This is the thing that has me stumped. When I open the hood when it won't start, the whole distributor area is totally dry, yet the inside of the cap looks like someone sprayed it with water.
I got as far as the 2000 Ram part and knew that I could be of no help.
See this is what I am looking for. Just a few other things that I have done to correct this. 1. Seven different cap and rotors from everyone, even Mopar. 2. Three different coils, so I doubt it is a weak spark, ( the truck even ran shittier with an Accel coil on it). The truck does have high miles on it, (217,000) so I will look into the distributor / cam sensor next.it's humidity build up... My Poly does the same thing after a few good days of running.
I keep a can of brake cleaner in the trunk of the car for drying it up.
Having said that, your cap should have a breather vent on it right?
You just have to figure out where it is coming from...
If you are a gambling man I would suggest you drill a couple of small holes in the top of the cap as a test so the air can rise out of the cap if there is no vent
Another far fetched possibility is that the distributor shaft is worn enough to allow moisture from the heated engine to somehow squeeze it way into the distributor past the seals & bushings and it can't escape ending up condensing inside the cap...
I know it sounds crazy but it may happen...
I don't think I can teach you anything about a distributor you don't already know. Mr. fix it is right about the cowl seal causing problems, which is common to many brands. You should have a vent and cap like this Borg Warner one:
I don't think I can teach you anything about a distributor you don't already know. Mr. fix it is right about the cowl seal causing problems, which is common to many brands. You should have a vent and cap like this Borg Warner one:
Make sure the vent is clear when installing a new one, I have seen some with plastic flashing improperly trimmed. Unless your in a super dusty environment, it should never clog and the rotor acts like a fan to expel moisture from condensation, which should not be excessive.
Due to the cowl area water intrusion issues, I would advise against drilling holes. You may get some improvement if you put a ford silicone cover on it. Here is one for $26:
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I believe the vent and cover will help make up for any water from the cowl... A/C drains, cowl seals or any other source of excessive moisture will cause havoc in any electrical parts.
I didn't realize you had other issues possible... here is an interesting one... but I doubt you have wires crossfiring without you seeing the witness marks.
Couldn't tell you from memory and I have no TSB information... did do a quick google search... but my skills are weak. Unfortunately I didn't work on P/Us much so my depth is limited. My memory is even worse...
I left just after the start of 98... so that would have completely missed me if the dates are correct.
See these are some of the things I am looking for. The frustrating part of all this is when it dries out, the truck runs fantastic, I have had the thing scanned many times with no codes. With the miles that are on it I was planning on a timing chain this summer. After all nothing lasts forever.
Sounds like you're on the right path with ignition, but any electronics that are getting wet could be related. Do you ever get a MIL?
When it does not start no. One time while driving it I did get a flashing light, but it did not set a code.
Flashing light would indicate misfire detection... again, it sounds like you're on the right path with ignition. When it wont start, a cheap noid light and/or spark tester could verify if you are getting a crank signal.
