5.2 Magnum help!! Please

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Badart

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A friend of mines son is having issues with his 97 Dakota with the 5.2 magnum. He will loose spark while driving down the road at random times. After a while it will start right up. Checked for power at the coil when it dies and there is no power. Any ideas?
 
Bad computer would be my guess. Friend of mine has a little chevie S10,did the exact same thing. He chased his tail for a while,repaired this and that replaced a whack of sensors.Finally did the computer,and it did it worse than before. he got a bad computer right out of the box from G.M,but after putting in a known good used one the problem went away
 
This is the second computer that has been installed. It was installed a couple of months ago before he bought the truck.
 
Check for codes. If it shuts down it should store fault code(s).

Not sure if that truck has the digital dash or not so here's both ways to check for codes.

If it has a standard dash turn the key on then off then on then off then on (without starting the engine) within 5 seconds and then closely watch the check engine light. It will flash. If it flashes 3 times then hesitates a couple seconds and flashes 2 more times it's a fault code 32. If it flashes 4 times and hesitates a couple seconds then flashes 1 more time it's a fault code 41. ETC... It may have more than one stored fault code. May even have several so have a pen and paper ready to write them down. Also note that at the end of the codes it'll flash 55. That's not a fault code. Just means it's done displaying all fault codes. If there are no fault codes it'll flash 55 right off..

If it has a digital dash turn the key on and off like I described above and on the 3rd time on it'll display the fault code where the mileage is usually displayed. It'll start with a P I believe. May be something like P0455, P0456 etc...

When you find out what codes are stored call your local Autozone (other auto parts stores may know also but only Autozone knows them around me) and tell them what year Dakota you have and the fault codes and they have a list of what those codes mean. That'll give you ides to check.
 
Mine did that and went to the dealer and all they did was install a new coil no more problems mine was a 1995
 
My old 92 3.9 Dakota had a worn out oil pump /dist. bushing. It did about the same thing as your's.
 
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