Hey all,

1998 Ram 1500 4x4 Sport. I've had a lot of work done in the last year, including water pump, new radiator, new valve cover gasket, rebuilt transmission, repaired transfer case, to name a few.

With all of those repairs, I still have one problem, and I'm not sure what to make of it.

I live in Colorado, and I frequently take the truck into the mountains. It is a high load on the engine, as there are steep mountain passes to be negotiated, and i drive fairly aggressively (on the engine, not toward other drivers).

After a long trip last weekend, 7 hours down and back, we had been driving the return trip for about 4 hours. The Check Engine light came on and remained on for the rest of the trip. The power was slightly diminshed, but not completely gone. It also came on the next day when started, but after that and since then it has not come on at all. Truck now seems to be running as normal.

I will check the codes, and have not done that yet, but isn't this peculiar behavior? How could the Check Engine light go on but not stay on? What could be responsible for losing some but not all power?

OK, thanks in advance,
Jim

 

Check the codes , could be the dreaded plenum or plugged cat

 

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...c-display.html if you didnt know already how to get the codes or autozone will read them for free.

 

If you're going up and down, the change in pressure could trigger an EVAP code.

 

Codes could be erased if the computer decides they are resolved. For some codes, it can take only a couple trips before the computer decides the problem is gone and the code is erased. Other codes, like a misfire for example, can take as many as forty problem-free trips before the code is erased.

 

going up and down elevations it will mess with the air/fuel ratio, and it could set off a CEL...my dads 96 ram did it every time we went camping to our spot, and we have to go up pretty high in elevation....and it does the same thing yours does...power loss etc...but then comes out of it....honestly i wouldnt worry about it..

 

I dont know, but isnt the computer spose to sense elevation change (air/fuel mixture) and compemsate and adjust for the timing??

 

not if its a drastic change...if you go to the top, shut it down then start so the comp can learn it, then it will probably be different...but from working in a garage ive learned alot obviously...and i was tought about elevations, and ratios....our PCMS are very touchy, so it might not detect it right off, and if you go higher its changing more, and the pcm cant keep up so it throws the CEL

 

^ It could have also been something like the sensors being slow to keep up with the changing elevation.

 

exacally what i was trying to imply