Truck starting issue! omgpleasehelp

[mamzak]

Heyyyy family.

My truck (1997 Dodge Dakota Sport, 3.9 V8 ) is being a waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles ass bitch, and crapping out sometimes on the start-up....but only sometimes.

I'll start the truck, and the rev's will just sort of sputter around and then die. However, If I pump the gas a bit, and hold the RPM's at about 1000+ for a little while I can usually let my foot off the gas without it dying.

Buuutttt other times, I'll go to start the truck and it will start as usual with no issues!

I'm thinking fuel delivery issue? Fuel filter clog, or dirty injectors? I have no idea.

Anyone?

[Frenche]

So it cranks and fires all the time?
Might sound stupid but what year and model is it and when are you having these problems? In the morning?

If its an old truck it could just be a matter of tunning it for the weather. Might be to cold for it to idle.
Thats just how my car is.

[z31maniac]

Might want to tell people the year/make/engine/etc as there may be a commonly known issue.

[mamzak]

It's a 97 Dakota Sport.

It seems like if it sits for a long period of time it will start up easily...but if I park, and then go to start it again in like an hour it will die off the start. But not all the time....sometimes I go to start it in the morning and it give me grief, so I don't know!!

it's really hard to troubleshoot though because of how sporadic the problem is!

[SilentJon]

throttle body clean? more importantly the idle passageways.
check fault codes
allpar.com/fix/codes.html

[Evan12]

your idle air control needs to reset. a buddy of mine had the exact same problem.

[mikeedler]

^ if that doesnt work, try replacing the ecu water temp sensor.

[Mossman]

Best test if you suspect fuel delivery issue is hook up a fuel pressure gauge to it and have someone watch the gauge when it's demonstrating the problem.

[rich4rdee]

vacuum leak?

[mamzak]

your idle air control needs to reset. a buddy of mine had the exact same problem.

How do you reset it?! I've replaced them before with just a reman unit...but you can actually "reset" it?

[Evan12]

How do you reset it?! I've replaced them before with just a reman unit...but you can actually "reset" it?

try unplugging your battery then pluggin back in so everyhting resets. if that doesnt work its prolly something with ur ECU

[mrsleeve]

Fuel PUMP

[mamzak]

Fuel PUMP

But it runs perfectly fine other days....so I can't see that being an issue? Fuck I still don't know. I'm leaning more towards temp sensor, or Idle control.

[md325i]

This is happening on my e30 right now. It's happened ever since I switched out my oil. I bought it from the PO and it started just fine. After I switched the timing belt and water pump, I put in 20w50 Castrol and now it sputters to death unless I step on the gas pedal.

I always thought that it was a viscosity issue... is it something else?

[mrsleeve]

But it runs perfectly fine other days....so I can't see that being an issue? Fuck I still don't know. I'm leaning more towards temp sensor, or Idle control.

yeah I know

I had issues with the little womans old tahoe, where it would not want to start or just up a quit. and then would run fine for weeks and you forget all about it. Till it left us stuck at the grocery store in IA in july at 100 fucking degrees. Well did the whack the tank thing while she was turning the key bingo pump fired up and it ran again.

Could be an intermittent grounding out of the fuel pump as well. In my experience what you have going on is 8 times outta 10 fuel delivery issues, wether it be pump, regulator, TPS, IAC or other sensor required for fuel delivery.

Might also look to the Crank Position sensor or maybe even the Coil/coils/spark distribution system. the no rev thing makes me really think you have a lack of fuel pressure/volume at times