First off, just want to say I am new to the forum, and know little to nothing about vehicles. Would just like to say a precursory thank you to all the folks who help out here.

I have a 2001 Dodge Ram 4x4. 5.2 liter engine, extended cab. Here is my issue. I went to leave work today, and when I went to start the truck, it barely turned over. I waited a minute, put it in neutral, and tried starting it again. It started, but would not stay running unless I kept my foot on the gas pedal, giving it gas. As soon as I took my foot off the gas, it died. No sputtering, just completely stopped. It would then start right up again, but the engine would literally die instantly if I took my foot off the gas pedal. After a short three mile drive home, (in which it once stalled going 40 mph because I took my foot off the accelerator) I made it home. Of course, as soon as I made it home, it sat and idled fine. Tried starting it again 30 minutes later, and while it started right up, I again had the same issue where it would not stay running unless I was giving it gas.

Not sure if this matters, but will just throw out there that it rained all day, and I have had issues in the past with a rough idle when it rains. But it only lasts about 5 minutes, and the engine never died. Had it checked out, and they could not find anything wrong. Thanks for any help or insight.

 

sounds like the fuel pump is letting go....very common problem for our trucks...

but my dad had a 96 4x2 1500 5.2L and after it rained, it would run like trash....the 02 sensor was getting wet...(threw a code)...but never stalled...

do you have a Check Engine Light? If so go to autozone, advance, or where ever and get the code read, they do it for free, and we can go from there.

 

The check engine light has been on for two days, and I was going in to get it checked on Friday. (I only drive it about 5 miles a day right now to and from work.) The issue with the rain has been going on for years though. It was happening when it was still under warranty, over 5 years ago. They could not find anything wrong, but nevertheless replaced the distributor cap, spark plugs and spark plug wires. But it still happens every time it rains. Some more information, not sure if it is relevant or not:

I noticed that it was cranking over slower (just moved from Florida to Ohio) so brought it in to have the battery checked (Advanced Auto). Their test showed the cold cranking amps were under 200. So I purchased a new battery. A month to the day later, truck won't start. Advanced Auto actually comes to my house to jump it. Still won't start. They take the battery, charge it up. It was completely dead. When they did a diagnostic on the battery, it was pulling between an amp and an amp and a half when everything was shut off. He replaced the battery again with a new one, and so far, no problems until today. It was literally fine on the way to work, and white knuckle hell on the way home.

One last thing. And I'm sure this has to have something to do with it. I just made the last payment on it 5 days ago. Long story, lol. But now that it's paid for, all hell is breaking loose.

 

Well, as of now the problem has been fixed. I brought it to my local mechanic. He replaced the idle control solenoid? At least that is what he called it. The check engine light was due to a evap or evac leak? He replaced a hose and said that should do the trick. Just wanted to update as to what the issue (hopefully) is. Runs great now, no check engine light. Although I will reserve judgement on that one as I know he had disconnected the battery.

 

Well, that fix did absolutely nothing. The truck ran fine last night after I picked it up, but was doing the same darn thing this morning. It barely started, and had to give it gas to keep it running. It's going back in today, will keep you updated.

 

Check the battery connections. If they look fine, remove the battery and alternator, take them to autozone or wherever and have them checked.

 

Thanks zman. Terminals look fine. The battery is less than two weeks old. Autozone tested battery and alternator and said it was fine, and the mechanic yesterday did the same, and said the alternator was fine. The thing that gets me is it ran perfectly last night when I picked it up. I even let it sit for a few hours after I got home to let it get cold (I live in Ohio). Went out to start it, and it fired right up, idled fine. But now this morning, nothing. Struggled to start, and once it did start, I had to keep my foot on the gas to keep it running.

 

A scan tool would come in real handy here. Knowing what the computer thinks is going on is probably going to be the key to figuring this one out. There are several sensors that are coming into play here, and if just one of them is lieing to the PCM, you will get some odd symptoms. Need to know what the computer thinks engine temp is, and how that relates to what the ACTUAL engine temp..... Need to know if it is getting reliable signal from both cam, and crank sensors. Etc. Being able to log the data, and take a look at it in a leisurely fashion would make this exercise much easier. Otherwise, best we can do is suggest parts to throw at it, to solve the problem. (which can get expensive, and STILL not fix the problem.....)

 

Update. Apparently when they tested the alternator yesterday, they said it was putting out 13.9 amps, but thought it was fine? Again, I know next to nothing about vehicles. I brought it back in, and it finally exhibited the symptoms to the mechanic. The first thing he said was that it was either the battery or the alternator, as suggested here. I am waiting for a call back from them. If they can not figure it out this time do I bring it to the dealer to have them test it? The main reason I brought it to this mechanic is because they were recommended to me (very new in town). This truck is my only vehicle right now, and they actually pick me up and drop me off while they are working on it.

Thanks for all the input guys. Very much appreciated.

 

This has nothing to do with your stalling problem, but I want to share a simple test that will eliminate 99% of the guesswork in determining the state of a charging system, and tell you whether or not you have a problem with the battery, alternator, both, or neither.

If you do any amount of work on your own vehicles, you need to have a multimeter. They normally measure AC volts (you obviously won't be using that function unless you have an inverter in a vehicle), DC volts, DC amps, Ohms (resistance), and continuity. Any auto parts store or hardware store will have them, starting at $20 or so. A must-have.

I was prompted to write this when you said that you were told that your alternator was putting out 13.9 amps. I'm thinking that maybe you were told it was putting out 13.9 volts, not amps. Most alternators put out anywhere between 60-120 amps, and around 14-14.5 volts.

The simplest way to diagnose your charging system is to simply measure, with the multimeter you just bought, the voltage across the + and - terminals of your battery with the engine off. A healthy, fully-charged battery should read slightly over 12 volts. Now start the engine and take the same reading. If the voltage stays the same, the alternator is not functioning properly. If it goes up to 14 - 14.5 volts, it is.

Another great tester to beg, borrow, or steal is a Midtronics Micro 400 digital battery analyzer. It will electronically load-test a battery to tell you its exact amperage in CCA (Cold Cranking Amps, a much more important figure than its voltage), and also the voltage. It will also test for bad cells, and will instantly tell you if the battery is good and charged, good and needs to be recharged, or bad (internally damaged so no amount of charging will revive it). They're pricey but invaluable. They go for $300-400 new, but I got one on Craigslist in perfect condition for $150. My local NAPA has one, as probably most do by now, and your local auto electric shop probably does too. Takes the guesswork out of battery troubleshooting.

Any tests you do should ideally be done with a fully charged battery. If a battery is very low, it's best not to jump start the vehicle, but rather to charge the battery with a charger, preferably with the cables disconnected so nothing gets fried. Your vehicle's alternator is designed to keep a fully charged battery fully charged, not to charge a dead one. Doing so will put a huge strain on its electrical components, particularly the diodes.

Good luck.