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Intermittent Loss Of Power?

14K views 10 replies 3 participants last post by  Tonkadodge 
#1 ·
Ok, so I have this weird problem. My truck has an intermittent 'stumble' or 'hiccup'. I have had an issue since day one of my ownership of this truck, so let me start from the beginning.

Few days after I got it (January), on a cold morning, on my way to school the truck would try to die. It just so happened to be at the same spot most of the time, but it could have been coincidence. Theres a slight hill with a stop up top. (When I say slight, I mean barely a hill. Maybe an inch or two incline and another inch or two decline.) After that stop, when I would give it gas to get going, as soon as I got a few feet away, the truck started to die out. At first I thought the trans was slipping, but then realized the RPMs were dropping. It would sputter and almost reach a dying point, but after I let it run a few minutes, it just, stopped. It went right back to normal, and I would continue to drive without any other problems.

A few months later, when I tried to repair my transmission leak (which turned out to be a cracked transmission case) I lost reverse, so I had the whole thing rebuilt. After I got it back, I noticed the shuddering. (It never went away, but I just noticed it again.)

Now that the weather warmed up, I thought maybe it would go away since maybe it was caused by the cold. Well, it still does it. In the morning, it seems to have longer than normal starts. I don't like to hold the starter for any more than 3 seconds at a time, so sometimes it takes me a good 2 or 3 tries. In fact, one night after leaving my dads house, it wouldn't start. I let it crank 4 or 5 times, and on the last I let it go for 10 seconds before it fired up. It hasn't done that ever since, but I still feel they're longer than they should be.

Another time I experience the issue is driving down the freeway at 70 mph, the truck feels like it misses or momentarily loses power, almost like the transmission lost gear and reengaged, but it isn't the transmission. It would usually happen a few times within a 10 second window, and then just stop. It seemed if I gave it more gas as it was happening it does it more.

At this point I don't know if the fuel pump is going, the fuel filter is clogged (200k on it I'm sure) or if the crankshaft position sensor is going out. I need to get the fuel pressures, which I am trying to find a place that will do it cheap. I just wanted to see if anybody else could chime in and give me some advice? Thanks!
 
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#3 ·
It sounds like it could be the problem, but I don't want to say for sure. When they took mine out it was all chewed up from the flywheel. You can access it behind the plastic panel inside the passenger fender behind the tire. Take it out and look at it. I believe it was 200 to replace the sensor. I also had the plenum gasket replaced which was another 600 dollars, but wasn't the problem.
 
#5 ·
Yeah, I'm going to pull it this weekend and see. Yeah, I have a blown plenum too. What a bummer. Hopefully it IS the sensor, because I'd much rather replace that instead of dropping the tank and replacing the fuel pump.
 
#7 ·
Yeah, I might do that too. I tried Advance Auto and they only sell one, not rent. I'll try AutoZone instead. I'll rent it this weekend and check that and the sensor all at the same time.
 
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