1997 dakota starting problem
From : wayne
Q: my 1997 dodge recentlycouple of months ago started to take longer to start that is you would have to wind it over longer . when it would start it would run rough at about 300 rpms and then surge to 1500 then back to 4 or 5 hundred. after doing this for about 30 seconds it would run normally and would start normally throughout the day. truck has 57000 km on it. took it to dealer they cleaned throttle body purged injectors gave tuneup put new main computer in it and changed the catalytic converter. they tested the fuel pump and said it was fine. truck still does same problem. any ideas problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones. any help would be aprreciated as i have lost all faith in dealership. .
Replies:
From : gfrfan
wayne wrote my 1997 dodge recentlycouple of months ago started to take longer to start that is you would have to wind it over longer . when it would start it would run rough at about 300 rpms and then surge to 1500 then back to 4 or 5 hundred. after doing this for about 30 seconds it would run normally and would start normally throughout the day. truck has 57000 km on it. took it to dealer they cleaned throttle body purged injectors gave tuneup put new main computer in it and changed the catalytic converter. they tested the fuel pump and said it was fine. truck still does same problem. any ideas problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones. any help would be aprreciated as i have lost all faith in dealership. i dont know the answer but i have the exact same problem with my 98 3.9. been that way for a couple of months. i even replaced the intake air controller. it was pretty carboned. nothing seems to work. im starting to research unlikely things like plug wires and such. i probably should get a fuel pressure guage but the ones ive seen are over $40.00. kinda steep for a one use tool. .
From : denny
wayne wrote my 1997 dodge recentlycouple of months ago started to take longer to start that is you would have to wind it over longer . when it would start it would run rough at about 300 rpms and then surge to 1500 then back to 4 or 5 hundred. after doing this for about 30 seconds it would run normally and would start normally throughout the day. truck has 57000 km on it. took it to dealer they cleaned throttle body purged injectors gave tuneup put new main computer in it and changed the catalytic converter. they tested the fuel pump and said it was fine. truck still does same problem. any ideas problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones. any help would be aprreciated as i have lost all faith in dealership. i dont know the answer but i have the exact same problem with my 98 3.9. been that way for a couple of months. i even replaced the intake air controller. it was pretty carboned. nothing seems to work. im starting to research unlikely things like plug wires and such. i probably should get a fuel pressure guage but the ones ive seen are over $40.00. kinda steep for a one use tool. when i had the tune up done they replaced the plugs but not the wires maybe i guy should try that and see if it works. to me it seems like it is fuel related but im no mechanic. what else have you tried wonder what it cost to replace fuel pump any suggestions would be appreciated as no body else seems to have any ideas. could me and you be only ones with problem doubt it. wayne it really sounds like the fuel pressure is dropping off as it sits overnight. when you cycled the key three times did you leave the key in the on position for a few seconds before turning it back off if not the fuel pump did not run long enough to pressurize the system. to me the next step is to put a pressure gauge on it overnight and see if the pressure drops. a fuel pump is too expensive to guess at. denny .
From : wayne
wayne wrote my 1997 dodge recentlycouple of months ago started to take longer to start that is you would have to wind it over longer . when it would start it would run rough at about 300 rpms and then surge to 1500 then back to 4 or 5 hundred. after doing this for about 30 seconds it would run normally and would start normally throughout the day. truck has 57000 km on it. took it to dealer they cleaned throttle body purged injectors gave tuneup put new main computer in it and changed the catalytic converter. they tested the fuel pump and said it was fine. truck still does same problem. any ideas problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones. any help would be aprreciated as i have lost all faith in dealership. i dont know the answer but i have the exact same problem with my 98 3.9. been that way for a couple of months. i even replaced the intake air controller. it was pretty carboned. nothing seems to work. im starting to research unlikely things like plug wires and such. i probably should get a fuel pressure guage but the ones ive seen are over $40.00. kinda steep for a one use tool. when i had the tune up done they replaced the plugs but not the wires maybe i guy should try that and see if it works. to me it seems like it is fuel related but im no mechanic. what else have you tried wonder what it cost to replace fuel pump any suggestions would be appreciated as no body else seems to have any ideas. could me and you be only ones with problem doubt it. .
From : tbone
did you check the tps -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving wayne wrote my 1997 dodge recentlycouple of months ago started to take longer to start that is you would have to wind it over longer . when it would start it would run rough at about 300 rpms and then surge to 1500 then back to 4 or 5 hundred. after doing this for about 30 seconds it would run normally and would start normally throughout the day. truck has 57000 km on it. took it to dealer they cleaned throttle body purged injectors gave tuneup put new main computer in it and changed the catalytic converter. they tested the fuel pump and said it was fine. truck still does same problem. any ideas problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones. any help would be aprreciated as i have lost all faith in dealership. i dont know the answer but i have the exact same problem with my 98 3.9. been that way for a couple of months. i even replaced the intake air controller. it was pretty carboned. nothing seems to work. im starting to research unlikely things like plug wires and such. i probably should get a fuel pressure guage but the ones ive seen are over $40.00. kinda steep for a one use tool. .
From : wayne
did you check the tps what is tps .
From : tbone
the throttle position sensor. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving did you check the tps what is tps .
From : gfrfan
denny wrote wayne wrote my 1997 dodge recentlycouple of months ago started to take longer to start that is you would have to wind it over longer . when it would start it would run rough at about 300 rpms and then surge to 1500 then back to 4 or 5 hundred. after doing this for about 30 seconds it would run normally and would start normally throughout the day. truck has 57000 km on it. took it to dealer they cleaned throttle body purged injectors gave tuneup put new main computer in it and changed the catalytic converter. they tested the fuel pump and said it was fine. truck still does same problem. any ideas problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones. any help would be aprreciated as i have lost all faith in dealership. i dont know the answer but i have the exact same problem with my 98 3.9. been that way for a couple of months. i even replaced the intake air controller. it was pretty carboned. nothing seems to work. im starting to research unlikely things like plug wires and such. i probably should get a fuel pressure guage but the ones ive seen are over $40.00. kinda steep for a one use tool. when i had the tune up done they replaced the plugs but not the wires maybe i guy should try that and see if it works. to me it seems like it is fuel related but im no mechanic. what else have you tried wonder what it cost to replace fuel pump any suggestions would be appreciated as no body else seems to have any ideas. could me and you be only ones with problem doubt it. wayne it really sounds like the fuel pressure is dropping off as it sits overnight. when you cycled the key three times did you leave the key in the on position for a few seconds before turning it back off if not the fuel pump did not run long enough to pressurize the system. to me the next step is to put a pressure gauge on it overnight and see if the pressure drops. a fuel pump is too expensive to guess at. denny ive tried turning it on till the fuel pump shuts off a couple of seconds repeating 3 or 4 times and it starts right up. is there a pressure valve in the gas line that could be leaking or is the fuel pump the only option .
From : gfrfan
in order to get it started i would have to press the gas pedel and it would start and then i would have slowly take my foot off the pedel if i take it off to fast then the engine would stop. this is a pretty good indication that somethings not right with the battery or the connections as budd said - particularly the ground cable to the engine block. when the computer and its associated sensors get much less than 12v they start behaving badly such as the failure to idle that you observed. would start and run just fine. once the engine was running i unplugged the positive lead on the battery and the engine would stay running. for future reference dont ever do this. on an older engine its fine but on a computer-controlled engine the battery acts as an electrical filter - without it the computer is subject to various voltage spikes that could damage it. i dont know if i was sold a weak battery or if it could be the starter but if so why do i have to press the gas pedel when i jump start it. the starter could be draining the battery down to the point where its voltage drops low enough to cause sensor problems. do this take a voltmeter and measure the voltage across the battery terminals. on a good battery you should get about 12.65v or better. next move the negative probe to the engine block. see what reading you get there. it should be the same. now put the meter back on the battery and disconnect the coil wire from the coil so the engine wont fire. have someone crank the engine and see how much of a voltage drop you get. if it drops below 10.5v or so the batterys bad or theres an excessive draw from the starter. stop cranking and see how quickly the voltage comes back up to 12.5 or so if it does at all. if the voltage comes back up pretty quickly the batterys probably good and the problem is your starter or the positive connection to the starter or the ground from the battery to the engine. .
From : tbone
the information is not at issue here. i only call to ground the attacks. everyone says they should stop and in the next message they fire off another round. i see your point but please realize that to some of us accuracy is important and some others personal pride ego whatever is more important than correct information. all information i find in these groups i take as advisory information.. and yes ive solved a couple problems with my vehicles 2k durango and 97 jeep tj without even posting. excellent!!! im glad to hear that. i hope that maybe i was of some help. as far as dangerous information what is the definition to a person whos never worked on a car before and is unaware of the voltages and amperages involved pulling off a plug wire while the car is running could be a death sentence ive been hit with that shock before. to an experienced mechanic its no big whoop. lo sorry but im still sensitive to sparkplug shocks after over 40 years. i used to test small engine coils with a c cell battery and let the spark lead rest on my arm. when you break the primary circuit a small but definite shock results but it shows the coil could still work at lower than normal voltages. dangerous information imho is any incorrect info that would result in a non-experienced or experienced person doing a repair or adjustment that could result in death or injury. even an experienced mechanic can be misled. the wrong information in the right hands can kill just as the right information in the wrong hands can fix. exactly. that is an excellent way to express it. thanks. budd .
From : roy
hi could someone please respond to my post in dodge truck. thanx what post is that i dont find one. .
From : tbone
just finalized the deal on a 2001 dakota sport club cab - short box - only 30000km put on it. im in the overhead door business & im going to need to put a set of racks on the truck. have been considering building them myself however the weight of the steel im going to be using to make them and taking into consideration the unfinished - finished look i dont think i want to build them myself. do any of you have any recommendations on what type of rails would fit my needs with this truck and mabye a place i can purchase them online i need something heavy duty that will be able to handle upwards of 1000 lbs to be safe and a possibility of carrying up to 16 garage doors. 4 sections 16 feet long. im really hoping i wont have to build all the way across and then down the to the front bumper. it looks awful if anyone has any recommendations links or advice id really appreciate it! im getting the truck on wednesday! also if anyone is actually in the overhead door business have you had any problems with sections bending with whatever rails you use due to the overhang thank you very much! .
From : redneck tookover hell
like the one you have when you strip and the guy you are with laughs. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving i take very little of it personally. i used to but that was a long time ago. because my political views are so different from many on this group i have become somewhat defensive thats your short man complex lardass politics the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich. .
From : gfrfan
i didnt say that you attacked him. as a matter of fact i said that you didnt and seldom do to anyone. but when he jumps all over me for doing the same thing just a few days ago then turnabout is fair play. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving can. the problem in this case is that tom l. called you out and you know i didnt call him out on anything. i may have come off a little antagonistic and if so i apologize for that. my intent was to point out the falicy of the claim - not to berate anyone. call it a bad day combined with the fact that i see enough of those kinds of e-mails at my job to cause more than a little grief dont even get me started on the hey - i heard you can get a virus if you open an e-mail with the subject of... types of hysteria that make the rounds day in and day out of course the fact that you dive head-first into yet another thread with the intent of stirring up a $#!tstorm says a hell of a lot more about you and your intentions than it does about anyone else unintentionally posting an erroneous story. .
From : wayne
yea sure you are. sorry budd but you actions since you came back show a very different picture. at least this time you are trying to help a few people. lets see how long that lasts. sorry for the double-post - but i didnt catch this part the first time around. tom - ive been in this group for about 8 years now... budds been here longer than that. the amount of assistance knowledge and advice hes dispensed throughout those years pales in comparison to anything youve done to date - i can assure you of that. you have absolutely no ground to stand on when it comes to questioning the contributions budd has made to this group over the years... none. lol i never said that budd has not contributed or doesnt know anything that would be him saying that to me. by his own admission he has been dealing with trolls since his second day which translates into starting shit with newbies as i doubt there were many trolls back in the beginning. after over 8 years he had better contributed more than i did in about 3. the one big difference here is that budd can say whatever he wants and right or wrong at most all he will get is corrected. if i or anyone else that is not part of the core group says anything that is not dead solid perfect with absolutely no way to misinterpret it they hear a lot of shit and most of it coming consistently from certain people and i will not make accusations as to who. as someone with one of the lowest signal-to-noise ratios here it would be in your best interests to leave this particular argument alone. you dont want to compare your posting record to budds.... it wouldnt even be close. well now thats all due to a particular point of view isnt it. yes budd does try to help and i never said otherwise. i have cut way back on trying because im just tired of hearing shit from some people who claim that i am wrong and when asked to back up what they say cant do it. he also tend to attack first if the poster does not agree with his ideas. but if you compare his posting record to starting shit with mine he is no better. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving .
From : tbone
hey guys ive been getting bad o2 sensor codes for a while now. ive replaced all 4 sensors and had my computer reflashed. about 2 days after the relash i got 141 & 161 again. those are o2 sensor heater circuit malfunction on both rear sensors. im at a loss and my emissions test is due soon. any ideas .
From : denny
denny wrote wayne wrote my 1997 dodge recentlycouple of months ago started to take longer to start that is you would have to wind it over longer . when it would start it would run rough at about 300 rpms and then surge to 1500 then back to 4 or 5 hundred. after doing this for about 30 seconds it would run normally and would start normally throughout the day. truck has 57000 km on it. took it to dealer they cleaned throttle body purged injectors gave tuneup put new main computer in it and changed the catalytic converter. they tested the fuel pump and said it was fine. truck still does same problem. any ideas problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones. any help would be aprreciated as i have lost all faith in dealership. i dont know the answer but i have the exact same problem with my 98 3.9. been that way for a couple of months. i even replaced the intake air controller. it was pretty carboned. nothing seems to work. im starting to research unlikely things like plug wires and such. i probably should get a fuel pressure guage but the ones ive seen are over $40.00. kinda steep for a one use tool. when i had the tune up done they replaced the plugs but not the wires maybe i guy should try that and see if it works. to me it seems like it is fuel related but im no mechanic. what else have you tried wonder what it cost to replace fuel pump any suggestions would be appreciated as no body else seems to have any ideas. could me and you be only ones with problem doubt it. wayne it really sounds like the fuel pressure is dropping off as it sits overnight. when you cycled the key three times did you leave the key in the on position for a few seconds before turning it back off if not the fuel pump did not run long enough to pressurize the system. to me the next step is to put a pressure gauge on it overnight and see if the pressure drops. a fuel pump is too expensive to guess at. denny ive tried turning it on till the fuel pump shuts off a couple of seconds repeating 3 or 4 times and it starts right up. is there a pressure valve in the gas line that could be leaking or is the fuel pump the only option the check valve that keeps the fuel pressure from dropping off is built into the pump. denny .
From : gfrfan
denny wrote denny wrote wayne wrote my 1997 dodge recentlycouple of months ago started to take longer to start that is you would have to wind it over longer . when it would start it would run rough at about 300 rpms and then surge to 1500 then back to 4 or 5 hundred. after doing this for about 30 seconds it would run normally and would start normally throughout the day. truck has 57000 km on it. took it to dealer they cleaned throttle body purged injectors gave tuneup put new main computer in it and changed the catalytic converter. they tested the fuel pump and said it was fine. truck still does same problem. any ideas problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones. any help would be aprreciated as i have lost all faith in dealership. i dont know the answer but i have the exact same problem with my 98 3.9. been that way for a couple of months. i even replaced the intake air controller. it was pretty carboned. nothing seems to work. im starting to research unlikely things like plug wires and such. i probably should get a fuel pressure guage but the ones ive seen are over $40.00. kinda steep for a one use tool. when i had the tune up done they replaced the plugs but not the wires maybe i guy should try that and see if it works. to me it seems like it is fuel related but im no mechanic. what else have you tried wonder what it cost to replace fuel pump any suggestions would be appreciated as no body else seems to have any ideas. could me and you be only ones with problem doubt it. wayne it really sounds like the fuel pressure is dropping off as it sits overnight. when you cycled the key three times did you leave the key in the on position for a few seconds before turning it back off if not the fuel pump did not run long enough to pressurize the system. to me the next step is to put a pressure gauge on it overnight and see if the pressure drops. a fuel pump is too expensive to guess at. denny ive tried turning it on till the fuel pump shuts off a couple of seconds repeating 3 or 4 times and it starts right up. is there a pressure valve in the gas line that could be leaking or is the fuel pump the only option the check valve that keeps the fuel pressure from dropping off is built into the pump. denny oh good. then i get to replace the whole fuel pump. .
From : wayne
the throttle position sensor. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving did you check the tps what is tps i am taking it to a different dealer tomorrow to see if they can fix problem will post results on friday. .
From : gfrfan
gfrfan wrote denny wrote denny wrote wayne wrote my 1997 dodge recentlycouple of months ago started to take longer to start that is you would have to wind it over longer . when it would start it would run rough at about 300 rpms and then surge to 1500 then back to 4 or 5 hundred. after doing this for about 30 seconds it would run normally and would start normally throughout the day. truck has 57000 km on it. took it to dealer they cleaned throttle body purged injectors gave tuneup put new main computer in it and changed the catalytic converter. they tested the fuel pump and said it was fine. truck still does same problem. any ideas problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones. any help would be aprreciated as i have lost all faith in dealership. i dont know the answer but i have the exact same problem with my 98 3.9. been that way for a couple of months. i even replaced the intake air controller. it was pretty carboned. nothing seems to work. im starting to research unlikely things like plug wires and such. i probably should get a fuel pressure guage but the ones ive seen are over $40.00. kinda steep for a one use tool. when i had the tune up done they replaced the plugs but not the wires maybe i guy should try that and see if it works. to me it seems like it is fuel related but im no mechanic. what else have you tried wonder what it cost to replace fuel pump any suggestions would be appreciated as no body else seems to have any ideas. could me and you be only ones with problem doubt it. wayne it really sounds like the fuel pressure is dropping off as it sits overnight. when you cycled the key three times did you leave the key in the on position for a few seconds before turning it back off if not the fuel pump did not run long enough to pressurize the system. to me the next step is to put a pressure gauge on it overnight and see if the pressure drops. a fuel pump is too expensive to guess at. denny ive tried turning it on till the fuel pump shuts off a couple of seconds repeating 3 or 4 times and it starts right up. is there a pressure valve in the gas line that could be leaking or is the fuel pump the only option the check valve that keeps the fuel pressure from dropping off is built into the pump. denny oh good. then i get to replace the whole fuel pump. according to the haynes manual there is a seperate fuel pressure regulator at the fuel pump. $195.00 for a walker fuel pump. didnt check for the regulator. i assume a walker is good for the money. .
From : wayne
i tried cycling the key off and on for the last 3 mornings but the problem still happens. does this mean its not the fuel pump if not does anyone have any other ideas. help!!!! .
From : wayne
whats different about a hemi engine that make it a hemi is it the pistons design of the head combustion chamber. hemi is short for hemispherical. roy .
From : redneck tookover hell
problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones take and cycle the key from off to on without cranking the engine 5 or 6 times then try cranking if the engine starts right up the fuel pump is bad politics the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich. .
From : wayne
problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones take and cycle the key from off to on without cranking the engine 5 or 6 times then try cranking if the engine starts right up the fuel pump is bad politics the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich. i tried cycling the key on and off without cranking about 5 times this morningtemp was 0 c and it still seems to crank over longer than it should before it starts it also ran rough for about 10 seconds and then was good. the problem wasnt as severe this morning as the morning before however. i am going to try this cycling again for a few more days and see what happens. i am not sure if i am cycling properly either. i turned it on and off right away and repeated that 5 times. is this right or should i turn it on and leave it for a couple of secs and then turn it off. please advise. thanks. .
From : tbone
you have to leave it on for a few seconds between cycles to give the fuel pump enough time to pressurize. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving problem seems worse on cool mornings8 c than on warm ones take and cycle the key from off to on without cranking the engine 5 or 6 times then try cranking if the engine starts right up the fuel pump is bad politics the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich. i tried cycling the key on and off without cranking about 5 times this morningtemp was 0 c and it still seems to crank over longer than it should before it starts it also ran rough for about 10 seconds and then was good. the problem wasnt as severe this morning as the morning before however. i am going to try this cycling again for a few more days and see what happens. i am not sure if i am cycling properly either. i turned it on and off right away and repeated that 5 times. is this right or should i turn it on and leave it for a couple of secs and then turn it off. please advise. thanks. .