I have a 1983 ram and it will occasionally have a slight jerk down the road as if it tries to die and the previous owner has bypassed the neutral safety sensor in the trans and the wires are cobbled together so it will start in each gear and I'm wondering if those could be fouling it and if I should get a new sensor and fix it right if it will help, for the 89 I put in a new sensor and it reads low oil pressure where the old one that leaked did not, and it will want to idle rough and shake a little, I'm wondering on that one if the sensor is defective and its sendin mixed messages to make it run wrong or if the connector could be corroded or shot, changed the iac and it has made it a lot better but it still has some tweaking to go, ask changed the timing and it made a big difference, also what's the low idle speed for an 89 TBI and if you can change it or not, I've heard that you can't change it, just want a second opinion, thanks for your time.

 

Something I forgot to add is the 89 has power locks and windows, the windows work, but the locks don't I checked the fuse and its good and the locks will not let me lock them manually as if the power locks are froze, I'm wandering if anyone knows what this could be,

 

The locks don't work but do they click when you push the button? It may be an adjustment or you will have to do voltage and resistance checks.

I say fix the safety sensor problem properly. You can test the neutral safety sensor or just replace it and fix the wiring. Whether it helps the jerk or not, and I don't believe it will, you know it isn't right. After all it is called a safety sensor for a reason.

Oil pressure sensors have to match the gauges resistance to read properly. My replacement sensor reads really low also. I put a gauge in the sensor port and got an actual reading of oil pressure so I know what the lower reading on my gauge actually means and then just watch for any changes from normal.

Look at the emissions sticker under the bottom of the hood for pertinent tune up data that includes the idle. If the IAC is set properly the idle will be controlled by the computer.

 

i doubt the neutral safety switch is bad. all it does is ground the starter relay when in park or neutral. i would guess if you can start it in gear someone might have intentionally grounded the starter relay. should be a individual green wire on the starter relay. if you unplug that your truck should probably not even start at all.

 

The buttons do click on the widow lock and woofer windows, just the locks don't work, the guy we got the pickup from said it wouldn't start In park or neutral so he just rigged up the wiring, I do plan to fix it right though.

 

Sounds like the window solenoid linkage needs adjusted but you will have to take of the inner door panel off to tell or to adjust.

 

What I can't figure out is why it won't let me lock them by hand, unless its all because of the linkage, ill take it off as soon as I can, slowly but surely ill make progress, thanks for your help.

 

The hand lock uses the same linkage as the power locks. You can bind the hand lock by a misadjusted power lock.

 

I believe your neutral safety switch is only used while cranking, and is non-functioning while driving. Shouldnt cause a jerk. I would guess possibly losing spark somewhere? Might explain the shake you feel. Also, could explain jerking. Also, check your firing order to make sure they are hooked up in the right sequence. I frequently have people tell me "I did a tune up and now it wont run very well." Usually a couple of plug wires backwords or the dizzy is 180 degrees out.

 

The reason I think it could cause a jerk is cause it would be shorting out and trying to kill the pickup it's not the sensor it self I think is doing it, it's the away it's wired, to bypass it, what I was wandering if any one of the wires going to the sensor where to touch the frame if it would short out and cause something like that. I know it's more or less bad wires on the ignition, but just wanted to know if something like this could cause a short
it used to have a history of wanting to die all the time anywhere( stoplight, interstate, highway etc) but it would always usually start right back up, we couldn't figure out why it would it would die, if you turned the key just enough to use 12 v and not engage the starter it would keep it running, we had to do it once cause we were on interstate and we burnt the ICM, so we replaced all ignition parts, but there still could be a wire or two that's wore in the coating and shorting out, I'm going to rewire the ignition on the pickup because it could sure use it. Thanks for your time.