Buddy has a problem with his 89 4x4 V6 5sp Dakota Sport. When he turns in 1 direction, forget which way, and lately if he drives on the highway and there is slope to the lane or wind that forces the truck to lean to the side it loses power, wants to stall and starts to buck. He has to ride the crest of the road for the truck to run right. He also drives about 50 miles a day, on a straight highway with no stops, and the truck will stall at the first stop at the end of the trip. He changed the plugs and wires a few months ago and thought it made a difference but it's still doing it. Only recent work was a fuel pump a few years back. Anybody shed some light on this. Starting to look at it this weekend again.

 

It sounds like there might be a fuel pickup problem. Does the fuel level make a difference when this happens?

 

Too cold out right now to work on truck and test fuel pressure but it is beginning to look like a pump/pickup problem. Buddy was over and he mentioned the truck is almost on empty and he can not back it up a hill in his yard. Only moves on level ground, yet he figures he has enough fuel to make it to town and fill.

 

it could be the pump if it is and u do it yourself pull the bed of to get to it dont drop the tank u can brake the bands. if not i could be, that you need to clean out your carb if its not clean it could cut back on the flow of gas. even if it is clean at big hills it could cut out. get some carb cleaner for your tank and spray some directly into it.

 

Buddy filled the tank and it died 1/4 mile later. Leaning to the right and won't start??? Going to pick it up tomorrow. It's throttle body FI, no carb.

Like to get it going for him as he's getting a little flustered and only uses the truck to haul garbage and move stuff arund the yard. A few shops have made a lot of $$ trying to fix this problem and he's at the point where he's just ready to tow it into the back and leave it.

 

Iwould drop the tankand see whats goin on in there. just cut the straps and buy new ones when you put the tank back on. it will be alot easier this way.

 

i wouldent cut the straps they cost almost as much as the pump itself.

 

my straps were cheap. I think around $50 for the both of them. my old ones were rotted and I didnt trust them anyways. the last thing you needis your tank to drop when your goin down the highway

 

I dropped the tank on my 92 Dakota to change the pump but will lift the box next time. And we'll lift the box on Buddy's as I want to put a body lift on it anyways. Cutting straps never an option. If push comes to shove cut the bolts and weld new 1's on.

Anyways truck started for Buddy once they got it on level ground. Got it home and on the only left turn he had to make it sputtered and stalled in the driveway. He said it did smell of fuel

Sputters, farts and stalls when steering wheel turned to left or truck leaning to right.

 

Being fuel injected, I don't think this is a fuel problem once the gas leaves the tank. There could besomething in the tank that shouldn't be there. A co-worker once found a plastic sandwich bag in his, caused some strange problems. Also, look for wiring harness issues. An intermittent short or ground when the body leans is possible.