my 2005 Dakota starts, runs great...then when I turn it off after it's been at operating temp for a while, it won't start again till the engine has cooled off, 30 minutes to an hour. It's not overheating, not running rough, not dying...have replaced the computer, wiring harness, o2 sensors...my mechanic is stumped.

 

Probably cam, or crank sensor. Need to know what's missing when it won't start.

 

What do you mean by "what's missing" ? It'll crank and act like it'll start but then won't...the only thing that seems to cause it is the engine having been running for a while. I can drive 10-15 minutes and turn it off and it'll start right back up, if I drive 30 minutes or more then turn it off, it won't start again till the engine is cooled down.

 

Whats missing: spark, fuel, etc. When it happens are you getting spark and fuel?

 

As far as I can tell, yes, it'll crank just like normal, even sound like it starts but then it stays at that moment, sometimes it'll start then die immediately. I've even tried holding the gas pedal down, not pumping it, I know that'll flood on fuel injection, but no difference...the only way to get it to start is to let it cool down.

 

Actually, holding the gas pedal to the floor while cranking, will put it into 'clear flood' mode, and the PCM will DRAMATICALLY dial back on how much fuel the engine is getting. If you just press the gas a little bit, that'll put more fuel in, and also more air......

 

Could be a bad chip key have you tried another key?

 

Have any aftermarket sensors been used to replace factory sensors? These trucks tend to do weird things when non-factory sensors are used.

 

Did you ever track down the source of the problem? I'm having identical issues with my 05 Dakota and am similarly stumped after running through the obvious solutions.