Help me save my truck!!!

[jenni4]

Sob story= My truck broke down in a parking lot
(1994 Dodge Dakota sport p.o.s. manual trans)

I started it up and it ran for a few seconds and puttered out. I tried starting it again but no success. Sounds like it wants to though. Listened to the tank and the fuel pump does work. Check batteries, fine... visual inspection looked fine although I'm no mechanic. So then before leaving... I ran the trouble codes... I got code 11 which tells me that I have a bad hall effect in the distributor or loss of camshaft sensor.

I looked up these problems and it sounds just like what my truck is doing. Soooo... I was wondering if these are expensive type repairs and if anyone can give me a reference to a good mechanic who won't try to rip me off in the great mills area. Oh and it will prolly have to be towed since its still stuck in the parking lot.

I saw a shop by the liquor store in Great Mills called Willys on 5 and great mills road. is he any good?

 

[LusbyMom]

Sob story= My truck broke down in a parking lot
(1994 Dodge Dakota sport p.o.s. manual trans)

I started it up and it ran for a few seconds and puttered out. I tried starting it again but no success. Sounds like it wants to though. Listened to the tank and the fuel pump does work. Check batteries, fine... visual inspection looked fine although I'm no mechanic. So then before leaving... I ran the trouble codes... I got code 11 which tells me that I have a bad hall effect in the distributor or loss of camshaft sensor.

I looked up these problems and it sounds just like what my truck is doing. Soooo... I was wondering if these are expensive type repairs and if anyone can give me a reference to a good mechanic who won't try to rip me off in the great mills area. Oh and it will prolly have to be towed since its still stuck in the parking lot.

I saw a shop by the liquor store in Great Mills called Willys on 5 and great mills road. is he any good?

Sent you a PM

 

[Ponytail]

camshaft sensor is at the bottom of the distributor. I'm not dure if you have to remove the distributor or not in your truck. you should be able to get to it without removing it though.

The sensor itself should run approx $80. Easy fix, if that truly is the issues. Dodge has HORRIBLE on board diagnostic systems and very frequently will lead you astray.

The camshaft sensor does go bad. The crank position sensor will also give you the EXACT same symptoms and is known to go out MUCH more often than the Camshaft sensor.

The crank position sensor should be located near the top of the bell housing on the driver side. It reads notches in the flywheel using a magnet and sends timing signals to the ECU, much the same way that the camshaft sensor reads notches in the distributor shaft. Both send timing signals to the ECU.

if the computer does not get a signal from either of these, within a few seconds of starter crank, it shuts of spark and fuel.

As much as I hate Chrysler products, this is one of the easiest systems to trouble shoot, and repair.

If you have changed your own oil before, you can change either of these sensors without a problem. Even if you have never done it before, you should easily be able to swap out both of them inside of 45 minutes.

Both sensors use two wires in a single plug to connect the sensors to the rest of the system.

Good luck.

 

[bobbyb]

[ Listened to the tank and the fuel pump does work.. ]
Same thing used to happen to my Dodge Caravane. the fuel intake to the fuel pump and fuel pump may be dirty. Bang on the gas tank around the fuel pump area and see if it will start. I had to have mine towed and repaired at a dealer cost me big bucks 6 years ago.