HELP! 98 DAKOTA INTERMETTENT SHUT DOWN

polara10x500

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MY BROTHERS 98 DAKOTA V6 AUTO STARTED OCCASIONALLY SHUTING DOWN ON HIM JUST LIKE YOU TURN THE KEY OFF AN SOMETIMES IT WOULD STUMMBLE AN DIE OR STUMMBLE AN RUN NORMAL AGAIN. ANY WAY VERY INTEMETTENT PROBLEM SO I START TO INVESTIGATE AN ELEMINATE FROM IGN. SWITCH OVER TO FUSE AND RELAY BOX IN ENG. BAY. THEN WHILE TRUCK WAS RUNNING I TRY TO MAKE IT DIE BY CHECKING VARIOUS AREAS OF WIREING IN THE ENG. BAY. FINALLY OVER ON PASS. SIDE I WIGGLE THE CONNECTORS TO THE COMPUTER AN SURE ENOUGH TRUCK STUMMBLES AN DIES. STARTS RIGHT BACK UP BUT I CAN STILL KILL THE ENG. BY WIGGLING THIS CONNECTOR. OK FOUND PROBLEM. WELL NEXT IS DISCONNECT BATT. AND HAVE A LOOK AT THAT CONNECTOR. I UNLOCK THE CLIP AND COVER TAKE OFF THE TAPE LOOK AT THE WIRES THEN THE CONNECTOR AND THE PINS IN THE COMPUTER SOCKET, NO CORROSION LITTLE DUST AN DIRT BUT NOTHING BAD. IT DOES SEEM LOOSE WHEN I PLUG IT BACK IN BUT HOW IN THE HELL TO FIX IT I HAVENT A CLUE. THOSE PINS ARE SMALL AND THE CONNECTOR SIDE WITH THE FEMALES..ARGG. I THINK WERE MAKING IT WORSE THE MORE WE MESS WITH IT CAUSE YESTERDAY HE COULDNT HARDLY START THE TRUCK AND WHEN IT DID IT RAN STUMMBLED AN DIES. NEED SOME IDEAS HOW TO FIX IM ALL OUT. GOING TO GET SOME ELETRICAL CONTACT SPRAY AN TRY THAT NEXT I GUESS. THANKS AN SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG POST.
 
At the OEM level, there are connector kits and wiring pigtails which are available for various issues and repairs. There are tools to remove individual terminals from the connector block to replace the particular terminal without replacing the entire connector block, too. Are there any "Check Engine" light illuminations and resultant computer codes in this situation? Just curious.

The other thing is that not every repair shop is capable of or has the items to repair wiring harness issues related to computers and such. So you might end up back at the dealership for this ultimate repair. The connectors should snap in and be snug with fully engaged, typically. Many with rubber weather pack protection in them.

Enjoy!
CBODY67
 
MY BROTHERS 98 DAKOTA V6 AUTO STARTED OCCASIONALLY SHUTING DOWN ON HIM JUST LIKE YOU TURN THE KEY OFF AN SOMETIMES IT WOULD STUMMBLE AN DIE OR STUMMBLE AN RUN NORMAL AGAIN. ANY WAY VERY INTEMETTENT PROBLEM SO I START TO INVESTIGATE AN ELEMINATE FROM IGN. SWITCH OVER TO FUSE AND RELAY BOX IN ENG. BAY. THEN WHILE TRUCK WAS RUNNING I TRY TO MAKE IT DIE BY CHECKING VARIOUS AREAS OF WIREING IN THE ENG. BAY. FINALLY OVER ON PASS. SIDE I WIGGLE THE CONNECTORS TO THE COMPUTER AN SURE ENOUGH TRUCK STUMMBLES AN DIES. STARTS RIGHT BACK UP BUT I CAN STILL KILL THE ENG. BY WIGGLING THIS CONNECTOR. OK FOUND PROBLEM. WELL NEXT IS DISCONNECT BATT. AND HAVE A LOOK AT THAT CONNECTOR. I UNLOCK THE CLIP AND COVER TAKE OFF THE TAPE LOOK AT THE WIRES THEN THE CONNECTOR AND THE PINS IN THE COMPUTER SOCKET, NO CORROSION LITTLE DUST AN DIRT BUT NOTHING BAD. IT DOES SEEM LOOSE WHEN I PLUG IT BACK IN BUT HOW IN THE HELL TO FIX IT I HAVENT A CLUE. THOSE PINS ARE SMALL AND THE CONNECTOR SIDE WITH THE FEMALES..ARGG. I THINK WERE MAKING IT WORSE THE MORE WE MESS WITH IT CAUSE YESTERDAY HE COULDNT HARDLY START THE TRUCK AND WHEN IT DID IT RAN STUMMBLED AN DIES. NEED SOME IDEAS HOW TO FIX IM ALL OUT. GOING TO GET SOME ELETRICAL CONTACT SPRAY AN TRY THAT NEXT I GUESS. THANKS AN SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG POST.
Needs a ECM. MY 96 did the same thing. I could get it to stutter and stall by wiggling the wires to the ECM. You can tap it with a screwdriver handle and may get a similar reaction. I got a rebuilt from Rock Auto and it hasn't skipped a beat since.
 
OK FELLAS, PROBLEM FIXED I THINK AND HOPE. LET ME FIRST SAY CHEESE AND F...ING RICE WHY IS A CAN OF ELECTRICAL CONNTACT SPRAY $16.99 IN A SMALL CAN, 10 OZ. MAYBE. PRICE GOUGING NO ACCOUNT SUCH AN SUCHES. ANY WAY I WAS PISSED AN DIDNT BUY ANY. THANKS CBODY AN TOOLMAN FOR YOUR REPLYS. I KIND OF JUST WINGED IT TODAY AN TOOK THE COMPUTER OFF JUST TO SEE HOW FAR I COULD GET IN TO IT, NOT FAR, TOTALLY SEALED WITH SILICON WHICH IS WHAT I EXPECTED BUT I DID CLEAN AN INSPECT ALL THE MALE PIN CONNECTS (32 ON EACH OF THE 3 PLUG INS ABOUT 20 OR SO INSIDE ON THE INLINE CONNECTOR. ALL PINS HARD AN STIFF NOTHING LOOSE OR BURNT LOOKED GOOD COULDNT DO ANYTHING ELSE, PUT COVERS BACK ON HOPING I DIDNT SCREW IT UP BY NOT DISCHARGING RESIDUAL POWER IN IT OR SOMETHING. OK WELL BROTHER HAD ALL THE AIR CLEANER BOX AN FILTER AN DUCTWORK OUT OF THE WAY TO CLEAN UP WHICH I RECOMMEND EVERBODY DO TO YOUR VECHICLES. IM BACK AT THE SUSPECT CONNECTOR THAT KILLS THE TRUCK UNTAPE LOOK AT THE WIRES AGAIN GET MY MAGNIFYING GLASS OUT AN HAVE A CLOSER LOOK AT THESE FEMALE CONNECTS IN THE CONNECTOR. SURE AS **** I SEE WHITE AN GREENISH POWDERY OXIDATION IN THERE. MIND YOU THESE ARE VERY SMALL MALE AN FEMALE CONNECTS. SO...HOW TO CLEAN, WISH I BOUGHT THAT DAMB SPRAY NOW. HERE WAS MY FIX, I PULLED A NICE STRAIGHT WIRE FROM MY BIG WIRE BRUSH DOUBLED IT OVER TOOK SOME NEEDLE NOSE PLYIERS AND SCUFFED AN ROUGH IT UP A BIT AND STARTED CLEANING THOSE FEMALE CONNECTS, DID ALL 3 PLUG INS JUST TO FEEL AND SEE HOW THAY FELT. BLOWED ALL OUT WITH SOME AIR PLUGED ALL CONNECTORS BACK IN PUT AIR CLEANER ALL BACK IN, PUT NEG. TERMINAL BACK ON BATT. CROSSED ALL FINGERS AN TOES ME AND MY BROTHER AND TURNED THE KEY....TRUCK STARTED FIRST TIME AN RUN FINE, WARMED UP AS SHOULD AND LEFT IT RUNNING FOR ABOUT 20 OR 30 MINS. WE WERE SCARED TO TOUCH THE SUSPECT CONNECTOR. SUBSEQUENT STARTING OF THE TRUCK WAS TURNKEY ABOUT 10 OR 15 TIMES.UP THE DRIVEWAY AN BACK A COUPLE TIMES SEMI HARD ACC. ALL GOOD NO STUMMBLE STALL OR SHUT DOWN. WHEEEW HOPE SHE STARTS TOMMORROW. SORRY FOR SHUCH A LONG WINDED POST BUT I HOPE MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS HELPS AT LEAST ONE PERSON, MY BROTHER NEEDS HIS TRUCK WHILE IM GONE FOR 28 DAYS ON THE RIVER WORKING. THANKS AGAIN CBODY AN TOOLMANMIKE. I WILL SAY THIS, APPROACH THE PROBLEM LOGICALLY USE COMMON SENSE TRY THE SIMPLE THINGS FIRST AND USE THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE AVAILABLE LIKE THIS FORUM. IM OUT.
 
Truck starts every time this morn, no stumble no dying. Horrible place to put a PCM in my opinion, all that hot an cold cycling over the years for such delicate electrical connections. On to the next problem, hub assembly's. Thanks again fellas.
 
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