Well,I had the Dakster back into the dealer today. (Remember last week`s
fiasco with the dead co-pilot recorder? Now we`re doing guess work.)
Again,they said no codes were stored in the computer.This time,they
replaced the plug wires.No help.Lessee,we`re up to new TPS,new fuel
pump,new plug wires.Still runs the same.Actually,power-wise,it didn`t do
too bad on the trip down there.Even though I could feel the "bumpiness"
in the drivetrain,like it was missing severely,I cruised up and over
some big hills on the highway at 70 mph without downshifting.RARE!!! But
on the way back home (after the plug wire replacement),it was a
dog.We`re talkin` Pekinese here.I was back to mashin` the pedal to the
floor to regain my speed on hills.It almost had me concerned that
perhaps they made it worse.........until I got to within a mile of my
house.There is a place where I have turn from a dead stop,and drive
uphill to merge onto a 70 mph interstate.Normally that REALLY kills my
truck.Not this time.I don`t know where the power came from,but I drive
this road several times a week,and normally I have to STAND on it just
to break 50 mph at the end of the merge lane on this hill.Today,I hit 75
mph so quickly,that a car which had moved over to let me in got BEHIND
me! That never happens!! Unfortunately,now I`m starting to believe that
my problem must be the torque converter or transmission,like a friend of
mine suggested.I watched my tach very closely as I drove today,and every
time I felt the sagging,jerky.....well,BUMPY sensation from the truck,I
only saw minute changes in the tach.I would expect to see larger changes
if it was an engine misfire or stumble.Perhaps the problem is in the
tranny,causing small load variations on the motor,which I am seeing on
the tach? Or could it be that at 70 mph,even with a bad engine
stumble,the tach cannot respond that fast and is simply "averaging" all
the misses,and making the rpm`s look "smoother" than they are? Am I
making any kind of sense here? I can hardly hold my eyes
open.......zzzzzzz. Please take another stab at this problem,guys.Any
way to determine if the tranny is really my problem? (Hope not) Steve P.
99 Dakota Sport Intense Blue RC 4X4 V6 42RE 3.92 Anti-Spin w/Infinity CD
system and optional hand-crank windows (2) 3923 Autolite spark plugs
Big Blue Ram sticker in the slider window that intimidates people into
establishing a safe following distance
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