Up and running after 18 months.
#1
04-03-2017, 09:54 PM
Up and running after 18 months.
96 1500 club cab, 5.2 4WD up and running after 18 months of sitting. This forum has helped tremendously and thought feedback could help someone else. I have 107,000 miles on this truck and am original owner.
About 18 months ago I ran into trouble many of you shared. Truck died. No check engine light at first. Later check engine light came on and if I could get it to start there was little power. Had to be towed to a shop.
CATALYTIC CONVERTER O2 SENSORS
Ran compression test - fine. Fuel pump test good. Checked Catalytic converter. Was bad. Replaced that and had them throw in two bosch oxygen sensors, transmission adjustment and fluid change. Picked it up, drove it home and got to my street and it died OCT 2015. Let it cool down and got it down the street, was out of money and it sat.
CAMSHAFT SENSOR, BATTERY
Picked up an OBDM II and started trying to figure things out. Was getting codes for the O2 front side and the camshaft/crankshaft sensors. Turned out the front end Bosch was not the right length but the shop did not tell me that. The OBDM and code told me it was the front sensor that was throwing the code. I researched the forum and saw the posts about the O2 sensors. I got a new Mopar last fall for the front side and that took care of that code. The backside is still Bosch. I also had the battery tested and it was not so strong anymore. New battery. Cleared codes and would run pretty good and then after some time running start to sputter and die. Started throwing the codes for cam/crank sensor after running for a while.... 1390 I think it was or 1391....i should have written it down.
Had a hell of a time finding that camshaft sensor and got one of those. This is the circular ring that sits under the distributor cap. They go bad in lots of vehicles and often. I also picked up a crankshaft sensor and a TPS (None of these were MOPAR and in hindsight would have spent the extra money although not having problems). I also picked up a new distributor cap and rotor (plugs and wires had been done not long before it died and I had asked for a new cap and rotor but they had not done it). Hurt my back late last fall and still in rehab for that. Saved my pennies.
Decided to take it back to the shop a week ago. And decided to drive it there. The codes had been cleared. Was a 15 mile ride and oddly no check engine light and drove rather well. Had them put in the TPS, camshaft and crankshaft sensors, change the distributor cap and rotor. Also had the valve cover gaskets replaced and had them inspect inside there and the plenum which looks fine at this point they said.
HEAT
Picked it up Friday. Drove home just fine and even my heater was working which had been a problem since I put on a new water pump not long before the truck crapped out. Got home and parked it in the driveway, Next day drove it and was getting quite warm, no heat and gurgling sounds....clearly air in there which had been problematic since putting in the new water pump also shortly before it died.
So I picked up two bottles of Prestone Radiator Flush and fed them through the reserve tank. My driveway has a nice incline and was able to add both of those and almost a gallon of distilled water over a number of short trips until the thermostat opened up. Did not take long for it to not get too warm. And when I parked in the driveway was getting good air bubbles into the reserve tank. Heat is now much better but not like it was back in the day. Goes up to about 210ish and then cools down and vascillates between 160 and 200. Running pretty. Thinking there was either gook on the thermostat or possible air at the thermostat, probably latter. Got an oil/filter change yesterday. Then the truck seemed to sputter almost like it was going to stall but the gas was very low and old. Threw 20 gallons of premium and a fuel injection cleaner treatment in there. Running just fine now for the most part but at times seems to be missing on one of the plugs or perhaps timing is off.
On Weds will carefully backflush the heater core (Note: Also had some water problems in the cabin some time ago and pulled out seats except for driver and removed headliner and the carpet needs to be replaced and with everything out thinking may want to think about the evap and the heater core a bit down the road and have one rocker panel that needs to be replaced but gonna try a flush on the core and then if it goes it wont be as bad with that dash being dealt with), and flush the cooling system.
Where things are now. Picked up a new thermostat, housing and gasket to do later. The differential needs to be rebuilt which is next on the list for sure. Will start researching that shortly.
Am all ears for any advice at this point. and hope this can help someone out. And thanks to all of you who provide and immense service to the rest of us. :-)
About 18 months ago I ran into trouble many of you shared. Truck died. No check engine light at first. Later check engine light came on and if I could get it to start there was little power. Had to be towed to a shop.
CATALYTIC CONVERTER O2 SENSORS
Ran compression test - fine. Fuel pump test good. Checked Catalytic converter. Was bad. Replaced that and had them throw in two bosch oxygen sensors, transmission adjustment and fluid change. Picked it up, drove it home and got to my street and it died OCT 2015. Let it cool down and got it down the street, was out of money and it sat.
CAMSHAFT SENSOR, BATTERY
Picked up an OBDM II and started trying to figure things out. Was getting codes for the O2 front side and the camshaft/crankshaft sensors. Turned out the front end Bosch was not the right length but the shop did not tell me that. The OBDM and code told me it was the front sensor that was throwing the code. I researched the forum and saw the posts about the O2 sensors. I got a new Mopar last fall for the front side and that took care of that code. The backside is still Bosch. I also had the battery tested and it was not so strong anymore. New battery. Cleared codes and would run pretty good and then after some time running start to sputter and die. Started throwing the codes for cam/crank sensor after running for a while.... 1390 I think it was or 1391....i should have written it down.
Had a hell of a time finding that camshaft sensor and got one of those. This is the circular ring that sits under the distributor cap. They go bad in lots of vehicles and often. I also picked up a crankshaft sensor and a TPS (None of these were MOPAR and in hindsight would have spent the extra money although not having problems). I also picked up a new distributor cap and rotor (plugs and wires had been done not long before it died and I had asked for a new cap and rotor but they had not done it). Hurt my back late last fall and still in rehab for that. Saved my pennies.
Decided to take it back to the shop a week ago. And decided to drive it there. The codes had been cleared. Was a 15 mile ride and oddly no check engine light and drove rather well. Had them put in the TPS, camshaft and crankshaft sensors, change the distributor cap and rotor. Also had the valve cover gaskets replaced and had them inspect inside there and the plenum which looks fine at this point they said.
HEAT
Picked it up Friday. Drove home just fine and even my heater was working which had been a problem since I put on a new water pump not long before the truck crapped out. Got home and parked it in the driveway, Next day drove it and was getting quite warm, no heat and gurgling sounds....clearly air in there which had been problematic since putting in the new water pump also shortly before it died.
So I picked up two bottles of Prestone Radiator Flush and fed them through the reserve tank. My driveway has a nice incline and was able to add both of those and almost a gallon of distilled water over a number of short trips until the thermostat opened up. Did not take long for it to not get too warm. And when I parked in the driveway was getting good air bubbles into the reserve tank. Heat is now much better but not like it was back in the day. Goes up to about 210ish and then cools down and vascillates between 160 and 200. Running pretty. Thinking there was either gook on the thermostat or possible air at the thermostat, probably latter. Got an oil/filter change yesterday. Then the truck seemed to sputter almost like it was going to stall but the gas was very low and old. Threw 20 gallons of premium and a fuel injection cleaner treatment in there. Running just fine now for the most part but at times seems to be missing on one of the plugs or perhaps timing is off.
On Weds will carefully backflush the heater core (Note: Also had some water problems in the cabin some time ago and pulled out seats except for driver and removed headliner and the carpet needs to be replaced and with everything out thinking may want to think about the evap and the heater core a bit down the road and have one rocker panel that needs to be replaced but gonna try a flush on the core and then if it goes it wont be as bad with that dash being dealt with), and flush the cooling system.
Where things are now. Picked up a new thermostat, housing and gasket to do later. The differential needs to be rebuilt which is next on the list for sure. Will start researching that shortly.
Am all ears for any advice at this point. and hope this can help someone out. And thanks to all of you who provide and immense service to the rest of us. :-)
