[RAM MAN]

You may remember quite a while back I was have some problems with the way my 2000 Ram Van was running

to review:

Its a V6 3.9L

I have no codes

occassionally it will run rich after I start it up

I have changed everything I could think of, including a complete tune up (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, pcv valve)

I have a clean K&N drop in the stock air box air filter

All the fluids are regularly changed

Nothing wrong with the cat converter

and when I have this problem, it seems like I have a HUGE racing cam in it, because - you know the sound of an old muscle car with a huge cam in it while its idling ? Sounds like it just barely turns over before it stalls out ?

Thats what its been doing

but just occassionally, which has been hard as heck to duplicate in front of a mechanic

but here's the info because a Mopar tech FINALLY got it figured out:

I have 1 bad fuel injector

it is basically just slowly leaking fuel down into the cylinder while it sits for a while.

Then when I fire it up, I get that race cam at idle kinda feel because that one cylinder is struggling to burn thru the fuel that is pooled up in there = thus the rich smell

Because the way I have "fixed" it when it happens was: I just rev'ved up the engine until it cleared

Well, thats what they say anyway

I haven't got it fixed yet ... can you imagine what the labor cost will be to dig under there, somewhere between under the hood and doghouse ...

I will eventually get it fixed

but I thought I'd let you guys know what the Mopar tech found out ...

FYI

 

[alloro]

It's odd that you never got an O2 sensor indicating a rich condition, or a P30X cylinder misfire code.

 

[Grey Ghost]

Heck RAMMAN, maybe that's what's going on with my 3.9L "six-shooter" in my Ram. It's got new O2 sensors, plugs, and the cats good, but I'm still getting a rich gas smell coming out of the exhaust. My injectors have never been serviced/cleaned with 112K on them. After it sets up for a few hours, I have to let it warm up before taking off because it will spit & sputter some if I don't. Maybe I should remove that 180 thermostat and go back with a 195. Funny thing is, I have no codes, or CE light.

 

[Dodgevanman]

It's not a bad job Dave....just pull the doghouse off and everything is easy to get too. Just have to find the right injector though.

 

[van-nut]

Congrats on getting it diagnosed - hope that fixes it.

Yeah, as far as accessability, I wouldn't think it would be any harder than changing spark plugs, which IMHO isn't too difficult of a job. Injectors are right there on top, without too much else in the way. Although to change one, I guess you would have to remove the fuel rail from that bank.

Pete