I just picked up a '99 V10 2500 Short Box. It needs a little work but the price was right. One thing I wonder about is the power output. Let's say you start from a stop and just mash the throttle (this is an auto). There is no tire spin (stock size), and accelleration isn't stellar. It seems like it runs just fine, purrs at idle, runs smoothly with no hesitations, but it just seems like something with 8.0L should have more poop. My 06 5.7 HEMI would smoke this thing. Is there anything I should check that could be starving some of the power somehow? It has 118K on it. I know this motor was designed as more of a work horse, so maybe this is typical. I dunno as I don't have much experience with the v10. Hopefully some of you guys can clue me in.

 

I have the same exact truck. When I first got mine it had the same symptoms, no tire spin, acceleration wasn't great, etc. I haven't had time to do anything as far as tune up type stuff. Plugs, wires, that kind of stuff. Only thing I've done is change the oil regularly, keep some MMO in it, and after I drove it around for a month or so it seemed to be gaining power back. Oh, and I also put some Engine Restore init on the frist oil change and noticed a big difference after about 200 miles or so. I get tire spin and everything now. I know the guy that had it before me didn't take care of it too well, so that may have had something to do with it. For a while I thought I had the death flash (which I may have anyway) but there's no software sticker on the PCM. If you're not gonna do any mods to it drive it around for a while and let it get used to your driving habits and see if it doesn't pick up some.

 

What's the death flash?

 

Sometimes when these trucks would leave the lot they would have pinging in the engine. I forget what causes it. But when you take the truck back to the dealership instead of getting into the engine end fixing the problem they would "flash" your PCM to make the pinging stop. The pinging WOULD stop, but at the expense of a lot of your trucks power. Unfortunately the only way to correct the death flash is to have someone else flash your PCM. BGperformancepcm.com is great for that from what I hear. If you have the death flash though there should be a sticker on your PCM that says something along the lines of "authorized software update". Hope you don't have it.

 

Ok, well at least I know what to look for now. Thanks! It sounds like they just make a timing adjustment maybe. If that is the case, a better fix would seem to be just running a higher octane fuel.

 

Ok, I just went out and looked and there is no sticker on the PCM besides the barcoded one with the Mopar part #.