[chris 98 ramsport]

my truck is a 98, does anyone encounter this problem in the morning? or when first start of the day?when i first start it its ok but the rpm's start to jump around for a couple of seconds and then it quits:dunno kinda runs like its got a big cam. then the rest of the day its fine.thanks for any info..chris.

 

[woody]

Stock battery? As the battery starts to die, you'll get such strange behavior. I know that's one cause.

Also check all your electrical connections under the hood, and check your air-filter.

 

[does it matter]

On 2002-01-25 16:14, woody wrote:
Stock battery? As the battery starts to die, you'll get such strange behavior. I know that's one cause.

Also check all your electrical connections under the hood, and check your air-filter.

i get the same problem. it runs kinda like a drag car, a real uneven idle(it sounds mean though). my engine is new(broke the crank @20k), filters, battery, cap, rotor, plugs, wires. when the crank broke the friday before 9/11 they replaced the battery for some reason.
i think it might have something to do with the engine running rich when it first starts up to get it to operating temp. quicker.

 

[canyonero02]

is it a 360? ive had 2 rams with 360's and they both idled the same, which is not very smooth. you can feel the whole truck shimmy a little when your parked. if thats all its doing then its normal.

 

[TUNIS]

I have the 318 and I have the same symptoms with my truck! I guess it's normal...

 

[Bill_L]

My 360 runs a little rough for a minute or so when I start it on a cold morning.

If you want an even better exaple of a Dodge that does this my roommate has a 78 Dodge Aspen RT with a 318 that we built and while cold it runs on 7 cylinders for the first 5 minutes or so until it warms up enough to start firing.
It did that even bone stock.

 

[LUV24BY]

I have experienced the same situation, and I have a 1997 Ram Sport w/ 360. It is not very consistant. I feel that because I have the plugs in it for 25k+ miles that it's getting time to change them. When I did the tune up a while back I never had it happen. YEt, I also put on a higher heat/current wire.
My battery is about to go and will be replaced before summer for sure.
Anyone know how often the Fuel filter last on these things? 15,000 or more like 60,000?

Seperate question: could this intermittant idle issue be caused when a couple injectors are dirty?

I am curious to know!
LUV24BY

 

[chris 98 ramsport]

does anyone know what kind of plugs are in the dodge trucks(H.D package)? someone said they might be platinum if so arent they good for 100,000 miles? now as for the filter is it really in the tank? if so why in the heck would you do something like that.:dunno:. thanks.chris.

 

[chris 98 ramsport]

On 2002-01-25 23:22, canyonero02 wrote:
is it a 360? ive had 2 rams with 360's and they both idled the same, which is not very smooth. you can feel the whole truck shimmy a little when your parked. if thats all its doing then its normal.

yes it is the 360. it only does it on cold starts, the rest of the day it is fine.

 

[chris 98 ramsport]

On 2002-01-26 00:35, LUV24BY wrote:
I have experienced the same situation, and I have a 1997 Ram Sport w/ 360. It is not very consistant. I feel that because I have the plugs in it for 25k+ miles that it's getting time to change them. When I did the tune up a while back I never had it happen. YEt, I also put on a higher heat/current wire.
My battery is about to go and will be replaced before summer for sure.
Anyone know how often the Fuel filter last on these things? 15,000 or more like 60,000?

Seperate question: could this intermittant idle issue be caused when a couple injectors are dirty?

I am curious to know!
LUV24BY

about those fuel injectors, do they make like a ticking noise? cause at idle i can hear something making a ticking noise,but when you rev up the engine a little it quits i think? can't really hear anything over 2,000 rpm's cause of the exhaust . thanks for any info.. chris.

 

[LUV24BY]

YEah, the ticking is each injector "pulsing" fuel and you do hear it promeniantly at idle. It's nothing really that unusual, yet you might - at some point, want to consider a injector flush (about every 70,000 miles.)

LUV24BY

 

[Ian_Wallace]

What RPM range does it idle at? I have a '98 and I also the rough idle thing. It usually stays between five and six hundred RPMs. In my fleet at work, I have about 50 Dodge trucks, Rams and Dakotas. They are all new (01-02). They all have the 5.9s except for the newer Dakotas have the 4.7s. I think that it's a Dodge thing, all of my fleet has the rough idle. Most of them currently are below 25,000 miles, and they've done it since new. I'd just watch the RPMs, if they wander more than 150 or so at idle, you might want to check it out.

 

[chris 98 ramsport]

my truch idles between 500-700 rpm's it jumps around a bit then that's it.if any one knows why or where i can look into this more please let me know..thanks.chris

 

[Ian_Wallace]

Hey Chris, what "Central Valley" do you live in/at? The lower part of California...or the one in Shasta County?