QuestionHi again Roland,
I thought the 93 Dodge Spirit fuel problem was solved after I replaced the neutral safety switch. The car started and drove fine until this afternoon. My daughter drove the
car, then parked it in the garage. An hour later she went to start the car, and it would not crank, the starter would not turn the motor. She heard the fuel pump charge for
two seconds when she turned the key to "Run."
A few minutes later, I went to try to start the car. My results were quite different from hers. When I tried to start the car, it did turn over but I could not hear the fuel pump.
The car cranks but does not start.
I checked voltage at both relay plugs, with the relays plugged in, and results are:
FUEL PUMP RELAY-
Battery: 12V;
Ignition Switch- 12V at run/start;
Fuel Pump (dark green)- 0V at run, 12V at start;
Blue/yellow- 12V at run, 0V at start
STARTER RELAY-
Battery: 12V;
Ignition switch- 0V at run, 12V start;
Starter- 0V at run, 12V at start;
Coil (dark green/orange)- 0V at run or start.
I have not yet replaced a relay. The timing light shows spark on any spark plug wire. Also, I smell fuel at the carbuerator.
Also, I checked trouble codes. I show code 37, and no other codes. The 37 code only just appeared for the first time. Wiki.answers.com states that, for a 1994 Dodge
Spirit, "Code 37 means an open or shorted condition detected in the torque convertor clutch solenoid circuit."
AllPar shows that trouble code 37 is:
37 Shift indicator light failure, 5-speed
OR
part throttle lock/unlock solenoid driver circuit (87-89)
OR
solenoid coil circuit (85-89 Turbo I-IV)
OR
Trans temperature sensor voltage low (1995 and on; see NOTE 2)
The only one that matches my car by type or year is the last one, "Trans temperature sensor."voltage low."
AnswerHi John,
I have looked over your voltage measurements,
and I don't see anything wrong at the fuel pump relay. The 0V at "run" on the dark green/black? is normal if the engine isn't running. If it started and ran it would then show the 12V again, this is just the ASD shutting it down after a second or so because it isn't turning over or running.
So I don't believe you have a problem with the fuel pump.
As for the starter relay, I am not sure you are looking at the starter relay because there is no dark green/orange on that relay. Rather that wire is on the ASD relay, and I don't know what wire you mean by "starter".
So, where does that leave us? The starter motor is cranking over and I believe on the voltage basis that the fuel is pumping while you are trying the starter.
The 37 code is for the torque converter lock-up clutch and would not affect starting, merely would not lock up the converter at 40 or more mph which would save a little fuel and give you better breaking.
So there has to be another reason for the no start. Have you looked at the egr valve to see if it might be sticking ajar? It is behind the engine on the front corner, and it has a round vacuum operator on the top, the valve body in the exhaust gas pipe and a flange in between inside of which you will see the valve stem. That stem has a slot, so take the tip of a screwdriver and use it in the slot to move the stem back and forth. Spring action should bring to to a full closed stop position. If it seems sticky, spray some WD-40 on the stem where it enters the valve.
Other than that, see if you get any other fault codes. I believe you say that you do have spark when cranking, correct.?
Roland
