Back in 10/05 my check engine light came on with occassional "bucking" from the engine when I tried to speed up. I took it to the garage and had the Throttle bla bla bla senor changed per the code indicated at the garage. Everything was fine for almost two weeks, then the light came on again. Took it back, they cleared the light, saying that they couldn't locate any problem. After a week the light came on again. Took it back to the garage, this time they said it was a MAP sensor, but were leaning toward a bad computer in the truck.

Had the MAP senor replaced, truck was fine again for almost two weeks...then the check engine light came on again with the "bucking" symptom again, though not as bad, but now the engine began to occassionally stall at stops and really low speeds, like on sharp turns. The light was cleared (They were thinking a vaccum leak,but they couldn't find one) and they told me to bring it back if it comes on again. Drove again for a little more than a week and it came on again 3 days ago. I'd like to also say that in "Park" the engine idles normal with no sign of stalling....stalling only occurs occassionally when in "Drive" but like I said at stops and really low speeds and when they clear the codes, it drives fine until that damn light comes on again!! I'm at wits end and I'm sure the garage is too. They've been pretty civil about it too...not chargeing me for hooking it up on their computer and repeated visits.

This is on a 2001 Dodge Dakota Ext. Cab SLT V8 Magnum..the air filter has been changed and I tried STP treatment in the fuel.

 

Well, the chances of multiple sensors going out like that are pretty poor odds ... I'd lean towards the computer problem as they had stated. But there are a entire slew of sensors in the intake, and if by chance you did hit the Lotto and have multiple sensor going out - it could be any number causing it to stumble and stall. I'd bet on the CPU tho.

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Try checking the engine codes yourself when your light comes on and see what they say. I would also look at swapping out cpu though too.

 

Thanks to both of you...I was fearing the same thing to, the CPU. I was just worrying that I'd pay for that expensive peice of equipment and it would keep doing the same thing. By the way, the truck must have seen me typing my message last night, because when I went to leave for work today, mysteriously the check engine light was off, and the truck drove great to work. Sad thing is, when the dakota is running fine, I wouldn't have another vehicle if you gave me one, but when it's doing this %$#@ I'd like to get rid of it.