Struggling on Hills

[kariseightytwo]

Hello, I have a 2013 RAM 1500 Hemi. Please forgive me in advance, I really don't know much about vehicles.
The truck seems to have a check engine light for missing on 7. I think this is unrelated to my issue, but I'm not sure.

When I approach a hill I normally try to accelerate slowly. In the RAM when I accelerate going up hill, it's as if it's fine in "1st gear", and then for a bit it feels like it won't accelerate at all, until finally it jumps into action, almost as if it's skipping "2nd" and going directly to "3rd". I'm putting these in quotes because I have no idea if it's actually the correct gears.

I do believe there's a slight transmission leak on the hose, but the fluid seems plentiful on the stick. I'm worried the transmission needs to be replaced or something, but hoping it's simpler than that. I currently only run 87 for gasoline.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Ok, so if your truck has a transmission dip stick, you have the 6-speed right? Should be.

There could be a number of things going on here which need to be investigated ...basically trouble-shooting to figure out what it *is* and what it's *not*. Possibilities which come to mind based upon your description include:

1) Fluid level - Ok, you've ruled that out, hopefully. But get that leak fixed
2) Miss in Cyl 7. Gotta get that resolved. Could be: A) Bad spark plug, B) Bad/weak coil, C) Something more sinister like a bad valve/lifter/cam. But let's focus on A-B first. Regardless, if there's a 'miss' in that cylinder, get that resolved firsst. It might be the root issue.

3) Throttle position sensor
4) Wonky temp sensor
5) Transmission solenoid valve flaky, or needs new filter, etc
6) PCV or PCV hoses, valving, etc
7) Plugged or crudded-up throttle
8) Poor vacuum


Start with #2. Then 6,7,8 (these are visual inspections, or easy readings to get), 4, 3, 5

Those are my opinions and what I'd do if it were my truck. Others may have some good suggestions too. Note, some shift lag like you're describing is kind of normal with these trucks, as they come out of cylinder de-activation mode, and the tranny's are somewhat known to not always hit the 'right' gear. It sounds to me like the normal delay conditions are amplified in your case due to a 'miss' in cly 7. Probably should have a mechanic go through those things. But you could watch a bunch of videos and do it too. Good luck

 

[kariseightytwo]

This is a great list to start with - thank you for taking the time to write it out, I'll certainly work my way through it. Just curious, I've seen videos on cleaning the throttle body; seems like it's a fairly easy thing to do - do you suppose it could be related (perhaps what you were referring to in #7)?

 

[huntergreen]

I’d start simpler, have the codes read, then go from there.

 

[indept]

^^^^^This^^^^^
If there are stored codes it may point to one of Jeepwalkers suggestions

 

[kariseightytwo]

We did have it connected and it seemed to only come up with the misfire on 7, unless you’re referring to another way to look at codes.
I do appreciate all the input though

 

[Jeepwalker]

Just curious, I've seen videos on cleaning the throttle body; seems like it's a fairly easy thing to do - do you suppose it could be related (perhaps what you were referring to in #7)?

No, I doubt if it's causing your engine's miss. But troubleshooting is about looking at all the possibilities, and inspecting/cleaning the throttle body is super easy/quick/cheap to do. So ya do it. It's not likely the miss, but it could lead the engine in general to operate poorly.

You might watch a video on how to check spark plugs and ohm out an ignition coil. You can use a standard cheap Harbor Freight multi-meter. But also look for burned traces, etc. It's quite common for an ignition coil to fail after x-number of years. Heck they can fail after a month! (not usually though). And spark plugs, you can visually inspect and ohm them out too. All of that takes about a half hour. There's umpteen videos on it.

When you go to clean your throttle body, watch some videos first. Use Throttle Body Cleaner and a solvent-safe brush. Again, there's umpteen videos on the subject. It's normal maintenance.

There could also be a failed injector. While you're looking at #7, inspect the injector electrical plug and wiring. Maybe a rodent chewed through the wire. Or the connector is badly corroded. The worst-case scenario is your engine's cam is wiped out. But we're not there yet. Check the small things first.

 

[kariseightytwo]

This has all been really really helpful. I’m not sure how soon I’ll get to it, but once I do I’ll be sure to keep you updated.

 

[Wallyb4]

How may miles is on the engine? You may want to do a full tune up also if the miles are high.

 

[kariseightytwo]

Off the top of my head I think it’s around 153k km. So… 95ish

 

[Jeepwalker]

Since you mentioned you don't know anything about mechanics, it's worth pointing out that just about any specific item there is a video (or many) on youtube. But bear in mind not to overlook the small things. At the top of most factory service manual troubleshooting guides there is bold print language indicating something to the effect: "Before begining the troubleshooting steps below, perform a visual inspection of the engine, hoses, belt/s, connectors, wiring, ensure the battery is in good charge, the batt cables are in good condition, grounds are good, fuses are fully seated, clean fuel, and so on."

The reason is, frequently problems are caused by simple things ...which can be easily overlooked by a mechanic who 'thinks' he knows the problem (because he does this day in and day out) and can miss key things by skipping over basic steps. We've all done that a bunch of times. That results in wasted time and needless parts (sometimes).

Think of it like a pyramid where ya start at the bottom by looking at many possibilities, many are visual inspections that just require a quick look-see and work to more detailed targeted tests/inspections to (hopefully) successfully resolve the root problem.

 

[huntergreen]

As far as the misfire goes, pull and inspect the plugs. 2013 was a transition year for plugs and coils. Some came through with 30000 mile spark plugs and later, around mid year, coils were upgraded to to be used with 100000 mile plugs. You may be due for a plug change.

 

[62Blazer]

Sounds like what is happening is the truck is downshifting when climbing a hill as it tries to maintain speed. The misfire could definitely be causing the issues as this basically means the engine is not running the best and a misfire is often worse, or at least more noticeable, when under a load such as climbing the hill. Basically the engine is low on power because of the misfire and struggle to travel up the hill and downshifts to try to compensate.

Point being...fix the misfire situation first and it will likely fix the other issue you mention.