i have a 01 ram 1500 sport with the 360 im having an issue with it surging power it lags *** and boom powers back then it goes away again it tries to die coming to lights and rpms surge lightly the downstream o2 is bad but it just started doing this yesterday i was wondering if anyone has had this issue or how to fix it the truck was running fine till i changed out the cd player i dont think thst would hsve n e thing to do with it......

 

Fuel presure , vac leaks , ck basics . First

 

I had the exact same symptoms, changed both o2 sensors, problem solved.

 

Given that it started with futzing about with electricals, reset the PCM first. Disconnect the negative battery cable, let it sit like that for a good while (ten or more minutes just to be on the safe side) and then hook it back up. Immediately afterward, do an OBDII drive cycle. The web's full of references to what that entails so I'll leave it to you to search 'em out.

If the upstream (ahead of the catalytic converter) oxygen sensor is known to be faulty or has more than 80,000 miles on it, replace that, then do the drive cycle. (The reset should happen because you're a smart mechanic who disconnects the battery before doing anything at all.)

 

Downstream O2 sensor is bad and you added CD player.......

Yep. It's all jacked up. OK, first, how do you kno the rear O2 sensor is bad?

Disconnect what you connected on the CD player and see if anything clears up.

If a problem shows up when working on a vehicle, undo whatever you did to see if it caused a problem.....it may save you trouble when things occur for what appears to be no reason.

 

You did not know the Factory Radio controls the signal of the 02 sensor you did not know that huh? LOL

 

My o2 sensor is the original and has 228k..and i have aftermarket radio...mine doesnt have your problem....i say that because it could be something else....

Try unscrewing the precat o2 and run it ...see if that helps...you might have a piece broken inside the cat and when you give it gas its moving a piece around due to the pressure making it so the air flow is blocked one minute then the piece moves and gets unclogged.....

Thinking out loud...but it could be your problem

 

It happened to me before...i was on the highway and all of the sudden my truck sounded like a four cylinder and bogged right out because a piece got wedged into the pipe blocking my air flow...had to gut the cat because when i cut the exhaust to see inside the internals of the cat were all broken apart and i had no warning that the cat was going bad

 

Unless one ties radio to the O2 circuit.....

I am not able to tell that a specific O2 sensor is bad...unless I break it off trying to pull it out or use a computer to tell me....but I am just a rookie wrench turner....lol....

So...alljacked up, how do you know downestream O2 is bad? Upstream O2 would be more likely to cuase problems. How is you plenum gasket? That would do it also as well as cause O2 sensor issue as well as clogged cat.

 

ok i went to the parts store today and noticed that the truck was sucking threw gas and had the idot light scaned the upstream and downstream o2 were bad i think that may be my problem but thanks everyone for the help i really appriciate it but i will look over everything you guys mentioned