Hello!!

So I am playing the "what the ____ is wrong with my Durango this week?!" game and would love some insight if you all have time.

Details:

1999 Dodge Durango 4x4 5.2L V8 automatic with over 200k in travel
Unknown maintenance records before I got it two years ago. Since then, basic maintenance and tires/brakes... nothing too crazy.

Daily driver, but considering I work from home she mainly sits in the driveway and looks pretty. Driven through some flood waters a few times each year, but nothing in the past 4 months.

No seen warning signs leading up to the breaking point.

Problem:

Drove into town and highway driving, 60 miles round trip... no problems. Pulled into the last parking lot and parked. Upon leaving, she started up then immediately stalled. Figured I pulled her out of gear too fast. Started back up right away and proceeded to stop sign, where she died again and kicked out the classic CE light with code. Repeat this cycle at every light and sign across town.
No issues in de-acceleration, but once at a complete stop, struggled to keep RPM's over 1k and then would die. Did not seem to struggle in actual forward motion.

Pulled into parts store and checked code: P0108. Cleared the code and topped off all fluids, coolant was low(unusual) but not temperature fluxes.

Left parking lot and traveled home with no stalling but rpms struggling to maintain.

Remained off for a few hours at home. Attempted to take her back out. Stalled out while in motion twice and at the stop sign. Gave up and came back and parked her.

At this point, each time she is started she guns fast, then rough idles but maintains 1k rpm while parked. HOWEVER, after a few minutes idling she is purging white smoke from exhaust.. sometimes a little sometimes a cloud. AND I have coolant leaking at the front of the engine, in between the belts and pulleys.

Diagnosis:

After playing google mechanic for awhile, ordered a MAP, IAC and TPS which should arrive tomorrow and I will be installing hopefully without breaking anything else.

Also found a loose cable on the ECM(computer on the passenger fender?) and re-secured it into its socket.

Air filter is clean. Didn't notice anything unusual in the oil, nearly full tank of gas.

Thinking I may have a bypass hose leaking, water pump dying and/or head gaskets needing replacing.

Thoughts? Anyone encounter something similar? I would love some insight or thoughts. This is all new to me so it is a great, but large learning curve!

Thanks!!

 

Stalling like that sounds like a bad battery or bad battery connections. Especially given that it sits most of the time.

 

Thanks! I wasn't sure if the battery would trigger such an issue, but it is a used Marine battery from the previous owner so might as well replace it just to be safe.

 

P0108 shorting the 5V reference?

 

All I was able to track down is that the code she kicked out was the P0108 was due to a MAP voltage too high. Cleared the code but it has since come back with the other issues. Still learning so not quite sure what would trigger that beyond what google says. Figured replacing it might be a place to start

 

Update for those encountering similar issues: Replaced the MAP and test drove. Idle was still shaky but no stalling out. Take it as a win.
Replaced the IAC next, picture is an example of the culprit before and after. Talk about being corroded and caked on! Replaced and test drove again. Idling steady at 750 while parked, 1k while in drive but stopped. And strangely enough, running insanely quieter than before the replacements. No idea why on that but enjoyable.

Replacing TPS when it arrives tomorrow, just in case it needs it at this point.

Still having coolant leaking down the pulleys in the front. Guessing head gaskets, water pump and/or bypass hose.

Question: Anyone encounter coolant leaks of this nature and NOT shown any signs of heating up?

 

Water could be leaking from around the intake manifold. We're really in the dark guessing here though.

 

Check intake manifold where thermostat housing attaches the aluminum is known for breaking off at the lip causing leak
as seen in picture
If not there possibly bypass

 

the white smoke sounds to me like coolant in the exhaust, means its somehow getting into the cylinder, i would lean towards head gasket, you should be able to to do one of the following to help confirm that diagnosis, compression check each cylinder, if one (or more) of them are low you have a place for the culprit, also you can do a test on the coolant for hydrocarbons (exhaust fumes) in the coolant

 

And the other 2/3 of that crap is still in the throttle body, unless you pulled and cleaned it.