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Comments
Carl
I wish you could have heard the klunk (clunk?) today when it downshifted from 3rd to 2nd after slowing to about 20, then accelerating when light changed before I got there. I've had this several times, but today's was a beauty. The Dodge Boys just say it will happen on occasion. Couple weeks ago it did it with one of my friends with me, he was ready to dive out of the explosion he was sure was coming!!
Extended warranty anyone??
By the way, got 17.8 on 150 mile trip today, 4.7, auto, 4x4, tonneau, etc. That was super, it only gets 15 with 1/2 & 1/2.
Be careful out there
www.geautowarranty.com/autowarranty/
Glad to help on the CU extended warranty. BTW, I'm in CA too!!!!
Susan
I've had my '00 dakota about a month and I have the same problem you do. 3rd to 2nd is the worst but I also have a less noticable klunk going 2nd to 3rd. I noticed it right away but was also assured that it was normal. Now I have an April 4 appointment to get it checked. Just thought I'd let you know that your truck isn't the only one with this problem. Let me know how yours works out.
More than a few of us looked hard at - and nearly bought - the Tundra. I just figured I'd save the $5k difference and get a REAL backseat with four REAL doors, and not have to use a step ladder to reach over the side every time I wanted something from the bed. And I just couldn't figure out whether I was seeing a Tundra or an F-150 when either one drives by (yawn). Yeah, you've got some braggin rights, and that attitude - and that my friend SPECIFICALLY turns me off cold. So how about you go just go back and play with your 'Toys.' And we'll just work our Dakotas for two or three hundred thousand miles - just like my other 'crappy truck': 1985 D-150 with it's little dinky 318 cid engine. Which pulled a 10,000# bulldozer for about half of those miles - try that with your 'fullsize Permafrost.' Oh, my extra expenses: it needed one wheel and an electric window regulator replaced as its TOTAL non-normal maintenance. So you better believe I damn well 'reward' quality.
I like the Tundra - and have said so on many occasions. And I don't go off-topic knocking it. In fact I've talked a couple of people INTO buying one. I VERY nearly bought one myself. But didn't for the above reasons - doesn't mean the Tundra's anything but a great product. For sure it's not quite a fullsize truck in the same vane as the big three's products - almost but not quite. Like the fact that it has four doors - but not 'quite.' --So the Tundra's real and it's quiet; it's just not quite (a four door) real (full-sized).-- Sooo, what is it? Besides its being another great truck, which it is; just exactly why didn't they give it four REAL doors? It had as much lead time as the Dakota and the little Nissan - and both of the new Fords (SuperCrew & Sport-trac). Then why? And why didn't they give it an optional engine with some REAL hp & torque for doing full-sized truck WORK. Answer? I guess Toyota, in its infinite wisdom, decided to 'reward' (us) buyers with what it felt we needed. Maybe a little bit at a time. :-O
Pretty much as a rule, in the Dakota Quad topics we engage our brains before we type our words. I believe that there is a much more significant difference here than in the trucks. So go back to Toyland, we're just fine over here... but thanks.
As for rewarding Dodge, or whoever: I'm the one that smiles every time I pass a Tundra, and get my 'rewards' from the $5k I saved and invested in a few oil & gas wells - which will fully pay for the Dakota. Oh, and about the quality issue, the Dakota won't ever 'bite me' - but you can. :-P
Getting the bed aligned on Thursday - have to got to a body shop for the work.
Jim Buckingham
Dakota V8 especially between 55-60 mph and when
going up any type of incline at any speed. Seems
like the truck doesn't know what gear it is
supposed to be in or the timing is off. I took it
to the Dealer, they said there is TSB 18-48-98 out
on this. They rerouted the Spark plug wires per the bulletin to eliminate drivability concerns
including surge in 4th gear and torque converter
engagement. I cannot seem to get a copy of this
TSB. It seems to have corrected the problem but once and awhile I still feel the jerking of the transmission.
Anybody else have similar problems?
Despite the fact that we have all been minding our own business we have become the victims of some of the very defensive Tundra owners who take a lot of abuse from owners of full size trucks from the 'big three'.
Personally I cannot understand the attention as Tundra owners maintain that their truck is full size - so why would they care about the less than full size Dakota?
I agree that Tundra is a nice truck, the problem it has, if any, is establishing its place in the market - it really fits between Dakota and full-size but has not been packaged and promoted that way.
But I know these things happen (in rwellbaum2's defense); a couple of months ago someone used my office machine after I left it on - it didn't auto log-off (cleaning crew or?) - and wrote some nasty e:mail to everyone on my mail list. I got some pretty graphic responses from people I've known a long time. :'-( I had to explain, but got a break since I'm known as a 'prettee fare spellur.' Whoever wrote the e:mail was really terrible with their spelling. It probably saved a few hassles - & bunch of relationships. :-)
There has been some complaints about this xmission both on the 2000 Dak as well as in the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee where this engine/transmission was first available.
On the bright side... the 4.7L OHV semi-hemi V8 has seen nothing but praise and awards! (That's is one reason I bought the 5SP manual xmission 8-)
and look under TSB for your problem.
good luck,
robert
(1999 4.7L Dakota... was NEVER available!)
(bkoz2000) Which is it? ...is you Dak a 1999 -or- do you have a 2000 with the optional 4.7L V8?
If you do NOT have the 4.7L, then you have the (old-style) xmission. (Which has a history of problems too.) One repeated 'fix' on these xmissions is to make SURE that ONLY CHRYSLER automatic xmission fluid is used. Any others, such as DEXTRON or ATF, will cause problems. (Somthing to do with physical properties of the fluid.)
BTW...
The BEST automatic xmissin in the world is the ALLISON AUTOMATIC as used in tractor-trailers. ALLISON is a division of General Motors and that is why their pickup trucks have the ALLISION AUTOMATIC available.
I looked in nhtsa.dot.gov but did not find any reported problems like i am having. Things that have already been fixed were out there, but not the overdrive problem.
Just to clarify... the 'old' style of Dodge automatics have been known to encounter clutch chatter when DEXTRON was used. Changing back to the Mopar ATF Plus 3 (type 7176) corrected the problems. I assume the 'chatter' could cause heat-buildup.
The 45RFE that you inquire about is too new to have been 'experimented with' to any great degree.
What results are you expecting to obtain by using an unspecified fluid? Keep in mind that ATF is used for friction enhancment, hydrolic fluid, cooling and torque transfer as well as lubrication. Many of the tolerances and pressures that the xmission operates at are DESIGNED around specific fluid characteristics.
The 4.7 and other newer design engines are a somewhat different issue - synthetics are fine (even been told that by Chrysler) as long as you match the API codes on the bottle labels for warranty stuff.
But trannies are still 'fluid specific.'
Generally speaking the higher the fluids ability to lubricate the smoother shifting the transmission will be, but this will shorten the life of the transmission if the manufacturer didn't design it that way - compare it to what happens if you take 5 seconds to lift the clutch all the way in a standard as opposed to 1 second - smoother shift, greater clutch wear.
I never thought that I would join an online discussion group, but after hanging around you guys the last few weeks (you didn't know I was watching, did you?) I'm really impressed with everyones enthusiasm for trucks and ability to articulate opinions in such constructive ways!
Does it appear to anyone that there are carryover problems in the 4.7 V8 engine/transmission from the Jeep Grand Cherokee, or are the problems that people have been describing unique to the Y2K Quad Dakota? If so, is this carryover of problems the reason that Consumer Reports rated the Dakota so low for predicted reliability (even though the last three years of reliability data was above average)?
Thanks for letting me participate! I hope that my newbie questions won't bore the truck savvy crowd.
New Dad, First Truck Hopefull
good luck dad,
robert
Now - Consumer Reports, what can I say - I know - have a look at various topics that mention consumer reports in their titles - basically people have varied opinions on the worth of that particular publication. You can make your mind up - to be perfectly honest I don't want to deal with posts from people like those in the topics I refer to - read them and you will see what I mean.
Now 4.7 engine - well there are very few problems with the engine, I am not sure whether the transmission is the same in Dakota as Grand Cherokee, someone else can assist.
I would caution anyone to take with a pinch of salt reports of transmission problems in SUVs or trucks - of any brand. Often automatic trannys are damaged by improper towing practices, particularly towing in O/D. Dodge has had bad trannys in the past, there are always bad examples of anything, but I believe that people are looking for problems in Dodge trannys because they had a bad reputation in the past - the same kind of logic that would be the kiss of death to any car with the word Yugo on it, even if it was made by Honda.
Why not ask them?
it is unwieldy to manage, and difficult to use for "newbies". There is entirely TOO much topic duplication, so I will be doing some SERIOUS topic consolidation in the next few weeks, getting us down to not more than 2-3 topics per vehicle type, and ultimately down to 200 topics or less.
THIS weeks consolidation candidates are: F-150's, Silverado's, Dakota's, and Dakota Crew/Quad cabs.
In that vein, please consolidate this Dakota topic to Dodge Dakota - III and continue these discussions there.
Thanks!
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
(Yes, I'm trying to frighten you ! A service with fresh fluid and filter is a good first step).