jkittle99

I've got a 98 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.2V8. Recently (past year?) the truck has trouble starting after sitting a while (only drive it occasionally). There are times that I would tell you that the problem is more apparent after a rain, but lately I'm not so sure.

The truck cranks no problem. The idle seems low, but it will idle. If you so much as touch the throttle, it'll rev up, and when you let off it wont even idle, it'll die. Try to start it again and it wants to die. Run it a few minutes at higher throttle setting, and EASE it off, and you'll eventually get it to keep idling. If you try to drive right away without letting it warm up a few minutes it'll stall. After a few minutes of warming up, or if you are lucky enough to get moving - it's fine. Feels like a fuel problem to me.

Things I've done.

Tune-Up
Cap & Button
Wire Set
New Ignition Coil
New Plugs (Bosch Platinum +4s)
New PCV

Oil is recently changed.

Part of me thinks water in the tank, but I just dont know. Other part of me suspects fuel pump, but no problems as driving speeds. Once you start it and get moving, you're good to go. No apparent water leaking into the engine compartment after rain.

Something stupid simple feels wrong here - what am I missing? Don't think its a spark issue, don't think its an air issue - that means fuel.

I'm no mechanic, but feel like I've done a fair share of work getting the easy stuff out of the way.

Thoughts?

angus10

Get a cheap fuel pressure gauge at AZ or some where. Sounds like the fuel pressure regulator is bad. Should have around 49 psi at idle. When you shut the motor off the pressure should stay up for quite a while. If it drops to zero afte 15 minutes or so, the regulator is bad or you have leaky injectors.

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98 Ram 1500 4x4
Hypertech
Magnaflow Cat.
Flowmaster American Thunder W/super40
14x3 AF mod

rockwood84

clean the throttle plate and check the throttle position sensor and clean the iac.these will cause idle problems.

Airjer_

I like the throttle body cleaning myself. Even if it doesn't solve the issue it probably really needs it anyways. The passage for the IAC is in the center rear of the throttle body. Make sure you give this a lot of attention. It is a know issue for the IAC pintles to get stuck in the bores and cause a start and stall symptom. I have had to use a screwdriver on some in the past to get them unstuck!

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angus10

I agree, but I think it has both probs, because it should still start fairly quickly and then have the stalling issue.

__________________
98 Ram 1500 4x4
Hypertech
Magnaflow Cat.
Flowmaster American Thunder W/super40
14x3 AF mod