My 2001 ram 1500 5.9 has a really rough time idling when it’s cold. I start it and it needs me to make it idle, it occasionally jumps up 500 more rpms than what applying. Then once it’s back to a comfortable idle if you abruptly let off the gas at all it’ll just stall. The gas pedal has also stuck twice, I put wd40 on the throttle body, the little arm on the outside of the throttle body that the cables connect to, the cables, and even the pedal itself. It’s been essentially sitting for 10 years besides the last three or so months I’ve put about 400 miles on it, but when I first got it when you’d give it everything it got in drive it wouldn’t rev over around 2.5k in gear but it would do fine in park. I also think there’s something lose with my differential in the rear, whenever I tap the gas or let off of it I just feel something move really roughly. Thank you for reading

 

Sounds like the idle air controller in the back of the throttle body needs to be removed and cleaned, along with the well in the throttle body itself. They have a tendency to accumulate carbon in that area and cause the symptoms you are experiencing. Two screws hold the IAC in-place in the back of the throttle body. Once that's done, operate the throttle manually to ensure that it's moving smoothly. If not, clean up the inside and outside of the throttle body with carb cleaner. Then, spray some light lubricant (I use CRC silicone spray) on the throttle arm spring area and cable connections.

 

could the throttle sticking be part of that too?

 

Yes, that is what "throttle sticking" is. When was the last time you cleaned it?

 

i havent, I just sprayed it down with wd40, and I was meaning could all of my issues be caused by this?

 

If you haven't cleaned the idle air controller and/or the throttle body before, that's where I'd suggest that you start. You could have an issue with the throttle cable itself (typically rare, but not unheard of), but I'd start with the throttle body, since its not been cleaned in recent memory.

 

i haven’t had the truck in my possession until these last three or so months, I know next to nothing about it but i am absolutely positive it hasn’t been cleaned within the last 10-15 years. But ill most likely do it Monday when I get a chance and I’ll keep you updated on it, any tips about cleaning it?

 

I hope you replaced the cap/rotor and plugs after sitting for 10 years.

 

And flushed the fuel system.

Disconnect the battery, take the throttle body off the engine, (gasket is like 2 bucks.) thoroughly clean it, and make sure the throttle moves freely, reinstall, hook battery back up, turn key to On, (not start) count to ten, (don't touch anything) THEN start the engine. PCM should figure out idle fairly quickly.

You have more than one problem going on there. I think my first question would be, WHY was it parked for 10 years........

 

the dude that owned it couldn’t see too well and his wife was scared of a vehicle this big. (she was driving a 2000 something Subaru Legacy) and okay thank you for the information