Posted By: volaredon
Crank sensor questions - 12/19/21 12:08 AM
96 Dakota club cab 4wd, 318.
to my knowledge still running original crank sensor. 236k miles.
I had it on the lift last week and after replacing every metal brake line front to back, a master cylinder, 2 wheel cylinders front pads and shift linkage bushings, I got a crank/no start out of it. 1st time since last year when it died on me in the Wendy's drive thru line because of the well known splice issue that these trucks were known for. I checked my work from fixing that first, and all looks good.
After wiggling a bunch of wires (including coming out of the crank sensor body) it started like brand new. And has started ever since.
I noticed while cranking and it not wanting to start I had no CEL light and the fuel pump wasn't running. After juggling wires all over under the hood it was then I realized that "oh there's the fuel pump running" and then it started.
At one point I sprayed some Gum out into the throttle body -no dice.
I swapped in a known good coil off the shelf. No dice. But after shaking a bunch of wires near that splice and then around the crank sensor behind the heads it fired right up. Not sure which wires I shook that did the trick.
But I'm sure if I don't do something it will do it again. So if I can prevent it from doing it again by changing the crank sensor I'm in. I didn't have a 2nd person handy to be in the truck to hit the key while I shook wires. And after it came back to life I checked codes and only got 12 and 55 via the key dance. I didn't have my scanner home from work that day to see if it would tell a different story.
to my knowledge still running original crank sensor. 236k miles.
I had it on the lift last week and after replacing every metal brake line front to back, a master cylinder, 2 wheel cylinders front pads and shift linkage bushings, I got a crank/no start out of it. 1st time since last year when it died on me in the Wendy's drive thru line because of the well known splice issue that these trucks were known for. I checked my work from fixing that first, and all looks good.
After wiggling a bunch of wires (including coming out of the crank sensor body) it started like brand new. And has started ever since.
I noticed while cranking and it not wanting to start I had no CEL light and the fuel pump wasn't running. After juggling wires all over under the hood it was then I realized that "oh there's the fuel pump running" and then it started.
At one point I sprayed some Gum out into the throttle body -no dice.
I swapped in a known good coil off the shelf. No dice. But after shaking a bunch of wires near that splice and then around the crank sensor behind the heads it fired right up. Not sure which wires I shook that did the trick.
But I'm sure if I don't do something it will do it again. So if I can prevent it from doing it again by changing the crank sensor I'm in. I didn't have a 2nd person handy to be in the truck to hit the key while I shook wires. And after it came back to life I checked codes and only got 12 and 55 via the key dance. I didn't have my scanner home from work that day to see if it would tell a different story.