Hello I have a 1997 dodge dakota that dies while driving and u have to press the gas petal to get it to crank please tell me what's wrong

Have you checked base fuel pressure with a gauge ?
Code 42 is a problem with the fuel pump relay or ASD relay circuit.

If no spark check out the wiring in ignition circuit along with your ecm which fires the plugs.

Sounds like the fuel pump is not supplying enough gas to keep it running.

The key is to figure out if you're losing spark,fuel, or both.Next time it quits,see if if you smell raw fuel at the tailpipe.(this would mean ignition issue).If not,you may be losing the crank signal.If it happens while your moving,you may be able to recreate it sitting still.Try starting it up and wiggling connectors,wires,etc.Also try thumping sensors lightly to see if this will make it happen(use a high tech tool,like an old mop handle!).This is simply a way of attempting to make the condition occur like it would over a bump or rough surface.I figured out an intermittent miss on a 2.0 liter Turbo Grand Am by doing this(several techs at several dealers had replaced an insane amount of stuff trying to fix it,including our own shop foreman!).All of that for a broken injector wire!

It sounds to me like you have an idle issue. Check for replacement of the I.A.C [idle air control] I hope that this helps.

most likely is the pick up coil in the distributor. easy to replace pull dist cap off and rotor button and there it is.

Check TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) could have gone bad.

Check this 1998 Dodge Dakota 2WD 3.9 liter V-6 VIN "X"



Good luck.

the sensors are located behind the catlet converter they sometimes look like a spark pulg if you cant find it pick up a book at any autoparts store and that will tell you where it is and how to change it

Sounds like a fuel issue,not a crank sensor.Check the fuel pressure ...Good Luck...