The first thing we need to know is if the automatic shutdown (ASD) relay is turning on. It's shown in the first diagram along with the six injectors it feeds. The second diagram shows this circuit also feeds the ignition coil and the alternator field circuit. If you have a 4.0L engine, the fuel pump relay is on a separate circuit, but both relays are turned on and off at the same time by the Engine Computer. For reference, that's the third and fourth diagrams.
Look for the wire that's the same color at the ignition coil and any injector. In this case it's the dark green / orange wire. (Green arrows). You can use any of those wires for the test point. A test light works best for this test because most digital voltmeters don't respond fast enough. If it helps, this article shows how to use a test light:
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester
Back-probe through the rubber seal alongside the dark green / orange wire at any injector or the ignition coil. If it's easier, you can also use either of the two smaller terminals on the back of the alternator. Prop the test light where you can see it from inside the vehicle, or have a helper run the ignition switch for you. You should see the test light become full brightness for one second when the ignition switch is turned to "run", then it will go off. If you see that, it proves the ASD relay is working and the Engine Computer has control of it. If you can hear the hum of the fuel pump, you should hear that running for one second also.
This test rarely fails, but if it does, we have to stop right here and diagnose this circuit.
Next, what's important is the test light must turn on again during engine rotation, (cranking or running). If it does, the failure-to-run is being caused by a problem with the fuel supply system or the ignition system, but not both. Together those only cause about five percent of crank / no-starts. By far it is more common to have no spark, no fuel pump, and no injector pulses, all at the same time due to the ASD relay not turning back on. Since we know the computer is able to turn it on, it isn't doing so because it's not seeing signal pulses from either the crankshaft position sensor or the camshaft position sensor. That's what tells the computer the engine is rotating.
The best way to see if signal pulses are showing up at the computer is by using a scanner to view live data. The dealer-level scanner for your vehicle was Chrysler's DRB3. I have one for all of my vehicles. You can find these on eBay. It lists the cam and crank sensors with a "No" or "Present" during cranking to show if those signals are showing up. If either one stays on "No", the ASD relay won't get turned back on, so there will be no 12 volts feeding the ignition coil or injectors. That's what the test light is looking for.
Aftermarket scanners will also show the state of these signals. If you don't have access to a scanner, you have to rely on diagnostic fault codes, but this often doesn't work. First of all, do not disconnect the battery or run it dead before reading the codes. Doing so will erase the codes, then that valuable information will be lost. If you're lucky enough to get a fault code related to one of these sensors, it will tell you which circuit needs to be diagnosed. The actual cause is the sensor itself only about half of the time. First we have to rule out wiring and connector terminal problems before condemning the sensor.
Most of the time there will not be a fault code when the camshaft position sensor or crankshaft position sensor circuit is dead. That's because the computer needs a little time to detect the missing signal, as in when a stalled engine is coasting to a stop while you're driving. These missing signals often don't get detected just from cranking the engine. For that reason, do not assume a sensor circuit is working just because there's no fault code set for it.
You can use a scanner or a simple code reader to read the fault codes, but Chrysler made doing this yourself much easier than any other manufacturer. Cycle the ignition switch from "off" to "run" three times within five seconds without cranking the engine. Leave it in "run", then watch the code numbers show up in the odometer display. You can go here:
https://www.2carpros.com/trouble_codes/obd2
to see the definitions, or I can interpret them for you.
Let me know what you find up to this point.
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Wednesday, January 26th, 2022 AT 2:26 PM