Hello! I have a 1990 Dodge B150 van I just bought with a 318 and a 3 speed transmission. When I bought it, it had little power but ran for quite a while. I thought it was the fuel pump but co-workers told me it was the Cat. I took the cat loose and tried it. No change. So I squirted fuel in the intake . It sprang to life! So I changed the fuel pump. When I went to start it it would turn over but not start. From what I read it was likely to be the ASD relay. So I took the relay to work and it tested good.
Ok now the interesting part. I came home and put a little 12v battery on it with a battery charger. I checked and got the CEL a few times. I put a test light in the control of the ASD with the other end to the hot side of the battery. I had my Daughter turn on the key. I got the ground for about a second. So we changed places and my daughter saw the ground. I poked around with the light a bit and decided to check for the ASD ground again. Nothing. I have been unable to get the CEL to come on at all now. The light circuit is good and there is power from the battery and the key when on. I also have the ground too. I disconnected most of the sensors still nothing.
What does the PCM have to have to turn on the CEL? Does it look for any sensors before it turns on the CEL?
Thank you and Happy Easter!
Joe

 

I'm confused. You say the ASD relay tests good and you have power in the ASD relay socket, but the ASD relay does not turn on?

 

Thank you for the reply! After I tested the relay at work I looked for CEL light and got it then i looked for the ASD relay ground with the relay removed. I got it twice and no more. Now I am not even getting the CEL Light. Does the relay have to pull up before I get the CEL light. I do not think so because I think I had the relay out while looking for the ground and got the CEL.
Today I reinstalled the PCM and reconnected all the sensors and the ASD. I hooked up a battery and tried again. No CEL. I turned the engine over and still no CEL.
I may be thinking wrong but I am try to get a CEL from the computer saying that the Computer Power On Self Test (POST) or what ever you call it, passed.
I was wandering what it takes for the computer to turn on the CEL.
Oh there is a thing "Garage is empty add now". What does that mean/do?
Thanks for the help!!
Joe

 

Disconnecting the PCM removes power from it. Removing power from the PCM clears it's memory, as well as, any codes that were the cause of the CEL to be on. So as of right now, the CEL is off because there are no trouble codes set in the PCM.

The garage thing is just something to get people to post pictures and descriptions of their vehicles on their profile pages here. You can ignore it.

 

Now I am confused. In most vehicles when you turn the ignition switch to run all lights come on for about a second for a light check. The CEL usually comes on showing the engine is not running. So on this van the CEL does not ever come on unless there is a code set? That sure changed things...

 

My '89, when the key is turned to on, not start, the CEL and oil lights illuminate.

Only some codes immuminate the CEL light, Like when the connector for the 2 wire coolant temp sensor is removed from the sensor.

The ASD relay is just a common Bosch style relay with just one 87(output) terminal. and no 87a output.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bosc...hrome&ie=UTF-8

Some of these relays have the 87a contact which is always connected to the source until the relay is activated. Some have 2 87 outputs. Regardless, there is no corresponding receptacle in the ASD connector so it does not matter which type of relay you put in there.

I believe the ground is switched by the ECM.

My ASD relay was once left upside down and it filled with rain water. From then on I was having issues with the internal contacts getting crusty, and I only managed to get 5 more years out of it, before just swapping in a new generic relay

 

Yeah sorry I though you had it running and there was no CEL. Yes the CEL should come on with the key on and the engine not running. Have you tested the CEL bulb to make sure it is good?

 

CEL bulb and circuit is good.. Thanks for the help. Looks like a bad PCM... ARUGGGH!

 

If you jump pin 87 to pin 30 of the ASD relay socket will the van run when you try to start it up?

 

It will not run jumping the relay. The fuel pump runs but no first fuel prime on key on. The idle motor does not run anymore on key on either now...