Dodge Dakota Problems. Please help!

pokea · April 2002

Thanx iowabigguy. 4 way emergincy flashers work fine. Guess its off to check the switch.

Eins_Zweidrei · April 2002

I have to agree with the criticism of Dodge & Jeep. I made the mistake of buying a 1996 Dodge Caravan (bought new) AND a 1998 Dodge Dakota extra cab (bought new). The many problems include:
Caravan:
transmission failure @ 90,000 miles
bad engine noises
serious brake problems both front & rear
Dakota:
transmission failure @ 60,000 miles
bad engine noises
suspension problems
Jeep Wrangler (bought new in 1988)
engine failure @ 39,000 miles
I also have to agree with those who have experienced other dealers refusing to take Chrysler products as trade-ins.
Unfortunately, it seems that Chrysler's plan is to produce vehicles which are appealing on the showroom floor but which don't stand up to day to day use.
This is sad because I genuinely liked all of these vehicles...I just can't afford them.

danodw · April 2002

Now my AC has gone out. The light on the snow flake button blinks off and on. When it blinks off the AC stops cooling and blinks back on it starts cooling again. Dam the luck!!! What the hell has D/C done to these Dakotas.

cowtownkid · April 2002

Please Help, can anybody with a shop manual direct me to the fuse for the power outlet (if there is one) I have checked the side panel fuse box, and the fuse & relay box under the hood with no luck. The owners manual states the power outlet is run directly from the battery but dosent give any directions to the 20amp fuse.

I have a 2000 4.7 auto.

Thanks in advance,

cowtownkid

iowabigguy · April 2002

The BOB shows 2 20 amp fuses feeding the power outlet. Fuse 4 in the Power Distribution Center (under hood near battery)is the primary feed. The feed then goes to a splice S260 where it goes to other places besides the power outlet. There is a fuse labeled "B" in the fuse/relay box (on drivers side of the dash). This is the one that provides power to the power outlet. Either fuse could be burnt out and you would not have power available at the outlet. Hope this helps! Rick

cowtownkid · April 2002

Thanks for the response Iowabigguy,

I went back and checked again... at the PDC my # 4 is a starter relay and no labeling(on backside of cover) for the power outlet. I did check all the 20amps under the hood and all seemed ok. At the access panel on drivers side, I have a 15 amp for the cigar lighter but no labeling for the power outlet. I checked all fuses in this panel anyway and all ok. I wonder if there is some kind of fusible link in the wire leading to the outlet?

Thanks again

cowtownkid

stevedkt · April 2002

I looked at a used 99 Dakota today. I noticed the oil pressure fluctuates with engine speed. It seems to stay within the acceptable range. At idle it's a little lower than the middle mark. When driving it was midway between the middle and high marks. My Ranger is rock steady at any speed. Is this normal for a Dakota or is something wrong. (V6)

bcarter3 · April 2002

I have a 2001 so my wiring may be different but the fuse for the Power outlet on my truck is in the PDC. 2o Amp, left row, center fuse. As Iowabigguy said ; the #4. Mine are lettered so it is "D". On the inside of the cover it is listed as 20AmpPW Out. Hope this helps. I only have one fuse so DC may have decided to save a few more pennies and eliminated it for 2001. The same fuse also feeds the center power outlet in the console.

bobs5 · April 2002

Oil Pressure Reading Is normal for my Dakota. At idle it's a little lower than the middle mark. When driving it was midway between the middle and high marks.

jebsdaddy · April 2002

It is normal for the oil pressure to increase as the rpm increases because the oil pump is mechanically linked to the engine. Faster rpm = more pressure. The reason the Ford oil pressure needle stays the same is because ford uses a gauge that is more like an idiot light than a real gauge. The ford gauge is either on or off like an idiot light and does not really record the real change in pressure. This is a cost savings for ford because the gauge is an idiot type gauge while looking like a real gauge. I read this in one of those question/answer sections of a car magazine.

cowtownkid · April 2002

Thanks, Bcarter3, I looked again, In the pdc I have a 50amp fuse in slot # 14. It's label is
"50 amp PWR OUT EBL" on the far left row all slots are relays (four of them). I guess I will go to the auto store and buy one of the big square see thru 50 amps and replace it even though there is no sign of failure. I can also replace every "spade" type 20amp fuse though I have checked all I could find and all look ok. If anybody else knows where I may look I will sure give it a try.

I have a 2000 4.7 Auto quad cab.

Thanks again,

cowtownkid

bcarter3 · April 2002

Cowtownkid: I think that the 50 Amp fuse you are looking at is for the Rear Window Defog. I have a 40 Amp fuse in that position but since I don't have the Defog option I don't have the relay. The Power Outlet fuse I was referring to is one of the small fuses. There are two rows of seven slots for fuses. Some are empty. Left row, fourth fuse from left side of truck. If the fuse is good then maybe the connector on the back of the Outlet was not secured and has fallen off. Checking that probably will require taking off the lower trim panel. That is complicated because you will have to removed a lot of other parts just to get access to the fasteners. Hope it is the fuse!!!!!

cowtownkid · April 2002

Thanks again bcarter3, but I give up! Guess I'll take it to the dealor as my truck is still under warranty. Oh well, if this is the only problem I need to deal with (other than the common brake rotor warpage) I'll consider myself fortunate.

cowtownkid

sacprof · May 2002

Hi, I have a 97 4x4, ex cab, auto, 65kmiles. There is a problem with the low beams operating only when the tilt wheel is in up position. Hope someone can help with a couple questions. I have the cowl off behind the steering wheel and wanted to take off the multi-function switch to check it and/or the wiring connector and wires near the connector. The screws holding the switch on are the torx type, but these have small posts in the middle where the screwdriver would fit. Is this a standard tool available at sears or is this a 'special tool' only the dealer tech has? Has anyone experienced this problem before? I haven't a service manual, but will probably ned one before too long. Are these still available for a 97, will it have wiring schematics, and where can I get one? I would appreciate any suggestions. Hope someone is still listening, no posts here for almost two weeks. Thanks

bcarter3 · May 2002

Sacprof, I think what you have are security fasteners. You will need a torx tool with a hole in the end. These tools are not available everywhere but can be found. Some hardware stores stock them. I found some at Northerntool.com. The shop manual for your truck can be ordered from Dyment Distribution Services at 1-800-890-4038. It will include all wiring information. Probably will cost around $90 plus shipping. I'm sure the others will agree that it is worth the money. Good luck, Dick

sacprof · May 2002

That's exactly what I need to know. I'll order the service manual today.

tom195 · May 2002

I have a 2000 Dakota club cab 4x4 with 21000 miles.I recently took it to have it nys inspected and was shown that the upper ball joints need replacing.having a3/36 warranty I contacted the service department about the ball joints.I was told there has to be .060 wear before chrysler will consider replacing them. Has anyone had this problem with their 2000 Dakota

bookitty · May 2002

Tom, you did not mention as to whether you truck did not pass the state inspection. If it did not pass, then lean on the dealer to correct the problem now. If it did pass, make certain that you have documentation that the dealer looked at it and would not correct it. Sounds like bull to me.

Bookitty

danodw · May 2002

Haven't had your problem yet. Have had many others. I read all your post and I have had the trans problem.
D/C and its dealers are very hard to deal with. TThey will wear you out before anything is done. THis is my second Dodge and my last. I don't know whats wrong with this CO. but its way too much trouble. I'll drive mine until the warranty is almost up and then I will get rid of it and never deal with them agian. Its easyier to just put the bad word out on D/C than it is too go though all the trouble. Once they fall the goverment will help them get back on their feet and maybe stop all the problems... not. Good luck

tom195 · May 2002

about the upper ball joints on my 2000 dakota 4x4. the dealer checked them out and showed me that there is no side to side movement in the ball joint but there is a little up and down which is normal they said. a brand new one is loose.I was told that D/C designs the ball joint to be loose.with the truck on a lift they also showed me that the front rotors on the inside are all rusty,like the brake pad does not even hardly touch the rotor.3/36 warranty do not cover this repair.they will have to turned or replaced which i will do myself.along with new pads which are probabily messed up due to the scale on the rotors.

flashf2 · May 2002

Wow, you have a couple of brake problems and your truck is totally junk? Do you think any vehicle would make you happy? They all have their little problems.

mullins87 · May 2002

If you go back and read all of Danny's posts, you would agree that he has a lemon. His woes are not related entirely to the brakes, I think his truck is possessed.

furrydog1 · May 2002

mullins87 is right, danodw has gone into extreme detail to list all of his problems in numerous posts so the last thing we need is to rehash all of these problems again. It would be nice to hear from more owners that have had mostly positive experiences with their QUAD. I've got 8K miles on mine and haven't had any problems yet. Then again, I'm not much of a motorhead so there could be lots of squeaks, groans, rattles and hiccups that a more tuned in owner would notice. If the truck starts and gets me to where I'm going I'm usually happy.

jebsdaddy · May 2002

I've been happy

danodw · May 2002

Thanks for remembering my past post. Your right, I don't really want to re-open that can of worms. Those that don't know what I are others have said, well sorry, those that do know, enough said. I have had problems with other vehicles but not like this one. I'm 45 and have had many new and used cars and trucks. This is the first lemon. I will try to re frame from my past. I should have told tom that others who had brake and rotor problems including myself have got them replaced under warranty, but you really have to push them. I am burn out on the bad stuff so lets hear the good stuff. So, what are the best tires for a Dakota Q/C, 4.7, H/duty tire and handling package, limited slip rear end, auto trans. I have the 16'stock wide tire and they are ready to be replace. I like a smooth ride some dirt rode riding, rain, and heat, once are twice a year about 3 to 4 days of snow and ice. Living and driving in East Texas.
P.S. Anyone out there care to pray for my 20 year old son I would appreciate it. He was in a bad motorcycle wreck last night and had to have surgery, plates, pins, screws, bad road rash, knee etc. I've been up for about 30 hours and headed back to hospital. His name is Mike. He's a very good Son, never in trouble, College boy, full time worker, pays his own way.

mailman54 · May 2002

Danny, sorry to hear about your son. That's really a bummer. My wife and I will include your son in our prayers and hope for his speedy recovery. I have had my share of accidents with motorcycles myself and know it can be a scary thing. Hang in there.

Mailman

mullins87 · May 2002

Being a motorcyclist myself, it always hurts to hear of a brother going down. Mike will be in my thoughts and prayers. God bless!

danodw · May 2002

.Thanks for your support. I know this is a Dakota site but had to tell the story. A car pulled right out in front of him. Someone said driver was on a cell phone. Trying to miss the car he thinks he barely clip it and then went down. The car did not stop. No one was close enough to tell a lis # are make. Seems if someone saw the driver on a cell phone they would at lease know the color of the car. We brought him home today. One surgery and more to come on his arm and knee. Bad bad road rash all over. Going to live but want be able to work for 3 to 6 months. Says he doesn't want to get back on one again. I learned one thing, my Dakota problems are not big enough for me to worry about and to keep on caring on about the same thing. Life's too short. Enjoy everyday you can and think GOD for what you do have.

mullins87 · May 2002

to chew deck screws and shoot every SOB I see driving with one of those things stuck to the side of their head!!!!!!! It used to be "blue hairs" driving land barges were our #1 worst fear, then along came teenage girls, but now it is anyone, any age, with a cell phone.

Say that the person didn't even stop to see if your son was alive or not?? I wonder how many of your son's motorcycle riding buddies are riding around looking for cars with damage consistant with his accident. Did any of the paint of the other car come off on the bike? Nobody with that little respect for human life should be on the road!!!

danodw · May 2002

It drives me nuts when I see someone who can't drive and has a cell phone stuck in their ear. There was a little red paint on the front of the bike. Everybody's looking. If it was a cell phone driver and since they didn't stop, at least they could have dialed 911 and got him some help. Others did stop and help.

bookitty · May 2002

Danny, my prayers as well as my family's go out for Mike's recovery. I am (was) also a bike rider having ridden from 1951 to 1990 when two herniated discs preempted my cycling days. I miss riding, but don't miss how many motorists drive like you weren't there. The cell phone thing upsets me as well. I pull off the road when I have to use my cell phone. There are many people who can't drive if they didn't have a cell phone, and now they are trying to do both. Good luck and God bless.

Bookitty

mopar67 · May 2002

Before taking a support desk position, I travelled extensively by car for my company. Made thru every state east of the Mississippi and all but Oregon, washington, New mexico, Utah,and Arizona west of the ole miss.....

Some observations during my five plus years as a road warrior......

....cell phones...have personally been in 27 near crashes due to other driver yapping instead of driving. Five were near head on collisions in urban settings....yes, I stopped, fists raised, ready to whip some......but did lots of yelling instead. Interesting to note each case, the other driver vigorously defended their need to talk and drive at the same time, never mind the near head on collision.
...women putting on a full face of makeup
...women blow drying their hair...don't ask me what type of dryer they were using.
...men shaving.
...books being read..propped on a book holder.
...ditto for newspapers.
...laptop computers....gotta get those stock quotes or finish that business proposal!
....cats being groomed.
...one woman had a foot on the dash and was polishing toes feverishly.
....one young urban professional in an Accord brushing his teeth on the way to the high powered meeting with a high powerd client.
...several drives with not one, but TWO cell phones, one to each ear.
....crossword puzzles, propped up on steering wheel, pen in hand cup of java in the other, must have been driving with knees.
...one instance where a couple was......ahem!...... lets just say engaging in a passionate momement.
....eating a full meal....not just golden arches type fare, but with plates, dinnerware, and napkin shoved down front of shirt.
....many many drivers with their backs turned, yelling at kids, mothers-in-law, wife, husband...etc. etc....this was the most shocking.
I always thought a forward facing line of vision was key to being able to drive....not so apparently.
....people doing WAY over the sensible speed during inclement weather......I have seen approx. one dozen slide offs and collisions during the winter months....file this under "stupidity"
...finally, the icing on the cake.....there was this guy in a Saab, on I40 outside of LIttle rock excitedly working....get this.....a friggin jigsaw puzzle on a raised platform on the passenger seat!

My thoughts and prayers to danodw.....obviously this never should have happened. You certainly have my prayers.

Which is why I propose a mandatory driving test each year before one gets a license renewal. Its one sure way to cull out "weakest links" in the motorist chain. To be more blunt, there are people who, regardless of their lifestyle, should not hold a license for anything other than a go kart at the summer parks. Sorry if this ruffles feathers, but I've seen far too much nonsense out there to feel otherwise. The events I described above can only be summed up in one word STUPIDITYDriving is a full time endeavor. If the stock quotes or your overwhelming desire to be "connected" takes over, then do the rest of us a huge favor and get off the road. If you must groom youself on the way to work, then get your sorry tail out of bed earlier and do the grooming in your bathroom. Save the pet grooming for when you get home. Yell at the kids with your face forward or pull over then give em hell.

Otherwise we'll see more incidents which danodw desribes with increasing frequency. Think about it. Then buckle up and drive safely please.

mullins87 · May 2002

There is a fellow that I listen to on the radio every morning that claims there is no such thing as an accident. He claims, "Someone screwed up!" You know, after he said that, I got to thinking. He's right. There are very few true "accidents" while the overwhelming majority of crashes are caused by someone not paying attention to their first priority, which is to pilot their vehicle in a safe manner.

bookitty · May 2002

Amen!

Bookitty

bpmanning · May 2002

I have a 2000 Dakota with 30K on it just had the 30k service and the front rotors are pitted, rusted and warped. can anyone give me afew options on what to replace them with? The dealer said I could drive it for a little while like it is. What problems could driving it a little longer do? Any help would be appreciated.

danodw · May 2002

for all your thoughts. I let my son read some of the post. It made all of us feel good that so many people that don't know us, cares so much. Your right mopar, I've seen the same and more... Sometimes I wonder why some people are even issued a license. All the distractions while some people are driving, need to stop. I wish we could find the car so we could collect on the ins. Our ins is giving us a hard time filing on uninsured/under insured. All they are wanting to do is pay $2500 on our PIP med pay and of course pay for the bike. His med bills are around $8000 now. More to come. He had just changed jobs and likes 3 weeks to having his 90 days in so he doesn't have health ins. We thought he had health ins but I guess not. His job was real nice and said they would see if something could be done. Main thing is he will be all right. Its just going to take some time. Thanks again bookitty, mopar, mailman, mullin
and everyone else.

danodw · May 2002

Sorry to here about your brake rotor problem. 30K is not bad for a first brake job. Maybe the rotors can be turned. If you check some of the back post you will see that some have suggested aftermarket brakes and rotors that have worked very well. The next time I replace my brakes, I will do the aftermarket thing.
Someone here might suggest a good brand. Check your local auto parts store and they should be able to tell you the best brand to get. You could also go with some of the life time brake places. Thats if you don't want to do the work yourself. Good luck.

mullins87 · May 2002

You said Mike is going to be alright, anything permanent, or is he one of the lucky ones? I surprised his PIP is only $2,500. Here in the wonderful world of mandatory insurance, my PIP is $25,000, which is the lowest I could get.

Anyway, it's good to hear he will be OK.

danodw · May 2002

His arm is the main thing. He might have to have a couple more surgeries and maybe a bone graft. Knee also may need surgery. We just have to wait and see. He will have trouble out of his arm for the rest of his life, I'm sure. We go to the Doc today to see his arm for the first time since surgery. He will live, no head or spine injuries that are permanent, I hope. Road rash should heal in time. Could have been much worse. Go for a police report today so maybe it will have more details on the car that pulled out and left the scene. I thought I had up to 20K in PIP. Ins. is checking on everything. Hope to find out soon what they are going to do. Just going to take time on everything. Right now all I care about is that he is still with us and we have a good Doc. to fix him.

Kirstie_H · May 2002

A major daily newspaper is writing a story about collision damage insurance, and is looking to talk with drivers who have run into deer or moose. "In most states, such an encounter is not covered by comp. or collision damage insurance; you need special coverage. I want to talk to people who have had these collisions and learn how they handled them. Likewise, I'd also like to hear from people who were involved in some other sort of incident involving their auto and found out that insurance they thought they had was not there." Please respond no later than Monday, June 3 to paudel2001@msn.com and/or jfallon@edmunds.com. Thanks as always!

Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

bpeebles · May 2002

Just today, I installed POWERSLOT rotors and Raybestos ceramic-based pads. After over 30K miles my original rotors were all rusted up. (no warpage tho)

I orderd the POWERSLOT rotors from one of the "group buys" at (http://www.dodgedakotas.com/cgi-bin/amb/view.pl?board=group)
There is a "group buy" for the POWERSLOTS going on right now.

For the pads, they proved VERY hard to get ahold of. I initially orderd from NAPA but their nationwide network had NONE in any store in the country. I ended up ordering from a 'federated' autoparts store that has direct connections to Raybestos.

bpmanning · June 2002

I will check it out.
Bill

fedforester · June 2002

We had a Jeep Cherokee of the Chrysler variety and had to have the front brakes redone at about 30000 miles also because of warpage--learned to go very easy on them after that until we traded the jeep in. We have a Ford Ranger which is getting close to needing its second front brake job at 260,000 miles---quite a difference. We traded the jeep for a Ford.

quaddub · June 2002

I have '01 Quad with 4.7 and it's mated auto tranny. When truck was new, mashing pedal produced an instant neck-snapping down shift. At about 10,000 miles, I started to notice a slight hesitation. I now have just over 17,000 and today feels like the darn thing is "grabbin' air" before downshifting.Big hesitation. This happens almost exclusively at low speeds; highway/passing shifts feel pretty good.
Any ideas?? Thanks

mullins87 · June 2002

How's Mike doing lately? Any news on the SOB that hit him?

kmischo · June 2002

Just picked up my 2002 quad 4.7 auto Atlantic Blue and Silver metallic(two tone)on 6/1/02. The vehicle was dirty when I picked it up because it was prepped on a friday and left outside in a rainstorm. when I cleaned up the truck the next day I noticed three nicks in the paint which were caused when they installed the factory option underrail bedliner. one of the nicks already starting to rust. then I noticed that the workmanship on the factory option silver metallic two-tone was terrible. The Atlantic Blue is showing through in a couple of spots especially by the edges. I brought the truck back to the dealership and the are supposed to be setting up a meeting with the Chrysler Rep. What are my options? Paint fixed? Monetary compensation? New TRuck? I just wanted a nice new truck.

bpeebles · June 2002

(quaddub) Have you been getting the frequent PMs (Preventitive Maintenance) done to your 45Rfe tranny? Use ONLY the Crysler tranny fluid or suffer the consequences of poor performance and slipping shifts.

Do not froget this tranny is totally ELECTRONICALLY controlled. It even "learns" your driving habits and re-programmes itself accordingly. Thusly, your dealer can hook up your Dak to his computer and re-calibrate the shifting.

danodw · June 2002

Mike's doing better. Road rash is healing good. Have to wait a while to see if his bone in arm will grow back or get a bone graft. Go tomorrow to check his knee again. He's tired of staying at home even though his friends come by. He wants to go back to work for something to do but can't. Doc says maybe 3 months if all goes well. No news on the SOB that hit him. I try to carry a camera, pen and paper around with me and if I ever see something like that, I will take pictures and notes. Some people are just sorry. Ins is trying to back out of med pay. If they do I have talked to an attorney and he said he would check into it if I needed him to. Got the hospital bill today, $17,000 so far. Man I can't believe that. O'well, we'll just have to do the best we can. If I ever see a hit and run, you can bet I will stop them or get the information so the police can.

losangelesemt · June 2002

Well guys I've been running 911 calls for the last 10 years or so now. Regardless of what anyone tends to think, driving and talking just don't mix. Im sure there's guys in here who think they're the exception, that "they" can handle it. Fact is though, that it is a distraction to even the most skilled drivers, and at risk is the health of many innocent, unsuspecting motorists.

When you think about it, there really is very few incidents that are true accidents. Well over 90% of these "accidents" can be prevented. I know out here in California, the ban on driving and talking is in the process but it seems as if people are hesitant to support it. My best wishes to Mike and his family, and hopefully the insurance company will step up to the plate and do the right thing ... the right thing for the patient that is

Cheers

mullins87 · June 2002

Glad to hear Mike is improving. Maybe with a little help from God he won't need a bone graft. I'm not familiar with that procedure, but it sounds rather painful and lengthy. I wish you were close by, I know an attorney who loves to get cases where the insurance company is trying to back out of its obligations, or any other "big business" for that matter.

Dodge Dakota Problems. Please help!

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