I've done a bit of searching, and while I find some somewhat similar problems described, none seem to fit exactly what my truck is doing.

last time the truck drove normal was this past saturday. drove it about 100 miles towing a horse trailer (just a 2 horse with only 1 horse in it). drove just fine etc...
sunday morning I get in the truck and start it (engine "cold" at this point) and it took a little bit longer than usual to crank, but did start. but ran really rough, ...
it would idle ok but as soon as you touched the gas pedal...that's when the sputtering, popping noises (sounded like internal engine "pops") and occasional stalling would occur.
once I fought with it to get the engine up to the "normal" temp range...all problems disappear and it drives and runs perfectly smooth and normal.

It has done this every day since then.
I finally made an appointment at a local garage for next week to have it looked at, but does anyone have an idea what they might find, or something I can fix myself?

also,..problem does not seem related to how damp it is outside..problem is there whether we've had rain or not.

I can try to check the codes with the key and cel light and let you know what it shows...
thanks

 

did the key trick and chk eng light
got a "1 2"
(followed by 5 5)
repeated it and got the same thing so I think I read it right.

have I given enough info to narrow the problem down much?
thanks

oh, also- whatever the problem is, it hasn't set off the check engine light...although that would be redundant at this point..pretty hard to miss that there is a problem of some sort

 

If I am reading this correctly....... the 12 is camshaft position sensor Over-Retarded Bank1

55 is HO2S Heater Resistance Bank1 Sens3

Not entirely sure what 12 is all about, but the 55 is just saying the heater circuit on that O2 sensor isn't what it should be.

The O2 sensor won't cause the problem you are seeing, as it doesn't do anything until the engine warms up. Cam sensor though...... there is a possibility.

 

thanks for the reply.
I thought I read somewhere (and of course now I can't find it again) that the "55" was the signal that no more codes were to follow?

any idea where I might find the cam position sensor? and since it runs smooth once up to temp (no hesitation or other problems whatsoever) perhaps it's just the sensor that needs replaced as it is giving off faulty info that the computer is trying to compensate for??

 

Not entirely sure on the codes..... I am much more familiar with GM systems, so, real possibility I am wrong there.

Cam sensor is in the distributor. Trying to find diagnostic charts for codes in the 01 service manual is proving difficult....... That could have been laid out MUCH better than it is....

 

well, for future reference for anyone searching the posts for this kind of thing.

the garage replaced the coolant temp sensor and the truck (so far) runs fine once again.

they must have diagnostic tools that show more than the simple engine codes because nothing showed up for coolant sensor when I did the key/check engine light thing.

hope this helps someone down the road sometime

 

wow, that was a quick fix!!.

If you need to change the cam position sensor, it is about a 36 dollar part on Rockauto.com and it is easy to change.

Just like doing a tuneup. you take off the cap, then out the sensor in the distributor. It is a disc type thing. Oh, you need to take the rotor off as well.

Easy, it is just in a tight place.

So, if you have any reservations, you can just go ahead and change that part too.

--Dan