Im new to the Dodge community, and have had no experience with these trucks until the last month or so. I bought a 99 318 Durango with a very mild miss and its gotten worse and worse. We started with a new cap, rotor, wires, plugs and then crank and cam positions sensors shortly after. We noticed that the plugs were actually one off where number 1 was marked so we put them back as they were.

The miss got worse, its now throwing mult cyl miss, and miss on 1,3,6,8.. We were about to do the tsb on wire routing, but went back to verify timing. The strange thing is the rotor isn't pointing at the number one plug @ tdc, and you cant adjust it enough to make it point there.. So I guess my timing chain is off by a tooth or two?

Any help with the symptoms Ive mentioned will be much appreciated. Thanks everyone

Nick

 

I also get sporadic cam/crank position sensor signal intermittent. Set again today.. Thanks

 

Index the distributor:

First you have to ensure that the motor is on #1 before TDC. What you need to do is place the motor on 6 degrees before TDC on the crank shaft to marker. Then remove #1 spark plug (drivers side front) and place a long screw driver down the plug hole and ensure the piston is at the top and not bottom of the cylinder. This will ensure you are on compression stroke and not exhaust.

Now look at the distributor cap and find #1 on the outside of the cap. It is directly next to the plug that the spark plug wires plug into. Ensure the #1 location on the distributor cap meets the #1 plug wire slot. Now take and pop off the the distributor cap. By looking at the distributor cap ensure that the rotor is pointing directly square in line of the #1 marked wire slot. If it isn't then move on.

Now the where the distributor meets the block on the passenger side of the motor is a single bolt that is kinda hard to get to. Next to this bolt is the oil pressure sending unit. Anyway, this bolt is connected to a piece of metal that holds down the distributor that looks like a "Y". Loosen this bolt slightly and you will be able to rotate the outside of the distributor cap. The inside will remain in a fixed location. Do NOT remove the distributor! Next rotate the outside of the distributor until the rotor in direct line of the #1 place on the distributor.

Now ensure that the rest of the plug wires are in firing order. #1 starts at the drivers front of the engine and moves directly back to the rear of the motor. It goes #1, #3, #5, and #7. Now the passenger side of the motor front starts with the evens. Front of the motor is #2, moving to the rear of the motor is #4, #6, then finally #8. Ensure that the wires starting from #1 go to the correct cylinder by moving clockwise on the distributor cap. The firing order is, 1,8,4,3,6,5,7,2. Make sure as you go around the distributor the wires go to the correct cylinder in order clockwise.

Now that you have the correct wires in place in the correct firing order (and that you have triple checked) and the engine is at 6 degrees before TDC you have now correctly indexed the distributor. Now you need to reset the PCM: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...ine-light.html
Now the only fully index the distributor is by using a DBR-II, however this will get your right as close as you will really ever need to.