I have an 89 dodge ram, throttle injection 318.
newer engine, computer, fuel injectors, oxygen sensors a few years old, new intake temp sensor, new coolant temp sensor, new spark plugs, new distib cap and rotor.

runs good most of the time, but off and on it will choke and sputter. It acts like it wants to die. There are no vaccume leaks either.
What's strange is when I unplug the coolant sensor, it runs fine. This is why I replaced the sensor, I thought it was bad. After replaceing the sensor, the engine ran a little better, but it still coughs and acts like it wants to die.

I'm out of ideas, and don't want to spend the money to put it in the shop.
any help would be great.

 

If you don't have the money to put it in the shop, then why don't you just unplug the sensor!! I it works fine when you unplug the sensor keeping the sensor unplugged for now sounds like a good temp fix! Do you have emissions in your state or is the fuel ecconenmy being efected?
Well if you really want to do somthing else, I think that the issue lies in the fine tune of your engine. I'm not entirely sure but it may help if you look at other sensors that involve the reduction of CO2. I think from what you decsribed, it may be a bad EGR valve. I had a simmilar problem in the past and that is what caused it. Of coures this is only a guess and the best way to capture the malfunction is to monitor the engine with a ODBII scan tool while running the vechile or better yet, a run on the DYNO.
Good luck!!

 

The EGR Valve is actually not connected. It's still on the intake, but all the vaccume lines have been plugged and removed. Is it possible this could be causing the problem. But it still runs the same even when I unplugh the vaccume lines. I've had some friends tell me IT should be fine plugged. Is this true?

 

I replaced the egr valve. still runs bad. Checked timing, tested the coil, and all the spark plugs. still no idea