2003 ram 1500 2wd hemi 5.7.
I think I may have damaged the throttle body stepper motor or drive mechanism by being too darn inquisative.
I pushed the throttle butterfly against its stepper motor , maybe a bit too hard and may have done some damage.
I have a slight "stutter" at random revs but mainly in the lower range from idle to 2k-rpm, sometimes when decelerating, sometimes when under light acceleration. Feels like a "missfiring plug" and is random. Some days it doesn't do it at all.
Did I F@*& something up ?

 

Go to this site, link---http://www.hemitruckclub.com/ and download a copy of the FSM for your truck. The only ay to really know if you did something to it is to run through the diagnostics for the TB. I know it may be complicated, but unless you want to run it into a dealer to have it checked out, I believe this is the only option.

Has the truck thrown any codes yet??? This is usually the first thing to indicate a problem

 

i thought someone had mentioned you can reset/calibrate your TB??? i remember something along time lines of "before putting the key in push the gas pedal all the way down and then insert the key and turn it to the on position (don't start it) then turn the key back off and start the truck normal...

 

I kinda remember that thread too, but did a search and found nothing. I looked in the FSM and nothing about it there either. Basically it just said if the TB is replaced, to turn the ignition to run position, do not start, leave it there for at least 10 seconds for the computer to relearn the electrical settings. I'll look to see what it says about the TPS diagnostics

 

Thanks guys, I'll go and take a look there. But my question was really meant to ask if I did any phisical damage to the stepper or gear drive when I "forced it open" while trying to clean it. I'll try the ignition key reset thing and see if it helps.

 

Ok, I found some stuff on the TPS, there is actually two sweeps (two sensors) in the throttle body. They are tied together in the electrical schemos, but physically, I don't know.

My guess is that if the truck ran good before you forced the stepper motor, and now it is, there's a good chance that you did something internally. I guess at this point, I would just wait and see if the truck throws any codes.

 

It hasn't popped up with any codes as yet and it's been a couple of weeks since I did it, still runs jerky off aceleation though even after trying the methods mentioned.
Any more ideas would be helpfull before i have to take it to the dealer (sigh)

 

Anyone care to comment if opening the throttle plate manually would do physical damage to the stepper motor or gears then ?
I only lifted it a few degrees, but it was hard to move. I first thought it was a spring resistance, but don't think it was now.

 

Stop by autozone, or any other shop that can do a free scan for you, and see if any codes come up even though the MIL light or codes did not appear on the odometer.

 

I had a scan done and turned up nothing strange.
Time for the dealer trip.