I have a 1997 Dodge Dakota sport 3.9 5spd. Currently sitting at 181,xxx. About 3 months ago i was on my way to work and im on the highway doing 60-65 mph and my truck decides it wants to start sputtering and i had to pump the gas all the way to work so it wouldnt die. I got to work and i didnt smell anything or see anything wrong i wasnt even throwing any codes. so later on that day after i got off i started my truck up just fine drove fine until i got back on the highway and it wanted to start sputtering again and this time it backfired and sounded like a shotgun. It lost power and i still had it in 5th gear but it slowed down on its own and even downshifting and pumping the gas it didnt help. so i came to a complete stop and it died and wouldnt crank back up. after about 15 minutes just letting it sit i tried to turn it over and it started back up so i got it home as quickly as possible and parked it. Then throughout the next few weeks i drove it a little bit hoping it would throw a code and finally it did. I took it up to autozone and it threw a code for the ingnition coil and an O2 sensor. So i just thought it needed a tuneup. I got all new plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor, and an ignition coil. Just replaced all of it about 3 days ago and it ran smoother, quieter and no sputtering or backfiring. I thought it was fixed. I took it on the highway and it did just fine and about 5 minutes of being on the highway it started sputtering again but it stayed on all they way until i got home. Parked it again. Got in it this morning and it barely started up and i drove it down the street to take it to the shop and it sputtered and died. Had to wait a few minutes for it to start back up and i brought it home. Im kind of confused on what my options are and what would be the best idea. Can i get some help? Thank you

 

Did you check your pressure on your fuel rail? Was it more of a hard backfire or a lean pop?

 

pretty much both,mostly a hard backfire. Sounds like the car off the movie uncle buck lol but i had taken it to a hole in the wall shop and they said the timing jumped, but i cant see that. turned over this morning ran perfectly fine and then ran at about 300rpm and jumped up so now im gonna replace the throttle position switch and see if that helps any. I have no way of testing the fuel pressure but i hear the fuel pump kicking on everytime i turn the key over. Thanks!