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

 

Sounds like it could be your ECM the computer is crapping out.

To explain with my ECM going out it was very erratic running sometimes it ran ok then other times it ran like crap it was up and down crazy running

If erratic running that makes me think its the ECM

But many other things could do this also

 

What about cam position sensor?

 

X 2....sounds like your crankshaft position sensor.....change it!
CC

 

Crankshaft position sensor would give you either a constant poor running condition or the usual thing is it will not run at all.

It’s usually an on or off condition

 

mine went in and out for several months.....would act up at random times it seemed.....

the sensor is basically unprotected metal sensor that reads the flywheel.....factors like wetness/humidity would cause it to work sometimes and not work.....funny thing is it would act up when the truck got to operating temperature, and I spent a lot of time chasing the coolant temperature sensor (among others).....

when I changed it out, it was rusted all to crap.....i live by the coast and drive on the beach alot, but my buddy that lived up north where the salt the roads had the exact same problem.....snapped the new one on and its been 2 years now and not even a sputter.....

good luck and please post up how you got it fixed Jake10245!
cc

 

If your Crankshaft position sensor looked like bare metal it was damaged so in truth yes you are correct but not in the true sense of how it functions also if the wires were coroded then you could have these fluctuations with moisture if the unit is in good shape and it goes bad it will just not work.

So if its damaged in some way it has become prone to giving bad info to the computer.

 

Was definitely my ECU. And my AIC Valve. Replaced both and runs so much better now. but my check engine light is still on because of the downstream Oxygen sensor (Too much voltage coming through the connection?) I think theres some exposed wire grounding off on the body somewhere. It putters sometimes but it doesnt die or backfire andymore.

 

so the computer craped out that is what I thought

if you have a wire grounding out you need that fixed ASAP

 

thanks for getting back to us! giving final diagnoses on problems will help everyone in the future!

and good call 98 DAKAZ
CF