well i had this problem last year and i replaced the ignition coil and haven't had any problems til now again. i replaced the ignition coil again they said the old one was bad. i have problems keeping it starting without pressing the accelerator. it won't start with reving it. i just got it to idle about 500 rpms but it sounds like it wants to die. it revs up and down. i'm going to get the coil checked again what else could it be. i replaced the idle air control valve also last year. i've probably put on only 5000 miles. would a coolant temp sensor cause this.

 

Its possible the temp sensor could cause it. First check and maybe clean the connections on the temp sensor. Could also clean the IAC carefully without moving it in and out and clean the port it goes into.

 

Yes a cooland temp sensor could cause this. I had the cooland temp sensor come unplugged on my 3.9l dakota and it did exactly as you described. The rpms would fluctuate a lot while it idled, and the only way to start it was to step on the gas.

 

Wouldn't he have a CEL?

 

would i get a check engine light with either of them

 

where's the coolant and temp sensors located

 

IIRC it is to the left of the thermostat housing. it has a 2-pin plug i think white.

 

i replaced about 3 or 4 IAC's because of cold idle surge going up/down from 500-1500 rpm's. most of the new ones would work sort of normal for a day or a week and then start surging again.

it turned out to be a bad throttle position sensor TPS and not the IAC at all. i had no CEL for a long time, and then one day got a P0123 out of the blue. so i changed the TPS and it fixed the SOB.

it might be a temp sensor, but i doubt it.