[awyseguy]

Background..
1992 CC Dakota.. 3.9L Automatic.. 319,000 miles

I was using it for a daily driver. Started.. and stalled after about 8 feet.. would not restart.
I have owned, driven, and worked on Dakotas( and Mopars in general) for MANY year/ miles.

I checked "the splice( so-so, but redid it anyway)"
Have replaced TPS, Distributor( was bad), Timing set ( was OEM and shot), plugs (were fouled), Fuel ( had H2O in it), pump ( did not have enough pressure), cap( worn), rotor (worn) , computer, battery..

Was still behaving like out of time..

I ran out of ideas.

Took to a shop.. They have verified all of the above again, even have gone as far as to look for a busted cam.. distributor still turns though, so that should not be it.

Question is, for a truck that was running fine with no reason to; what should I suggest for them to look at next??
We are all out of ideas?

 

[dana44]

Well, back to basics. Start with spark, then move to fuel (disconnect hose from TB and watch it squirt when you turn on the key) (pretty sure you don't have EFI yet), and then verify the exact position of TDC, verify it isn't 180 degrees out of position. If this all comes up negative, then we are starting to talk about relays and I am then at a loss, couple of others know them better than me. One other thing, there is a little notch on the distributor lip where the cap goes, to sync the position to start firing fuel the rotor has to point right to it, but not positive this is necessary without EFI.

 

[Bob Lincoln]

So, does it crank and not start? Or not crank?

There is no fuel line to the throttle body on this vintage, it's multi-port EFI. So there is a Schrader valve port on the fuel rail, which, with engine cold for safety, you can crank and then press to see if there is fuel pressure.

Dana is correct, you must make sure that with cyl 1 at top dead center, the ignition rotor must point to the notch in the lip of the distributor housing. The distributor does not determine ignition timing, it sets the fuel injector synchronization. The rotor must be centered on the notch, +3 / -0 degrees of rotation, so it's a precise setting. Since you had the distributor out, you had to reset the rotor just right. To do it accurately, you need a scan tool. As a gross adjustment, the notch should be centered on the center of the rotor tip, and not off by more than either edge of the metal tip.

Very first step should have been to check fault codes. Still worth doing, then post them here.

http://www.allpar.com/fix/codes/index.html

 

[ImperialCrown]

After the basics, have the scan tool look at the crankshaft position sensor for 'lost' or intermittent signal. These sensors were common no-start failures.
The auxiliary shaft that drives the distributor and oil pump has a bronze bushing that wore and caused timing issues. The marks won't hold still and jump all over with a timing light.
If yours does have the crank sensor, that sensor along with the PCM sets ignition timing and is not adjustable. The distributor just sets f/injector sync.

 

[Bob Lincoln]

And he does. 1992 was the first year of the Magnum engines, with multi-port EFI and a crank position sensor to control timing.

 

[dana44]

I couldn't remember 92 or 93 Magnum EFI off the top of my head. There is a very good page for the small blocks here, just didn't take the time to reference it. And like I said, if it isn't this and the other basics, then something else electrical causing the problem, but haven't heard any updates so not sure where we are with awyseguy and the condition of the truck.

 

[awyseguy]

Sorry guys.. Keeping tabs from work.. Found a procedure on here for syncing the distributor on here.. Forgot to mention I tried that as well. Used my other Dakota distributor and ECU for testing.. Other truck runs regardless.. I was initial swapping the fuel pumps between the two trucks as well.. The other truck is a 94 and behaves like a Dodge should ( it runs regardless of what parts it gets)
I had gotten to the point of second guessing my installation of the timing set; and let the shop that has it now verify.. and it was right. It has no fault codes.. No check engine light at all.. That was what had initially led me to ECU and Crank sensor.
I feel I could have swapped to a V8 with less hassles than getting my V6 running again. I held off in case it was something related to the truck itself, and not the motor that was keeping it from running..

 

[dana44]

Then I take it you have spark and fuel, all set up properly. What about something with security system, or now we get into electrical issues.

 

[valiant67]

There is no security system on a 1992 Dakota unless it's an aftermarket add on, so it's somewhere else in the electronics.

Maybe I missed it, but did you try an little gas or starter fluid in the throttle body to see if will try to start? It could have fuel pressure but no fuel to the inejctors and that would be a test.

 

[awyseguy]

Wanted to give an update since it's been so long.. IT lives.. The new Crank Position sensor that was installed was defective.,., I kept saying it had to be something simple that we were repeatedly overlooking. If we hadn't been finding so many other things wrong when we were looking for the problem, trying a second CPS probably would have waken it up a long time ago.