1998 Dodge R1500 - 5.9L No Start FIXED

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BIGJOHNSOIL
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1998 Dodge R1500 - 5.9L No Start FIXED

Post by BIGJOHNSOIL »

Vehicle was towed in, cranks but no start.
Checked fuel -- 55psi when key is turned on, drops to 45psi when cranking and flow is good.
Checked spark -- Has nice white spark at plugs
Injector Pulse -- Checked with noid light and is working on both banks.
Compresson -- 150 psi , pretty darn good and fairly even.
TDC - Checked with #1 piston fully raised in cylinder, on compresson stroke, removed distrubtor cap to verify pointing in proper direction.

After cranking the spark plugs are wet with fuel and smells rank. As possible that the fuel is stale. I have dumped raw fuel in cylinders but does not start.
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steven kiser
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Re: 1998 Dodge R1500 5.9L

Post by steven kiser »

These were notorious for plugged cats. Pull the upstream 02's and see what happens. There is also a situation that may need to be avoided. If the crank case is loaded with gas you may want to drain it and fill it with new oil. These had an issue with the plates on the internal base of the intake leaking. It may also allow a flash into the internals if it back fires. I've seen a "jiffy pop" oil pan and valve covers from time to time. You mentioned fuel may be stale. I've had critter nests in exhausts that have plugged them up pretty good from sitting long enough to flatten out the fuel. With the fuel pressure working the way you say it eliminates the possibility of trashed and wide open injectors.
I know i've stretched this out a bit but it's the first of the day. :lol: The spark should arc a solid inch and be hard solid bluish white flash. The head mounted coils are known for being strong enough to show an arc but weak enough not to fire the plug. The gap on the plugs is a fair jump and a weak coil won't do it. When these were coming into the shop on a somewhat regular basis, I had two businesses with a fleet of vans, I had a known working coil on top of my tool box I would throw at them. It was a pain to pull the bonnet so I would reach in, unplug the coil attach mine and crank it over. There was about a 25% success rate and make sure the power connector on the coil is clean.
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Jeff @ Able Auto
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Re: 1998 Dodge R1500 5.9L

Post by Jeff @ Able Auto »

I would check the dist rotor closely. I have had them "burn" thru and short to the dist shaft. Would show a good spark at the plug but would not fire a plug under compression. Also check the cam/crank synch with your scan tool to verify all is in time. Just a couple of thoughts. HTH, Jeff.
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ricmorin
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Re: 1998 Dodge R1500 5.9L

Post by ricmorin »

Sometimes the clues come from discussion rather than inspection. My first thought is......how did the vehicle come to be this way? Has it been sitting for 2 years? Did it come on all of a sudden? Or has there been episodes of no starts leading up to this? Is the vehicle used every day or is it a dump run truck started once a month?

Next, what are your data pids? A bad CTS can cause overfueling at start-up, flooding the cylinders. Same goes for a bad MAF or MAP, so I would want to know if those pids are in line with established norms.

Additionally, sometimes once a plug is fouled there's no turning back and new must be installed. And in cases like these I oil up the cylinders a little to get that extra boost.

HTH.
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Jeff @ Able Auto
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Re: 1998 Dodge R1500 - 5.9L No Start

Post by Jeff @ Able Auto »

Your right Ric. Had more than one Dodge towed in with a bad MAP when I was workin for Chrysler. Temp sensor also.
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BIGJOHNSOIL
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Re: 1998 Dodge R1500 - 5.9L No Start

Post by BIGJOHNSOIL »

Pulled the front O2 and the truck starts. Needs a new cat.

Thanks for all the suggestions
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steven kiser
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Re: 1998 Dodge R1500 - 5.9L No Start

Post by steven kiser »

Glad to be of assistance, thanks for posting the fix.
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