06 coupe with engine concern

[All Car Guy And Viper NJ]

Need a little help in evaluating a engine surge. Have a 2006 coupe since new. Mods are 354 rear gears, corsa track exhaust and random cats. Thermostat 170 modified fan turn on. No other mods to engine or computer. 16,000 miles on car.
Car has always shown a little surging, bucking and roughness expecially at 2000 rpm. Now if you start off in first and just try to run at 2000 rpm it surges really bad. Up and down up and down. Engine has had new airfilters and new plugs maybe 1000 miles ago. Car pulls strong and has no loss of power up to redline
The car has never failed inspection or shown an engine code of any kind and is probably the most reliable car I have every owned. Presently 72 years of age.
Any help would be appreciated. I live in Morristown NJ and just lost my real good viper mechanic Scott Sorrentino he left the local Dodge dealer and went to NYC. Thanks in advance Richard

 

[Steve-Indy]

Suggest you speak with Viper Wizard Chuck Tator, Tator's Garage, South Salem, NY. 914-763-3136

 

[voi9]

I second that.

Suggest you speak with Viper Wizard Chuck Tator, Tator's Garage, South Salem, NY. 914-763-3136

 

[Bobpantax]

See the Wizard. Check for any vacuum leak. Check your O2 sensors. Does it happen when you are in the pedal and the engine is torquing over and its position is changing? Or does it happen when you are cruising at 2000 RPM in fifthy or sixth gear? More facts would help narrow it down.

Need a little help in evaluating a engine surge. Have a 2006 coupe since new. Mods are 354 rear gears, corsa track exhaust and random cats. Thermostat 170 modified fan turn on. No other mods to engine or computer. 16,000 miles on car.
Car has always shown a little surging, bucking and roughness expecially at 2000 rpm. Now if you start off in first and just try to run at 2000 rpm it surges really bad. Up and down up and down. Engine has had new airfilters and new plugs maybe 1000 miles ago. Car pulls strong and has no loss of power up to redline
The car has never failed inspection or shown an engine code of any kind and is probably the most reliable car I have every owned. Presently 72 years of age.
Any help would be appreciated. I live in Morristown NJ and just lost my real good viper mechanic Scott Sorrentino he left the local Dodge dealer and went to NYC. Thanks in advance Richard

 

[Roy]

And don't forget to put the outcome here for future owners with the same problem!
I had about this with my rt/10 and replacing spark plug wires helped, but it never disappeared completely, so I am actually curious what it is

 

[All Car Guy And Viper NJ]

thanks for the help. It does it at a steady speed. Most noticeable in first or second but it occurs at higher speeds but just when you hold it at 2000 to 2200 rpm. Car has always done it but never this violent. It has never been a car that you can really cruise at 20 or 30 mph unless you have the rpms up. Car has never liked much under 2000 very hard even with 354 gears to be in 6th under 75 mph. I will call the wizard monday I thought chuck had gone out of business. If you get into it and go through the gears to redline it pulls real hard as usual. Thanks again for the info Richard

 

[TheOldViperMan]

I would consider purchasing a Mopar PCM.

 

[SEEEEYA]

CRAP my 06 is doing the same thing, changed my plugs and went for a ride and always after 15-20 min it starts, I got all the way home when it started last night, my wife came out of the house because she could hear the difference, pulled it in the garage and it sounded like "Buzzing" coming out of the pipes, then I revved it in garage and it popped out the right side. I just cant figure out what is going on,and just like car guy 5 minutes before I hit it good and it ran great, start cruising and you can feel it, if you know your car, you know when things change, and you can feel it when it starts, because it starts in my car slow and then after a few minutes it gets worse and worse , like yesterday, It didn't like backing in my driveway. I have new wires but I really don't think that will help either, hopefully this is not doing any permanent damage to motor. PLUS I did get a new PCM last year from dealer from an unrelated issue so could the PCM have gone bad again??

 

[All Car Guy And Viper NJ]

Don't think it is the pcm I have 2 diff ones. The orig and other that I had fan modifications for the lower thermostat Same with either one. My problem is there all the time and only detected when steady speed at 2000 rpms. My car has always had a certain amount of bucking and surging and with the corsa exhaust and random tech cats it pops all the time even as you upshift it snaps. If you have the rpm up above 5000 and back off the popping is so severe it is deafening and I love every moment. I can set alarms off on cars in a parking lot by just revving the engine. It has been doing this for 8 years. have 16000 miles on it. No codes ever. It has always been difficult around town in traffic because you can't crawl with it. Thanks for the info

 

[Roy]

The crawl thing is difficult on any viper i suppose (at least for the first 4 gens) A little bucking too, but what you discribe is somewhat heavier i think...very curious what you find out.

I also heard of someone cleaning some injectors in order to solve some bucking

 

[All Car Guy And Viper NJ]

I did talk with Chuck this morning and his first thought was the front O2 sensors. I ordered them 80 dollars each and a socket with a slot for the wire. But I know they will be difficult to get out. Anyone have experience with getting them out any tricks thanks again Richard

 

[Roy]

Could well be, all though 16k miles isn't a lot for them sensors...let us know if it helped. Can't help with the replacent, can't be rocket science though

 

[Steve-Indy]

BEFORE you try to remove the O2 sensors, soak the threads in Kroil (or a similar REAL penetrating oil such as Schaffer Penetro 90 ) for a couple of days by 2-3 applications. Then, you should be good to go hopefully without spying any torch heat.

 

[ViperDad]

I've yet to run across a situation where the oxy sensor failed over the years with any of my internal combustions. Save your time and expense before going down that path. If it's a time dependent glitch then it suggest a sensor; could be the oxy but I'd look at other signals. I installed oxy sensors on another of my cars because of the tuning issues with 6 carbs V12. If I had your same issue on my 06 that's something I would consider. It was a pretty simple install if you have a welder. I don't know if the stock oxy sensor can be tapped without interfering with the signal but if not it would be a simple check with an air/fuel gage to see if the exhaust is lean or rich. If it can be tapped then no need for the welding approach.
In the case of my carbs setup, lean conditions cause a lot of backfire. That would suggest fuel supply: pump pressure or injectors?

 

[Bobpantax]

I suggested that it might be the O2 sensors, and I am sure Chuck did too, because he has a catback and Random cats. With that combination, there have been a number of posts over the years where the sensors were the problem.

 

[denniskgb]

i sent you a pm

 

[Roy]

did the O2 sensors solve the problem?

 

[All Car Guy And Viper NJ]

bought the sensors but having some medical issues now get to it asap thanks let you know

 

[Hirkophoto]

Okay I had a similar problem with my 2006. It was my plug wires! If you have original plug wires they are old and dry, they can crack and fail. The car will still run but will surge like described. I was able to confirm this visually.
Go to a dark garage have the car running with hood open. Have someone rev up the engine and observe the plug wires around the boot on the plug. They can arc through the boot. Also the wire can fail and will arc over to the valve cover.
This is what happened to my wires. I could actually see the arc off the wire to the cover. You can also use a spray bottle with water and mist the plug wires at the boot and along the valve covers to help see the arcing from the wires.
I would have never guessed this was the problem. People where telling me it was a clogged cat or O2 sensor.

 

[bluesrt]

You may have a bad sparkplug or wire

 

[Hirkophoto]

You may have a bad sparkplug or wire

Think I said that?

 

[bluesrt]

2 opinions are better than 1 *****

 

[All Car Guy And Viper NJ]

Well I finally got around to taking Chuck Tator's advice and install the front O2 sensors. I bought one of those special split sockets for the sensor. Then realized on the left side the starter is really in the way to get a socket on it. I just put an open end wrench 7/8 on the sensor and it came off with absolutely no effort a 5 year old could have done it. Have 16,000 miles and 8 1/2 years on the car but the underneath looked brand new except of course the rocker panel paint. Replaced the other side and took it for a ride. Yes it cured the problem and the car has never been this good. Back to better than itself. Great respect for Mr Tator. But real respect for the Viper. I have owned many corvettes, mustangs, tigers, pantera's both classic and new and have never had a reliable car like the Viper. It is like big ben just keeps on ticking. The random cats and corsa track exhaust must do something to the sensors or perhaps these were bad from from the factory. They were white and clean when I took the old ones out both the same.. Thanks for all the advice especially about Tator. This old 72 years old is back in the saddle..

 

[Roy]

does the car behave differently on other points, or did it only cure the initial problem? Maybe it's faster now? I tend to think that when the O2 sensors are bad the car will run lean or rich, most likely rich, if that is the case than the car could get a bit leaner now and pick up some horses on the way. That being said, i never swapped any o2 sensors, but my logic sense tells me that they should have been black and greasy when the car ran too rich and white if it ran lean...maybe someone knows this?

 

[All Car Guy And Viper NJ]

Yes the sensors were certainly white just like the spark plugs. The car just runs like it did before. Did not pickup any power. But it is really much better and just made me smile ear to ear. Thanks Rich

 

[AZTVR]

Yes the sensors were certainly white just like the spark plugs. The car just runs like it did before. Did not pickup any power. But it is really much better and just made me smile ear to ear. Thanks Rich

Interesting. I was wondering if there was a chart like the one I've always seen for sparkplugs.

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[Roy]

If i were you I would make sure by calling Chuck one more time if everything is ok...white sparkplugs is lean mixture, they may never be white, coffee brown is the right colour. White is lean, too hot burning and might cost you a new engine.

A wise man once told me:
Rich mixture costs more fuell
Lean mixture costs engines

Not trying to scare you by any means, just a serious heads up

 

[1BADGTS]

Call Nick at MPI in West Long Branch NJ (732)222-3679 .Over the past 20 years he has done literally a hundred Viper Motors from minor problems to full scale race motors .(Hes not just a mechanic but a full service machine shop )