Hey guys i need some opinions and help.

I have a 1996 Dakota sport with the 5.2L V8 magnum i bought this truck years ago never had any problems with it untill the last 3 years, it stopped passing etest. The first time i took it for etest they told me the CAT was gone, so i replaced it still didnt pass, i did a complete tune up 3 times, changed the CAT twice, new starter, ALT, then a garage told me it was the ECU computer so i bought a new one, and it still wont pass, then a different shop told me i might have a small crack in the block some where, So it went for etest again and the shop told me it didnt have no cracks in the block. it seems to have the most problems in the cold it wont stay at idle i have to 2 foot it for it to stay running, holding the brake down and giving it gas to keep the RPMS up to keep it running. But most of the problems are only on cold or chilli days. Ive been recently told it could be air/fuel delivery problem, could be a TPS problem or maybe a header problem.

But every 2 years i have to spend $400-$1000 to have it pass etest and its only a bull**** etest.

If anyone has any ideas of what could be causing this problem, please help me!

 

Every problem you're describing sounds like a blown plenum gasket. Remove and replace the steel belly pan with an aluminum belly pan plus new Felpro gaskets and replace the O2 sensors.

From the sounds of it your 'mechanics' are using you as a meal ticket and are either don't know how to fix it or really don't want to fix it so they don't lose all the money they've been taking out of your pocket!

 

Here's the link to the aluminum belly pan on ebay being sold by one of our members (1999blkdakrt). http://www.ebay.com/itm/DODGE-JEEP-A...3f92ab&vxp=mtr

To check for the blown gasket, remove the air hat from the throttle body. Manually open the throttle blades and shine a flashlight down inside the intake manifold. If you see pools of oil or a heavy oily residue the gasket is blown letting the oil be sucked into the intake and burned in the cylinders. You'll never pass the etest with that problem.

 

Thanks. I will check out that for sure. Hope this is the problem cause ive spent well over $4000 in the last 3 years just to get it to past emissions.

 

that's almost 3X what I spent to BUY both a 93 and a 94 Dakota....running driving debugged and neglected maintenance caught up on for both trucks I don't have $4k tied up between them; one of them got an auto to manual swap (the V8 one)
both got new tires, and I have done the intake and bellypan gasket on both of them!!! Find a different shop

 

I've taken it to about 5 different shops, and they all keep saying the same thing. they cant find out whats wrong, so just keep getting the conditional etest

 

Have you checked for the blown belly pan gasket yet?

 

not yet i will be checking that either tonight or tmrw, right now its parked at dads house. If its not the belly pan gasket, anything else that could be causing this

 

magnum engine? Not recently done? It's bad.

 

ya it's a magnum engine. What do you mean not done?