I have just purchased a 2003 1500 van with the 5.2L 318 in it. I bought it for $500 since it did not run. It turns over great (until you use up the battery), but will not fire. I witnessed it run a week ago and during this it shut off, would not start for a few, then started. Apparently it decided to quit shortly there after. I noticed that when turning on the key that the gauges do not register and that where the odometer is it will say "No Bus"??? To me, in electrical terms means no power. But it turns over. Can anyone out here show me the light?????

Also to previous, I replaced the fuel pump, pick up in the distributor, and the previous owner had cap, rotor, wires and coil freplaced. I also sprayed a little starting fluid in the throttle body and thought it might start but did not repeat.

 

Welcome to the site. I will move this thread to the Ram van section,
FF

 

Sounds like a bad computer to me.

 

no bus indicates no data communications. my guess would be connections in the firewall connector first then connections on the ecm or in power distribution. bugger of it is you cant read codes until you get communications

 

Bad Grounds can also be the problem. You may need to go through and clean all the ground connections. I would disconnect the battery and begin with cleaning all terminals including ground strap to chassis. While the battery is disconnected, I would locate the computer and disconnect the terminal plug and any ground wires. Then reconnect the harness plug to the computer and wiggle as you insert the plug.
There could also be an issue with your ignition switch or the conncetion to it.
Good Luck
Professor Bob

 

On the Ram Vans beginning in the year of 1998, the front dash instrument cluster runs on a secondary computer called a BCM that talks with the main computer under the hood called a PCM.

There are ways to reset the BCM. I'm not fully sure how that is done. Also somewhere in this Ram Van forum, someone posted how to run the BCM instrument cluster test which flashes lights and the odometer display.

If the BCM is truly bad, one of the popular p/n's is 68HC11KA4 that can be easily found on the web. If you can find where your's is in the van, check the p/n.

If you happen to know someone with a BCM flash programmer, you can fix the existing one if the PCB is functional.

Here's a 2000 Ram Van BCM

 

most of the time. 85% there is no actually error with the bcm pcm ecm what ever one you deside to choose. i cant tell you that EVERY single dodge have a 5v signel that has to run to all your major sensors on the motor is it doesnt it will not run at all. this can be checked with a digital volt meter. there will me a ground (show up as .0064{or some very low number}) the 5v signal doesnt actually make it to 5v it hovers around 4.800. and there is a 12 volt main power. the actual computer reads ground. you can call you local dealer and get the pin and block number that your signal and ground leave and return too. before i would go spend the money on a pcm i would look from broken cut chewed burnt wires. (may take hours and hours or even days). and as far as the dask showing bus the dash only indicates shorts in interor circiuts