1989 Dodge RAM B350 stalls (318cui)
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I had a huge stalling problem with my 1995 Dodge Ram Van. After a year of trying everything and hiring mechanics I found a solution.
1. Remove air cleaner and all sensors attached to the intake system.
2. Get a tooth brush, rags and a little clean transmission fluid.
3. Gently scrub and wipe away all areas and surfaces to remove old gasoline varnish.
4. Wipe everything clean and reassemble.
I also got an air compressor and blew out dust from every place I would see under the hood and inside the engine compartment. (Note: I attend Burning Man and get a lot of nasty desert dust and dry lakebed salt sticking to the engine.)
Turn on ignition to accessory position and carefully unhook battery cable to reset computer. Leave off for a few minutes and reattach. (WARNING: Risk of electric shock! Don't short it out either.)
This worked for me. Will it work for you? I don't know. Attempt at your own risk. Good luck.
1. Remove air cleaner and all sensors attached to the intake system.
2. Get a tooth brush, rags and a little clean transmission fluid.
3. Gently scrub and wipe away all areas and surfaces to remove old gasoline varnish.
4. Wipe everything clean and reassemble.
I also got an air compressor and blew out dust from every place I would see under the hood and inside the engine compartment. (Note: I attend Burning Man and get a lot of nasty desert dust and dry lakebed salt sticking to the engine.)
Turn on ignition to accessory position and carefully unhook battery cable to reset computer. Leave off for a few minutes and reattach. (WARNING: Risk of electric shock! Don't short it out either.)
This worked for me. Will it work for you? I don't know. Attempt at your own risk. Good luck.
Thank you for your input. I have to say I haven't been able to test if the van is currently working as intended. Lots of other stuff to do. It should still be a good idea to do a bit of cleaning. One question though:
Is there any sensor that can be damaged when using transmission fluid to clean it? From what I understand some of them are really sensitive.
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You are looking for signs of gasoline varnish and dark black gunk. This grime is easily targeted on smooth metal surfaces.
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I realized it would probably be a good idea to sum this thread up. The 1989 Dodge B350 was shutting down unexpectedly, in all kinds of conditions/weather/times.
I changed the fuel pump, the fuel filter, distributor cap, rotor and spark plug cables without any success. One of two final steps solved the problem.
1. Either the discovery of a loose lockwasher inside the distributor. One theory is that it would fly around and cause a failure randomly but I would assume this is not the real cause. In my opinion it shouldn't be able to cause these problems.
2. Probably the solution, I replaced the hall effect sensor. Since then the Dodge has been running fine, but a little rough at times. More on this in a new thread.
I changed the fuel pump, the fuel filter, distributor cap, rotor and spark plug cables without any success. One of two final steps solved the problem.
1. Either the discovery of a loose lockwasher inside the distributor. One theory is that it would fly around and cause a failure randomly but I would assume this is not the real cause. In my opinion it shouldn't be able to cause these problems.
2. Probably the solution, I replaced the hall effect sensor. Since then the Dodge has been running fine, but a little rough at times. More on this in a new thread.