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Drew
Dodge Dakota
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12/02/2002
23:46:49

Subject: Symtons??? Plze look...
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Ok.....whenever i start up my '98 Dakota, 3.9L, ext. cab, etc......when i start it up, like when i turn the key, you know how it revs up to like 1000 rpm then goes to idle speed which is like 600 or 700 rpm. Btw, mine's automatic. What the problem is when i start it up, it revs up then deeply comes down to 300 or 400 rpm and almost dies out, and lights dim badly but it's only for a sec or two. This just started happening recently. Maybe need new spark plugs????



v10f250
Dodge Dakota
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12/03/2002
00:15:55

RE: Symtons??? Plze look...
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I had the same problem on my F250. Only, once in a while the motor would stop. It turned-out to be the base idle. Have that checked, it took me 8 trips to the dealer, under warantee, and 1 trip to my usual mechanic to figure this out.



dak
Dodge Dakota
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12/03/2002
00:48:11

RE: Symtons??? Plze look...
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have you tried cleaning the throttle body. i had the same problem with my truck and it turned out the throttle body was filthy. also, if that doens't help it may be something as simple as plugs or battery.



joe_himself
Dodge Dakota
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12/03/2002
02:51:47

RE: Symtons??? Plze look...
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Hey..
Dak is right clean your TB.. because it has nothing but air going thro it and that air can still be dirty somewhat.. and it builds up along the walls of the tb near the butterflies.. and clogs the air passage.. even when the butterflies are closed with no throttle there is a little room for air to pass thro.. thats where it gets clogged and there is where you get your * wanting to stall * act from your truck.. also rev your truck up and let off the gas sometime and it will do the same thing when its dirty..
just a tip for you to remember.. nothing but air passes.. so its good to clean it about every 6 mos or so..

joe_himself



Dakota39M
Dodge Dakota
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12/03/2002
07:52:35

RE: Symtons??? Plze look...
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I agree with those that say clean the throttle body. But, your problem appears to lie in a component of the TB. You'll need to remove the TB from the engine to do a complete job of cleaning it. Mounted on the rear of the TB is the Idle Air Control (IAC) motor. The IAC controls air flow to the engine at start and idle. If it is dirty and has carbon build up on the plunger, your idle will be erratic. The complete procedure is as follows:
Remove the Air Hat from the Throttle Body
Disconnect all wiring plugs from the Throttle Body (should be 3)
Disconnect Vacuum hose from front of TB
Disconnect throttle cable retaining plate, it is not necessary to disconnect the throttle cable or cruise cable (if equipped)
Remove the Throttle Body from the engine
Remove the two Torx-25 Screws from the IAC solenoid at the rar of the TB
Remove the IAC Solenoid (Be careful not to lose the rubber O-Ring)
Spray some Carb/TB Cleaner in the IAC port on the Throttle Body and let it sit
Spray some Carb/TB Cleaner on the tip of the IAC Solenoid and wipe clean (Do NOT forcefully twist or push the plunger - You will damage the Solenoid. Brush gently with an old toohbrush and wipe clean.)
Spray a little bit more Carb/TB Cleaner in the IAC port on the Throttle Body and wipe clean with a thin/lint-free rag
Reinstall the IAC Solenoid (Make sure you don't lose the rubber gasket on the solenoid)
Reinstall the TB and all disconnected wiring harness connectors, vacuum lines, control cable mounts and airhat
Start the engine and let idle for about 1 minute.

I just did this to my 98 V6 a week or so ago. I made the mistake of pushing in the plunger and ended up having to replace ther IAC. Costs about $40 from autozone. Let us know how this works out for you.


HTH,

Ray Irons
Dover, DE



mddak
Dodge Dakota
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12/03/2002
08:22:41

RE: Symtons??? Plze look...
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if your battery is on the verge of dying it will do that - can't idle with a bad battery. if original battery, time to replace it - it's that time of the year



Drew
Dodge Dakota
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12/03/2002
17:18:56

RE: Symtons??? Plze look...
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My gosh, thanks for all the help!!! It kept cutting off on me today whenever i started today, it's the first time it ever happened. So, what i did was i pressed the gas when i started to keep the engine running and then quickly let off the gas and put it in reverse, and it almost died out but came back up to idle speed. THEN, i went to Co-Op(where i mostly get my gas) and i know this guy there and he said that it could be water in it so what he did was put some fuel injectors in.(I'v never put in fuel injectors since i bought this truck used at 60,000 miles, and it's at 71,500 miles right now) and he also put some premium gas in it since it's real cold down here in TN. In fact, there's an big ice storm coming tonight. Anyways, i just had this happen about 30 mins ago so i ran the truck around for the fuel injectors to mix up and all. If that doesn't work, i'll try your suggestions. Thanks a lot for yall's help! Sorry for the long post.



Dakota39M
Dodge Dakota
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12/04/2002
06:18:45

RE: Symtons??? Plze look...
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Dang I'm getting forgetful in my old age. mddak is correct also, a battery on its way out will cause the same symptoms you describe. My 98 Dak had the same problem at about 60K miles and I wasn't sure if the battery was bad or not. Luckily for me, a guy I work with has his own side business selling Deka batteries and has all the test equipment. I took my truck to him after work one day and he tested the battery. Sure enough the battery wasn't holding a surface charge and was on the way out. Replaced the battery and it has been running fine till I needed to clean/replace the IAC. I suggest you take your truck to AutoZone or any friendly auto parts store and have them check your battery. If it's bad, replace it, if it's good, get some carb cleaner and clean the IAC as I described earlier. Let us know what you come up with.

HTH,

Ray Irons
Dover, DE



91DakotaFreak
Dodge Dakota
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12/04/2002
09:05:24

RE: Symtons??? Plze look...
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Does it happen all the time or just everynow and then? It might be your plugs. Do you have autolites in it? I had a set in my 5.2L and it would do the same thing but not all the time. I changed them to the champion and it worked fine. I would still clean the TB like everybody else said



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