I have a 98 5.2 and since I bought it 2 months ago its been having this issue. So ill be driving down the road and out of nowhere it will start to slow down and start bucking, when I let my foot off the gas it will stop but its started to happen more frequently and im not sure what it could be. I also smell an odd smell when i shut the truck off. Smells like burning brakes but richer. I also put on a new y pipe with a high flow cat. Im not a mechanic but could it be a fuel filter? Comments would be greatly appreciated thanks.

 

Could be a number of things

First thought is PCM the computer that was what my Dakota did as the PCM was going out

Or

The smell of brakes may mean brakes locking up

Gas problem possible

 

Im pretty sure its not a break issue, they seem fine, it also idles high sometimes, how could check and see if the pcm has gone bad?

 

That I’m not sure

My Dakota started to buck surge, idle high then low just acted like some possessed demon was inside of it.

I guess have an auto store put a scope on it to check for error codes first they do it for free usually like Autozone.

Did you buy any cheap gas last time bad gas could do this also

If I remember my Dakota had a strange smell also

 

Its not throwing any codes, I just started putting mid grade in my truck on Friday so well see how that works. But yea thats pretty much how it acts lol.

 

Your new exhaust is not getting plugged up some how is it?

 

It sounds fine it does baffle alot when i let off the gas.

 

I wonder if some how you are getting too much back pressure in the exhaust system I don’t see how being as it’s supposed to be getting your exhaust gasses out faster.

But worth thinking about you never know?

Or maybe its screwing up your O2 sensors some how but I would think some kind of error code would show for that

 

If you think it is a fuel problem run some good fuel system cleaner or Seafoam through the fuel system a couple of times. How long after you start driving does it start having problems.

 

Its always different, sometimes it wont even buck, I have a stock air filter is it possible that it could have disrupted the fuel air ratio