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1989 Dodge Dakota won't start #1394377
02/27/13 12:21 PM
02/27/13 12:21 PM
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2
PTMopar Offline OP
member
PTMopar  Offline OP
member

Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2
1989 Dodge Dakota LE 3.9L V6 Automatic transmission. EFI throttle body.
It all started when my wife drove my truck to walmart. After shopping she got in the truck and it wouldn't start. She calls me and I drive 30 miles to where she is. I get in, twist the ignition switch, and it's really hard to turn the switch far enough to engage the starter. I twist it as far as I can and the starter engages and it starts up, but I have to pull the switch back a little to disengage the starter. Obviously the switch has went bad.

I got in and headed home and halfway there it die's as I'm driving. I wiggled the switch and the engine came back to life, and I made it the rest of the way home. I turn the switch off and try to restart it, but now it just turns over and over but won’t start. I go and buy a new ignition switch and install it, and it is no longer stiff and works as it should, but the engine just turns over and over and won’t start. Now things start to get really weird.

I notice that when I turn the switch on I can hear the fuel pump come on, and I know there is gas in the tank. I put my volt meter on the coil and I get 12 volts, but only for a second or so when the switch is first turned on. I put a new pickup module in the distributer and she fired right up.

I drove it down the road and noticed that the valves were rattling so I loosened the distributor and turned it a little and found the place where it starts and runs best, and then drove it again, and it ran great as it always did. An hour later I decide to run down to the store and it just turns over and over and won’t start again!

I bought a new auto shutdown relay even though the old one seemed okay, still won’t start. I bought a new coil, still won’t start. I cleaned all the ground wires and terminals, still won’t start. I bought a new ECM, still won’t start. Any ideas?

Re: 1989 Dodge Dakota won't start [Re: PTMopar] #1394378
02/27/13 04:01 PM
02/27/13 04:01 PM
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 10,570
Sunny South Florida
Golden-Arm Offline
I Live Here
Golden-Arm  Offline
I Live Here

Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 10,570
Sunny South Florida
you know the switch is bad. replace it.


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