Questions and Answers

Dodge Ram Charger Bogging Down Q. This vehicle has great acceleration, but has a bog at beginning throttle. The bog is not consistent, and I never know when it will bog out. It occurs at any engine temperature, but more often at hot operating temperatures. The bog varies in severity from a minor split second stall, to a more pronounced major stall lasting several seconds before catching up and surging forward.

It was originally equipped with a smog pump that was removed from the motor after it failed. The bog has been present since before the pump failure and subsequent removal.

There have been no component failures reported by onboard diagnostic codes and no warning signals in the dashboard message center display.

I have replaced the TPS with little or no appreciable improvement. Additionally I installed a performance coil to realize a big increase in overall power, but the bog at beginning throttle remains.

The timing seems to be correct and my tachometer reports proper idle speed. I am quite puzzled.

• 1987 Dodge Ram Charger 2WD
• 318 cid V-8
• Automatic transmission
• 130,000
• Fuel Injection
• P/S, A/C, Cruise control

A. I am very familiar with this problem as I have owned an 1989 Dodge Ram Charger with the same engine and transmission package since it was new. I went through the same thing with mine many years ago.

I determined that the plugs were fouling due to an over-rich condition in the fuel delivery system, a sticking EGR valve and faulty O2 sensor. I initially solved the problem by installing new (high quality) plug wires and platinum spark plugs (I used Bosch single electrode). This was when I learned that platinum plugs are more foul resistant than conventional.

This actually was a band-aid fix to the actual problem which turned out to be a combination of the oxygen sensor and a sticky EGR valve. I religiously maintain my EGR valve by cleaning it and the I/O ports as well as keeping the O2 sensor renewed at regular intervals and the problem has not reappeared in over 10 years.