Hi, this is my first post on this forum. For the past few years I have been driving a 2001 5.2L 4-door 1500 SLT Lariat in Connecticut. It has about 91,000 miles. This winter it has been acting up. There are two issues, I am not sure if they are related.

1. Twice it has not started, like the gas tank was empty. One morning it wouldn't start and I had it towed to a garge and they couldn't find anything wrong so I drove it home. Another morning about 2 weeks later it wouldn't start so I beat around on the gas tank (dislodge frozen fuel pump maybe) and it still wouldn't start. I replaced the ignition coil and it started up, but ran rough at first.

2. I drive about 15 miles to work. After the truck sits for a few hours, I drive it home. After about a minute of driving home, the power gets spiratic, as if it were sputtering, and it feels like the truck it going to shut off, but it never does. Also, it makes a sound as if five or six stones were dropped on the hood (by the way, my hearing isn't the greatest). This all takes place for a couple of seconds and then it drives normally. It doesn't do this all the time, but it always happens about a minute after driving, but never first thing in the morning.

I have replaced the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, ignition coil, fuel pump assembly, fuel relay and ASD (fuel shut off) relay. I made a poor attempt at tapping on the cat to see if anything was loose, I should try that again. For what it's worth, my muffler is just starting to go as well. Also, sometimes when it starts up, every once in a while I hear a snapping sound coming from the driver's side of the engine; it sounds like a static shock or metal changing temperature. I have looked for sparking of a bad wire and didn't notice anything.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can tell me what is causing my truck to act this way.

 

Yikes. Those are some nasty noises you're hearing. Sounds pretty serious though. Dumb question, but how's the battery? Sometimes a weak one will cause very strange engine issues. Any codes?

 

The battery is good and the check engine light is not on. There are no codes on the local autoparts supplier's reader. When it was at the garage, they didn't pull any codes either.

 

try replacing the front O2 sensor. It sounds like it's either that or the CAT.

it sounds like you're have problems after open loop warm up (except for the initial start up issues, has that happened recently?).

The only new sensor that gets read after the truck warms up is the oxygen sensor.

 

does the sputtering happen at a certain mph? My cat went bad and my symptoms were I could only go up to 35mph before it would start to rev higher but go slower. it also would sputter as you described and sound like rocks in a cement mixer. My moneys on a bad cat. Sometimes what happens is a fat chunk will clog up the pipe one minute then dislodge the next. It happened to me. If you do replace the cat, get a magnaflow. There great.

 

the sputtering sounds exactly like my truck did when the o2 sensors went bad, but the snapping under the hood sounds like a part of the ignition system is shorting out. or someone stuck a couple zapstraps on your front driveshaft, lol

 

i also agree,, my cat went bad and i had the same sertian issues, go to magnaflow, and get the cat ot replace it. it should work fine. and when you do the cat, do your front o2 sensor, you may get better gas mileage out fo it if anything

 

Thanks for the advise. Sounds like it is time for a new exhaust system; cat, muffler, sensors. I've actually been waiting for an excuse to put on a nice exhaust. I'd ask what people like for exhausts, but I am sure someone will direct me to several threads where that has been beaten to death. But, right now I'm looking at magnaflow, I like a deaper sound but don't want it to be loud. I might even look into doing the "at home" cold air intake for $100.
I hope this fixes my problem, I'm running out of money and things to replace. Thanks again.

 

I have a magnaflow cat 2 into 1 that runs into a Flowmaster 40 series 1 into 2, out to "fake" duals in the back. It has a nice low rumbly sound and isn't too loud.

 

Gimme a holler when your ready to do you home brewed intake. mine cost me around 40 bucks. I'll be more than happy to show you how I did mine. It'll get the ball rollin, give you more ideas. Here are some pics of it. There all the way at the bottom.

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...-intake-5.html