Doesn't sound like a tranny problem to me.(or at least not the only prob) What did the plugs look like when you pulled them? And don't use it too much until you get this figured out.(or atleast change the oil,which is one of the first things you should have done anyway) Damage is being done by the gas in the oil obviously.

Try this first ,http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1998/18-48-98/18-48-98-v8.htm ,

Check the cat, check the plenum, http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2000/09-05-00.htm, check the coil, check the fuel pressure. Remove the TB and clean it and the IAC and TPS. Most if not all these things can be checked by looking in the diy section and/or Haynes manual or this http://www.rm-indy.com/wavefiles/2001ramsrvcmanual.zip

The CPS does not throw a code, but when they go bad the engine just usually dies after it warms up.Then starts right up after it cools off.

And btw, you really should have done a complete tune up first thing. All fluid and filters changed, plugs,wires,cap,rotor,pcv etc...

 

for throttle/idle problems, if you can afford to throw parts at it, i'd replace TPS first. if that doesn't fix the idle problems then replace IAC. keep your old one's. its helpful to have a spare set, because the little bastards are hard to troubleshoot. for example, the tps can test ok with an ohm meter, but still cause the truck to freak out.

my original tps had a bad dead spot in it at about that 50 mph spot. i'd mash the gas and nothing would happen.

 

When my '99 5.2L had the same problem with the shimmying in OD, I gave it a tune up (it was due anyway), and it solved the problem.

 

+1...

 

maybe bad fuel pump or a clog in the fuel line. my father had a similar problem to this when he put bad gas in the truck and it was watered down. have you tried running some bottles of fuel injector cleaner through it? it's not much but i think its worth a shot for not much expense.

+1 on the tune up also

 

+2 to the full tune up and all fluids changed if it hasnt been done. Flush the cooling system and put in a new tstat and spray the tb/tps/iat while checking for excessive oil at the back of the plenum.

 

+3 to the tune up and fuel system questions. My truck was sold at auction before I bought it, it had been sitting for some time and developed rust in the fuel rail causing it to shake at 45-50 mph.

 

Alright guys. I would like everyone to know that I'm not a complete moron, lol. I bought this truck at an auction and drove it home. It's been driven a total of 184 miles since I bought it 9 days ago, and almost all of that has been attempts at diagnostics. I'm NOT driving this as a daily driver until these problems have been solved.

-Plugs and wires have been changed. Old plugs didn't look bad at all. Judging by this chart, I'd say they looked the most like #11 and #19.
http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Plugs/Sp...s_catalog.html

However, some were slightly wet, but not gas-fouled.
The plug wires themselves were littered with the white powdery deposits on the outside of the insulation that is usually indicative of cross-talking.

-Oil and filter have been changed as of today.

-Sea Foam has been run through the intake and added 1/3 of a pint to the gas along with a bottle of Lucas fuel injector cleaner.

-I didn't know about the TSB on the routing of the spark plug wires, but once I saw the signs of cross-talking, I re-routed them similar to what was described in the TSB on my own.

Review for the sake of saving everyone from having to read the entire thread to find all symptoms:

-**New symptom** No idle when warm. Idles fine when cold, but once it warms up, nothing. Sitting in the driveway, once you remove your foot from the gas, the rpms drop like a rock to zero just as if you'd cut the switch off.

-**New symptom** Noticed a backfire through the engine under low-speed acceleration. From 10-15 mph giving 1/2-3/4 throttle gives a slight hesitation followed by a low "pop" before the truck seems to catch and really begin to accelerate. Seems to be coming from the passenger side, but it's hard to determine if it's coming from the catalytic converter or from the breather inlet. I've been unable to recreate this at idle while operating the throttle by hand.

- Misfire on all 8 cylinders. 9 codes on code-reader. Code #1 is multiple engine misfires. Next 8 codes are all 8 cylinders showing misfire. I cleared the codes with the trick described earlier in this thread and all 9 are now back after the 3 mile trip to Autozone.

-No other codes showing. ONLY misfires.

-Misfires are hardly noticeable until OD kicks in. At that point the power loss is large and the truck begins to shimmy and shake like an epileptic cat on a hot frying pan.

-Noticed a slight smell of gasoline in the oil. Oil was extremely dirty, but has been changed today.

I will be replacing the cap and rotor just as a precautionary measure. I did inspect them visually and noticed no signs of carbon tracking, cracks, or any other obvious signs of failure. I even looked for the light show in the dark with the hood up and saw nothing at all.

This truck does not smoke at all (all but ruling out an issue with the piston rings). There is no water in the oil, nor does it run hot AT ALL, (all but ruling out warped heads). I do have a feeler gauge that I will run down the heads just for giggles, but I'm willing to bet I won't find anything.

Question:

Misfire on all 8 cylinders...could this be a timing issue? Ruling out plugs, wires, distributor cap, rotor, wouldn't the timing be the next most likely culprit with no other codes being thrown besides misfires?

 

my 1998 ram "sakes" a little bit when first shifting into OD... rpms drop as well... due to 3.55 gears... I'd look into doing a compression test if possible... also check fuel rail pressure... maybe put some of that Lucas tranny treatment in? How does the tranny fluid look? was there any metal shavings in the oil?

 

Other than being very black and smelling of gas, the oil looked fine. No shavings in it at all.

Tranny fluid doesn't smell burnt at all, and it's color is only slightly darker than that of new tranny fluid.


I'm leaning toward a timing issue or possibly a blown intake gasket. However, as soon as the rain stops long enough for me to work in peace, I'll investigate some of the other causes listed thus far by others in this thread.