I am sure this has been talked about in the past but I have been searching for and hour or so and found something but not my exact scenario.

When driving around town and letting off the gas to slow down for any reason my truck will die (not all the time). It seems to get worse if I am in stop and go traffic. I was thinking TPS (throttle postioning sensor) but I want to see if anyone else has any ideas. I have checked for intake and air filter leaks and have none I can find.

Specs:
1997 Dodge Ram 1500 2wd
5.2 L
Auto trans.

Not sure if you need to know anything else....

Thanks
Brad

 

It could also be your idle air control (IAC) motor. This is usually mounted on the back of the throttle body (not sure on the Rams, however). The name explains it all. The motor moves a pintle in and out of an airway on the throttle body, allowing more or less air thru to control the idle speed.
You can try taking this out (usually held in by two bolts). Clean if needed. Than, with it out, have a friend/wife/kid/etc. turn the key ON (do NOT start the motor!!). i believe the pintle should move.
For the TPS, test the voltage. There should be a steady 5 volts going to it. At idle (butterflys closed), output voltage should be more than 200 millivolts. At WOT, voltage should be less than 4.8 volts. Voltage transition should be smooth. Also, make sure you connect the ground of your multimeter (or voltmeter) to the ground wire of the TPS connector (otherwise, you have no idea if the ground for it is any good).

 

yank the TB and pull the IAC valve off and clean it and all of the TB really good. it is a comon problem and cleanng the tb fixes it. IIRC, there is also a very small air passage that can get plugged, also causing problems with the idle.

while your in there, look down the intake at the bottom and see if there is any oil pooling in any spot on the bottom of the intake. if there is, you have a leaky plenum gasket and it should be fixed. causes pinging, poor mileage and oil loss...

 

My '97 5.9 was doing the same thing, dirty IAC pindle. Clean it and the hole it fits into really good, easier if you pull th TB. I wouldn't turn the key on with it out, it has a motor with a screw to adjust the pindle according to motor load at idle, screws that sucker right off if it isn't installed. Been there done that.

 

i should say that it is 100% the IAC, my friends did the same thing, new IAC= good as new!!

 

I say IAC too

 

you guys are awesome...that is exactly what it was...the IAC. I pulled off the TB and it was all gunked up so I cleaned it all especially the IAC and it runs perfect now...Thanks again guys.

 

I was having the same issue with my 03 Durango. I printed this up and gave it to my husband. It was indeed My Nelly's problem. She purrs now. Thank you guys so much.

 

Holy old thread Batman, said young Robin.
LOL.

 

Glad the old thread helped you out MyNelly. Welcome to DF.