Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum but have had good luck online finding advice for my previous car.
Here is the main problem: my 1993 Dakota is like a husky-it wants to pull! I am seriously worried that this behavior in the snow is going to cause an accident, soon. What I mean is that when I am stopped, if I let my foot off the brake it just starts going as if I had pressed on the accelerator. It just takes off at probably 3-5 mph. I was given the truck this summer by a family member after my old 94 Saturn's engine seized up, and this weekend's epic snowstorm in Minneapolis was my intro to winter driving.

In the snow, because of this problem, what happens is that I almost cannot fully stop the truck at all. In the slushy snow it would often take a full city block to finally stop! It does not have anti-lock brakes and is RWD. I put 500 lbs of sandbags in the back before the snow.

When I try to stop in snow I have to very gently press the brakes, because braking too hard will lock them and send me sideways. That's basic winter driving...but so is pumping the brakes gently to not lock them.

Every time I gently let up on the brakes, when nearly stopped, it starts pulling forward again, fast!! It is so scary! I am honestly worried this could kill me this winter if I can't figure out the problem as I live in Minneapolis and have a 40 minute commute to the suburbs. I am really hoping someone here can help me; I'm a girl who's never had a truck and I don't know too much about cars but have had luck before looking online for help to diagnose the problem and then explaining that to a friend who can fix it.

The truck specs are:
1993 Dodge Dakota Sport
V6, 3.9
115,000 miles
Idles when warm at about 600-700 RPM

I love this truck and I want to feel safe in it, if I can just get this problem fixed it will make my winter so much safer. Thanks to whoever reads this, and to anyone who might have ideas.

 

When it pulls what is the RPM?

Most likely it is due to a IAC, Idle Air Control Valve. They are notorious for failing. Just replace it, Sometimes they are even bad new. See the pic below for its location.

It can also be a vacuum leak. Check all hoses ect.

 

Vacuum leaks in the hoses can do all kinds of bad things. A couple easy ways to check is either to listen for hissing or use a soap/water spray. I have also heard of throttle body cleaner/carb cleaner or starter spray

Side note, how are your brakes?

 

Thank you both for replying with ideas! I just got back from taking her out for a spin to test out how the RPM acts. (Results right below this paragraph - wanted to answer/troubleshoot a couple of those other questions here first). The brakes are almost brand new (completely redone in September) and the tires are all in good shape. And, when I was driving in this 6 inches of heavy, slushy snow, maybe because of the extra weight in the back I had absolutely no problem accelerating slowly from a stop (good tire grip/weight?) and felt like I had reasonably good traction and control while driving. And when I was braking gently, it was stopping OK. But then I would get to a point where I had to pump the brakes a little bit and all is lost, because it starts pulling forward and speeding up. . .

Cold engine, immediately after start (pulling out of driveway):
--RPM stays at 650, Dakota pulls itself from stop to about 5 mph
Cold engine, after driving for about 2 minutes:
--RPM jumps to about 800, pulls itself from a stop at about 5 mph
--Tested at stop sign; pulled itself to steady 5 mph and cruised at that speed for over a full city block on a flat surface, no incline

Warm engine (this was surreal)
--RPM jumps (needle spikes) from 650 to 800 as Dakota cruises up to 5-6 mph, then gradually climbs to 1,000 RPM and stays there while truck cruises seemingly infinitely at 6-7 mph

**This last test, with the warm engine, was from a full stop at a stop sign, making a full left turn, and then heading up a slight hill. So the truck went from a stop, turned itself left, jumped up to 800 RPM/5 mph, then climbed up to 1,000 RPM and 6-7 mph as it climbed itself up a small hill! It then coasted over a block at that same RPM and speed as the surface leveled out. It would seemingly drive forever like that.

in all these tests I do not touch the gas pedal at all.
Another thing I have noticed is that there is a discernible "pull" when youi have your foot on the brake - I don't know how to describe it but you can feel this tension like instead of making sure you stay stopped, you're instead holding the truck back from this natural accelerating that it wants to do, if that makes sense. That's why I mentioned that it's like a husky, originally - if you've ever taken a walk with one on a leash and felt how they pull at the leash, that's kind of what it is like when you have your foot on the brake and the truck is stopped.

Thank you both for replying, and both the IAC and vacuum hoses sound like good things to check first; just thought I would post this in case this info helps narrow anything else down. I really, really love this truck - other than this it runs great, is so comfortable and surprisingly smooth to drive, and mine has low(ish) mileage for its age and I'd like to drive it for years to come. I just need to figure this out soon because snow season here, and what it's doing now sabotages the best winter driving skills (I grew up in WI and moved to MN so I have driven in snow since I got my license, and I've never had such a tough time handling a vehicle in snow). Hopefully you guys have gotten me on the right diagnostic track, and I hope this new info helps . . . thank you again for the advice!

 

You could test the IAC but I think it would be best to just replace it. Sounds like its not reading correctly and in turn adjusting your revs abnormally higher.

Your truck is a 93.. so thats OBD 1. Is there a check engine light on?

 

No check engine light has been on. I also tried dropping it down from regular drive (D) to 2nd and 1st gear and turning off overdrive, (testing one at a time by switching from just regular D while stopped before letting up the brake), but none of those things seemed to make much of a difference either.

 

i had the same problem but with the v8 lol listen to the guys and replace your IAC thats what i did and it idles at 300 and no problems stoping now true i dont drive in snow but in Florida with dusty roads and rain doing 360 spins because you cant stop is no fun. plus the IAC is like 16$ at autozone and takes two screws to replace so its not all that hard.

 

Just out of curiosity, if this the first time you've driven an automatic? The reason I ask is because the first time I drove an auto, I had a similar experience because the vehicle moved as soon as I let off the brake, and I nearly rear-ended someone.

 

Unless it has a high stall converter, every auto I've driven will roll when you let off the brake, it's normal.

 

Hi everyone,

I learned to drive on a manual but have been driving a series of automatic cars for over 10 years now. I do know what you mean by every automatic will naturally roll a little bit, and at first I was wondering if that was it, but this is a lot beyond the normal creeping/rolling I've experienced with any car I've ever driven. Plus the driving uphill at 6 mph and keeping up that speed for over 1/8 of a mile is something no car I've ever had could have possibly done (if set normally); they would've stalled out to a stop or near stop when they started trying to go up the hill. I see why you'd ask the question though. SoI think I'm going to start with the vacuum hose test suggestion (since it's the cheapest) but be ready to replace that part as the most likely cause. I won't be able to do this until Thanksgiving though (yay for family farms with big indoor shops and tools! so if anyone has any other ideas please do post and let me know. I'll definitely report back and let you know how it goes in the end.