RE: Re: RE: Weird problem.,Now 3.9 engine power and driveability (long)

From: Bernd D. Ratsch (bernd@dodgetrucks.org)
Date: Thu Sep 27 2007 - 23:46:36 EDT


You say with the air ON. Vent or actual A/C (or in Defrost mode)?

- Bernd

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Preston [mailto:steveophonic@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 9:19 PM
To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
Subject: Was: Re: DML: RE: Weird problem.,Now 3.9 engine power and
driveability (long)

<snip>

Well,like my '99,this truck seemed to be okay for a
while. But now it's running as bad or worse than my
old Dak did. Like Don said,as I approach a slope I
kick it down early,and it normally falls all over
itself. I then keep the pedal down almost to WOT,and
you can feel a jerkiness to the "pull" of the
motor,like it's sputtering or slipping,and the tach
kinda hangs for a split-second in different spots as
it climbs. Sometimes it's so bad,I have to just mash
the pedal down and keep it there. I back off when the
engine sounds like it's going to come apart,or to let
it upshift.

There are times though,that I could describe as
"glimpses of glory". Like yesterday,I drove up a
fairly steep hill about half a mile long,and with the
AC running it maintained 50 easily. No
jerkiness,nothing. Smooth. Didn't have to kick it down
into passing gear to go up the hill. I've also had it
easily maintain 65 mph on those same highway slopes
with the air on. But those times are rare. I don't get
it. I've done plugs and wires,PCV valve,checked the
distributor cap and rotor (cleaned,but nothing
wrong),and changed the MAP sensor. Switched gas
stations,tried fuel injector cleaner. Now I'm almost
back to the point where I'm believing there's
something inherent with the 3.9,or maybe PCM
programming,that causes performance to change a lot
for no apparent reason. Maybe others have different
experiences,but my only good memory of a 3.9 Dak was
not a Magnum.

Steve P.



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