Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) No Power....

[KnightR]

Starts right up, no smoke, good mileage per, uses no oil, no leaks just the ideal vehicle anyone would want. Except no power. (98 dodge 3500 dually 12valve ) Pulling a texas trailer with a load of 1500lbs. 55 MPH out of O/D, and running around 2800 RPM's. My 454 chev. dually would do that with a fly on the gas pedal. If I towed a 5th. Wheel of any size I would need another dodge truck in front of me to tow me up any hill. What could be the problem. Or is this all there is?

 

[Heavy Hauler 10]

do you have a bad lift pump or injection pump. you should be able to pull 20,000lbs with out a problem. have you tried anything as simple as injector cleaner

 

[hdm48]

Did this start all of a sudden or is this a new truck to you? Maybe someone turned back the tune up. Have you any extras on it? Lots of questions, no information.

 

[Joe G.]

Check your AFC. If a hose is broken or leaking it will cause your symptoms.

 

[KnightR]

It's been like this since I purchased it at an auction. I did contract the previous owner who bought it new, and he sold it to a Diesel Garage in El Cahon, CA. He put over $5,000 in the front end including new everything, and another $5K in the fuel system. New lines, gas tanks (Holds total 128 gal. ) He blew a cylinder overheating pulling a fifth wheel up the grape vine in California, and was told he needed a new engine. Enough was enough and he sold it for $5K. Apparently the garage put a rebuilt motor in it or at least it act's and look like new. I hate screwing it up by working on something I know little about. I hear horror stories about guys taking their rigs into shops who screw them up worse then they are. I could live with it, but even my Buddy who is a big chevy guy said it's got to have more power then this pulling 4000 lbs. or so.

 

[Joe G.]

If you don't want to take it to a shop, then you will have to work on it yourself. To begin with you will need to check some of the obvious things that are relatively cheap and easy to fix. It's not that complicated. For example, if one of the little boost hoses to the AFC is cracked or plugged up the AFC won't work. If your truck is a California there is another possibility. The fittings on the AFC can get plugged up with soot from the EGR and the AFC won't work as good as it should or not work at all. If the shop replaced the engine with a rebuilt and used the external stuff off the old engine that may very well be your problem. An AFC problem shows up as the truck runs great but has no power. Good fuel mileage too. It's like driving with a piece of wood under the fuel pedal.

Anyway, check the cheap and easy stuff first. If you don't have a service manual you can get one from Geno's Garage. They sell a CD version as well as the paper version. The CD version is a lot cheaper.

Email me at -- email address removed -- for my writeup on the 12 valve fuel supply system, how it works and how to fix it.

 

[GaryOwen]

Change fuel filter would be my first thing to try.

 

[moparguy]

First thing I'd do is check the data plate and see which engine you have. I've seen 160hp engines out of a 1st gen in nice looking 2nd gen trucks at auction. If that's the case here, while not the best situation, it's not the end of the world and easly delt with.