Hi, hoping that someone will be able to point me in the right direction for an issue ive been having with my Roadtrek 2, 1984 Dodge Ram Campervan.

Its got the 360 V8 (5.9L) Automatic. Apparently done 240,000km but only got a 5 digit odometer so...

Recently (3 in last 5 weeks) developed an issue where it is killing ignition coils fast (last one lasted 3 days). At the same time it has developed an cold idle issue.

When you start the van in park it fires right up and will idle fine. But if you drop it into drive while the engine is cold (within the first 5mins ish) the revs will drop and it will die. Pop it back into Park and it'll start fine again. First time this happened was as I sat at the first set of lights so was very worrying.

If i start it and let it warm slightly. (enough to see the temp gauge start to move) then i can put it into drive and with careful driving it will be fine for journey.

Given the symptoms I was thinking it was along the lines of:
Carb choke issue:
Not closing maybe and engine is getting too lean of a mix when cold? Checked the carb and the choke snaps shut with a tap of the accelerator, but does seem to open up on the first high idle. Would this change on its own one night? Could i increase the idle screw or is this just masking the problem?

Vacuum issue
There is a slight air noise from behind the brake pedal, could a brake booster leak be responsible, the noise has existed for a long time, and doesnt seem to have changed. Would this only affect the idle when its cold?

Finally:
Would this idle issue be related to my ignition coil consumption? I understand that it is common for the coil and ballast resistor to go on these vans. So am i just dealing with two independent problems?

 

The first thing I would check since it's eating coils is the ballast resistor. These can cause all sorts of problems when they fail. Usually, it won't start but I've seen them fail and shoot voltage straight through. Instead of 6 volts, you get the full 12 volts. Coils and brain boxes don't like that. It could be something else but that's the first thing I would check.

 

Hi thanks for the reply, forgot to mention, new ballast resistor was put in with the last new coil. Will check the voltage before the coil tomorrow to double check but I don't think the resistor is responsible.

 

Install new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. Get a good rotor with brass components. Hopefully the hood has a sticker saying what plugs to use, the aftermarket manuals have bad information in them (1/2" of difference in length between what you are supposed to use and what they say to use). May be worth calling the dealer with your VIN # to verify.

 

I used to swear by "Blue Streak" ignition components. However, I haven't seen them in years. A lot of copper is used and it's not as good but it's better than the aluminum which is more common.