!988 Aries won't keep running

[billygoat]

1988 Aries 2.5 starts for about 2 seconds then dies, will keep running if I keep pumping pedal fast , but runs very bad, will also run if I squirt gas down the throttle body.
Car was running fine the next day would not start.
changed spark plugs
changed spark plug wires
changed cap and rotor
checked timing
checked timing belt and cam mark location
changed injector (tested on bench had a good spray with 10psi pressure)
installed gauge in fuel line(15ps1)
changed fuel regulator
checked coil, when cranking has good spark to engine ground, but with a spark plug grounded spark looks some what weak.
changed halofect module (used one)
took off SMEC and cleaned all connections (all connections looked good)

put a volt meter on injector wires, (with injector disconnected) with key on (or starting) was about 12 volts, but when I hooked it up, voltage went way down. It also did this on the coil input voltage.

I'm not giving up!! Need your help, Please!!


Billy Goat.

[Pete in NH]

Hi,

Welcome to the club! You certainly have been through the list of things you have done to find the problem. when you say the engine will run when you pour some gas down the throttle body , that leads me to think you have a fuel delivery issue. You said you measured about 15 pounds of fuel delivery pressure, I believe you shound have about 30 pounds out of the fuel pump so that may be the problem. If you are measuring the pressure at the throttle body input you may have a really clogged fuel filter or the fuel pump is failing. Also, you seem to indicate the electrical system voltage may be low. I would put a good volt meter across the battery and see how low the voltage is going when you crank the engine. The battery may be really low from trying to start the car and need to be charged or the battery itself is not up to the job. You could also have a bad connection at the battery terminals so cleaning then up may help.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

[K-CAR_WAGON]

I assume you already checked for fault codes and did not find any? This link below says that 15psi pressure is normal for 86 and up TBI N/A.
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/fuelsystem.html

Here is a link to some additional troubleshooting fuel related info.
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/idleproblems.html

Also fuel quality ok? Gasoline/ethanol - not stale? No water in fuel? Not an almost empty tank?

[Pete in NH]

Hi Ron,

You're absolutely right it's 15 pounds for fuel pressure on the 86 and up cars. I must have been thinking of the 85 and under cars and their 36 pounds. I'm going have to learn not to trust my old and failing memory and look things up!

[MyDodgeDip]

Hi Ron,

You're absolutely right it's 15 pounds for fuel pressure on the 86 and up cars. I must have been thinking of the 85 and under cars and their 36 pounds. I'm going have to learn not to trust my old and failing memory and look things up!

Thats OK, my young failing memory couldn't remember either haha. I knew one was high and one was low but couldn't remember which was which.

[K-CAR_WAGON]

Later, they switched back to a higher pressure design. My 93 manual manual shows 39 psi for the 2.2/2.5 TBI. So there is only a couple year window (86-90) with the low pressure design.

[Dodge Aries K]

THey switched back to high pressure in 91 so they could use the same fuel pump for V6, TBI, and Turbo instead of different ones.

[K-CAR_WAGON]

Are most of the 89-90 TBI parts interchangeable with my 88? What about differences between 2.2 vs 2.5 (just injector?) More 89-90's seem to be in yards than 88s.

[Dodge Aries K]

I think almost all of them are to be honest.

[MyDodgeDip]

Yep, pretty sure 86 and up injection stuff is pretty much all the same.