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Dodge Durango Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • viocvioc Member Posts: 1
    simple deal here. I do it every day. There is no drain plug, so you use an evacuator. Place the suction hose in the fill hole and wait for the fluid to empty. then fill it up with your favorite flavor of gear lube. any other questions , let me know.
  • daveandadodgedaveandadodge Member Posts: 5
    Ok- I had to reply for those do-it-yourselfers out there! I have a 2000 Durango 4.7l that has been a great vehicle up to now. I read the forum and there was a guy who said the o2 sensor shorts out because of power steering fluid is leaking into the male/female adapter....yea baby, he was not kidding! This is no joke, I replaced the 02 sensor with a bosch after market universal sensor and soldered in... don't bother with those type as mentioned by another proud Dodge owner. They have to be the same type in replacement as the original! Also, My Dodge is unique because there is only 1, 02 sensor before the CAT and one after...that makes 2 total not three as some auto parts stores claim. I also replaced the MAP sensor out of frustration because the "check engine light" popped on again. I was wrong in doing this because the 02 sensor (the wright one) filled up with PS fluid in the M/F again! and again! and again. I have a new PS fluid switch sensor on order as I write. Anyway, to the guy who said you can get a wiring bypass...I cannot find any dealer who knows anything about this? I even called Dodge and they don't know either...But I am sure they do. So, I am letting the wire Drip Dry with the clip seperated in hope of it working longer that a week and if it does, it will be a moral victory! The one thing I really wanted to stress is, I have seen alot of different thing with cars but I never though fluid, let alone PS fluid could actually pass through the inside of wire insulation.
    So what is the part # to that wiring bypass and who makes it!
  • durangofandurangofan Member Posts: 21
    I made my own replacement wiring harness - it cost about $10. Cut off the O2 sensor connection on the Durango side, not the O2 sensor itself. Leave the O2 sensor alone.

    Take the plug apart and remove the 4 clipped wires. Open the small retainer that holds the covered wire in position. Unsolder / break the wire from the pins. I could not successfully open the wire retainer - so I broke the strands of wire. I took the new wire - stripped the end and soldered it over the closed exposed wire, and then closed the wire retainer over the new wire. I did this to all 4 wires. I used 4 different colors - red / green / yellow / black.

    This is the part that I should have taken pictures of - the exact connections that all 4 new wires attach and / or replace. But all 4 wires are joined by the air cleaner box - to the various junctions. I put these 4 wires in their own harness.

    The front O2 sensor will go first, then later the back O2 sensor will trigger the engine on light. The second O2 sensor can be fixed later - if you wish, as it does not affect the engine's performance - like the front one.

    I should have completed a step by step procedure for this project - but time was getting short.

    Again - I gotta run!
  • daveandadodgedaveandadodge Member Posts: 5
    Brilliant Idea! Tell me where the junction area is to bypass exactly...please. This is a great idea you have, how do I trace out the proper wires. I would hate to make a cut on the a improper one. Stared in that movie to many times:)

    1. Are all four wires near the air intake filter or throttle body?
    2. Are the colors the same in tracing as by the M/F adaptor
    3.reconnection is no problem just need to know where?
    Thanks
  • durangofandurangofan Member Posts: 21
    THe four wires run toward the air intake filter area. Black wire is a ground wire that is connected with several others on the inner fender skirt.

    My wife took her Durango today to Cranberry Fest, so I can not give you the rest of the wires / location. I beleive the wires are the same color throughout (Durango side connection).

    In aid of research - I went to Alldata and paid the fee to research the factory manual. I still ended up ripping out the wire harness from the back of the engine to the end of the transmission - to insure I had the right wires. This is where I should have documented my actions.

    I know I am leaving you hanging - but I would have to have her Durango here to rip the tape back off - to give you the correct answers.
  • aray2aray2 Member Posts: 15
    The Jumper bypass from dodge dealership for the 2000 durango o2 sensor is 56045483AC, and the price I got in NY is $66.00.
    But I did not use this Jumper. I just cut off the ground wire which causes the problem and ran a new ground to a different location. See my other post about this. Good luck
  • daveandadodgedaveandadodge Member Posts: 5
    02 sensor fouled out again, It must be a heck of a leak. Anyway, I need to bypass.

    Question for DURANGOFAN: There are alot of wires coming out of the harness at the PCM.

    1.Are they ALL located in the same connector or do they split off into different harnesses at the point of the PCM. 2.If I stand on the right side of the vehicle (passenger door on my left side) and look down at the air intake there are 3 plugs into the PCM and one plug underneath those 3
    Which plug are they located in

    This one is to ARAY: It seems like all four wires are producing PS Fluid but you said it is the ground.

    Question?
    1. Where does the ground lead back to, the PS switch?

    2. I like your idea of one wire to reground too, but, do I ground it to the chassis or back the (NEG) battery or pick up a common somewhere else. I have to say that it seems like a huge amount of fluid to be coming out of one wire, is this really the culprit?

    Next Blog and its a GO!
  • durangofandurangofan Member Posts: 21
    Location for connection is - not all three at the same plug connection.

    The black ground wire is a ground for the power steering switch plus the O2 sensors. If you are just going to run a ground wire - the factory connection is on the inner fender skirt on the passenger side. Take the air box off and you will see several ground wires connected to a stud / nut. A ground is a ground - as you can connect the new ground wire to any where a ground wire can be established.

    My weekend is full of 'house chores', so I am not going to dig into the wiring harness to identify where the wires go today.

    Try and replace just the ground wire and see if this cures your problem. On mine - I replaced all 4 wires at once.

    I'm sorry - but super busy.
  • windkistwindkist Member Posts: 4
    Now that its getting COLD here in Utah we tried using the heat in our 1999 durango and even though it blows its not heating. We replaced the themostat but, no success. Any ideas on what we might do?? My husband thinks its some sort of vacuum ??

    please let us know!

    Leah
  • aray2aray2 Member Posts: 15
    The ground wire from the PS switch and the o2 sensor share a common ground-Reason for fluid in the o2 wire. I connected my ground on the passenger side fender well next to the pcm modules. See item 325. Just make sure you have the right wire from the o2. Mine was a bosh o2 and the color of the wire from the o2 was white. On the other side of the connector, it's a different color and you just have to find what wire the white wire connects to on the back side. On the fender well, you will see a few other wires going to the fender well ground. That is where i put my new ground.
  • daveandadodgedaveandadodge Member Posts: 5
    I bypassed the ground wire (white-to-blue/black/ to the chassis)and the engine light went of but the fuel mileage is still terrible...smells bad!

    I don't get it. When I put the new 02 sensors in a week ago it ran great...now it is back to it's old self... I even took them out and cleaned them up during this bypass...got any ideas?

    Should I do an entire bypass

    Should I get another 02 sensor assuming the new one has shorted out?
  • mstg86gtmstg86gt Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 durango, recently my blinkers started acting funny and the interior display on the left blinker stayed on. A minute later the blinkers worked fine but the interior lamps and running lights mysteriously went off. Test light showed fuses were fine. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • aray2aray2 Member Posts: 15
    I hope you changed the wire before replacing the o2. Does the code say it's the o2 again. My code came up the second time after i completed the job, but it had something to do with the computer having to read the problem twice before it would clear. I would check the code to be sure of no other problem. Mine is still running fine and i only changed the ground.
  • flipj5flipj5 Member Posts: 1
    I read you got rid of the dodge but i was wondering if you got them to pay for the PCM? I have the same problem and it reached the pcm. Who did you talk to, to get this done?

    THanks in advance,
    Jason
  • daveandadodgedaveandadodge Member Posts: 5
    Hello Guys and thanks for the help:

    At the moment the durango is running well. I did rewire the ground only which is not "black with a blue stripe" it is a "black" wire only before the connector (alot of fluid dripped out of that wire). After I ran a new ground there was no change...so I rechecked computer and the o2 sensor was coming up "lean" therefor more gas was called for by the PCM....problem was back AGAIN...son-of-a-@#$%! Before I cut all the wires in frustration..I considered a brand new o2 sensor to replace the other brand new o2sensor...another 85.00 shot-in-the-dark. I thought that in the shorting out of the first new o2 sensor it might have mad it so-called "lazy" I reattached all the original wiring and put a wire connector in to allow the remaining fluid in the ground to drain through that splice without it going into the M/F connector.

    Bingo...it works...for now.

    The key to this whole thing for those of you who might read and have the same problem was that the PS sensor switch is the culprit! A 30.00 part that is so easily replace and can cause on heck of an issue...REPALCE that switch first and go from there.

    Thanks for all the imput from ARAY and DURANGOFAN, a big help to bounce stuff off of
  • neile457neile457 Member Posts: 65
    I have an 02 Durango Sport, and just had the lower ball joints and brakes replaced on my Durango. I have 163000 miles on it. The upper ball joints were replaced 15000 miles ago. When I left the shop, and made a u-turn to the left, it started pulling to the left, hard. I brought it back to the place, and he test drove it. He noticed when you made hard turns to the left, the truck pulled hard to the left, as if something was sticking. When he put it in the air, everything moved freely. Any ideas what could be causing it? It was driving fine when I brought it in.
  • weswwesw Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever get the stalling problem fixed? I have an 06' durango and it has stalled twice now. Thanks
  • cyborg67cyborg67 Member Posts: 1
    please let me know if you find out how as i have been searching for about three weeks now
  • nocar98nocar98 Member Posts: 1
    The abs/brake light indicators have been going on intermittently as our gas gauge drops to empty. This is what start the whole thing. The mechanic found that the rear-end needed to be replaced ($1200)and the old sensor was cracked. With the repairs complete, lights still came on. He then said that he had to replace the sensor in the front to match the sensor in the back. During all this the battery died (it was due). The lights still go on . He has now told us that we need a new computer ($800). Do we go for the new computer or is he fishing for answers. This has been going on for months. Are the lights indicative of a real problem? Do we drive and ignore them? Will the new computer really solve this issue?
  • whitney3601whitney3601 Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2000 Dodge Durango 5.2 V8 with approximately 103,000 miles. I have owned the vehicle since January 2005 (64,000 mi) and had never had a single problem until June. The vehicle at the time had about 99,000 miles. In the middle of the month my check engine light came on. I was afraid to drive it too far so I returned home. The next morning I proceeded to bring it to the shop and the light was off. I went to Auto Zone first because the diagnostic test is free. I then went to an auto shop and the readings were the same. The 4th cylinder was misfiring and the O2 sensor was going out. I also had the worker to replace the serpentine belt. Upon picking up the vehicle the mechanic had put a tension “something or another” on along with the belt and replaced my air filter without my “okay” first. This is not a big ordeal but I would like to be aware of the work being done. Before I left the shop with my truck it was hooked to the diagnostic machine again and it was in tip-top shape. Not even a half tank of gas later it turns out that they had replaced the sensor with a faulty sensor. With in 2 weeks my Durango was over heating. I was about to make a trip 5 hours away and did not have time for him to check the thermostat and other minor things so I got a refurbished radiator. By the end of July my check light once again came on. I kept returning to this mechanic because I kept thinking “he must be doing something wrong”. It turned out my 5th cylinder was going out and my serpentine belt had to be replaced again. I know a new belt was put on, but it looked like a frayed rug. The edges where coming undone. It did not appear that the frame where the belt was laying was at all warped.
    At the end of August I left to study in Sweden. I have a friend who starts my vehicle once a week and will drive it 10 miles or so every couple weeks. She recently told me that the check engine light has returned.
    I am just curious how likely is it that I am having all of these problems at once? I service my vehicle regularly (3,500 mi) and I do not abuse it at all. The fluids are often checked and I hardly drive over the speed limit. There are no leaks and after the trouble began I started using high grade gas, whether that helps or not. I have spent over $1500 dollars within a very short time and would like to know if others have experienced such problems or perhaps my mechanic is toying with something. It has seemed that be has been unreliable with meeting deadlines and keeping contact.
  • sgtsquintysgtsquinty Member Posts: 3
    I'm having the same problem with my 02 durango and want to know if you have resolved it so you can help me. The dealer wants to replace the CTM for 900.00. I hope you can give me some better advice.
  • sgtsquintysgtsquinty Member Posts: 3
    I'm having the same problem and need to know what fix you may know of. dealer blew me off with CTM guess. Where are the delay module located.
  • sgtsquintysgtsquinty Member Posts: 3
    I'm having electrical problems with my 02 durango and want to know if anyone can help. The headlights and interior lights started going on and off. then the headlights would stay off and the interior lights would blink. The door locks would stop working. The dealer wants to replace the CTM for 900.00. I hope you can give me some better advice.
  • durango_rt1durango_rt1 Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a 2002 Dodge Durango RT, it has 68,000 miles on it. I am noticing that the rpm's are revving for no reason while I am cruising at a steady speed and it is also making a revving sound. Also while I have the cruise control the rpm's jump up and down as well. Does Anyone have any idea what this could be? I thinking possibly the overdrive is not working properly (even though it does it whether its on or off) or maybe a sensor... even worse the transmission. I want to point the dealership in the direction of the problem so they can fix it before my 30 warrenty with them expires. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
  • crystalc1crystalc1 Member Posts: 1
    I HAVE A 2001 AND I WENT TO TURN ON THE REAR HEAT THIS WEEKEND AND IT BLOWS COLD NO MATTER WHAT! THE FRONT PANELS HAVE HEAT BUT THE REAR CONTROL IS ONLY BLOWING COLD. DID YOU GUYS FIGURE OUT YOUR PROBLEM? I CHECKED FUSES ETC BUT THEY ARE FINE. THANKS!
  • 2001durango2001durango Member Posts: 2
    I am having the same problem with my 01 durango only blowing cold air. I have called the dealership that i purchased mine from and they said it could be one of 3 things. First it could be the controls, or it could be down on fluid or it could be that a line needs bled out. I'm not a 100% sure on what that all means but thats just what he said to me over the phone. Hope that helps you out a little bit.
  • heavensangelheavensangel Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I would check the heater core and connection for leaks or internal rust, if it hasn't already been checked.
  • soundssounds Member Posts: 7
    When I turn the radio on and turn the volume all the way down, I hear hissing and pops in the right rear speaker. Could this be the radio or the amplifier? It has already caused that speaker to go bad. Thanks in advance for your help.
  • soundssounds Member Posts: 7
    My 99 RPM'S would go up and down with the cruise on also. I changed the TPS (Throttle Positioning Sensor) and this solved the problem. Just so you know the revving was not drastic, just slight up and down RPM'S. The sensor is on the driver side of the throttle body aka (carburetor). It can be a do it yourself.
  • aec_88aec_88 Member Posts: 2
    check to fuel rails for debris
  • aec_88aec_88 Member Posts: 2
    if its happening at highway cruising or anything over 45 have the overdrive checked out it can be slipping in an out of o.d.
  • silkiesilkie Member Posts: 2
    I'm having a problem with my 02 dodge durango 5.9 rt. I've had it since jan 06. The door locks started locking and unlocking while driving as well as the wipers occasionally keep going off by themselves. I've brougth it to the dealer who told me it could be the ground wire , which they replace or the remote car starter that came with my truck when I bought it. They tell me that it should have been removed as the don't come with that model anymore, which makes no sense to me as it works fine. Has this happened to anyone, or does anyone have any idea how to resolve this problem? Any help would be appreciated
  • candirenee74candirenee74 Member Posts: 3
    I had a recall on my 2006 Durango for the CCN Control Module, which affected the wipers, headlights, and god knows what else. BEFORE, you could go on Dodge's website, and pull up all the recalls. Now you have to put your VIN in. And if they have "fixed" it, it will say, "No Incomplete Recalls or Customer Satisfaction Notifications Exist.". Bull. I'm STILL having issues. But tell them to check that if you have a CCN Control Module on your model. :(
  • candirenee74candirenee74 Member Posts: 3
    I'm having a serious issue with the airbag lights either staying on after I start the vehicle, or coming on after I am driving down the road. I bought the vehicle in Feb 06..14,000 miles. I took it in Mar 4, 06 for 3 recalls out. Airbag lights still issue. Call back..get this, they never did the recall work! Go back in Jun 17th (06), get recall work done, airbag lights checked. Still having problems. Now, they are coming while driving, (before, they would just stay on after starting). Took to different dearlership...they recaliberated seats (huh?..okay) and looked at the airbag lights. I don't carry ANYTHING in passenger side seat to "throw off" sensors. Today, they came on while driving to big city, in the pouring rain. Anybody else having these issues??? It is really starting to PO me. There IS a recall for Airbags for 2006 Durangos, but not mine, it apparently only affected 335 units and mine was not one of them. I am going to disagree! :mad: :sick: :lemon:
  • griffindbgriffindb Member Posts: 2
    I have a '99 Durango. The ABS light was staying on and speedometer was cutting out. I read a bunch of post and all indication were that it was the speed sensor. I replaced the speed sensor and all the lights went off. However, when I am braking <10mph the speedometer drops immediately to 0 and the ABS brakes kick in. As soon as I take my foot off the pedal and reapply them the issue stops. Does anyone have an idea of why this is happening? Are there different speed sensors that have a different ratio?
  • griffindbgriffindb Member Posts: 2
    Not sure if you have fixed your problem or if this is your answer but its worth a shot. I had the same issue, replaced the thermostat and it was still blowing cold air. One day, in the middle of winter I was adding washer fluid to the reservoir and heard the AC compressor kick in. Obviously, I did not have the AC on, but the clutch was engaging. I pulled the AC clutch relay and amazingly I had nice hot air blowing.
  • rbaynerbayne Member Posts: 2
    I had the same experience with my 2000 Durango. Had to replace the door lock solenoid mechanism. It can be a do it yourself project. You need to remove the inside door panel to get to the mechanism. I would recommend buying the replacement prior to attempting this. That way you will see exactly which screws and levers need to be removed to replace it.
  • lestersllestersl Member Posts: 1
    I have recently had this problem. It has happened 3x in 2 months, thank God I was never hit. Twice it happened while intersecting traffic, one while attempting a u-turn which became a left turn on an unprotected green light and the other time while cutting across a busy 4-lane highway and dying in the middle thankfully at the median where the oncoming traffic wouldn't hit me. The other time it was at about 30mph before entering a turn and stopped along the grass shoulder. I have been to two dealers who say they cannot do anything unless the problem ocurrs while they are driving it, no such luck yet! I just filed a complaint with NHTSA, but there doesn't seem to be much more I can do. I drive 6 kids to school 3 days a week in a carpool and I don't feel safe driving them anymore, it's not worth the risk, at least not for me, but Dodge doesn't seem concerned enough. If anyone has any information on how to get this fixed, please let me know! I am without a car until it is :( :lemon:
  • jthorpejthorpe Member Posts: 1
    Don't know if you solved or not but we also had a gremlin doing all sorts of strange things and it turned out to be a short in an afermarket trailer harness. I cut above the connection and all my gremlins went away
  • soundssounds Member Posts: 7
    There are 2 speed sensors. One is on the transmission. the other in on top of the rear gear housing. I had to replace the one on top of the rear end for this problem to go away on my 99.
  • sjandersen1sjandersen1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2004 Durango SLT with about 36000 miles on it. The problem I'm having is the clock/radio stopped working and the dome light and the power door locks only work when the key is in the "on" position.I checked all of the fuses and it seems there are several that don't have any power to them. The ones that do have power are good. Does anyone have a chart or schematic telling what fuses control what?
  • les7311les7311 Member Posts: 12
    Did you get this resolved? my 00 Durango P.S.P.S code came up. In removing the Switch (which i located), is it hard to remove; will there be draining of fluid; any special precautions; await your response. :cry:
  • les7311les7311 Member Posts: 12
    I've read all your posted messages regarding the Power Steering Pressure Switch(problem just registered on my check engine diagnostics).

    Could someone list the step-by-step process? Correcting this doesnt seems difficult. So far: problem is 3 months old, Switch and harness is wet, poor gas milages, check light on dash, pending emissions test next month. Help & Thank You Board Members :sick:
  • les7311les7311 Member Posts: 12
    OK, I bought the Power Steering Pressure Switch and replaced it with the old one. It was a bit hard to remove, but had to use 2 adjustable wrench to undo it. Brake and fluid remover was used to spray out the harness and plug, and let it dry for a few minutes. The battery (+ve) terminal was also removed to reprogram the computer code. Battery terminal reconnected and plugs replaced. Only need to top off the power steering fluid, and i should be back to normal (hopefully). Will access the situation a few days to see the progress. Hopefully this will help other members interested. Peace. :shades:
  • kat20njkat20nj Member Posts: 1
    This is happening to my 99 Durang as well. Shuts off without warning, very dangerous. Brought it to 2 mechanics who couldn't figure it out and now after a week the dealer is saying it's they THINK it's the control module but won't know until they replace it $650.
    I just got my car back from the body shop because a tree and power lines feel on it. Does anyone know if the electrical wires could have caused this? I'm trying to get this covered under insurance since I've already paid $1000 for my deductible and JUST paid the car off.
  • browning3browning3 Member Posts: 4
    Did replacing the PCM fix your problem? I have an 01 doing the same thing and the dealer can't find the problem. Thank you..
  • browning3browning3 Member Posts: 4
    I read several posts about Durangos surging at idle and at speed but haven't really seen a solution. Has anyone out there actually found the problem and repaired it. My 01 started surging around 88,000 miles and the dealer doesn't have a clue. Any advice, besides getting rid of it, would be helpful. Bought it new and haven't had a problem of any kind before this one. Thank you.
  • browning3browning3 Member Posts: 4
    My 01 does the same thing, but so does my wifes Buick Regal. Perhaps there is a conspiracy involving the Big Three.........
  • browning3browning3 Member Posts: 4
    The resistor is defective. It is either located under the dash behind the glove box in the evaporator housing, or under the hood by the firewall on the passenger side. $10.00 to $12.00 dollars at your dealer.
  • dagwood396dagwood396 Member Posts: 3
    Having same surging problem.
    Transmission just failed.
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