Dodge Repair: 00 Dodge 4.7L: manifold absoulte pressure sensor

Question
I have a 2000 4 door Dakota 2 wheel drive with the 4.7. I keep getting the code for the manifold absolute pressure sensor. I have replaced it twice and still get the error code. The truck has 130,000 miles on it. It has been maintained exceptionally well. I will tell you the only thing that has changed is we went from a k&n air filter to a paper filter. The original sensor had a look of a oily residue down in side of it, the first new one did not have that when we replaced it 1 week later. When the error first comes on the truck runs ruff, we shut the truck off then the truck will run just fine, the check engine light will go off as well.it dose not backfire to cause the error as far as I know. If you have any ideas I would appreciate any help.

Answer
Hi Robert,
The wiring from the sensor to the powertrain control module should be checked.
There should be 5v on pin 3 of the sensor plug with the ignition "on", coming from pin 17 of the number 1 plug on the module.  Pin 1 of the sensor plug is black/light blue and goes to pin 4 of the module and is the 'ground' wire so check it for continuity and should have no voltage on it. Pin 2 of the plug is the signal wire (dark green/red) and it has a variable voltage as the engine runs, the wire being connected to pin 27 of the same plug at the module. Shake the harness gently as you are doing the measurements to detect intermittent connection.
Plug 1 at the module is 32 pins, and black in color, as is the Plug 3 at the module, so look at the wire colors on the pins to be sure you are at plug 1.
If there is not 5v on the violet/white then there is a connector which I can tell you about which may be the cause of that.
Roland