Vehicle: 1996 Dodge Ram 3500, 4x2, V8-360 5.9L, Magnum Manual Transmission/Transaxle
Mileage: 239,925 miles
Problem: The owner had his Dodge Ram towed to the shop because when he came out to start it that morning, the engine would crank over but not start. There was no malfunction indicator light (MIL) on. The truck had been starting normally up to that point.
Case Details: When the technician turned the key to the ON position, he noticed that the MIL did not light up. Next, he connected a data link connector (DLC) breakout box with an on-board diagnostic (OBD) protocol detector and control area network (CAN) tester.
As soon as he plugged it in and turned the key back ON, he immediately noticed that there was a problem with pin #13 on the DLC. A quick DLC pin identification look-up in ALLDATA revealed that pin #13 was for rear wheel anti-lock (RWAL) brake module testing.
He unplugged the RWAL module and turned the ignition to the ON position. The MIL lit up and the engine started and ran normally.
Confirmed Repair: The RWAL module must have shorted internally causing the PCM to not work or communicate. The customer decided to replace the RWAL himself and asked the technician to leave it disconnected. Fixed!
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