2002 Dodge Ram no spark 5.9

940

Asked by Hec4570 Feb 04, 2016 at 04:56 PM about the 2002 Dodge RAM 1500

Question type: General

Ok so this is for all the people googling the question
as to what the hell is wrong with their dodge. As to I
also kept googling the issue with mine and could
not find nothing but finally me and the mad scientist
finally figured it out!!!

Started with the truck drove fine until I got home
and shut it off. The following morning it would not
start. It will crank all day long till the battery died.
Just would not start. I've checked that thing for fuel
pressure even tho I can hear the fuel pump turn on.
Fuel was good and was getting delivered. Fuel
gauge would hold the pressure till I realized it. So
next is checked for spark. No spark going to any of
the 8 plugs. So checked the coil. No spark coming
from the coil. So checked for power at the
connection to the coil and nothing. No power there.
So I looked up on the turn on and off the key 3
times to read a code and nothing would happen.
Odd I know so it lead me to believe it was a bad
PCM. But before I changed the PCM I decided to
change the crank sensor. That was a pain in the ass
job but I did it. Only to find out that it did NOTHING
for my no spark problem. Checked fuses and
swapped relays,  Next I chAnged the cap and rotor
for shots and giggles. And still nothing. Next I
bought a new coil and still nothing. Next I bought a
cam sensor/pick up coil. And STILL NOTHING. so I
decided to go ahead and send my PCM in for
check up and get the damn thing fixed. A long 2
weeks and finally my PCM came in the mail. I plug it
in and I almost junked the damn truck cause it still
did not want to turn on only crank. So me and a
friend decided to check the connections. This is for
everybody out there that Google this problem on
their dodge. I say this because I have for 3 weeks
and I couldn't find nothing just other people
googling the same thing and same ol answer to
change the PCM, the crank sensor , the cam
sensor/pick up coil, the wires, the ASD relay, ect.....

There was a couple of bad wires under the fuse box
that's located under the hood. It's the number 87
pin on the fuse box and number 3 on the black and
grey pin on the PCM connector. There was no
continuity through that wire. So people pull your
fuse box out its very simple. Couple of bolts and
there's enough wore there where you don't even
have to disconnect the connectors. The way the
wires are ran in there there's a bend and in time
they get dry rotted on the sleeve and the wire gets
to looking like the post of your battery. I connected
that wire and it's alive again. Good luck peeps I
hope this helps.

17 Answers

940

Also forgot to mention that checking for codes with the key turn on then off, turn on then off, then turn on and leave at on to reveal the code did not work until that wire was fixed. Not I can read for codes.

13 people found this helpful.
185

If this is the cure for all our crank-no-start issues, you are the MAN OF THE YEAR! Can you tell me more about the wires? I don't see a number 87 pin in my manual on any of the connections on the PDC(fuse box under the hood), do you know the wire color or it's function? My PCM has 3 32-pin connectors. Which connector and pin and wire color is it? I have a 2001 1500 5.9L. friartuck@windstream.net

13 people found this helpful.
185

I may have found it on the schematics. Is it a 14 gauge, dark green/orange wire from the ASD RELAY pin 87 in the PDC (Fuse Box under the hood) that goes to the PCM connector 3, pin 12? That is 12 volts that tells the PCM that the ASD Relay has been energized, in addition to powering a lot of the sensors and devices on the engine.

4 people found this helpful.
940

Yes if I remember right that's the wire. It's one of the wires that feeds the ASD relay that's comes from the PCM connector. The wire was broke directly under the fuse panel.

5 people found this helpful.
940

if I remember right 87 is on the fuse box connector that goes to ASD relay and 3 is on PCM connector.

3 people found this helpful.
100

The one thing you guys didn't mention, was if you have no spark to the coil that there is a pick up coil underneath the distributor cap. It's a plate with two wires coming out of it, and if you're not careful when you replace the distributor cap you can break the pick up coil And then you will have no spark in your system.

10 people found this helpful.
90

Did your fuel gauge show dead empty when this problem was going on . Mine is doing same shit almost ready to crush this pos.lol.

9 people found this helpful.
50

Whatever you do always, always ckeck your wiring before buying expensive parts. In my case it was the pesty squirrels that made a chew toy out of my dodge. I was going to start looking for a another vehicle as I do not use my truck every day but when I need it I do not want to use my newer truck for pulling my lawn mower and hauling wood or whatever, so I am happy it is up and running perfect now.

5 people found this helpful.
80

im having the same prob my 2002 dodge ram 1500 5.9 nothing would show up the battery and fuel guage just show dead sometimes it would pop on other than that I really need a great deal of help figuring this out

8 people found this helpful.
940

Pull your fuse panel under the hood and inspect the wires going to it. Make sure there isn’t any broken wires. Check continuity thru your wires. They lead to the pcm harness.

3 people found this helpful.
80

HEC4570............THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I TO WAS HAVING THE DIED WHILE RUNNING AND WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START ISSUE. THE FIRS TIME IT HAPPENED I CHANGED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR AND BATTERY...IT WORKED....BUT NOW I KNOW IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE HAVING NO BATTERY IN IT AND WIGGLING ALL THE WIRES TEMP FIXED IT. I READ YOUR POST...I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CODES FROM THE ODOMETER...I PULLED ALL RELAYS FROM FUSE BOX UNDER THE HOOD...SOAKED IT IN WD40...SHE CRANKED RIGHT UP. SO I REMOVED THE FUSE BOX AND YEP...CORROSION ON SEVERAL TERMINALS ON THE BOTTOM WHEN I REMOVED THE PLUGS. I CLEANED ALL TERMINALS...DIELECTRIC GREASE ON ALL PLUGS....SILICONE SPRAY ALL VEER EVERYTHING ELSE....CHECKED ALL WIRES FOR LOOSE CONNECTIONS--NONE BUT LOTS OF CORROSION-- AND SHE'S RUNNING FINE...CHARGING BETTER AND DEFINITELY RUNNING SMOOTHER. RIGHT BEFORE THIS I DID CHANGE THE CAM SENSOR AND HAD A NEW $155.00 FUEL PUMP ON THE BACK SEAT.....RETURNED THE PUMP! ALL IS RUNNING FINE AND I HOPE YOUR POST MAKES IT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE!! THANKS AGAIN! M.S.

8 people found this helpful.
50

Hec4570 did your fuel and battery gauge show dead while you were having this problem???

5 people found this helpful.
70

470 did what you said and i have to be honest i though it was a joke but i was at the end of the rope and i would try anything so i did cleand up the fuse box which looked clean went to start with knowing it would never start and it started right up i wolul like to buy you dinner thanks speed

7 people found this helpful.
30

Fuel gauge is not working and truck won't start but if I spray eather in it it will crank for a minute

3 people found this helpful.
10

My '02 has the will crank/won't start issue but only on damp humid mornings. I found a tiny split in the cable that comes out of the fuse box, it runs to both my battery and also to back of alternator. I could see damage to a green wire's coating in the part that goes to alternator/ So far, some electrical tape has kept issue at bay, but needs replacing. Is it expensive? I ask because truck has 342,500 on it and is daily driver

1 people found this helpful.
10

How did you get pin 87 what color is the wire and is there 2 wires on the pcm side that connect to the one wire on the fuse box

1 people found this helpful.

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