95 Dodge Dakato


  #1  
Old 01-21-04, 12:11 PM
RudyTootie
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95 Dodge Dakato

My 95 Dodge Dakota has set up for almost a year, without running. It has an overhauled engine in it. It will not start. I have checked the air filter, I have put fuel in the gas tank, even proured fuel into the fuel injector, I have pulled it with another vehicle for a mile or so in low gear, but it still will not start. It ran good before it set up.
Is it something that I must do to the fuel injector to get it to start?
 
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Old 01-21-04, 01:58 PM
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You need to check fuel pressure with a guage and check for spark at the plug.Check at least 2 wires.If it ran good before being parked maybe you have a corroded wiring connection or a field mouse had some lunch of your wiring.
 
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Old 01-21-04, 02:02 PM
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The first thing you may have to do is replace the transmission. You DO NOT tow cars to start them in the 21st century.
First you find out what your engine does not have re: spark at the plug, compression, injector pulse and fuel pressure. One of those is missing and you need to find out which. Now I'm assuming you have a good battery and it's cranking fast enough, that's probably a mistake on my part. Is the engine cranking?
 
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Old 01-21-04, 06:11 PM
RudyTootie
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Thanks Davo,
you sound like you have it all together. That's what I thought I may have to do, but I really didn't know anything much about the fuel injector. I appreciate your professional manner in answering my question. Now all I have to do is find out how to check the presure. LOl. Thanks again.

Oh yea for the smart --- there still is standard shift autos that can be pulled to start.
 
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Old 01-21-04, 11:39 PM
mike from nj
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which engine are we talking about??

v6 or v8??---the thing on top of the intake manifold is the throttle body---it's only an air valve. the fuel injectors are on the side of the intake manifold.

4 cyl??? then you do have a throttle body and one fuel injector on top of the intake manifold.

either way---if you already poured fuel down there, and if it didn't start, then you don't have a fuel pressure OR a fuel injector problem.

that leaves you checking for spark.


my guess also is the mouse and wires thing though. they love to chew!!

(ps. you should have dragged it in 3rd or 4th gear, it would have been much easier on the engine, clutch and trans!!)


let us know what you find
 
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Old 01-22-04, 04:13 AM
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Originally posted by RudyTootie

Oh yea for the smart --- there still is standard shift autos that can be pulled to start.
Yes, and it's still very damaging to drive an engine from the wheels and in turn the back side of the gears, for any distance. Wrong move, standard or automatic.
 
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Old 01-22-04, 05:05 AM
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my 2 cents worth...

...roll or push starting a car is no big deal...sounds like the guy was pretty careful.

after 25 years in this business, the only vehicle i've seen damaged was the one towed by an RV...in LOW gear at 55 MPH for several miles. don't know what this RV owner was thinking by putting his dingy in gear at all!

I've never seen an engine (stock production, that is) so grenaded...anyways

I tend to agree with the others here...it's probably ignition related and critters will do a job on wiring...but DON'T assume that you have fuel pressure just because you dumped some fuel in the intake and it didn't start. In fact, dumping raw fuel into ANY engine and then cranking is dangerous. A small LP bottle (inverted if necessary) like for a portable gas grill works well and is much safer. good luck...
 
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Old 01-22-04, 03:11 PM
JoeandChristal
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I didn't see any mention of fuel filter?
I'm guesstimating that it has between 80 to 110,000 miles on it,
thats more than enough time for your fuel system to get clogged with all kinds of fun stuff.
Was the tank empty when you parked it? Did the truck sit outside the whole time?
Condensation can cause rust to build up inside the tank above the gas level....a few bouces around and it all ends up in the fuel filter.
Try changing that first(you may want to put out a few extra bucks on the see through kind just so you can visually check for flow).
As far as the pressure check..most major parts store will "rent" you a fuel manifold pressure gauge. The hard part is finding the hookup for your year/engine, a good manual like chiltons can help.
Good luck,
Joe
 
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Old 01-22-04, 03:25 PM
JoeandChristal
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I didn't see any mention of fuel filter?
I'm guesstimating that it has between 80 to 110,000 miles on it,
thats more than enough time for your fuel system to get clogged with all kinds of fun stuff.
Was the tank empty when you parked it? Did the truck sit outside the whole time?
Condensation can cause rust to build up inside the tank above the gas level....a few bouces around and it all ends up in the fuel filter.
Try changing that first(you may want to put out a few extra bucks on the see through kind just so you can visually check for flow).
As far as the pressure check..most major parts store will "rent" you a fuel manifold pressure gauge. The hard part is finding the hookup for your year/engine, a good manual like chiltons can help.
Good luck,
Joe
 
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Old 01-22-04, 03:52 PM
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my 3 cents

I am also thinking mouse or squirrill eating lunch on wires or hoses.My friend at work had this problem a rodent had eaten all his wires off.
Now a true story about auto transmissions and coasting in gear.
When I was young I had a 65 Dodge Coronet I was still stupid any way I was driving down the freeway at about 80 and I shut off the key still in drive.I switched the key back on Man what a shock sounded like a bomb and sure as heck my muffler was split wide open.
 
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Old 01-22-04, 03:55 PM
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Re: my 2 cents worth...

Originally posted by carguyinva
...roll or push starting a car is no big deal...sounds like the guy was pretty careful.
There is no possible reason to push a computer controlled car. If the battery is dead, the computer won't fire up anyway. If the car doesn't start immediatly, it has a problem and isn't going to start no matter what. Find the problem, it will start right up. It's not like the old days when weak ignition, fouled plugs, slow fuel supply and slow cranking was an issue. Those things aren't part of the formula anymore. If it's going to run at all, it will start right away with the key. As I said in my first post, the car needs 4 things to run
Spark at the plug (strong)
Pulse at the injectors
fuel pressure
compression
Just find out which one is missing and why.
 
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Old 01-22-04, 11:31 PM
mike from nj
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i thought about this today. if you dragged it in first (low)gear and went over say 15-20 mph, then you probably overrevved the engine, possibly doing some damage to the valves.

how fast did you drag it?


to further desi's point, dragging also worked in the days of mechanical fuel pumps that needed to suck fuel from the tank to the carburetor. the electric pump eliminates that need.

i've push started plenty of injected cars, they usually have bad starters though.

for the truely motivated, try 'hand' push starting a cummins diesel, that separates the men from the boys!
 
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Old 01-23-04, 03:19 AM
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Originally posted by mike from nj

i've push started plenty of injected cars, they usually have bad starters though.
Good example, probably the ONLY exception.
 
 

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