ok my buddy has a 96 1500 2wd 5.2 auto 8ft bed 118K

recently the truck started dying out. GEN light came on, so i told him battery or alternator....he replaced both, and has the same problem....

he can get it running, but has to keep on the gas. Volts are at 14, oil psi is fine.

i figured fuel pump, but it doesnt die if you keep on the gas.

clogged cat?

 

IAC maybe?

 

its possible...its hard, hes my best friend, known him for 18 years (since i was 4) and moved from Maine to mass 2 years ago...he still lives up there, and i do the work on his truck when i visit, but i cant get up there right now....he is the furthest thing away from a mechanic so he has no idea what and where the IAC is located...and its hard to do it over the phone...


i know the plenum is bad to where he had oil on his air filter, hense why i think its the cat. but after many thread reads ive done on this site it does seem to be the IAC....crap....

 

probably IAC. easy to replace, its on the rear of the throttle body. one electrical connector and 2 #25 torx. don't forget the o-ring. about $40-50 at any parts store.

very important - use a small screwdriver or probe to check that the port is open into the tb and not clogged up. clean with screwdriver and/or carb cleaner spray. if this is clogged up, you may be able to clean it and reinstall the original IAC. DONT lose the carb spray straw down in the TB.

if you're right handed its easier to do from the drivers side with a small stepladder and i think? you don't have to remove the air cleaner.

 

ok he called me to say that he took the new battery out, cleaned the terminals from the battery acid fom old battery, and he said it fired right up without problems....now what i want to know is can dirty terminals cause this? i dont want him to go somewhere and have it happen again

 

When HankL speaks, be quiet and listen!

 

yes, dirty terminals can prevent voltage and amp flow.
low voltage really f***s up the pcm's reference signals to all the sensors, including IAC, causing it to stumble and stall and run like crap.

this is a common problem thoughout the ram, dakota, and durango sections.

 

ok now its making a knocking type sound/exhaust leak type sound....said it stills runs fine, he took it to the store with no power issues.

he said oil psi was at 40, volts above 14, and he said the sound is comming from the belt area, and then it came out of it and no sound....would IAC do this?

 

no. IAC only makes whistling/sucking noises.

 

i could hear over the phone it was lke "pffft pfft pfft" if you understand at all lol