I have a 1999 dodge durango,i replaced new spark plugs and new wires but the car won't start?
Do you have crank no start? (see entire write up)
b)No crank no start?, ( battery, battery cables, neutral safety switch ignition switch,,starter relay)
c)No dash lights, no crank? (battery, battery cables, ignition switch)
If you have symptom A then the affected items are , ignition switch, battery, battery cables, starter, starter relay ,coil, coil pack, ignition module ,Distributor cap ,rotor, (if applicable) spark plugs and wires.
The best thing to do is to first make sure your timing belt didn't break. As long as the engine cranks you can do this. Give the battery a 3 min charge . Then have a helper crank the vehicle while you observe the rotation of all the pulley's and belts. They must rotate together. If the vehicle has a distributor remove the cap ground the coil wire and watch the rotor as the engine is cranked. it should spin. If this is a-ok your worse nightmare is over.
Now we have eliminated the timing belt as being a cause. We now have to charge the battery again for three min and load test it( this is best done by a repair shop a load tester is expensive .If the battery is more than 5yrs old you may want to replace it.
If battery does not pass load test replace it.
Whatever you decide the rest of the items can NOT be checked out without a fully charged battery.
Check ignition switch and starter relay for B+ going to them and leaving them. Check starter circuit.Do not forget neutral safety switch its on your brake pedal and once depressed it closes the circuit to the relay so B+ can travel to it . Make sure B+ is making it to starter ( use a digital voltmeter). If B+ (12 volts) is making it to the starter and it doesn't crank then the starter is defective. Do a starter current draw test to verify this or remove the starter and have it bench tested.
If starter cranks now your into coil testing .
Pull a spark plug hook it up to a spark tester and ground it, now crank the engine if you get spark coil is ok and in all likelihood so is module.
If you don't get spark test for spark at the coil wire.
If you get spark here and don't get it at the spark plug wire problem is at distributor cap , rotor or spark plug wire. IN YOUR CASE YOU HAVE NEW PLUGS AND WIRES SO IT WILL BE EASIER TO CHECK FOR SPARK.If all of the above are a-ok.
Next is fuel checks.
Easiest fuel check is to put key into ignition cylinder and turn to on position. Lister for pump to buzz or hum. if it doesn't then check fuel pump relay for B+ going to it and leaving it and going to the pump. If B+ making it to pump and it doesn't turn on the pump is your problem. If B+ not making it to pump either the relay or the ignition switch is defective.
Naturally if the pump is defective have a repair shop do the repair .THERE ARE FUEL PRESSURE AND VOLUME TESTS DONE TO VERIFY IF PUMP IS DEFECTIVE OR NOT. IF WITH THE TESTING PROCEDURES I'VE GIVEN YOUYOU CAN NOT DETERMINE WHETHER THE PUMP IS DEFECTIVE HAVE A REPAIR SHOP DO FURTHER TESTING ON THE PUMP. THESE TESTS ARE A LITTLE DANGEROUS and a real pain.
Good Luck
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