1985 Dodge Ram Sluggish and Chokes when accelerating

77,000 MILES • V8 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
Avatar
BWYNES
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
My 1985 Dodge Ram starts up great but when I drive it, it starts to sound like it's choking and acting really sluggish, especially up hills. What can i do to fix it?
Oct 9, 2009 at 8:43 AM
Avatar
RASMATAZ
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 75,988 POSTS
Could be caused by the following:

Oxygen sensor
Catalytic converter
Dirty fuel injectors (cleaning the injectors often fixes this).
Bad MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor
Bad TPS (throttle position) sensor
Bad or dirty MAF (mass airflow) sensor
Low fuel pressure (leaky fuel pressure regulator or weak fuel pump)
Vacuum leaks (intake manifold, vacuum hoses, throttle body, EGR valve)
Bad gasoline (fuel contaminated with water or too much alcohol)

Sometimes, what feels like a hesitation is actually ignition misfire rather than lean misfire. The causes of ignition misfire may include:

Dirty or worn spark plugs
Bad plug wires
Weak ignition coil
Wet plug wires
Oct 9, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Add a reply
Join 2CarPros for free, one of the most advanced car repair communities on the internet. From first-time drivers to seasoned mechanics, everyone is welcome to reply, share details, and get better answers. You can add a temporary image or video first; uploads are limited to 20 MB.

Frequently Asked Problems for This Vehicle