2014 Ram hemi 5.7 rpm fluctuation and hesitation on acceleration

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Mcrowe12

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South Carolina
Ram Year
2014
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I recently bought a 2014 ram with the hemi in it and have ironed out quite a few things but there is one prevailing issue I can not seem to solve and have read up on it a ton and there doesn’t seem to be a definitive solution. The truck idles ok sometimes and others is ever so slightly rough and the RPMs will fluctuate some. The real issue to me is when I accelerate anywhere between 2-4K rpm’s the truck hesitates and then will lurch forward almost like it’s misfiring but I don’t have any codes being thrown on the dash. It does it consistently when I’m accelerating. Most notable when I’m not full throttle and it maybe does it a little when full throttle but harder to tell. I need some help here thanks in advance for any ideas or personal experiences! Throttle body is clean and I have reset the throttle position sensor numerous times and it has even been replaced recently too but no change. Wondering if it’s mechanical or electrical like a sensor. It’s not the mds either.
 

Wild one

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Ram Year
14 Sport
Engine
5.7
I recently bought a 2014 ram with the hemi in it and have ironed out quite a few things but there is one prevailing issue I can not seem to solve and have read up on it a ton and there doesn’t seem to be a definitive solution. The truck idles ok sometimes and others is ever so slightly rough and the RPMs will fluctuate some. The real issue to me is when I accelerate anywhere between 2-4K rpm’s the truck hesitates and then will lurch forward almost like it’s misfiring but I don’t have any codes being thrown on the dash. It does it consistently when I’m accelerating. Most notable when I’m not full throttle and it maybe does it a little when full throttle but harder to tell. I need some help here thanks in advance for any ideas or personal experiences! Throttle body is clean and I have reset the throttle position sensor numerous times and it has even been replaced recently too but no change. Wondering if it’s mechanical or electrical like a sensor. It’s not the mds either.
Start with the simple things like new plugs if they haven't been replaced,while you have 1 plug out of each cylinder,it wouldn't hurt to do a compression test on each cylinder. Then go from there,if one cylinder is down on psi,you could take a look in that cylinder with a borescope,if nothing looks out of the ordinary,then you might want to pull that valve cover and turn the engine over while watching the movement of the rocker arms,if one isn't moving as far as the others,you might have the dreaded cam/lifter issue. What you're describing is what alot of guys describe,before the cam lobe wears to the point of throwing a code.If you catch it early enough,you can usually get away with just replacing the cam and lifters.That's only a guess on my part though.
 
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Mcrowe12

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2014
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Start with the simple things like new plugs if they haven't been replaced,while you have 1 plug out of each cylinder,it wouldn't hurt to do a compression test on each cylinder. Then go from there,if one cylinder is down on psi,you could take a look in that cylinder with a borescope,if nothing looks out of the ordinary,then you might want to pull that valve cover and turn the engine over while watching the movement of the rocker arms,if one isn't moving as far as the others,you might have the dreaded cam/lifter issue. What you're describing is what alot of guys describe,before the cam lobe wears to the point of throwing a code.If you catch it early enough,you can usually get away with just replacing the cam and lifters.That's only a guess on my part though.
My fear is the cam and lifters issue. Does anyone have any idea what that costs to get done at a good shop or the dealership? I’m not looking to dump a bunch of money into this truck. This is my first ram and so far not so good. But they just look and sound soooo good.
 
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Mcrowe12

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2014
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Hemi 5.7
Another side note if I rev the engine to that rpm range I stated 2-4K while the truck is in park or neutral there’s zero hesitation and it seems very smooth. That makes me think maybe just maybe the engine is fine and it’s something else??? I’m not sure if cam and lifter issues are more pro dominant when under load or not. Wondering if it’s a transmission issue or torque converter. Truck seems to shift smooth though.
 

Wild one

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Another side note if I rev the engine to that rpm range I stated 2-4K while the truck is in park or neutral there’s zero hesitation and it seems very smooth. That makes me think maybe just maybe the engine is fine and it’s something else??? I’m not sure if cam and lifter issues are more pro dominant when under load or not. Wondering if it’s a transmission issue or torque converter. Truck seems to shift smooth though.
They are,in neutral the cylinder that's down slightly doesn't have as much influcence on the other cylinders once the load is removed from the engine
 
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Mcrowe12

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Depending on the price tag I may have to get rid of it before it really becomes a problem
 

CunningStunt

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Abbeville, AL
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2014
Engine
5.7L Hemi 4X4 Crew White/Chrome
Depending on the price tag I may have to get rid of it before it really becomes a problem
If the trucks in good shape, even if its cam and lifters, if you do the work yourself its totally worth investing in a rebuild. But as Wild one said, you need to start with the basics. Rule out spark/iginition coils, then I would move to drive train. Bad U Joints being the first thing that comes to mind. Also check purge valve and throttle body and the valve on the back of the intake. After many years on this forum, I have come to understand that these 8speed transmissions are some of the best transmissions to ever be put in production vehicles, but may need to be serviced. Also try disabling Hill Assist in your settings if you have the 8.4 uconnect. I dont know how to disable it if you have the basic entertainment unit.
 

Gregket1

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Oregon
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2014
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Mine has the same hesitation but only when driving around in eco mode. If I’m not in eco mode I have no hesitation. Try manually gearping down 1-click and then up to “8” and drive it that way and see if the hesitation goes away.
 

duckman631

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2016 Big Horn Crew Cab
Engine
Hemi 5.7 K&N Cold Air Intake.
Mine has the same hesitation but only when driving around in eco mode. If I’m not in eco mode I have no hesitation. Try manually gearping down 1-click and then up to “8” and drive it that way and see if the hesitation goes away.

i second the above. Try turning off mds
 

Brian Kormos

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2011 1500 Laramie 4x4
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5.7 Hemi
Sounds like a MAP Sensor. It's like $12 from rock auto. Back side on passenger side of intake manifold.
 

Revelation2212

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Unless I missed it somewhere you have not stated your mileage. My experience starting at around 300,000 km with 8 speed transmission not wanting to shift up under acceleration causing jumping and erratic operation. I finally determined the cause to be combo fuel pump/filter located in the tank. Because the issue was so gradual and because I started having eco valve issues, I had done a complete reman swap of engine and transmission at 396,000 km - had it done by a local shop for $13,000 including labor and the remans are covered by 160,000 km warranty.
Anyhow, after the installation the transmission shift issue was still cropping up and me thinking I got a bad reman transmission. Finally, something clicked in my mind from a similar experience many years earlier with a Chev Suburban I had that was faltering on shifts.
So finally, after changing fuel pump/filter in my 2014 Ram 1500 Longhorn at about 430,000 km, it's running back to brand new factory performance. I now have 483,000 km on the truck.
And as a side note for those that blame spark plugs - I had asked the mechanic that changed out my factory engine for the reman to pull a couple spark plugs for evaluation. He was amazed that after 396,000 km the Iridium factory plugs still looked like new.
 

BigMike518

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Arizona
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2018
Engine
5.7 Hemi
Years back I had my 2010 Ram 5.7 in the shop once for i don’t remember what. When I left the shop parking lot, it was fine, but once I pulled into the main road and tried accelerating, there was major hesitation. I turned right back around and the tech plugged in his tuner and had to reset the gas pedal. It’s all electronically controlled, not mechanically connected via steel cable. Might want to check that out
 
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