RPM gauge on dash does not match ECM

Tiny
BENLEE1199
  • MEMBER
  • 2006 DODGE RAM
  • 5.7L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 80,000 MILES
Hello, I'm having an idle issue with my truck. When driving, the truck runs fine, but recently when coming to a stop the RPMs will sometimes drop down as low as 100-200. This just started recently, and it does not do all the time, but will do it at some point every time I drive now.

Sometimes it will dip down gradually over 10-30 seconds, and sometimes it will dip down in quick jerks, maybe 200 rpm at a time.

It has not stalled yet, and considering that the gauge sometimes reads as lows as 100 rpm, you would think it would be running extremely rough, but it is not very shaky at all. Sometimes at the low rpm you can feel a slight shakiness, like a mild miss, but it is so slight that I don't think I would even notice it if I wasn't specifically paying attention to it, and it has yet to stall or even feel like it was about to stall.

I hooked up a scan tool with live data to take readings on the 02 sensors, but they seemed to be reading the correct voltage, jumping between about.2~.9 on the upstream sensors. When I introduced some propane gas into the intake, the voltage held at.8 or.9 consistently until I took away the propane.

As I was looking at the live data, I noticed that the RPM reading on the scan tool was showing about 650, while on the dash gauge it was only about 400 or so, and sometimes even lower than that. When I would press on the gas and bring the RPM up to 1,000 (according to the scan tool), I would look at the dash and it would only be around 600. This remained the case when I would go up to 2,000 rpm (according to the scan tool), but on the dash gauge it would only read as 1,500 or so.
Monday, September 30th, 2019 AT 7:22 AM

7 Replies

Tiny
BENLEE1199
  • MEMBER
  • 69 POSTS
Here is a video showing the rpm on the dash at idle at a stop. You can see from the very start of the video it is around 400-500 rpm, and then quickly jumps down to 200 rpm and then slowly dips even lower than that, yet the engine is not shaky and does not stall.

When I had the scan tool hooked up and it was anywhere around the 200-400 rpm range on the dash, the ECM/scan tool was saying the engine was at an rpm of about 650, which of course is the normal rpm, and since the engine did not feel rough or shaky, I am inclined to believe that the ECM/scan tool is correct and the dash is wrong.
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Tuesday, October 1st, 2019 AT 1:13 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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Which phone are you using for the video because the bottom is cut off? It sounds like you need the throttle bore serviced. here is a guide to help you fix the problem:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/throttle-actuator-service

Please run down this guide and report back.
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Tuesday, October 1st, 2019 AT 1:28 PM
Tiny
BENLEE1199
  • MEMBER
  • 69 POSTS
Okay, I will follow that procedure to clean the throttle body and let you know. But even if a dirty throttle body is the cause of the low RPM at idle, wouldn't the RPM gauge on the dash still match the RPM that the ECM/scan tool is showing?

I am also thrown off by the fact that the RPM gauge on the dash can get as low as 100-200 without the engine getting shaky and without any stalling.
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Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019 AT 12:02 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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You could have a cluster that is going out there were no codes when you scanned it?

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

Lets look at the crankshaft sensor as well it could be getting weak.

Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what happens.
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Thursday, October 3rd, 2019 AT 11:31 AM
Tiny
BENLEE1199
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No pending or stored codes. I will check the crankshaft sensor as well.
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Thursday, October 3rd, 2019 AT 11:50 AM
Tiny
BENLEE1199
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  • 69 POSTS
Ken, do you have instructions for testing a crankshaft sensor?
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Friday, October 4th, 2019 AT 8:50 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,536 POSTS
Yes. here are the connector views check for 5 volts, ground and trigger will show up on a digital volt meter and bounce up to about 1.5 volts.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-voltmeter

Check out the diagrams (below). Please run some tests and get back to us.
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Friday, October 4th, 2019 AT 12:32 PM

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