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1996 Dodge Ram Stalls when decellerating

Tiny
SCHOOLBOY1967
  • MEMBER
  • 1996 DODGE RAM
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 110,000 MILES
I have a 96 Ram with a 360 auto trans. At times, warm or cold, when I take my foot off the gas, it stalls. The RPM's drop instantly like I just turned off the key. It will start back up and at times it will stall back out when I take my foot off the gas again and others it will run just fine. I have had my trans rebuilt, don't know if that has anything to do with it. I also notice at times the RPM's will drop to around 200 and them bounce back up to normal idle rpm. Most of the time the RPM's will slowly drop to normal idle speed. I have had it in the shop where they checked everything and found a dirty throttle position sensor that they cleaned off. All pressures, and readings were fine.
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Thursday, June 12th, 2008 AT 3:58 PM

8 Replies

Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
Chek the idle air control valve, it's bolted to the throttlebody, If the engine has ever backfired weather you felt it or not, it will ruin these. Also see if the EGR is sticking. Is the check engine light on?
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Saturday, June 1st, 2019 AT 3:08 PM
Tiny
SCHOOLBOY1967
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
I had Dodge hook it up to their computer and didn't find any error codes. Would any of these things cause an error code? I will check the idle air control. I have never had a back fire, but I did install new plugs and they were gapped a bit larger than they should have been and it pinged going up long hills. The plugs have now been corrected. Thanks for the help.
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Saturday, June 1st, 2019 AT 3:08 PM
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
IAC can malfuntion without bieng so far out of range it set a code.
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Saturday, June 1st, 2019 AT 3:08 PM
Tiny
SCHOOLBOY1967
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Thanks for your input so far, it is giving me some hope. I drove my truck today and I drove about 1/8 of a mile through my neighborhood at 25 mph. I took my foot off the gas and it stalled again. I coasted to the side of the road and it fired back up. It did want to stall every time I took my foot off the gas so to keep it going when I came to a stop light, while coasting I would throw it into nuteral and keep my foot on the gas so the rmps were around 1000 to 1200 rpms. I noticed that even though my foot was steady, the rpms wouldn't hold steady and would bounce 200 RMPs. When I did take my foot off the gas when I got where I was going and the rpm's was at 200, normally around 800 RPM's. It drives fine, I can get on it full thottle with no hesitation or bucking. It drives just like a new truck, it just won't stay running. I don't know if the bouncing RPM's would be a clue to anything. Thanks in advance for all your helpl
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Saturday, June 1st, 2019 AT 3:08 PM
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
You may have a vacuum leak, get a can of spray gumout, spray the vac lines and maniflod area, when the idle changes, youve found the leak! You want the engine running and spray on the outside but do direct the stream onto the hoses, if it is a vacuum leak, the engine idle will change speed, then you have detected a leak, repair the vacuum leak and see how it runs! If that doesnt do it, you may need a new idle air control valve, it's bolted to the throttlebody
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Saturday, June 1st, 2019 AT 3:08 PM
Tiny
SCHOOLBOY1967
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
I replaced the Idle Air Control Valve. When I removed the original one, it was fully extended, don't know if this is normal but it was filthy filthy filthy. The sleeve was coverd with oily dirt, the valve itself was also very dirlty and there was a chunk of greasy dirt on it as well. I removed it, cleaned out the inside of the throtlle body. Installed the new one and the truck fired right up and idled nicely. Can't be 100% sure this was the problem because the truck was running ok when I changed it, but I am 99.9% sure this was it. Thanks for all your help. I never even knew that piece was there.
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Saturday, June 1st, 2019 AT 3:08 PM
Tiny
MERLIN2021
  • MECHANIC
  • 17,250 POSTS
Glad to help, kepp me updated!
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Saturday, June 1st, 2019 AT 3:08 PM
Tiny
DREWAOR
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I just read the tread of questions (see link) https://www.2carpros.com/forum/1996-dodge-ram--stalls-when-decellerating-vt145201.html
And I am currently looking at a 96 Ram that is having the same stall problem and I wanted to know if changing the Idle Air Control Valve fixed the problem???

Please respond.

Thanks!
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Saturday, June 1st, 2019 AT 3:08 PM

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