QuestionQUESTION: I have A 94 Dodge Ram 4x4 5.9L. It will crank and run until you put it in gear it will go a little ways until it warms up and then it goes dead especially when the gas is not be pushed i think it could be a egr valve but i cant spend money without knowing. what do you think.
ANSWER: Hi Michael,
I would certainly encourage you to look at the egr valve yourself because the chances are good if it is the problem you can remedy the situation yourself. My first thought is that the egr valve is sticking slightly ajar and when that happens, as you slow down to a stop, the engine will die and refuse to start because the mixture is too lean. Similarly it will not accelerate well when the valve should be tightly closed as well. The eger has a round top with a vacuum hose attached to it. The body of the valve is positioned in a small diameter exhaust pipe that branches off one of the exhaust manifolds. Between the valve body and the round top there is a flange which conceals the valve stem. Find the stem and note that it has a circumferential slot into which you can insert the tip of a screwdriver and use that to move the stem back and forth. Spray some WD-40 on the stem where it enters the valve body and then move the stem back and forth, and check that the internal spring-action is closing the valve to a dead stop. Then see if that solves your problems.
If not then see if you can get a fault code readout using the ignition key. Turn it:"on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the check engine light, which remains 'on', to see it begin to flash, puase, flash, etc. Count the number of flashes before each pause. Then repeat the process to be sure you have an accurate set of flash counts. Then let me know the counts in order of appearance and we can go from there.
Please 'rate' my answer (see below),
Thanks,
Roland
You probably won't need to spend any money if thise is indeed your problem.
Please 'rate' my answer (see below).
Thanks,
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: One thing I forgot is when it does go dead it stops firing to i checked it at the ignition coil but no fire. and i do have an obd 1 and 2 diagnostics computer and it says egr.
AnswerHi Michael,
The loss of spark could either be due to a loss of signal from either of the engine rotational sensors (crank or camshaft) or it could be a failure of the autoshutdown relay or its circuit which controls the power to the coil. Ideally the diagnostic readout box would give a code telling why (code 11 or 54).
You could try removing the ASD relay and noting which pin shows 12v. Then jump a wire across to the opposite pin of the socket (which should provide power to the coil and the injectors) and then see if it starts and runs normally and doesn't die off. If it does then probably the ASD relay is failing. If it doesn't change the performance then one of those two rotational sensors is going bad.
You could check the sensors by measuring between each sensor's ground wire (black/light blue, usually) and the sensor's signal wire (the other two-color wire on the sensor) and then rotate the engine by hand via the crank puller bolt while the ignition is in the 'run' position. It should switch between 5v and 0.3 v as you rotate it. Do this immediately after the engine goes dead to catch which ever sensor "in the act" of failing.
One of those two techniques should reveal why you are loosing spark.
Please 'rate' my answer (see below). I would appreciata a 'nomination'.
Thanks,
Roland
