Main3s Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 I have a 99 Dodge dakota that had some problems starting this evening. It would turn over, but would not start. I could smell fuel, so I'm assuming that it's not the fuel pump. I checked the fuese and relay for the fuel pump. After switching out the relay for the fuel pump I tried starting it again. It turned over a few times and after about the 3rd or 4th try it started up. I let it run for a few minutes turned it off for a few seconds and it started just fine. So what could the problem be? Thanks for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourString Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Since you have not had any replies I will attempt to help you. I hate leaving people hangin'... If you can hear the fuel pump whining then you do not have a relay issue. That would mean that the relay has made contact and is functioning properly. You say you could smell fuel? Have you checked for a fuel line leak? The problem could also be an internal leak causing a "flooding" issue. I would first do a fuel pressure test. Be sure to keep a close eye on how quickly the pressure drops off after the pump is turned off. Post your results here. If you have this starting problem again and have time to diagnose it you could remove the plugs and inspect for how wet they are. Again, post your results here. Good luck Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lustalbert Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Fuel leak, injector hanging open and letting fuel into the intake (did it make some black smoke when it started?) Also, is it an in tank fuel pump, or in line furhter up. Could be a pin hole in the fuel pickup tube (my Dakota has that problem, pain in the ass when I am below 1/4 tank) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1647545494 Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 those dakotas are bad for getting moisture under the dist cap pull the cap and see what it looks like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Main3s Posted March 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Hey thanks for the replies! Now that it finally warmed up this weekend I was able to get out and look under the hood. I took everyone’s advice and started by checking the plugs and they looked fine. They weren't wet and had a dark tan color to them. I also made sure the fuel rail wasn't loose or leaking by the injectors. I could hear the fuel pump kick on and off but I didn't have any way to test for pressure. Everything seemed normal so I decided to just go for the simple cheep stuff since the problem hasn’t happened again. I went ahead and change the fuel filter (since I don't think it has ever been changed) and. I ran the tank down to below empty and added some "dry gas" to get out any moisture and changed the spark plugs while I was at it. I guess I'll find out sooner or later if all that worked. I just hate not knowing 100% if I fixed the problem or not. You never know if it's going to not start again at the most inconvenient time. I'd rather find something broke and know it's fixed. Oh well! Thanks again for your input, I appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1647545494 Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 keep a small can of wd-40 in your glove box or 12v hairdryer if the cap gets wet just dry it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourString Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Hey thanks for the replies! Now that it finally warmed up this weekend I was able to get out and look under the hood. I took everyone’s advice and started by checking the plugs and they looked fine. They weren't wet and had a dark tan color to them. I also made sure the fuel rail wasn't loose or leaking by the injectors. I could hear the fuel pump kick on and off but I didn't have any way to test for pressure. Everything seemed normal so I decided to just go for the simple cheep stuff since the problem hasn’t happened again. I went ahead and change the fuel filter (since I don't think it has ever been changed) and. I ran the tank down to below empty and added some "dry gas" to get out any moisture and changed the spark plugs while I was at it. I guess I'll find out sooner or later if all that worked. I just hate not knowing 100% if I fixed the problem or not. You never know if it's going to not start again at the most inconvenient time. I'd rather find something broke and know it's fixed. Oh well! Thanks again for your input, I appreciate it! How dirty was the fuel in the fuel filter when you removed it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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