Relay Issue on 97 Ram may cause Divorce! lol


OK,here we go…My husband’s tuck (97 Dodge Ram) has been having a fuel issue…We have already been through the banging on the gas tank…lol which seemed to work for about a “SECOND”…It was only getting fuel when ya hit the blasted tank…I asked him if that was his “Canadian Security System” …I have suggested many times to get new fuel pump…but naturally that would mean spending money!!! ( OUCH!) Then when that nifty little trick died a quick death, he started messing with the relays…OK…well that seemed to be yet another “Rabbit” he pulled out of his “Bag of Tricks” and that seemed to work for another second and went down the toilet with the “BIG BANG” theory…

Ok…Well he FINALLY got the NEW fuel pump and it works fine…here is the clincher…but only when you jam a thin piece of paper in with the relay to keep the circuit open!!! This my be yet another Canadian type of auto repair…Jeeze!

He has tested the ASD an it’s working and the relay works but only when it has his “Little Paper” jammed in with the reay…My thought was that maybe there is an issue with the “Box” that the relay’s are plugged into…that somehow from all that moving them around screwed the connection up and now it won’t allow for the circuit to open…He tells me I am nuts!!! He is really actually pretty good at mechanics, he has built more than his share of Motor Cycles and can fix just but anything…I will give him credit…But we have to travel from Las Vegas back to our house in the Great Smokey Mountains of TN… and if we get stuck in this " God Forsaken" desert cuz of his “Paper Jamming Trick” to keep the circuit open…I am gonna kill him!!! lol Now he has another idea straight from his Canadian brain…to by pass the relay and go with a toggle switch to turn the fuel pump on and off!!!

Well guys…here’ the deal…we re either going to “DIE” in the desert. Or I will have to find the " Elvis Chapel of Divorce" here in Las Vegas!!!

Can you guys shed some light into this issue …else I fear our bones will both be found on 40 West with other assorted “ROAD KILL”

Debbie*

p.s no wonder his last name is “Hazzard” No kdding!!



Did I mention how much I LOVE your show? I do! If ya do this for me I promise I will bake and send ya a batch of my best Pinolli Cookies!!!

WOW! Sorry for that error…We will be found on 40 EAST!!! What was I thinking!!!
Guess I am just tryin to find my way to WATER!!!lol CA will do!

WHAT relay? The ASD is ASD Relay. There is no fuel pump relay.
How is the piece of paper put? Is it put in to cause the mystery relay to cant (lean like Pisa)? If so, the female terminal(s) may be opened too widely, or burned. With either condition, the male terminals of the mystery relay wouldn’t make intimate contact until they were leaned.
By the by, any particular engine in your truck? Sub-model type (eg. 1500K, etc.)?

I will have Jimbo reply directly to ya when he gets in from his all day affiar with his truck…As it seems to me, or was explained, the ASD assists another relay called the " Fuel System Relay" That relay is where he puts his little piece of paper and don’t ya know the dang thing starts up…the 20 amp fuse for fuel pump is good too! He checked everything out with the proper testers…
All the relays seem to be working, but for some reason the Fuel System Rely" won’t work unless it’s got the paper wedged in it…I say the female terminal is no longer the tight fit is use to be…lol and thus the male terminal is SLIPPING and not making proper contact…I said the same thing you did…ha ha… So how does one get that replaced or fixed? Can one purchase a new “TIGHT” Relay box? That was another thing I suggested…I don’t think it’s burned out, or else why would it work with the paper? I say loose Box! He says he tested everything and it all good! So my question is WHY AIN"T IT WORKING???
By the By…it’s a 97 Ram 1500 Sport with a 5.9
Will have him talk t0 ya…I am ready to fly back home! lol

The terminals should be closely examined. If they are spread, a pick, or small screwdriver, can be used to push the sides closer together. If they are burned, a small file could dress them well enough to work. Why they burned is another story, if they did.
My reference wiring diagram doesn’t show a Fuel System Relay. It shows the Fuel Pump Module as being powered, directly, by the engine computer. It may be wrong. Here it is: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/repairinfo/repairguide/repairGuideContent.jsp?chapterTitle=Wiring+Diagrams&partName=Chassis+Electrical&pageId=0900c152800c0aae&partId=0900c152800c09ae Register at the site, if needed. Give it 3 to 4 minuets to load the wiring diagrams. Scroll to Diagram 14.

hi this is jimbo,i took the cover off the fuel pump relay inside is a coil winding and points the relay is in the open position i have just closed the contact that should close to complete the circut,but what ever closes that does not work,i am trying to find out what does that,none of the contacts are lose at all as soon as i close it i get power to the fuel pump,there must be some kind of sensor or pressure switch some where,thank for your input,some one said that the cam and crank sensor might be the ones to open the relay i dont know have not found them yet

Actually, what should be done first is scan the truck for any codes that may exist. There are a number of codes related to the fuel pump circuitry and knowing those codes, if they exist, can give you a start to solving the problem.

It’a also likely that you would need a good diagnostic manual or chart to follow. This may require a factory manual or even a subscription to ALLDATA, which should provide some flow charts for this problem. ALLDATA is inexpensive compared to factory manuals.

Just a heads up about the toggle switch idea. This can work and work well but I would not advise running a hot wire directly from battery voltage to the pump.
At the very least, a relay should be used and the relay should be triggered by a power source that is hot when the key is in the RUN position.

There is also a reason why all vehicles are wired up so the pump will be inoperative if the engine is not running. Federal law requires it and it’s designed this way so in the event of an accident a pump will not continue to run and create a huge gas puddle or cloud that can go up in flames or continue to pump high pressure gasoline onto an accident caused fire.