ok my truck still hesitates to move and backfires almost everyday on start up from sitting all night or when i park it at work then when i start the truck to go home it does it also.Like others i changed the tps it did nothing.had the fuel pressure checked its fine.whent and asked a
mechanic and the guy tells me it sounds like i have water in my gas tank and to use dry gas whats up with that?why does this guy think theres water in my tank?anyway I stoped at another shop just to ask what they think since they charge to much and i cant afford it right now and they tell me it sounds like it could be the coolant sensor.how do i check the coolant sensor to see if its bad.and if it is where do i get one at advanced or the dealer?i really dont want to just buy parts and replace then unless I know there bad and im not a mechanic but i can turn a wrench.also was told it was the pcv valve i put a new one on and that did nothing .anyway need a little help on this one thanks

 

Could actually be something as easy as spark plugs. Once the cylinders warm up it runs fine. Replace with cheap factory Champion Plugs and gap to .040

 

There should be a way to check coolant sensor (but I don't think that's the issue). Look at FSM and see if it lists a way to test it. I agree with not just throwing parts at it.

 

I did change the plugs but I put the same brand plugs back in but there.the new ones i bought were champs.maybe ill change them again i changed them last fall but i only put 9k on the truck since then.anyone have a clue to why this guy thinks its water in the tank?he told me to go buy some dry gas lol.

 

On the newer trucks, if your temp gauge is reading some semblance of accurate, then so is the ECT. The PCM takes its cue from the ECT, to suggest to the CTM, that tells the IC.... what to display.

Now, is that convoluted or what? Did I use enough acronyms?

Dodge made these things a LOT more complicated than they really needed to be.....

 

ok well today my idle went up and down and ran real ruff like the truck was going to stall it only does this when the trucks cold i have to warm the truck up even though its 90 outside.it will go up to 11 on the tach then down to 2 back and forth untill the trucks warmed up.does this sound like the IAC at all?ill go buy one if it is but dont wanna waste the money if it wont fix the problem.how do i test the IAC?stupid truck is driving me crazy.thanks

 

Unplug it, start the truck. If your idle is still bizarre, it's not the IAC.

Sounds like a bad vacuum leak though.... (of course, the IAC can simulate that real well...)

 

ok I may test it today if i get a chance . so if i unplug the Iac and its bad I wont get the low and high idol it will be normal..if the iac is bad when i get the new one all i do is disconect the battery put the new iac on put the battery cable back on and thats it?just wondering dont want to do it wrong.im going to check the hoses for vacuum leaks too.

 

With the IAC disconnected, the engine will idle wherever the current IAC has it idling it, and it will not change. (unless TPS is bad, in which case, it may still be unstable.)

Changing it out is as easy as you describe.