Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Engine Dies

[BCaldwell]

Hi guys,

First time I get to use the site for a problem. Just stepped up from a 91 to a 95 and have now expierienced the engine quitting and the dash loosing power. Turn the key off and back on the truck starts back up, if I just try to turn to start nothing no idiot lites or anything.

Any thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated. TIA Bill

 

[Missouri Mule]

BCaldwell,

Definitely electrical/electronic.



I would say electronic because of switch being turned off and on.



But you can rule out the fuel shut off solenoid/components and ignition switch/connector with easy electrical tests.



Put a test light on wire(s) leaving (going to fuel shut off solenoid or PCM) ignition connector put key in switch and turn to run position, jiggle it, if light goes off and on switch is bad. Check connector and wires while you are down there.



Could be PCM acting up. If your loosing just charge light and tach then engine speed sensor could be culprit.

 

[BCaldwell]

Bill, Thanks for the reply I do not have a manual for this beast yet so I will be taking a shot in the dark to check those connections. I was talking to Piers and he did a tbs search for my year truck and came up with a heater blower switch problem. I got on the web and got the info re that recall and mine has had the upgrade relay already done, but I wonder if I may still have a weak ignition switch that was not noticed at the time of the repair. This problem cropped up after ac was recharged and I started running t a fair amount.





Thanks for your thoughts



Bill

 

[Leon R]

Bill, last year I had a similiar problem where the truck would die and there were no dash lights etc. Happened when I stopped the truck and tilted the wheel up. Turned out it was in the wiring harness for the iginition. There is a connector right under the shift lever/ignition switch which flexes when you tilt the steering wheel. One of the wires pulled loose from the connector and was not making a good contact. You might be able to make yours cut in and out by tilting the steering wheel back and forth. It is a fairly easy fix, I just can't recall right now which wire it was but if you pull gently on each of them the loose one will be obvious.

 

[BCaldwell]

Leon, Thanks for the tip I haven't been using the tilt that much but it can't hurt to check the wiring harness.



Bill

 

[JoshPeters]

My truck was having a couple wierd electrical issues. I looked at the battery connections. Both batteries had carrosion. I took off the terminals, cleaned them, and then dissassembled any additional wiring to the posts I had... cleaned and reassembled. I then used Dielectric grease on the terminals.



Josh

 

[BCaldwell]

O. K. Guys this is getting old fast Just took it out for about a 20 minute ride get fuel ect, ran fine to the first stop, shut it down fired rihgt up carried on to get fuel turned key off got fuel turned key dead in the water. Turned key on-off 3 times third time dash lights came on and started up ran fine all the way home. Parked shut it down turned key to start no lites etc. engine fires let go of key engine dies.



Bill

 

[JoshPeters]

Have you checked your Shut off solonoid? Make sure it's holding the lever up when it's running. When I start having trouble with mine... . it's getting removed and I'm installing a choke cable instead. Easy to use, great anti-theft.



Josh

 

[BCaldwell]

Hi josh, Would the shut off solinoid cause a loss of power to the dash?



Bill

 

[gitchesum]

IT definately sounds like it's somewhere in the ignition system in the steering column.



Were you able to get into the column and check for loose wires yet?

 

[BCaldwell]

gitchesum, I got the dasher off but did not have a skinny enough torx driver to pull the covers on the ign switch,had trck runing well doing this with ac and blower motor on (tsb 875 has been done onthis truck) pushed pulled and prodded at what ever wires I could get my mitts on nothing happened, wiggled ign. nothining happened. turned key off would start but not stay runningwhen key was released. let it sit for a few minutes it started right up and ran fine. Went outa little later and fired right up tried pulling plunger down in s/off solinoid couldn't budge it. wggled wires to s/off no change. Still got me going in circles.



Bill

 

[Leon R]

Bill, it doesn't take much of a loose wire to keep making intermittent contact. I had to borrow a neighbors torx driver to get mine off. As a matter of fact that reminds me that it is still on my list of things to get. There is not much room for flex in that wire harness and you can't get to it to check it properly without taking the cover off.

 

[BCaldwell]

OK guys, got it all apart pulled and prodded it would not act up. If I remove the shut off solinoid and go with the choke cable then the engine should be able to run with the key off, similar to the old nta&ntc cummins is this the right assumption to make?



Bill

 

[gitchesum]

It will run that way, but without any dash indication. Not entirely sure if the auto transmission will operate correctly without the ignition working properly as well.

 

[BCaldwell]

The saga continues. Changed the ign switch still got the same problem, died this am and had to haywire the shut down up to get to work and then home again. Any thoghts on what else to be checking did get at the wiring harness all seems ok there.



Bill