Backfiring and stalling

2003 DODGE DAKOTA
167,054 MILES • 3.9L • V6 • 2WD
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JEREMYA
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
When I crank truck and go to take off it acts like it's about to shut off and when I give it more gas acts like it's going to backfire. You can hear under the like a pop noise or something, I do not know what is up what's up with it.
May 24, 2020 at 5:03 PM
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KASEKENNY
  • AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 18,907 POSTS
Backfiring and poor running or stalling is normally a sign of a couple things. The first thing we need to do is check for codes even if the engine light is not on. If we have a code related to this then we can go in that direction.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

If we have no codes then we need to check two things. First for a vacuum leak. There is a guide below on how to do this. Also, here is a guide that covers backfiring repairs in more general terms which is the direction we will be going:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-backfires-while-running

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-an-engine-vacuum-gauge

If none of this checks out we are going to need to check the timing. Do you have a scan tool that can monitor live data from the PCM?
May 24, 2020 at 6:22 PM
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