Hello everyone,

I've got a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 ext. cab 4x4 (5.2) that has absolutely no power. It kinda of reminds of that buddy we all had that dropped a Holley 850 onto his bone stock 305 back in the 80's...lol...it bogs out horribly. To use another example, it almost feels as if I'm in 3rd gear coming out of the hole.

I've had 3 different mechanics look at it (it throws no codes), and none can find anything wrong. This is what I've done so far:

1) Compression, vacuum, and fuel pressure checked. All within spec.
2) Replaced IAC and TPS. No difference.
3) Replaced fuel pump assembly (because darn brake line rusted out....grrr...and I had to drop the tank anyway). No difference.
4) Cleaned out air intake. No difference.
5) Changed spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor. No difference.
6) Had distributor removed and reset to factory specs. No difference.
7) Replaced timing chain and gears (chain had 1/4 inch play). No difference.
8) Replaced cat converter. No difference.
9) Replaced both O2 sensors. No difference.

Darn truck gets about 10mpg completely empty with the cruise control set to 52 on the highway (tested it by filling up before a 50 mile trip, and then filling up again at destination)

The truck starts RIGHT up every morning and never stalls. Throttle response in PARK is instant and powerful (sounding) but not in DRIVE. The engine has either a VERY slight miss or stutter (I can feel a little shake in the steering wheel) when idling.

Other info that may or may not be important:

(1) At highway speeds (I cruise around 50-55...yeah...I'm that guy you hate! =p), I have to stomp the pedal to the floor TWICE to get it to finallly downshift...and when it finally DOES downshift it almost immediately upshifts again.

(2) Once in a while, for no apparent reason, it gets up and goes (and surprises the heck outta me!).

(3) I bought this truck a few years back and it ran like a raped ape...and then...one day....it didn't...lol. It didn't seem to gradually lose performance. It just went from fine to not so fine to horrible in a day or two.

Any ideas? I'd be happy to go through them one by one, if by any chance, I'll find the problem!

Thanks everyone!

 

does it go thru oil?

 

Any transmission work done? What about the rear brakes?

 

Very slowly...less than a half quart inbetween changes or so...

 

No work done on the trans except fluid/filter change.

The rear brakes, hardware, wheel cylinders, and (of course) steel brake lines are all new.

 

search for plenum leak and check that out

 

plenum would be my guess too, and check for the death flash sticker. on the left side of the engine bay against the firewall if yoour at the front of the truck. itll have a stick that says blah blah blah dealer service or something similar. or if its an 01 it has it stock. but since you said it just randomly lost power one day, im not gunna say that is it. but check anyway and get a 3715/3815 off CL/ebay for cheap and 86 that ****.

 

death flash

 

Will check for death flash sticker (I had heard about that issue, but was unclear how to check for it..ty!)

Is there an easy way to check for plenum leak?

 

Not sure if you tried this but I had the same symptoms on my 98 Saturn with the exception that my car also pinged like heck. Now with detonation it is either bad fuel or timing too far advanced. I deduced/guessed (since like you there are no codes) that the coolant sensor was telling the computor that the engine was cold (verified by the gauge only moving 25% up the dial) and thus never going out of the cold start loop.
After changing the coolant sensor the pinging immediately vanished and the consumption went from 35 mpg to 48.