Long story short, I just picked up a 99 dodge ram 1500 4x4. 5.9 auto with 84000 miles. Friend has a car dealership and repo'd the truck. Truck has some light front end and passenger fender and door damage. Nothing too terrible. I plan on using as a plow/mower truck. (Have a 12v cummins dd). I go to the tow yard where the truck is as I thought I could possibly drive it out. We were there for probably 10 minutes before the driver got a call, he had to go and it was after hours. I had the hood up and the first thing I noticed was that the computer was unplugged and off the firewall. Plugged it in, hooked the battery up and went to put fuel in, no filler neck. Got the boot from the yard at that point. Took the rollback over the next day and picked it up. Got back to the shop, turned it over and it cranked but no fire. Ran a hose to the tank and put in 5 gallons of fresh gas. Cranked about 15 seconds and hit. Next turn it started, but is running rough and needed fuel to keep idling. 30 seconds later its idling but running rough. Missing bad and not throwing any codes. Changed the cap, rotor,plugs,wires. Started better to run like crap. Backfiring, sucking air. Changed the crank sensor and checked the cat. Still nothing. It's almost as if the truck is out of time..... Surely, with 84k the timing chain hasn't jumped??? Truck also has an aftermarket tranny cooler at 84k???? Truck sat for a year. Any help or advice as to where to go from here before I start throwing money at parts? Wonder if the 84k is accurate? Buddy says he sold it with 80k actual mileage on it. Guy wrecked it, collected insurance money and parked it. Can be a real nice truck if it will run. Also, tank was bone dry when fuel was added. Fuel pressure is reading at 49-52. Thanks in advance

 

Could be a problem with the idle air control valve at the back of the throttle body. Might wanna clean the whole throttle body and the passage where the IAC sits before replacing it too. Check for cracked/missing vacuum lines and missing air cleaner or throttle body gasket if you're hearing a sucking sound.

How'd ya check the cat?

 

Take the throttle body off and celan everything really well. Be gentle with the iac.

While thats off take a look into the intake and see if ou have a plenum issue yet. Check the sticky for more info. If you, and since you have to tear into the engine to fixx it, put a double roller timing chain on it while youre at it.

I really doubt timing is off unless it has been really screwed with, the cahins stretch easy, i bet yours is already stretched at 84k. But ive never heard of one jumping

Of course, stranger things have happened.....

 

I appreciate the info and advice. I did as much as I could with google and the searchbar on this truck with a lot of the symptoms pointing to the IAC. I am going to take off the throttle body and clean everything as best I can and then probably seafoam it. If it were the IAC or plenum, can those go bad from sitting? Wouldn't the truck run fine at times? This truck hasn't idled normal and wont get above 30 mph after the tune and crank sensor were replaced. I figured if it were a vacuum leak, it would still run 55 if it had to. I hit it with ether while it was idling and couldn't really hear an uptick in the motor. Anyone think the seafoam idea is a no no? Thanks again for the help guys

 

If you can't get it above 30 mph, I would really suspect a plugged up cat. You can sorta test this by removing the front O2 sensor from the exhaust, and see if it runs any better.

 

Checked the cat, removed the o2 sensor and nothing, then for peace of mind the sawzall came out. Removed cat completely and still no change. Just ran rough and loud haha. Its back in its proper place now. TB&IAC clean is next on my list, what about cam sensor? If that is bad, would I see signs of it being out of time?Maybe computer? Still plan on seafoam, I appreciate the help and any more advice I can get.

 

Are you getting any codes?

 

Clutch fan relay and gas cap codes after the tune up. Had multiple misfire code before the tune up. Would the IAC or cam sensor throw a code?

 

Clutch fan relay? Seriously? That's a bizarre one..... considering there is nothing electronic about that at all on these trucks.......

PCM will throw codes for the IAC if it discovers that it can't control idle with it. I am not sure what criteria it uses for the cam sensor.... but, that is just a hall effect switch, that changes state one per engine revolution. (tells the PCM what cylinder it should be firing the injector for.) Check the connector for it at any rate....

 

Got her figured out last night. I had a buddy drive his 99 Durango over last night. My truck does not have security or keyless entry, his does. Just for kicks, we took his computer and plugged it into the ram. Cranked, and hit, purred like a kitten for 5 seconds, shut down. Turned it back over and same thing. 3rd time it wouldn't hit. Went to his shop and found a 5.2 Dakota computer that had a miss on one cylinder. Plugged it in, and granted it had a miss on one cylinder, ran like a champ. I take it my prob is solved. Thanks for the help guys. I think I'm falling in love with this little thing. I can tell once the new comp goes in, it will be a torquey truck. It handles great too, nice turn radius. I think itll be a fun dd/toy. Thanks guys!