Hey guys

First post here! This looks great to have a community of us being able to discuss these issues to keep our Rams Running.

What i got going on is this . I hope someone can help.

I have a 98 Dodge Ram 3500 series with the 360 v8.
Automatic , fully loaded.

If i start the truck up doesn't matter the temp. outside

And if i walk off to let it warm up

it will run fine for about 1-2 minutes and the it starts missing and then
the idle rpm drops down to like 200-300 and it starts smoking and if i let it go long enough
it will die

I have done a tune up , and replaced the TPS ( throttle pos. sensor)

I can clear it out and it will do it again within 30 secs

If i get to a redlight it might or might not do it if i sit there long enough and sometimes will be
hard to keep it going

But runs absolutely fine up and down the road.
And actually gets better gas mileage than my 97 xcab with a 360v8 2500series.

Like i said it would be great if someone could offer up ideas

 

My buddies 99 did a similar thing with the low idle after about a min of sitting but he did not have the smoke. It would miss its butt off and and he said it even died once.

After a few days we tracked down the problem, he replaced his air filter with a K&N but while doing so he broke the O shaped gasket that the air filter housing sits on. Its cheap and break easy, its cost a few bucks and is stealership only. I'd pull off your air filter housing and check that gasket if its cracked or worse yet has a big chunk missing replace it and see what happens.

Im sure there are some other things that can cause this and the gurus here will probably have a few more thing for you to check. Im just going on prev experience (which aint alot)

 

What about the IAC Idle Air Control. $30-$50 at O'Reilly Auto. But someone else will have to speak up I have never had this problem.

 

I once had a Thunderbird that did that same thing and it was the IAT or the ECT sensor, I forget which one was the prob.

 

sounds like Idle air control. pull it and clean it and see it if helps

 

I was going to suggest that, but the symptoms of a bad IAC usually doesn't include smoke.

 

My father said it could be a booster with a vacuum leak?

Zman17

This truck 201,000
If it idled down low enough the rings might not be good enough to stop it from smoking at that low of an idle
if it is the IAC causing it, what u think?

 

Usually rings or bad valve guides and or seals will cause it to smoke when you first start it. Not 2 or 3 minutes later.

 

old thread i know but i am just getting back around to this. I still have the truck 225,000 miles on it knock on wood its still going. I only use the truck really when i hook up the gooseneck once or twice a month.

My brake booster went out ( hole in diaphragm ) a month ago and the idling problem went away while it was sucking air ( you could hear it under dash inside )

I was told the other day its the O2 sensor ....

 

did you ever replace the IAC and clean the well/hole in the rear of the TB?

if the brake booster is leaking, and its sucking air, then that provides the air necessary for it to idle.