Engine just died on the HWY

[HolyRamBatman]

Well can't explain why. Cruising home Sat. night going about 65 mph. Had been on the road 45 minutes or so, started to go up a very slight hill and she said no. I let off thinking this ain't right. So I feathered the gas and away we go. Let off the gas as I got to 70 mph and the top of hill, went down small hill and when it was time to go up the next small hill....she said NO and power was gone. Luckily no traffic so to the off ramp I went. Still had power steering and brakes but no go. As soon as I stopped the oil light came on and I shut it down.

Now she won't start. It turns like it wants to and it's not sluggish but go start.

The only warning I might have gotten was when I started it up after getting gas. There was a little rough idle. Nothing to worry about. I thought. Took off and she was fine. Started it a few times before I left for home and it quit.

Still have bright lights and strong engine rotation. What would make it die at freeway speeds and not want to start again? Poured fuel into TB at home and still no go. So don't think it's the fuel. And I got the **** shocked outta me when I had the volt meter testing for spark. I haven't been bit like that in a while.

Any ideas???

 

[HolyRamBatman]

I should know better by now.

It's a 96 5.9L 360 stock

 

[emjohn4]

Bad coil, bad cam position sensor (pick up coil, in distributor), or bad crank position sensor.

Both the coil and crank position sensor will cause a crank, but no fire, condition.

Fuel pressure?

Just a few thoughts that come to mind.

Edit: Saw you got zapped - probably not the coil then.

 

[TwelfthCoin]

whens the last time you checked spark plug wires may be dry rotted? at night you can pop the hood and have someone start it or turn it over and if there really bad you will see them arking...

hope its nothing serious

 

[HolyRamBatman]

Fuel pump kicks on with key. I can let the pressure out of the schrader valve and when I hit the key it will prime itself again. Haven't hooked a gauge up to it yet. Pump is about 4 months old. Not suspect yet.

Did some testing today on the plug wires while cranking. My number one wire only gets up to around 9.6 volts. 3, 5, & 7 I get 11.4 as my high number. It is a little different but it got me. So kinda leaning away from there. Had the cam sensor out, it looked ok...I guess. No continuity on the sensor terminals but not sure if that is bad. No continuity on the plug wires either. That was a surprise. Tester is good.

Any way that you know of to test the crank position sensor? Which one is the best to buy for these Magnums?

Thank you for your help.

 

[HolyRamBatman]

Hey TwelfthCoin

Plugs, wires, rotor, cap only have 8,000 miles or so on them. Not saying that's not it. It was actually the first place I started on the side of the road. Checked spark and oil level that night.

Yeah me too. It has been a well taken care of truck, so hoping it's just an external part.

 

[TwelfthCoin]

I figured I would Google your dilemma I came up with this
http://www.justanswer.com/dodge/2whjs-lose-power-road-the-pedal-floor-go-20-mph.html
is that anything like your having

 

[HolyRamBatman]

Not really sure if it would keep going or not. The second time it acted up, I pull over to investigate. As soon as I stopped moving the oil pressure light came on. And I killed it.

I sprayed the CAT bolts before I went in last night. I'm gonna test cam and crankshaft sensors after work today. Actually after the 104* temps go down.

 

[HolyRamBatman]

If the CAT was clogged, wouldn't it still start after 2 days?

Would it run rough or not at all?

 

[RamSport13]

Sounds identical to the problem I had with my '93 ram years back. I finally ended up hooking up a fuel pressure gauge so I could see what was going on while I was driving. Sure enough, when the problem happened pressure dropped to about 5 lbs.

I never thought anything of it, because I got fuel out of the rail and the pump sounded good. I'd take a pressure reading and try to get it while it is running down the road, it may tell you a lot.

 

[Saltillo Express]

Hey all. If it was the crank sensor or the cam sensor it would be slinging codes all over the place. Have you checked it for codes? If it were mine, I would suspiciously go back over the work that was done to it recently. Especially if I did it. Is the cam sensor clicked in to the harness? So it died out under load... on the road. Could very well be the fuel pump. Scan that puppy.

 

[SgtNuzza]

Yup.. Sme problem happened to me about 4 years ago in my old Chevy silverado. It turned out to be the fuel pump.. She ran like a champ after I got that fixed

 

[HolyRamBatman]

Did the key scanning method on the hwy that night and got nothing. On Monday I hooked up the scan tool and no codes. I took off the A/C clutch, the alternator and the mounting bracket 2 weeks back. Cleaned up everything to look for an oil leak. While I was in there I found the temp sensor on the right side of the tstat that was broken. I replaced that one and the one on the left side of the tstat. Not sure if those would cause this issue.

I am going to test the crankshaft sensor after work. See if it got unplugged when I was messing around in that area. If I don't have it fixed by this weekend I am gonna go rent a fuel pressure test kit. I poured some fuel into the TB and it still just turned over, it wouldn't start.

Next will be a compression test. I have a pic I took the other day of the tailpipe. Suspicious looking soot on the outside edge of pipe. I will load it in a minute.

 

[HolyRamBatman]

Just noticed it may have been that way for a while.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 4

 

[HolyRamBatman]

Fuel pressure is primed at 38 psi and when attempting to start is bounces around 44-45 psi.

Found the oil pressure sending unit connector full of oil. Gauge on dash always worked. So besides it needing replaced because of oil leak I don't think it's a problem.

 

[TwelfthCoin]

Do you remember if it was running hot at the time it started messing up

 

[HolyRamBatman]

Sitting right at 200*. After installing the coolant temp sensor 2 weeks ago the temp was at @ 220* 2-3 times before I got all the air out. On this trip I took it never got above 200* unless I turned the truck off.

 

[TwelfthCoin]

hmmm that pretty much rules out the cats. Im going to ask a friend of mine about this he's been working at berglund for 16 years he would probably know exactly what it is.

whats the most recent things you have done to your truck

 

[HolyRamBatman]

Two weeks ago I took the alt , a/c compressor and the bracket off. Also took off top rad hose and tstat. Replaced both coolant temp sensors. Cleaned off oil and dirt from the front and bottom area. Put everything back. I even torqued everything to specs. I goofed up and filled the rad all the way up before I let the tstat open. Took 3 days of driving to get all the air out and the temp back to normal. All was good for a week until this.

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[Wchnu]

A new fuel pump can fail. Been there side of the road cussin.