2003 2500 Ram 4x4 HEMI, The check engine light came on about a month ago and I took it to the stealer as I thought it would be covered under power train warranty. I was wrong. $75 later I was told there is a small leak in the vaccuum lines between engine bay and gas tank. I was then told a $135 smoke test needed to be done to find the pin hole leak. I thanked them and left. Now the check engine light came back on and a flashing red lightening bolt in the bottom right hand corner of the cluster. The flashing red light went off after I shut the truck off, but the check engine light remains. Any ideas as to what this is? I am going to try to take it to my mechanic to have him read, but I don't know when that will be. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks. Donnie

 

WOW, not covered! How many miles do you have??

Are you saying that now the ck engine light remains on with the key out of the ignition?

First thing to do is have the codes read (most auto parts stores such as Auto Zone, will do this for free). All my autos are older and I have never heard of the "lightening bolt" so I'm not sure what to say there. Actually, I never heard of the engine light remaining on with the key out (or off to netrual) either.

As for a leak between the gas tank and the engine, it sounds like the evaporative system. It's an emmisions system with the charcoal canister a few hoses ect. If the hose is leaking, it should be a standard hose, I think you could just replace the entire length for a whole less than the $135 test (vaccuume hose is what about .30 per foot, total length is 20-25 ft, even at $1 per foot....well you do the math!), not to mention they would still charge for the repair! I'd verify the hose leak with a hand pump (around $30 for a mighty vac hand pump) before I ran a new hose though...just in case.

Anyway first thing to do is read the codes.

 

The check engine light is not on when the truck is off. I meant it is still there when the truck is running and the flashing red lightening bolt is no longer. Thanks for the input.

 

OK.....I did some searching this morning and dound out that if I turn the key to ACC and off 3 times the odometer displays trouble codes. I got P2175 and P2106. What does that mean?

 

I seem to be answering my own questions, so I apologize. I have now found that P2106 means Throttle Actuator Ctrl sys-Forced Limited Power and P2175 means Throttle Actuator Ctrl sys-Low Airflow detected. What does this mean?

 

I get the P2175 first then usually later a P0440. Also sometimes the truck will start to run very poorly. when I press on the gas it will die spit and sputter then eventually with enough reving the engine it starts to run ok. Please let me know what I need to do to resolve P2175. I have already changed the air filter and gas cap. What else?

 

the lightning bolt is for a throttle body code. if you live in a cold climate, it could be freezin or getting ice build-up. i havent seen any w/ APPS issues yet. heres a quick check---key off, disconnect battery, unplug t-body (try not to break the locking tab on the TB), and manually open t-body (can remove it for a better view). WITHOUT touching/rubbing the blade or bore, look for any signs of water spots (damp or dried) and any heavy coking (oily black). if any signs of either, manually clean TB w/ a rag AND NO CHEMICALS. if the TB motor get wet, it can fry. last time i priced out a 5.7 TB, is was about $300. this may not fix the problem. there are other things that can be causing it: PCM software, bad TB, wiring problems, bad PCM, and small chance of APPS issue.

forced limit power saves your *** (and more parts from potentially failing) when you need to drive it. you only get idle and 1500 rpm, cause the pcm basicly doesnt trust what it sees. so TB goes to limp-in, which limits what the engine can do.

for your EVAP code, the one that needed a smoke test, that can be tricky to do. check EVAP lines underneath vehicle, and underhood. any cracks, holes, rubbing/chafing--replace it, some are plastic lines. check your purge solenoid for proper install--one side is labeled top and obviously should face up. i have seen them installed upside down, whether from factory, dealer, or elsewhere. could also be PCM software or failure. you ever overfill the gas tank? if so, it could saturate the charcoal can. could also be bad gas cap.

other than that, cant really offer any more help. if you want, you could post or PM the last 8 of your VIN and build date, and i could check for any TSBs when i get time.