[Clubbs]

My 97 1500 5.9 auto 4x4 ram is giving me trouble right when I'm about to head back to Pensacola FL to bring gas and water to my family after the hurricane. I really need to get back there with supplies so any help is greatly appreciated. Here's the symptoms. Truck feels like its loosing power and won't maintian speed on the hwy. First 80 was a chore then 70 then 60 and now all i get is 55mph. The motor revs up sounds like its under load but I dont go any faster. I just had the trans rebuilt 4k ago and saw some black particles in the fluid a couple of days ago. I took the truck back to the trans shop this morning thinkin the trans was slipping alot but on the way there I floored it to see how it would react and same thing revs go up sounds like its under load I'm still sittin around 55 or 60 mph but a check engine light comes on. So I pull the codes when I get to the tranny shop and I get a code 43 THREE TIMES. My haynes manual says that code is "Peak primary circuit current not acheived with the maximum dwell time." I was expecting a code 37 or 45 or something else tranny related but this 43 seems to mean other problems most likely with the ignition system. So what does that code mean what should I check? Also the trans won't kick down properly like it should either, maybe the PCM is going to to survival mode or something I'm not sure but the trans was my first guess, and now I get this ignitiion system code 43. Any help is greatly appreciated I really need to get back to Pensacola ASAP.

Thanks
Dave

 

[lmagee]

Sounds like a CPS (crank posistion sensor) possibly

 

[Clubbs]

ended up being a clogged cat converter. I had a new one put in yesterday and it runs strong again. I still have the code 43 blink three times though. The shop that did the cat said the computer had to re-learn and the light should go off in a couple of days. If not he told me to bring it back to have it checked out. What do you think? Seems odd to me.

Dave

 

[mondtster]

Converter is what I was thinking when I read the previous post...

As for the check engine light, why not disconnect the battery to reset the computer and then see if the light returns. If it does return, you still have problems.

 

[orange318]

cant just disconnect battery to clear codes, need a scan tool, its OBD 2

 

[mondtster]

cant just disconnect battery to clear codes, need a scan tool, its OBD 2

Hmm, it has always worked for me in every car I have owned that was OBD 2...

If that is the case, take it to Autozone to clear the codes and see if it comes back then.

 

[Clubbs]

i didn't unhook the battery and reset becaue I wanted to see if it would actually go off on its own and "re-learn" like the shop tech said. And sure enough abotu 150 miles out of town it went off Go figure. I had bought a few ignition parts before I left just incase the code 43 wasn't a fluke. Anyways thanks for the help.

Dave