RE: 97 Dakota problems again - kinda long, but we are shooting in the Dark now

From: aaron (aaro@enteract.com)
Date: Thu Jan 25 2001 - 22:16:37 EST


sounds like the IAC
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dakota-truck@BUFFNET.NET
[mailto:owner-dakota-truck@BUFFNET.NET]On Behalf Of ABeerCan@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2001 8:32 PM
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
Subject: DML: 97 Dakota problems again - kinda long, but we are shooting
in the Dark now

>>>Ok, if everyone remembers, my friends 97 V-6 automatice Dakota 4x2has
been
acting up in the past. His performance mods are as follows: Flowmaster 40
series split into dual 2-1/4" exhuast, Mesa high flow cat, K&N FIPK, had a
JET chip but it is not installed at the time, Autolite 3923's, MSD 8.5mm
wires, Borg Warner brass cap&rotor, 180 thermostat, MSD 6A with MSD tach
adapt pn 8910 (the MSD was throwing a code 43, according to MSD some Dodges
do it and some don't. It no longer gives that code since the tach adapter
was installed at MSD's recommendations.). Ok, what his truck is doing is
after being cranked the first time after sitting over night, it does fine.
Let it run about 3 minutes and turn it off. For the rest of the day,
(unless
it sits like 5 hours) when he cranks it up, it revs to ~800 - ~1000 rpm and
then fall on its face dead. The only way he can keep it running is to
feather the gas and slowly ease off until it stays running. Sometimes that
requires him holding the gas down and keeping the motor @~900 rpm and
putting
it in drive. Once he is rolling and can get down on it, it will stay
running
fairly well till it smoothes out. Oh yeah, the engine is throwing no codes
either and the check engine light does nothing while this happens. Here is
a
list of what we have replaced (in order): 1)did a complete tune up (hence
the
new performance wires, plugs, etc...) - did no good. 2)Crank position
sensor
(trying to solve the code 43) - no good 3)TPS - did nothing 4)Camshaft
Position Sensor (aka pick-up coil in distributor) - did a little good 5)MAP
sensor - helped getting the cranking rpm up to 1K. At this point, it would
still die upon cranking. We put a fuel pressure gauge on it hoping it was
the fuel pump. The fuel pressure remained rock steady, even during the
engine dieing at 48 psi. So we took it to the Dodge place and asked them to
scan the computer for codes and check sensors. Of course the damn thing
wouldn't act up there, kinda like a little kid at the Doctor's office!!
Pissed us off!! The dealer hooked it up anyway, and said it was throwing
some weird codes, codes that apply to the V-10 (no. 9 injector not firing,
primary side of second coil dead, etc...), but the codes wouldn't show up on
the Dash. Go figure. Ok, so we swap in a new computer. This is what
really
pissed us off, didn't do a DAMN thing. And of course since it is
electronic,
Dodge won't take it back!!! So now we are stuck with a new computer that
ain't worth anything but a back-up paper weight. Any ideas? The only
sensors we can think of replacing anymore are the coolant temp sensor, the
air intake temp sensor. We thought about the IAC, but if we take off the
K&N
fipk, we can hear that thing sucking in massive amounts of air. That and
once we have it running, you can click on the a/c and hear the iac cycle on
and off with the compressor. The o2 sensors were replaced about 5,000 miles
ago, so we think they should be ok. What else can anyone think of? We have
tried bypassing the MSD and reseting the computer. No good, works for one
crank, then back to falling on its face. Any ideas? We are shooting in the
dark now, pissing in the wind, trying to pee in the toilet with the lights
off, scratching our heads, scratching our butts, piling beer cans up into a
pyramid just to have something to do, unplugging things and re-plugging them
to make it look like we know what we are doing, scratching other parts that
I
can't mention, and then finally giving up. We would take it to a dealership
up here, but they told us they want $118 to hook it up to the scan machine
for the first hour (doesn't matter if they do it for 5 minutes or 1 hour,
they charge us for one hour) and then $55 an hour after that to keep using
the machine. If they have to trace down the electronic problem with a
volt/ohm meter, they want $80 an hour. That kinda floored me. But they are
the only shop around here I trust. I would do it, but I don't feel like it,
not with all the other projects I have going on. This sucks. Help,
please!!!
TIA

Will
96 Paxton huffed NOS intercooled 408 Dakota
NEW!!!: 89 Shelby Dakota
NEWER!!!: 69 Dodge Charger (wife's new playtoy I have to work on. DOH!!!)



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