[dannac]

2002 Dodge Ram v6 stalled at red light.

Tried staring 2x... it would turn but not start.

I was lucky, early morning, hardly no traffic.
Pushed it to the side.

Opened hood... not sure why, as I did not know what to look for.
I fiddled with the battery connection, to make believe I knew what I was doing.

Foolish... cause it could not have been the battery, cause the motor was turning.

Anyway, it may have been 3 to 5 minutes since I had tried to start it.

Tried to start again and it started as normal.
Brought me home and I'm hoping someone here can give me some ideas on the problem.

I change the oil regularly... but other than new tires and grease job, no work done to motor.

Approx 82000 miles.

[smoothy]

I would drive by a parts store or favored mechanic (or a friend that has a scan tool) and have them scan the computer for any codes that might point towards an issue. Far too many things can cause this to guess..but ODB2 systems are smart enough to detect issues and at least point to a specific area.

[dannac]

Thanks for the reply smoothy, may have to bring it in, but...

Did some searching and many say it's a throttle sensor problem.
Does not seem very hard to replace.

Trouble I'm having now is removing the harness from the sensor.
I've given it a pretty good tug with both the red clip in and out, but does not come apart.

I'll upload a picture.

Anyone familiar with removing this type of harness ?

[dannac]

Got it... pull out red clip and push down on tab.

Off to find throttle position sensor.

[CaptainRich]

Does the Check Engine Light stay on steady after the engine restarted? If not, you're just spraying parts. It's always better to attempt diagnosis before replacing parts because you don't know if the new parts actually work and you don't know if the original parts are actually bad.
The fuel pump may be starting to fail and that would explain why it would restart after sitting. Next time the engine doesn't restart, check for fuel pressure.

[dannac]

Does the Check Engine Light stay on steady after the engine restarted? If not, you're just spraying parts. It's always better to attempt diagnosis before replacing parts because you don't know if the new parts actually work and you don't know if the original parts are actually bad.
The fuel pump may be starting to fail and that would explain why it would restart after sitting. Next time the engine doesn't restart, check for fuel pressure.

The "check engine" light was not on before or after I changed the TPS.

I decided to change the TPS based on many reviews of Dodge pick-ups with
the same problem.

I will keep your fuel pump theory in mind... Thanks.

[smoothy]

Check engine light doesn't have to be on to have codes stored.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Check for codes. In Dodge trucks, I've seen bad MAP sensors cause that problem. I've also seen that problem when the owner did not install Champion spark plugs in the engine. The substitute plugs start to break down. Only install the exact same Champion plugs that originally came in the engine.

[dannac]

UPDATE :
Changed TPS last Tuesday. Truck ran fine Tue & Wed.
Thu afternoon would not start (turn fine but not start)


Used another vehicle and came back about 2 hours later and it started as normal.
Fri morning brought to mechanic, kept it most of the day and could not find anything, no codes given.


I used it Fri night (approx 50 miles)
Sat (aprrox 20 miles)
Sun (approx 20 miles) all days starting as normal no problems.


Today, Mon morning... starts as normal.
Go to lumber yard (approx 4 miles) all OK.
Leaving lumber yard it started as normal... backed about 5' to 10', completely killed.


It does not run bad or sputter before stopping, it instantly kills as if ignition was off.


Within the next 5 minutes, tried to start 3 times, turns fine but no start.
Let sit for another 5 minutes, and it started as normal.


Dropped off at mechanic, he'll keep looking he say's.

[smoothy]

How much gas is in the tank? Hope its above 1/4 tank... you can burn up fuel pumps if you don't keep it above that level most of the time.

[CaptainRich]

It's no fun trying to diagnose an intermittent fault. The trick is to have the right diagnostic tools in place when the 'no-start' occurs. Only then will the mechanic be able to pin-point if the failure is spark or fuel or what. Since there are no poor running concerns before complete shut-down, you may have a failing PCM. That can have a circuit board that is simply going into an open circuit.
Good luck and let us know.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

After all that trouble, there should be pending codes, if the mechanic has an advanced scan tool, that could point him in the right direction. Consider taking it to the local Dodge dealer.

[dannac]

UPDATE : I did not get a chance to talk to mechanic to find out the code given.

They changed the "Auto Shutdown Relay".

Part $20... Diagnostic Test $75.

I've used it every day since the change, and as of 5:30 PM CST, all's well.

[CaptainRich]

The ASD relay will likely not set a fault code. Good find by the mechanic and not a bad price. Thanks for letting us know.