First let me thank everyone for all the help this forum has been so far, you guys are great.

I'll start with the symptoms:
Truck wont start without the gas pedal floored and wont idle once it starts, run rough the whole time, cant pull itself and i don't know if its related but the brake pedal is stiff as if power brakes aren't working.

Now the backstory:
about 5 months ago it was run hot due to a thermostat sticking and wrapped the heads, we tore it apart and had the heads tested but machine shop said not repairable. It sat for 2-3 months while waiting for money to buy used heads, finally got heads and put them on put everything back together but it ran like crap, we figured timing, re did timing still ran like crap, we replaced spark plugs half the fuel injectors the cranckshaft and camshaft sensors. Now:
It wont start at all unless the gas pedal is floored.
RPMs go up slowly if floored once running.
Will not idle.
Brake Pedal is stiff.
Wont pull itself down the road.
Has NO CEL light and no codes.

I'm at a loss, i'm 99% sure the timing is right but that was the most complicated timing job I've ever done. lol

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

IAC or TPS

 

^ and Vacuum Leak

 

Did this ever get resolved? Fighting similar demons myself at the moment...

 

Temp sensor. The fact he has to floor it to get it to start points in that direction. When the sensor fails, the PCM sees engine temp as -40 degrees....... and positively DUMPS gas into the cylinders. So, unless it actually IS -40, the engine isn't going to run very well...... It won't set a code either, as the PCM doesn't know what the actual outside temp is.....

 

I find Dodge computers in the 98-07 years to be overly sensitive to pretty much anything so this makes sense to me as well. The engine cannot develop vacuum if it cannot idle so that explains the brake booster issue as well.

I had a 2002 Caravan V6 that had a dead battery. I would jump it to use it and it did all sorts of weird things up to and including putting the transmission in limp mode. Putting a new battery in fixed that and all the other issues. I'm not saying this is your problem, just an example of how a relatively minor problem presented as a very major problem.

 

Just to clarify as I'm learning all this as I go, you are referring to the Coolant Temperature Sensor or the Intake Air Temperature Sensor?? I'm thinking you're referring the coolant one but just wanted clarification.

Thanks so much for the reply.


Steve

 

Yep, coolant temp. The two-wire feller. Not sure what year yours is, but, up to 98, there were two sensors, a one-wire sensor for the gauge in the dash, and a two-wire sensor for the PCM.

 

Thanks HeyYou. I am fighting with a 2001 Dodge Durango SLT+ with the 4.7L. Hopefully if the blasted SNOW lets up I can go out and work on the sensor among other things lol.

I tell you, having a garage full of crap where you cannot get your vehicle into really sucks this time of year! New Years resolution will be dealing with that!

 

I got a house with a barn, AND a garage. For just such problems.