[Username1]

The only thing worth trying is the water bottle to check for ignition problems....
However, once you know you have a reliable - working ignition system, you still
have a Dodge Dakota, and there is a known odd engine behavior that involves
stalling, stumbling, hesitation, etc. And there are several forums where people
have been battling these engine problems for a long time. Your best bet is to
use this vehicle over a number of months, note when some of the problems seem
to be better, or worse, and use this observation to search the forums, and google,
to see if you can move forward to a reasonable solution.

Since you just got this truck, and have had a few good days, and a few bad ones, it
will take a while to get to learn patterns.....

You might want to do some simple things, Get a voltage monitor, (analog with a needle)
And tap into the power line to the computer and be sure there is not an intermittent
connection related to bumps, stuff like that. Check to see if your car has a ground strap
from the engine to the chassis, replace it, add one, be sure it's working, because the
engine shakes all the time it's running, and if the ground is bad, all sensors may
be good, but poorly grounded to the computer..... Will it set a code for that ?????

Do a voltage monitoring to the fuel pump, ignition coil.... put it in the cab and watch it
when you drive, especially on trouble days.... Voltage check the ignition system,
you could have ignition switch with changing resistance when on.....

You might also want to get a fuel pressure gauge too, one for the cab..... Does not have
to be perminant.... Watch it for a good while, watch it closer on trouble days.....

You should do a reset of the computer now and then to see if it changes behavior....

There should be a few noise suppression caps around under the hood, you might want
to get new ones, be sure they are grounded......

Put on a vacuum gauge and put it in the cab, watch it on good and bad days..... Don't
forget it will read less on days the engine is not running well.....

Spraying carb cleaner at the engine or hoses is not going to help, you don't have a
constant leak, and it's not going to be big enough to make the engine run differently
if you spray anything at a leaky hose.... You can just physically check the hoses, and
connection points.... If anything you may have a leaky motor, or vacuum selector
for the heater controls.....

But then again, this car has been in the wild for 30 years, and several forums with
hundreds of postings and the problem still persists unsolved.... Be very very patient !

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