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1999 Durango won't restart!!


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echart
New User

Apr 22, 2007, 1:59 PM

Post #1 of 5 (1680 views)
1999 Durango won't restart!! Sign In

IT's long, but I want to describe everything carefully...
1999 Durango:
ran Seafoam in it (I usually let it sit overnight, but this time only a few hours (due to time constraints)
replaced:
plugs (Autolite 5224 Platinums .044)
wires
cap
rotor

had a mechanically-challenged helper(car's owner) assisting who just yanked the wires off in a bunch! lol
put it all back together, and it reluctantly started and sputtered, and would not stay running on it's own(had to give it gas to keep it running) and it seemed like it wasn't firing correctly
moved the wires over one spot each; wouldn't fire at all (could tell from the sound timing was off; popping etc)
put the wires back to where they shoud be, starting with the "1" marked on the distributor cap, went with firing order:
didn't want to fire at all, even with starting fluid
pulled the cap; rotor IS spinning (worried timing chain broke or something that's likely to happen to me)
put a spark plug in the coil wire near the coil to see if it sparked between the tower and the plug; YES! spark
pulled plugs 2&4, and they are fouled like crazy already!
Am I missing something obvious here? plugs too fouled already? Possible it's flooded? The Seafoam usually makes it hard to start the next day, and this was only like 3 hours. I'm kind of thinking/hoping it may just fire right over in the morning, after 'soaking' all night, but I really need this thing up and running ASAP!
Any thoughts? It's just late, and I've been out doing Sh!t to it ALL day long, and just know I'm missing something obvious!
that was last night.... After ALL that: WRONG PLUGS!! Put the old plugs back in it to see if it would run (since it ran ok with those) and still nothing!
Hell, I even pulled the fuel pump relay, and cranked it a few times like that. Then with fuel pump relay still pulled, I sprayed some starting fluid into the TB, and NOTHING! Like I said, I know I'm getting spark from the coil...I guess next step is make sure each plug is getting fire? Maybe a bad cap and/or rotor? ok, NO spark to the cylinders!
Spark from the coil NO PROBLEM!
but no spark to the cylinders.
Tried the old rotor/new cap; NOTHING
old rotor/old cap; NOTHING
I have verified and reverified firing order and can just about do it blindfolded.
WTF???!?!
could something have come undone? These things use a Hall Effect pick-up something right?
I NEED THIS RUNNING TODAY!!!!


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Apr 22, 2007, 4:27 PM

Post #2 of 5 (1674 views)
Re: 1999 Durango won't restart!! Sign In

Ok - I'm trying with just some thoughts as I'm not sure right now. Use minimal cranking for tests now.

No spark to plugs seems to be the problem. Check both ends of the coil wire. If rotor is turning it should distribute the spark - even if in the wrong order.

Perhaps your testing failed. Could you possibly have the wires on in order but reversed for direction of dist rotation?

The seafoam doesn't seem to be the issue right now in the absence of spark at the right places.

Hope the others catch this with some ideas too so you don't need to get a hair transplant job.

I watch periodically day and night.

One more is if spark does get to the plugs and nothing the thing could be so flooded that even new ones don't behave right away. Leave plugs out and let whole combustion chamber dry out too. Use compressed air to speed it up if you think that's it.

Good luck,

T



echart
New User

Apr 22, 2007, 5:58 PM

Post #3 of 5 (1672 views)
Re: 1999 Durango won't restart!! Sign In

Thanks Tom. You get around. I am on the AC Source board too.

Decided to hook up a timing light to coil wire. Coil wire sparked when spark plug was in one end, but not firing when hooked to the cap. $35. Trip to Autozone. One ignition coil later.... FIXED. I thought that was what is was, but didn't know why it picked now. Found some hailine cracks in the old coil.


echart
New User

Apr 22, 2007, 8:01 PM

Post #4 of 5 (1669 views)
Re: 1999 Durango won't restart!! Sign In

ugh! Now I haver a stutter/miss that has tripped the SES as well!


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Apr 23, 2007, 4:15 AM

Post #5 of 5 (1668 views)
Re: 1999 Durango won't restart!! Sign In

Whew! At least your running and found it. The SES might be from the SeaFoam now or the trauma of it not starting for a while, so give it a short chance to clear itself then if still there or the skip persists get right after it as you know the converters won't like it at all.

I'll bet the coil was bad right along and just touching anything to do with it put it over the edge along with the wrong plugs for a while. Try to use exactly what is called for OE on vehicles in the last 10+ years especially.

_________________________________________

Yes I am at ACSource big time and love the folks there. It gets hit hard in Summer but has lots of folks from Southern hemisphere too that hit when it's Summer there. Got to go there right now as there are way too many posts for overnight which means some jerk is posting porn or something. See you around,

T







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