my (brand new to me) 2005 Ram's odd engine issue

[Black06ram]

Hey guys. Got some great news, and some confusing/bad news about my new truck.
(sorry for typing a lot, I would rather put it all out there initially)

As some of you may have read my other recent post, my cream-puff 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT QC 2wd 5.7 auto truck was crashed into on 3/10/18 by someone who made a bad decision of blindly pulling onto the highway from behind a snowbank. I am still crushed about it and wish the truck had not been totaled. I haggled with the insurance company and was eventually paid out $12,939.74 for it. I searched far and wide and located a 2005 Dodge RAM 1500 SLT QC 2wd 5.7 auto in black that was a one owner vehicle and had only 36,014 miles on it. They guy was cool and even though he hardly used it in the 13 years he owned it, he took very good care of it.

Link to photos of crashed truck:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123927173@N02/albums/72157692930075421

Link to quick initial photos of the "new" truck:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123927173@N02/albums/72157695126717895



He had annual oil changes using Mobil1 synthetic, and had the dealership do the two airbag inflator recalls as well as the pinion nut recall. minimal rust underneath and the interior is mint. I took it for a test drive and was very happy so I bought it for $11,500 cash. Drove it home and around for a few days. It handles great and will eventually get the EBC brakes/rotors and the Bilstein shocks I had previously ordered for my deceased 2006.

However, it initially (and still) does feel a little down on power, espeically low end power. It would idle fine and temps and pressures would be right where tehy should be on the dash gauges. Then one morning on the way home from work while stopped at a traffic light, it stalled out. No stumble or anything, just stalled. I put it in park and restarted it, driving hom with no other issues and no code or CEL. Two days later it did it again. Anothe day later it did it to me while driving at 40 mph. This time the CEL did come on and stay on. At home I hooked up my Diablo inTuner and scanned for codes. NO CODES. did the key trick... no codes. Drove it for a few more days and stalled more frequently. Still seems to lack power compared to my 2006. Drove it twice today and it stalled out two times. Both while stopped waiting in traffic. CEL is on and teh key trick code shows for P0335 crank sensor. Scanned for codes with my Diablo, and NO CODES!?!? took it to autozone and had them read the codes, showing P0335 as well.

The engine does not stumble or misfire. It has a nice even idle, but seems LOW to me.. at 500 rpms in Drive while stopped in traffic. kinda low right? Acceleration is noticable slower compared to my 2006, which did have a Magnaflow cat back and some Hemifever computer tune in it. I swapped over my K&N from my 2006 to the 2005, but the air filter in the 2005 was quite clean anyways.

Starting to get a bit nervous about this happening more frequently as each day goes along. I spoke with teh seller a fw time (cool guy, car guy, easy to talk to, and seems genuinely honest) and he says the truck never stalled or had a CEL problem.

I am only getting 13.8 mpg (my othe truck was mid 17's)
Battery voltage with engine running is 14.61v
voltage with engine off is 12.56v
battery is about 5-6 years old as per previous owner
NO red lightning bolt code, only CEL light
currently at 1/3 ful fuel tank and it has stalled in recent days
trans fluid is clean and not foamy(not overflled)


I am thinking that the code is only being thrown AFTER the engine stalls... and the crank sensor is NOT the problem. What am I up against though? mechanically I cnt see anyting wrong. truck feels "choked" when accelerating but cruises fine. letting it idle (at temp) in y driveway it has run for 10+ mins and wont stall.. only really when driving or stopped in traffic. I have read online about volt and ohm testing the Crank and cam sensor and I can easily do that, I just have a feeling it is something else causing this. He rarely drove the truck, but it is not like he had bad fuel in it. I even put 3/4 a tank of fresh 89 fuel in it too one day after buying it (prior to the stalling)

I will be doing a full spark plug check and change, clean the Throttle body, check egr and pcv, ( I dont think the fuel filters in these trucks are serviceable right?). I am not dumping fuel out the tailpipe, but will probably upgrade to a magnaflow cat back as I had in my last truck.

In conclusion, I am sure that I will get this issue solved, but it has been quite a roller coaster the past 21 days since my truck was crashed into.. and to have this issue surface days after buying a new truck is daunting and disheartening. I'd love to have it solved quick so I can get back into teh swing of things and have a reliable daily drive like my 2006 was. I am moderately mechanically skilled to an extent but not an ASE certified mechanic. I dont want to throw parts at it, liek sensors, but if I do they will be genuine MOPAR parts. I plan on having this truck for 10+ years, so I want to get it sorted out right and make it reliable, fun, and mechanically solid. Sorry for over-typing.

 

[xtremewlr]

You are on the right path with changing the plugs, all 16 and cleaning the TB. Don't just check the EGR and PCV, replace them. Make sure you reset the PCM while you are working on doing those things. Disconnect the positive cable and ground it to the negative post and leave it like that while you do the other stuff.

My 04 had the stalling issue like you have described and it was resolved after changing the EGR. I had already done the other items. They all work in conjunction with each other and with your truck at 36k miles, it probably has all the OEM plugs, EGR and PCV still.

 

[Black06ram]

Thanks man, I appreciate the help. PLEASE anyone else with some type of input or feedback.. all of it is welcome and appreciated!!

Today I picked up a MOPAR PCV valve at a Dodge dealership, 16 Champion Platinum (not copper) plugs, a Crankshaft Position sensor, and throttle body cleaner. Prior to installing the Crank sensor, I will check voltage and ohms on the wiring harness. If that is bad I will not install the sensor and return it for full price. If wiring appears good I'll install the sensor.

My main concern is that.. after reading research on all corners of the internet, my problem is intermittent.. where most people with the P0335 Crank sensor issue have either a NO-START, or a start, with poor idle and no RPMs (undrivable). Mine is drive-able, but randomly problematic and "solves" itself after recranking the engine over... so hopefully it is that a P0335 code is the result of another issue. ..

.. then I just need to find that issue. so spark plugs, clean/replace PVC, clean EGR valve and hose, remove and clean throttle body, check wiring, check fuses etc.


any additional thoughts guys? thanks!!

 

[Black06ram]

You are on the right path with changing the plugs, all 16 and cleaning the TB. Don't just check the EGR and PCV, replace them. Make sure you reset the PCM while you are working on doing those things. Disconnect the positive cable and ground it to the negative post and leave it like that while you do the other stuff.

My 04 had the stalling issue like you have described and it was resolved after changing the EGR. I had already done the other items. They all work in conjunction with each other and with your truck at 36k miles, it probably has all the OEM plugs, EGR and PCV still.

thanks! it does have ALL the factory plugs, sensors, etc. he said he only changed oil and fluids, never a single sensor.

I've never known to rest the PCM that way (by grounding positive to negative). In past years I have always just disconnected BOTH battery cables and or rewritten the PCM tune via the Diablo Tuner. thoughts??

 

[MADDOG]

Disconnect the battery and if you leave it disconnected for 30 minutes or so the PCM will reset.

Disconnecting the battery simply insures that no voltage surges or spikes occur due to the work you are doing that could damage the PCM.

I've read that many folks have had issues with early HEMI engine and platinum plugs. The reason is that some of them are longer and protrude into the cylinder too far. Check the depth against your stock copper plugs, which are usually the recommended plug due to the depth issue, and use the shims supplied with the plugs if necessary to maintain proper depth.

 

[xtremewlr]

Disconnect the battery and if you leave it disconnected for 30 minutes or so the PCM will reset.

Disconnecting the battery simply insures that no voltage surges or spikes occur due to the work you are doing that could damage the PCM.

I've read that many folks have had issues with early HEMI engine and platinum plugs. The reason is that some of them are longer and protrude into the cylinder too far. Check the depth against your stock copper plugs, which are usually the recommended plug due to the depth issue, and use the shims supplied with the plugs if necessary to maintain proper depth.

Yeah, platinum plugs don't have a very good history with the 3rd gen hemi engines. Champion 570 or NGK 5306 copper plugs always work the best in my experience. Change them out every 30k miles or so and never had a problem with them.

 

[Black06ram]

cool thanks guys. I definitely did install the Champion 570's in my 2006 and they were just great. In an effort to avoid any hassles or cause any more issues, I will go to autozone tomorrow and swap out the platinums for he Champion 570's. I think it was only about a 60cent difference in lower cost but that sure is fine. I want what will work best for this truck as a daily driver. not looking to race it or do anything wild with/to it. Research I did years ago told me that platinums were very bad for nitrous engines, so I don't use them in my camaro engine either. This will mean that none of my vehicles should/will be platinum tipped plugs which is just a good way to remember when ordering/reordering plugs.

yes, on most of my vehciles I disconnect the battery for about 15-30 mins to clear codes etc. been doing that for a long while.

 

[john p f]

Could be an O2 sensor causing low idle and hiccups without a code, it Could be bad or contaminated. Crank sensor is cheap and yours is old age wise, not really a ware item, more of an age item. Throttle body is surely still clean with those miles but update us on that. I heard by several Dodge experts cheap or weak batteries cause this too on dodges but I’m not convinced as the alternator should supply ample current. I’ve ran a ‘93 without a battery before. Clean cable connections. Good luck.

 

[atlas750]

I had the exact same problem in my 2005 5.7 days after I bought it last year. Did all the stuff you talked about and none of it helped. Finally saw a post about low transmission fluid. Apparently when it is low it causes this exact problem. Took it back to where I bought it and the dipstick said full but we were at our wits end. Added some trans fluid-not sure how much as they did it. Worked perfectly after that! No another stall in 6 months. Wish I had started there! Hope that helps.

 

[john p f]

I had the exact same problem in my 2005 5.7 days after I bought it last year. Did all the stuff you talked about and none of it helped. Finally saw a post about low transmission fluid. Apparently when it is low it causes this exact problem. Took it back to where I bought it and the dipstick said full but we were at our wits end. Added some trans fluid-not sure how much as they did it. Worked perfectly after that! No another stall in 6 months. Wish I had started there! Hope that helps.

First I’ve heard of this. Dipstick is marked wrong or sensor level is too high by design? Who came up with this? Several dodge rams on different forums I’ve seen traded off because of this problem. I have a similar issue. No codes ever.

 

[atlas750]

I have no idea if it was the dipstick or the sensor but it was stalling at almost every light. No codes, nothing else. Changed almost everything else (except the plugs) then I read about the transmission fluid on another forum (not sure where). They said could be low on fluid or the transmission filter was not on correctly. We put fluid in-possibly a quart but I not 100% on that. Did not touch anything else. Now it runs perfectly! I think the dealer thought I was crazy when i suggested this as the mechanic there said it looked full on the dipstick. I had 75K on it when I bought it in November 2017

 

[Black06ram]

cool. thanks guys. I actually did read that about the "low" trans fluid online on one of the other forums while I was researching my issue. This weekend i will be doing a full tune up on the truck and giving everything a very good look over. I will take photos and report back here about what i find. However.. driving the truck for the past 3 days and I have not had another stall or sputter from it (fingers crossed it stays this way)!.. but I do plan on doing plugs, crank sensor, bleed out old brake fluid, PVC valve replacement, check clean EGR, clean throttle body, and so forth. Might even bolt in my new bilstein shocks on all 4 corners.

 

[Black06ram]

Just for an update. last weekend I did a bunch of work on the truck:

-bled the whole brake system and put in new fluid
-checked hubs and tie rods and ball joints up front for play
- removed and cleaned throttle body and upper area of intake
- replaced PCV valve with a MOPAR one
- removed and cleaned EGR valve
- replaced all 16 spark plugs with Champion copper 570 plugs
-replaced the Crankshaft Position sensor
- added Rislone to the oil system
- added 1/3 quart of Mopar automatic trans fluid
- new wiper blades
- aired up all 5 tires, spare tire inluded
- lowered and checked over the spare tire assembly
- checked rear diff fluid
- cleaned battery terminals
- installed the front two Bilstein shock absorbers (the rear will have to wait, the upper bolts were frozen on and i'll have to cut them off)
- washed truck
-inspected brakes and rotors (will put my New EBC pads and rotors on come summertime.
- checked all exterior lights and bulbs
- reset PCM (battery disconnected for 4 hours)
-checked belt tightness
-put a hose clamp where I think the slow power steering fluid leak might be coming from
- I did NOT seafoam the engine since I didn't want to possibly immediately foul out the brand new spark plugs. I might seafoam it another day though

So far, a few days of driving and I have not had a stalling out issue. fingers crossed; but I do get anxious each time I come to a stop in traffic.. I keep on waiting for it to happen....

however the truck still seems to lack power compared to my 2006 1500 2wd Hemi . and I am still getting 14.3-14.8 mpg. Now I don't care about MPG, but it tells me that something still isn't happy and running right.... my 2006 ram got 17.5-18.5 typiacally Truck seems "held back"


I plan on ordering a magnaflow exhaust for it this week and loading the PCM with a Diablo tune for 89 or 91 octane, but I don't know where else to turn about the lack of power. the 13 year old plugs came out and showed normal wear for 36,000 miles. the ignition timing mark was where it is supposed to be on the plug's ground strap. they were not oily, and there wasn't much evidence of pinging/pre detonation (minimal carbon deposits on the porcelain of the plug

here are some photographs:







the oil was not for my truck,







https://flic.kr/p/HZzA3G

https://flic.kr/p/HZzA3G

https://flic.kr/p/HZzA3G













https://flic.kr/p/HZzA3G

 

[xtremewlr]

Your gas mileage is very similar to what my 2004 gets. The difference could possibly be the MDS your 2006 had, which the 2005 does not.

 

[Black06ram]

thanks for the idea xtremewlr! however,
I used the diablo tuner (and hemifever tuning) to turn off MDS a year or so ago on the 06. so it had been getting 18 mpg with MDS totally deactivated for a while

It is a weird feeling,
if I didnt have the 06 prior I would think that my 05 feels/drives just normal. it just feels held back. even coasting. feels like I have to give more throttle input and more frequent throttle input while driving and coasting.

Im going to do the magnaflow exhaust to get the sound I want, and this will help it breathe better too, but I know it will not solve the power issue.


one thing I was researching related to the cooling fan clutch. My 06 never had this issue, but the 05 seems to have the "common" "airplane sound" during some initial cold startups and first minute of driving. this doesn't happen every time, but does happen about half the time.
--for those not knowing what I am talking about, it is discussed a lot on various dodge forums:
basically the engine fires up from cold and the fan sounds like it is an airplane engine roaring. it goes away after about a minute of slow driving though. research has shown this usually means the clutch is bad or going bad on the mechanical cooling fan .
I checked mine cold and hot.
-when cold (engine off) I can push it and it takes minimal effort but does not freewheel spin = GOOD
- when hot (engine off) same, i can push it and it will spin smooth and stop but not freewheel spin = GOOD
- when engine running, using a rolled up magazine (not a hand), the fan stays spinning and kicks the magazine back (if fan clutch was bad, the fan would stop despite the engine still attempting to spin it) = GOOD

so, I do have the strange airplane noise on some startups, and I wish that this was the cause of the low power too, because that would be an easy fix. however, my fan clutch does appear to be working properly. right?

anyones thoughts opinions? all help and input is much appreciated.

 

[xtremewlr]

If it's the OEM fan clutch still, yes it sounds like that is normal. If it's been replaced in it's short life span, then it possibly was replaced with a heavy duty cooling version that will give you that airplane roar and should be replaced with a normal duty fan clutch. When I had my radiator replaced a few years ago, the shop installed the HD cooling fan clutch and I had the fan roar until I figured out there was a non-HD cooling clutch and replaced it with that one. Back to normal again.

The other option is to remove the clutch fan altogether and go to an electric fan.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/flx-183/overview/year/2004/make/dodge/model/ram-1500

 

[Black06ram]

yup, I emailed the previous owner and asked him if he had ever had any work done o the cooling system, specifically anything done to the cooling fan's clutch. he assured me that he had not. he is a good guy and i do trust him.

ive read about the e-fans. might be something for the future, but I dont know if i need to do one now. mine seems to be working properly, the howling is only sometimes, and when it does it, it goes away after driving the two blocks to get out of my neighborhood.

i sure wish that was the cause, but my research (and your confirmation of this) makes me think to look elsewhere

 

[Black06ram]

so far so good. many weeks later, truck has not stalled once and engine is running great. mystery still continues as to what actually was causing the stalling before. I recently installed an awesome Magnaflow cat-back system and it sounds great. Planning on loading up the Diablo InTune tuner after getting a new truck specific tune from hemifever too. So far seeing an increase in mpg from 15.8 (mid april) to 17.2 ish (currently) it was mid 16's for a while,a nd then i did the magnaflow exhaust and it has been steadily above 17mpg on average

 

[Rado]

Very interesting journey about your truck I enjoyed reading about the fix's to your issues as I am not a wrench and can only drive my RAM to the mechanic lol Best to you hope all keeps going well !

 

[LoneWolf3574]

Very interesting read Black06ram, I just bought a 2006 Ram 1500 SLT with the Hemi 5.7L recently myself (standard cab, short bed). I've been slowly going through it as well and replacing wear items, apparently it hasn't been very well treated the last few years, mainly oil changes and serpentine belt recently from what I can tell. Before I started doing any work, it was getting ~15.3mpg with the first couple tanks and it felt anemic on power shortly after the 2nd tank (it dropped to 14.3mpg then) and now I'm down to 14.6mpg. Since then I've changed out the spark plugs (same as yours), oil change (full synthetic, Amsoil & WixXP filter), air filter, cleaned the air temp sensor and throttle body, Bilstein 4600 all four corners, new brake pads & flushed the brake lines, topped off the A/C refrigerant, and a new EGR (it was throwing a code). The only thing I haven't done is take it in to have the PCM flashed to the most recent version. I'm looking into getting an induction cleaning done and installing an oil catch can.