Greetings everyone, I'm looking for some help with my new old truck, a 2001 Ram 1500 Sport 4X4 with the 5.9L and 153,000 miles on it. (Yea, it's a lot, I know.) Just tuned it up with new plugs, wires, cap & rotor, new air filter and PCV valve, currently running some fuel system cleaner through it, but haven't used much of the tank yet.

Anyway, it has a hesitation every once in a while. I haven't driven it enough to find a pattern yet, but every now and then, it gives a couple little chugs and keeps on going. I pulled the codes off it and nothing came up. Any thoughts on what to check or any other maintenance to perform? Especially if it's something I can easily and inexpensively do myself.

Thanks!

 

Try taking the throttlebody and clean it up real good along with all the sesors. They may be gummed up or have corrosion.

 

I had a hesitation while under a slight load or coming up hill. Almost like a shudder..... I cleaned all the sensors, and made sure the throttle body was clean and just drove it. Well, monday it just died on me while accelerating after a stoplight. It would turn over, but not fire. Looks like its the fuel pump. May not be your case at all, but something to think about. If you can have the fuel pressure tested to make sure its good and consistant.

 

I think I have some carb cleaner lying around in the shed. I'll give that a try first. The whole truck was dusty-dirty. Even the oil was pretty filthy and the air filter was disgusting. If the carb cleaner doesn't work, I'll let the shop take a look at the fuel system. I really, really hope that isn't the problem as it sounds expensive. Have to take it in on Friday to get toys added anyway (hard toneau, running board, tow package) so it'll be a good time to have them look at it.

Thanks for the responses so far, and any other suggestions are still welcome.

 

Update: Tried cleaning the TB, wasn't very dirty, the fuel system cleaner has already gone through the system, and the tune up is done. Didn't fix anything.

Now, I'm not sure if it's a hesitation or a surge. Sometimes it seems to do it while shifting (automatic) but also does it at highway speeds just cruising along. I did have the transmission serviced after finding out the seal was broken and air was getting into the fluid making it froth. Thought that might do some good, but so far it hasn't. It does it cold or hot with no determinable pattern. I'm not even sure what to tell a mechanic because it's hard to tell exactly what it's doing. I'm also not sure where all the sensors are to do any other cleaning. I haven't worked on any cars newer than 1985 - these new engines intimidate me.

 

first 150,000 miles isnt alot. the motor is just breaking in. you can get a good 300,000 more out of it if you take good care of it. did it do this before you changes the wires? maybe one is moving and causing a pistion to miss. mine was doing that. turned. out the spark plug broke in the wrench and i didnt notice. or it could be missing some other way. it also could just be water in the gas. I would run it down and refil it at a good gas station like BP. it could also be the fuel filter. hope that helps.

 

It had this problem before the plugs, wires, cap and rotor were changed. I've ran about 4 tanks of good gas in it since I bought it and only fuel up at a real gas station. I avoid ARCO like it's the plague. It's had a small miss at idle since I bought it and the hesitation/surge issue showed up on the way home.

I'm not very concerned about the mileage on the engine, more like the tranny. This little bit of trouble I'm having now is just driving me crazy. My vehicles have to be in perfect running condition mechanically or I just don't feel whole. [sm=smiley33.gif] I guess I'll have to break down and take it in. Although, I won't have time for a couple weeks.

 

fuel filter??

 

this points to a noisy TPS, when cruising on the hiway and your motor surges 200~300 rpms off and on, your tps signal is not steady and your PCM is locking and unlocking the torque converter.

Another thing to look at is the fuse for the heaters on the O2 sensors and the relays and wiring for them. I had a huge intermittant miss a while back that was traced down to a shorted o2 sensor wire (white one if I remember correctly), which blew the o2 heater fuse.

have a look and let us know what you find...