fix it thing, but its all they had that day.

 

You have to cycle the key fairly quickly. I think you get a whopping five seconds to complete the sequence, to convince the PCM to give up the codes. I am not entirely sure what it does if it doesn't think there are any codes.....

 

Yea...dont take me wrong here, its great advice, but Ive tried as you have said. I think I was taking that I had even less than 5 seconds. I just cant see to achieve the code. Its not actually throwing a code right now. So it may not do anything. Although when I did an engine DTC, it still tells me I am missing the fuel relay that is currently sitting on the seat. I didnt want it shooting fuel into the engine for no reason while I was testing stuff.