Recent content by JW20

The IAC valve gave me something to go on. I looked up other symptoms and someone described another issue I didn't know was related. If I switch on the AC, even though it's not physically connected anymore, the idle will hang. In a manual it was almost like cruise control. You could turn the AC...

Awesome, thank you. I was able to easily find it once I knew what it looked like. For anyone wondering, on this generation of 2.3, it's near the throttle body almost touching the firewall. I unplugged it while the truck was running and it immediately stalled, like I'd turned the key off. What...

Hey everyone, My 97 2.3 5-spd with ~190K miles has developed a strange issue that just appeared suddenly with no other symptoms. When coming to a stop, the RPM will drop for 3-5 seconds and the engine will idle very rough and almost stall. Then it just goes away and idles fine until I take off...

Thanks, yeah I didn't use the bulbs that came with the housings, and I used the factory retention rings because they fit better. When you say align it using the horizontal aim stud, which one are you referring to? The one on the side by itself and closest to the center line of the truck? The...

I just got done replacing the headlight housings on my 97. The old ones were original and badly oxidized both inside and out, so there really wasn't any saving them. I replaced them with Dorman units because I could not find OEM headlights anywhere. During the install, I took great care to set...

Hey guys, I'm working on getting my 1997 XLT Extended Cab back to serviceable condition. It seems the door latch switch(es) have failed and the dome light stays on regardless of whether the doors are closed or not. I've tried each position on the slider switch to no avail. I sprayed both...

So I had a complete set of rings for the bed, and they were on the truck when I bought it many years ago, but I lost the top plate for one of them. Now, I can't seem to find anything like this anywhere. I've seen the retractable kind but those are plastic and I'd prefer the ones like I already...

So does the manual transmission version use a cable? My 97 uses a cable but it's a manual transmission.

My guess would be a fuel pressure issue. You might be losing your prime and cycling the key a few times from OFF to ON should fix that, if that's the cause. As RonD pointed out, there's a check valve to prevent backflow of fuel; if that fails, all the fuel will drain back into the tank and...

I was honestly surprised how well the thing has held up. Usually the wheels are the weak point on these kinds of containers; not these.

Thanks for tall the suggestions everyone. I had someone drive the truck and I opened the passenger door when it started and it seemed to stop. I had the panel off previously trying to diagnose the issue and could not find the noise. Next step is to lube the door seals and check for spots where...

I just thought of another option. What about one of those mini Ridgid job boxes? There's a Husky version as well. I've seen the Ridgid 32" boxes on sale for $179: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-32-in-W-x-19-3-in-D-Steel-Job-Site-Tool-Box-in-Black-H32JSB/309019898 They're small enough that...

I wish. It's just the two-door version. I think I might have someone else drive the truck so I can sit in the passenger seat and figure out what the heck is making that sound. Just gotta find somebody that can drive standard.

I thought that was it for sure so that was the first thing I did. No change; it does it regardless of whether the fan is on or not. I also thought maybe it was the fresh air louver but it's not that either.

Hey guys, I've got a 97 XLT long cab/bed that has developed the most horrendous sound inside the cab. It's coming from somewhere on the passenger side and I cannot reliably reproduce the sound, or determine where exactly it's coming from. It sounds like maybe it's coming from the passenger door...