How To Test The Distributor Pickup Coil (1990-1991 5.2L V8 Dodge Dakota)

By: Abraham Torres-Arredondo
Created: 06 August 2019
Updated: 15 March 2024
Articl Id: 1039

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TEST 2: Making Sure The Pickup Coil Has Power

Making Sure The Pickup Coil Has Power. How To Test The Distributor Pickup Coil (1990, 1991 5.2L V8 Dodge Dakota)

If you've reached this point, then the pickup coil is not creating an ON/OFF voltage signal. It's stuck at one voltage value as you turn the engine.

So before concluding it's bad, we're gonna' make sure it's getting 9 Volts DC from your Dodge Dakota's fuel injection computer.

The wire that feeds these 9 Volts to the distributor pickup coil is the orange (ORG) wire of the engine wiring harness connector.

NOTE: Be careful when probing the front of the female terminal with your multimeter test lead or you run the risk of damaging the terminal.

These are the test steps:

1
Disconnect the pickup coil from its connector.
2
Place your multimeter in Volts DC mode.
3
Turn the key on but don't crank or start the engine.
4
Gently probe the female terminal identified with the number 1 in the photo above.

This female terminal should connect to the ORG wire of the connector.
5
Connect the black multimeter test lead to the negative (-) battery terminal.
6
Your multimeter should read 8 to 9 Volts DC.

Let's analyze your test result:

CASE 1: The pickup coil is getting 8 to 9 Volts DC. This is the correct and expected test result.

The next and last test is to make sure that Ground is present in the BLK/LT BLU wire of the connector. For this test go to: TEST 3: Making Sure The Pickup Coil Has Ground.

CASE 2: The pickup coil is not getting 8 to 9 Volts DC. Without this voltage the distributor pickup coil will not produce a voltage signal.

A lack of 8 to 9 Volts is usually due to an open-circuit problem in the ORG wire between the pickup coil's connector and the fuel injection computer's connector.

Although it's beyond the scope of this tutorial to check for this missing power, your next step is to find out why it's missing and restore it.

TEST 3: Making Sure The Pickup Coil Has Ground

Making Sure The Pickup Coil Has Ground. How To Test The Distributor Pickup Coil (1990, 1991 5.2L V8 Dodge Dakota)

Alright, your multimeter test results (TEST 1 and TEST 2) have confirmed that:

The distributor pickup coil is not creating an ON/OFF signal (TEST 1).
The distributor pickup coil is getting 8 to 9 Volts DC (TEST 2).

For our last test we're gonna' make sure that the pickup coil is getting Ground on the black with light blue stripe (BLK/LT BLU) wire of its connector.

IMPORTANT: It's the fuel injection computer, of your 5.2L Dodge Dakota, that provides this Ground. So please be careful not to connect this wire to 12 Volts (from the battery) or you will fry the computer. The multimeter voltage test I'm suggesting in the test steps is a safe way to check for the presence of Ground in the wire.

These are the test steps:

1
Disconnect the pickup coil from its connector.
2
Place your multimeter in Volts DC mode.
3
Turn the key on but don't crank or start the engine.
4
Gently probe the female terminal identified with the number 2 in the photo above.

This female terminal should connect to the BLK/LT BLU wire of the connector.
5
Connect the red multimeter test lead to the positive (+) battery terminal.
6
Your multimeter should read 10 to 12 Volts DC if the BLK/LT BLU wire is providing Ground.

Let's examine your test result:

CASE 1: The BLK/LT BLU wire is providing Ground. This is the correct test result and let's you know that the distributor pickup coil is getting Ground.

The distributor pickup coil is bad and needs to be replaced if you have:

Confirmed that the distributor pickup coil IS NOT creating an ON/OFF voltage signal (TEST 1).
Confirmed that 8 to 9 Volts are being fed to the distributor pickup coil (TEST 2).
Confirmed that Ground is being fed to the distributor pickup coil (this test section).

CASE 2: The BLK/LT BLU wire DOES NOT have Ground. The distributor pickup coil will not produce a voltage signal if it doesn't get Ground in the BLK/LT BLU wire.

The most likely cause of this missing Ground is an open-circuit problem in the BLK/LT BLU wire between the pickup coil's connector and the fuel injection computer's connector.

Although it's beyond the scope of this tutorial to check for this missing Ground, your next step is to find out why it's missing and restore it.