# Truck won't start, Shakes and smokes **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ram1500, dodge\ **Created:** [September 30, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900 "2016-09-30T02:31:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bramble1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Bramble1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bramble1)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/21 "2016-09-30T23:40:11Z")
It was a very rainy day! I figured it had something to do with all the rain. Thanks for the suggestion ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2016, 1:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/22 "2016-10-01T13:51:12Z")
yeah… I tend to agree that it is either a timing chain prob or a moisture prob. I don t know much about dodge s , I m a ford guy, but moisture is a problem in old ford trucks and hopefully moisture is the cause. there is usually some shielding behind the front grill to block water from electrical stuff and there may be some channeling under the hood to divert water from certain areas as it runs under the hood edges and back. I have had to fabricate new shielding from rubber to replace deteriorated material. I have also had to re place channel at the back hood edge to kepp water out of my carb…, but your truck may not have a carb, it is prob fuel injected. replacing a timing chain is a fairly major job for a backyard mechanic. I ve done it once and I wouldn t like to do it again…, and I had help from a friend who had done it before. good luck, and maybe it will be fine when it dries out! ps- if it was an old ford I would also have the ignition module checked, but I don t think that dodges have them, but I could be wrong… ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/23 "2016-10-02T23:09:19Z")
> [@Bramble1](#): > > The truck started just fine the day before, No problem. But when i went to start it today it continuously cranked and when releasing the key It shook as if it tried to start I got to thinking something very similar to this happened to my dad’s truck. It turned out after many hours of tryin to figure out what was wrong, the cause was that some neighborhood teenage kids pulled a prank on him and switched the spark plug wires around. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/24 "2016-10-02T23:25:38Z")
On one of my Rivieras, the timing chain went while sitting at a red light. No warning, noise, rough running or anything. Just sitting there idling and stalled. So it does happen. Not saying that’s it but still shop time. ---
**Author:** ![Bramble1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Bramble1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bramble1)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/25 "2016-10-03T02:01:39Z")
Wow, That must have sucked… It turns out that just the next day the truck started up just fine, And ran fine too. I have a post on reddit as well and a few people think it might be a moisture problem, as it was raining heavy the day it wouldnt start. Not sure what’s being affected by the moisture though. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 2:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/26 "2016-10-03T02:12:36Z")
I guess then I’d be looking at the coil or a fuel pump issue. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/27 "2016-10-03T02:37:00Z")
Sounds like your cowl to hood seal has fallen off and water is dripping on the distributor cap. ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/e/e7b2221b8f4327bf16ed8d6d63dc37f96049d301.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Bramble1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Bramble1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bramble1)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/28 "2016-10-03T03:57:31Z")
I’ll take a look at that. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Bramble1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Bramble1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bramble1)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/29 "2016-10-03T15:33:55Z")
Took a look at it and the seal is on there and looks fine ---
**Author:** ![Sloepoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sloepoke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Sloepoke)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/30 "2016-10-03T17:11:08Z")
I’ve had problems in the past with moisture on vehicles that had distributor caps . A new cap & rotor solved the problems . ---
**Author:** ![Bramble1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Bramble1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bramble1)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/31 "2016-10-03T17:24:26Z")
Thank you for the suggestion! ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/32 "2016-10-04T02:36:37Z")
Any moisture at all that gets to a high voltage lead will short it out. High voltage doesn’t follow the same rules as the lower voltage wires that run here and there in cars. Those low voltage wires aren’t much affected by moisture, even if the insulation is a little cracked. But high voltage has an urgent desire to short out to the nearest ground, and moisture provides that path. Even a tiny hairline crack almost invisible to see in a piece of plastic or insulation that allows moisture to a high voltage point will cause misfires. Years ago I had a VW Rabbit that would stall out every time I ran over a significant size puddle. I’d spray water from the hose all over the engine compartment to figure out where the problem was. But no matter how much water I sprayed, or from what angle, the engine would run fine. Then the next day I’d run over a puddle of water and the engine would stall. Finally I bit the bullet and removed all the high voltage components from the engine compartment & and put them on the work bench for a look-see. Sure enough, the bottom of the coil housing had a tiny crack about 1/2 inch long. Visible only with a magnifying glass. Replaced the coil, and no problem after that. ---
**Author:** ![Bramble1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Bramble1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bramble1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900/33 "2016-10-04T14:20:59Z")
Wow, Sounds like it could be quite the pain. Looks like I’ve got some work ahead of me… Thank you for all your help George! [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/truck-wont-start-shakes-and-smokes/95900.md?page=1)