Engine dies while stopping or turning

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MJ6

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So I recently had longtube headers and a cam swap performed on my truck. Sean from HemiFever is dialing in the tune for me right now, but we're having an intermittent issue with the engine dying if I come to a stop or make a turn.
She idles fine, and the timing and fuel trims all look great according to the logs, but I'm looking for any input on what could be causing the issue as it would appear to be mechanical in nature. No codes are being thrown, and my first thought was either a bad battery connection or a vacuum leak, but after a quick inspection I couldn't find anything that stuck out to me.
Any suggestions?
 
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So I recently had longtube headers and a cam swap performed on my truck. Sean from HemiFever is dialing in the tune for me right now, but we're having an intermittent issue with the engine dying if I come to a stop or make a turn.
She idles fine, and the timing and fuel trims all look great according to the logs, but I'm looking for any input on what could be causing the issue as it would appear to be mechanical in nature. No codes are being thrown, and my first thought was either a bad battery connection or a vacuum leak, but after a quick inspection I couldn't find anything that stuck out to me.
Any suggestions?
Are you using the stock torque converter? If so that is most likely it, you need a higher stall converter from stock

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ExpressRules

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Don't totally rule out possible battery issue. If it is the original battery always a possibility starting to get weak of an intermittent cell issue. There have been many posts on here with very strange truck behavior that ended up being caused by dirty battery connections of just a weak battery.
 
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MJ6

MJ6

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Thanks for the replies guys.
I have the 8spd transmission, and with such a mild cam I wouldn’t expect I’d need a new TC. Sean even mentioned to me that no one else that he’s tuned with this cam has seen this issue. I also replaced the stock battery not one month ago as it was giving me cranking issues.
I am trying to get it back in the shop to have them look at it, but their availability isn’t until next weekend, so it’s going to drive me bonkers until I know what the deal is. It also only seems to pop up once the engine is warmed up, never after a cold start.
 

Hemi450hp

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Is it only giving you trouble right before coming to a stop, or is it cutting off while turning at higher speeds as well? The cutting off while turning leads me to think it is a vacuum leak as well.
 

The kracken

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Id say vacuum leak since you had a cam installed and something didnt go back perfectly the converter doesnt just say to itself oh he got a cam so lets cause issues. The reason for a converter after a cam is to put it in its power range quicker. It could be something in the tune also

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MJ6

MJ6

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Is it only giving you trouble right before coming to a stop, or is it cutting off while turning at higher speeds as well? The cutting off while turning leads me to think it is a vacuum leak as well.

Correct: only when coming to a stop or slowing for a turn, never at higher speeds. Even then it doesn’t happen every single time.
I think I’m leaning towards the shop missing a small vacuum leak somewhere then. Hopefully it’s something minor and not something they’ll need to tear it back down for.
 
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Yeah, not the torque converter. I was guessing you hada more "extreme" cam and a 6 speed, lol..

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Dodge4x4810

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Usually, if it idles fine, then it is not a vacuum leak. But, something to try in order to rule out a vacuum leak...get some starting fluid and carefully spray it around the engine while it is running. If there is a leak, depending on the path when it enters the engine, it can make it rev up and/or bog down. You will easily find your leak, but it is possible that if the leak is so small, you will need a scanner to monitor the short term fuel trim while you are spraying.
 
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MJ6

MJ6

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Good idea.
I’ll run the data logger at the same time that I check for leaks. With any luck it will uncover something I can use to fix the issue.
 

SYKRAMMAN

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If you still can't find the vacume leak then you can smoke test it, that always seems to work pretty well.
 

Dodge4x4810

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I use it all the time at work. If it is a very small vacuum leak, alot of times spraying starting fluid will not detect the area. Many techs do not realize that if you have access to a scanner that can monitor fuel trim, the easiest way is to let the engine run and spray starting fluid in small areas while watching the "short term fuel" data on each bank. Watch for it to go negative quick, the more it goes negative the larger the leak. Believe me if it is a vacuum leak, you'll find it by using this method.
 
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MJ6

MJ6

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So diagnostic update:
I went to have an o2 **** welded in for a wideband, and a shop a few doors down offered to check out my stalling issue. They hooked it up to a smoke machine and let it run, but they didn’t find any leaks. They even put it up on a lift while the engine was running and checked the ground straps to make sure it wasn’t a grounding issue. Still nothing.
I may still try the starter fluid and logging method, but I feel like the smoke test would have found something if it was there. I’ll be taking it back into the speed shop next weekend either way, but until then I’m still wracking my brain because if there’s one thing I hate, it’s not knowing :mad:
Possibly the IAC sensor went wonky or was damaged during install?
 
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MJ6

MJ6

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Ok, maybe a stupid question, but do 4th gen Rams have an IAC?
I’ve searched for hours and can’t find any information on cleaning, replacing, or even if they have them. Am I missing something here?
 

crazykid1994

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Ok, maybe a stupid question, but do 4th gen Rams have an IAC?

I’ve searched for hours and can’t find any information on cleaning, replacing, or even if they have them. Am I missing something here?



No separate iac. Its all part of the module built into the throttle body. See what the tuner says is most likely your best bet


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Dodge4x4810

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Most newer vehicles, like our trucks, are fly-by-wire throttle bodies, so it is all built into a sealed unit within the throttle body. Pretty much all vehicles for years are like this now, most people do not realize. So, when something inside the throttle body goes bad, you have to replace the entire throttle body.

I can't see or hear your exact problem, but I would still try letting it idle and spray around, in small areas, with starter fluid. Also, like I said, if you know someone with a scanner or a data logger look, pay attention to the short-term fuel trim.

But, this all happened the moment the cam was done? Was there a period after when it was fine and then it started acting up? It is alot of work to change out a cam. The entire front cover and the upper part of the engine has to come off. There is a very good possibility that is is something like a vacuum leak. It could be so small and minor that you will not notice smoke escaping if the leak is buried.
 
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MJ6

MJ6

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Final update:
I went ahead and installed my wideband yesterday, as well as swapping out the TB for the stock one, re-seating my MAP sensor, spraying ignition fluid and watching for ST fuel trim fluctuations, and double checking that the primary and secondary oxygen sensors weren't swapped by accident.
Same issue.
Not being able to find anything mechanically wrong, I took the next step and got a second opinion from another tuner to see if there was anything we overlooked. Now I don't know what he did, but after I uploaded the preliminary tune he sent me, the stalling issue was gone. I drove the truck around for a good 15 minutes, performing brake check after brake check as by this point I'd become somewhat of an expert at causing the stall to manifest itself. It never came back.
So ultimately, it looks at this point that it was a tune issue after all. Sean did tell me that he's had other individuals with the same mods that did not display the same issue that I was having, and I wholeheartedly believe him, but I guess this is a situation that displays how finicky and temperamental different engines can be. One size unfortunately doesn't always fit all.
Every ounce of respect to Sean for what he does, he's an excellent tuner that knows his trade in a way I couldn't begin to comprehend; his dedication and professionalism is outstanding and I would absolutely recommend him, in my particular case however I'll be switching to a different tuner. It's unfortunate that my truck didn't want to respond to his tunes, but I want to thank him nonetheless for his tireless efforts.
 

chrisp2493

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I had the same issues as were were dialing in my tune. If the rpms were too low it would stall, especially when you were making a slow turn. After the idle was raised I’ve only ever had one random stall.
 

seanlovesniki

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Final update:

So ultimately, it looks at this point that it was a tune issue after all. Sean did tell me that he's had other individuals with the same mods that did not display the same issue that I was having, and I wholeheartedly believe him
I just picked up my 2021 Ram 1500 from the shop. I installed the tune Sean sent me for the cam and headers. The shop called me and said come get it, but it dies coming to a stop or making a slow turn. I just sent Sean an email letting him know. I’m hoping he gets back to me with a revised tune that works. I’m not being ungrateful, I’m just stating I’m having the same experience and hope Sean has a file that will work.
 
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