5.2 l Dakota

The Dak is sometimes hard to stay at idle. Most of the time it just dies when I remove the foot from the pedal. Have any of You guys experienced the same with your trucks/cars?
Any help apprecited
Lenny

Could be your Throttle Position Sensor is going bad.

It should be displaying a error code. What year?

Thanks guys. It's a -98. I'll plug in a OBD- reader to see if it will show up any codes.

Yeah sounds like clogged/faulty not properly functioning injectors
&/or maybe one or more of the sensors too, TPS especially...

Codes would help...

No codes detected. Could a weak battery cause a symptom like this? Thanks guys

Not sure about the weak battery effecting it,
but it's plausible with computer crap

Maybe;
try turning your ignition fully on {not start} & off, 3 times, kind of quickly
let it stand for 15-30 sec., then actually start it,
see if it clears any computer issues, charger the battery too...

you can also completely disconnect the battery for a couple minutes,
to help clear/reboot too,
than do the 3 times ign. trick after you have a decent charge

It sometimes it's like a reboot for the computer,
if you have a check engine or ABS brake light staying on
it has an issue, you still need to clear the codes...

good luck

I'm not really your guy past that point,
Google search the symptoms see what an expert says

Can the obd reader you were using read live data? You maybe able to determine what is going on by taking a look at the vitals.

I'm not sure, I have a lambda reader from Innovate Motorsports
Lm2 reader to whom I bought a additional cabel to plug in to the OBD socket. Have to study the manual first. Thanks

Probably just need to clean the throttle body. Get some throttle body cleaner (spray can),NOT CARB. CLEANER, engine off, open throttle body, spray cleaner on a rag,wipe down the walls of the throttle body, and BOTH sides of the throttle plate espcially where the two parts meet! The last part sounds hard, but it's not - stick a finger in a rag, next to edgeworks best, spray it with cleaner (really wet it down), used the finger and rag while playing with the throttle valve,or throttle plate if you will, till all the black CRAP is gone. Your idle air control ( IAC Motor) knows what that gap SHOULD BE it was programmed that the opening between the plate a wall would X, it also knows where the throttle plate SHOULD BE (TPS switch tells it) if the TPS says it is OK but the Crap blocks the air passage around the throttle plate and the throttle wall the computer doesn't care it's not programmed to fix this and may not even set a code for it either. Engine can not idle without fuel and AIR. Sometime it will all of a sudden idle if ya turn the air on cause the computer was told a/c on raise idle! Computers are smart (depending on what info it was taught) but BLIND AS A BAT. This is basic BEFORE you start to hassle the computer. Jerry

Thanks Jerry, I'll try this first thing tomorrow

Never had that problem of dying at idle. Did have a 94 Spirit that would not return to idle and would some times stick wide open. Throttle body cleaner is a great thing. Would free it right up for a couple months.

Had the throttle body cleaned, it did get better. Now it doesn't die at idle when warmed up for a minute, but hard to start when cold without giving it a little throttle. It's almost as it is flooded, kind of rough at idle the first half minute or so.

Have ran any fuel sustem cleaner threw it yet? Maybe a dirty injector dumping fuel.

I have experienced this on my truck. Mine was a weak battery. Recently experienced the exact opposite with the truck idling at 2500 rpm! That turned out to be the idle air motor.

Thanks 97, the battery is weak I'll replace it to begin with. Maybe continue with the idle air motor.

After I had the throttle body cleaned and had the old battery replaced, it starts and runs almost as new.

Remember : Us "old Farts" think of fuel injection as a carb. you can not control. They stuck electronic parts to fix it. Your first problem was fixed by adjusting the idle screws: You cleaned the throttle plate ( correct amount of air for fuel being given ) Just make sure you cleaned it CLEAN ( BOTH SIDES of the throttle plate it's self and the bore they sit in) CLEAN AS IN TWINKLE. If ya didn't finish that job FIRST. If you are get'n no codes it is most likely NOT a computer part. Look for the usual vacuum leaks: intake to cyl. head, ALL hose that take vacuum to something ( brake booster, any solenoids to purge valves etc.) easiest way again can carb. cleaner spray a pin point stream on all that "stuff" while running at idle. Any idle change up or down you have found more problem to solve. Then remember if the throttle plate was dirty with carbon and soot so could the passage way of the idle air control motor or the end of it where it moves in the passage way. For some reason the computer is not opening the passage to allow more air and fuel on the engine when its cold ( your choke system). If your scanner has data BEFORE you start it what does it say the engine temp. is. If it is 45 degrees out but the sensor is telling the computer it's 80 it won't know that. Computers are very SMART but blind as BATS. If it get information it acts on it. If it is lied to in will do what it is told. So if a part is telling it something the computer may not even set a code cause it IS getting info. Codes come from thing like: a TPS switch for instants It sees the RPM changing but did not see the voltage signal of the tps switch change so it turns a light on. It did not turn it on cause the part is bad simply because it was not operating in a range it was designed to or the computer did not "see" it move, like a broken wire at a connector. Injection is just an electronic carb. Jerry