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'02 Dakota w/4.7

1K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Burned 
#1 ·
This is a 1-owner pickup with 123K miles and it doesn't want to run right. It starts OK, then will speed up and slow down and dies when decelerating to turn a corner or stop. Then it starts right up again and does the speed up and slow down thing. Took it to a Dodge dealer and the mechanic there said it looks like the cylinder heads have been off and the timing sprockets on the cams and the crank have been replaced. I "messenged" the previous owner who told me she'd bought it new and she's supposed to have her husband contact me to fill in some blanks on the history of the pickup. The Dodge mechanic says that if the heads have been milled/planed and the correct gaskets aren't used to compensate for the change in height that will cause the timing chains to have slack which then causes what we're seeing.
Does anybody out there have any clue(s) about something like this ?
 
#2 ·
It could be a possibility but without getting any info from the previous owner yet, it's just speculation. More likely is the throttle body is extremely dirty and causing the IAC and TPS mess up. The IAC controls the idle and if gummed up, can cause the engine to stall in low speed maneuvers. The TPS reads the throttle angle and if the TB is that bad to where the blade is dragging, the TPS could be telling the PCM to compensate but the IAC not working right either will cause these symptoms too.
Best wait to hear from the PO before doing anything else.
 
#4 ·
Start with the MAP sensor.

The heads may have been off to do a head gasket job. Usually you replace the chains and guides while in there. The sprockets do not need changing when doing that job. You would hear chain slap in the front under the timing cover if there was an issue with the chains.
Start with the easy stuff before taking off the timing cover.
 
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