1992 van 318 STALLS while driving!!!

[gdavis1955]

I have a 92 Dakota with a 318 cu in engine that was running for just a few seconds sometimes and then dying. I am going to post a special explanation of the whole problem but the quick thing to check is the LEFT HEADLAMP GROUND. You can find this on page 12-46 of the Haynes manual for the 92 Dakota. A WHOLE lot of things are grounded at this one screw located just to the right of the windshield washer fluid container in the left (DRIVER SIDE) fender shield. If this connection is loose, dirty, flakey, rusted or non existent the vehicle MAY do any number of the following things: engine stalls, engine idles rough and misses, tachometer needles jumps wildly, left headlamp is dim, windshield wipers come on WITH THE WIPER SWITCH OFF, when you turn on the headlights OR the 4-way flashers the windshield wipers come on WITH THE WIPER SWITCH OFF! Make SURE the sheet metal screw that tightens the star lug connector at this ground point is CLEAN and TIGHT! ANY bad ground connection in the vehicle can cause the computer to lose ground reference and it can behave as if the computer is malfunctioning. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the computer but it will lose its ability to control engine functions such as ignition timing. Also check the main ground connection where the negative battery cable is attached to the engine block. On the 92 Dakota this is on the driver's side on the engine between the water pump and the power steering pump. The same problem can occur if the wires are corroded or broken inside the insulation or at the connection lug. The bolt or screw can be tightened down fine but if the wire is not clean and unbroken you can get intermittent problems or an engine that wil not start at all. Replacing the battery cable wires and carefully inspecting the wires for broken strands or corrosion is a very cheap and simple fix. If a shop can find this intermittent problem at all they will probably have to charge you hundreds of dollars to do this repair because it can take HOURS to find it if you do not know exactly where to look.

Originally Posted by 92ramvan

Can anyone PLEASE, PLEASE help me with this problem???

My 1992 ram van 250 (318) stalls while i am driving or idleing. The weather doesnt make a difference it can be hot or cold, same thing happens.

The van runs good for a couple of days to a week without any problems, then all of a sudden it just dies! I wait anywhere from 1-30min and then it will start again.

I replaced the computer, T.P.S. Sensor, distributor cap, rotor and fuel pump and that did not fix the problem.

I have had this problem for over a year now and it is driving me CRAZY!!!!

[nibroc]

me new here. have a 92 van 318 and a couple yrs. ago it would not start. 3 or 4 days later it started after several attempts in between. didn't think much about it; been runnin great until 2 wks. ago. don't drive it much-keep it in the barn upon the hill. I do start it occasionally. towed it down to my heated garage w/tractor aiming to fix it. been reading several forums and the ram van service manual. I know how to read codes now! anyway yesterday was the first time available to work on it with my new found knowledge. guess what? 1st thing it started! I cleaned batt. cable connections and the 60 way connector and put dialectic grease on conn. still don't know why it didn't start but I believe I can get past 1st base next time it fails to start. hope it's here at the house and not somewhere in wyoming.

[Stevo2]

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1992/18-04-92.htm