my 00 dakota 3.9 at, has been having some problems for a while now. i am done with the whole replace this, and hope it works thing. so, i am turning to the pros, you guys. anyway first problem is every once and a while it will missfire on one or maybe two cylinders, and only when it is idleing in gear. like i said it's random, but when it starts to miss you can put it in nuetral or step on the gas and it goes away. you can also hear a clicking sound, sort of an arcing sound, but it's definetly an electrical noise when it misses. i haven't noticed any kind of pattern, except after you've driven it somewhere and parked it for a short time, then restarted it, it seems to do it more often. but this problem is so random i can't make it miss to diagnose anything not to mention how many of my buddies have waited around for the truck to miss. it's funny how things never work when someone else is watching. but i have repaced the dist cap, rotor, plugs and wires, iac motor and relocated the iat, also tried about everykind of inj. cleaner.
problem two, this one just started, but it's very random as well. while you are driving it will lose power, not die, it will keep running but barely, it will idle roughly at about 400-500 rpm. if you try to give it a little gas it will stumble and cough and kind of rev but it seems to want to die. buuuuuuut. if you floor it, well then it runs perfect. generally above 2,000 rpm's it will run clear, drop below 2000 and it starts to stumble and cough. it's really weird, it runs terrible but it doesn't seem to ever die. it's like its short on fuel. but then when i punch it, it's not. and like i said it totally random. does it all on its own. not uphill or down not pulling or coasting not warm or cold. just when it feels like it. any help would be very appreciated. and i am sorry for the long post. just wanted to get all the info out there. thanks.

 

Are you sure that your wires are on the right way? If that don't work i'd hook it up to a code reader and see which cylinders are misfiring. good luck

 

the wires are definetly right, the truck runs fine most of the time. when it does miss out it usually only lasts for a minute or so. which makes me wonder if a scanner would tell me anything, i mean if the truck is not in one of it's hissyfits of missing then the scanner might read normal. the check engine light only came on once and it was p301 cyl 1 missfire, it has not come back on since. the only thing i forgot to mention is my gas mileage has gotten worse lately it used to get consistent 15 in town, now it's luky to get 13. but thanks anyway

 

I have a 98 dakota, and I had to take it in to the dealership as the plug wires were arcing to whatever was around them, there was a recall on that model and the solution was to reroute the entire plug wire set, along with taller standoffs to hold the wires away from anything metal so no arcing, I think the problem is the ignition is such high energy, it will find the path of least resistance
Maybe this is the case with yours, I don't know.

 

My 98 Dakota is doing the exact same thing..........no pattern at all. Well, I have changed the cap, rotor, plugs, wires, and even the fuel pump/filter and it is still doing it. Have you found anything else out about this, i know that my truck is staring to frustrate the hell outa me.

 

i am having the exact same issues with my 99 dakota 4x4. i have done all the "known" replacements/fixes, and it continues to happen. but it is so intermittentthat i cant seem todiagnose itcorrectly. i have even changed the TPS. nothing has work! please, any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

engine coil.

 

mine did very similar stuff, changed all the stuff (except engine coil)
and after a few months of regular matinance, like running a tank of 93 oct and a bottle of injector cleaner once or twice a month,
a couple oil changes, switched to synthetic....
runs much better now, the only thing is that it idles a little low when its cold, but warms up and clears itself
btw, i've got the 2.5l

 

i have changed the engine coil. along with plugs, wires, cap, ignition rotor, and even removed the catalytic converter....thinking it was clogged andthere was too much back pressure. the truck does sound a little tougher now, but it still did not cure the problem. oh, as i mentioned earlier, the TPS as well.

 

2000 3.9 SLT. Seems to run perfect. CEL comes on. Codes 300, 301, 303 and 305: Multiple misfire, misfire one, misfire three and misfire five. Replaced plugs, wires, cap, crank position sensor. Tried the wire rerouting, no effect.
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