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Dodge Dakota Engine and Underhood Questions

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  • header1974header1974 Member Posts: 10
    Does anyone know anything about best shocks to use on Dodge Dakoyta Quad Cab 4.7L 2001. I know that it does not have springs so wanted good shock for good stability and ride. I was thinking about Blistern? Maybe Monroe Gas shocks?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    You said ==> " Not sure what you meant about computer relearning driving habits under various situations/conditions." Here is the answer (This comes right from the Factory Service Manual)

    The dodge ECU starts with default settings of Ignition-timing, Injection-pulsewidth, idle-control, xmission-shifting....etc.

    As you drive, it "learns" how fast you tend to accellerate and other habits. The ECU changes shift-points and other things based on your habits and saves into memory a 'fudge-factor' so it remembers the settings. These 'fudge-factors' are saved based on ambient temparture. In this way, your driving habits are 'mapped' into the memorry of the ECU based on the outside temparture.

    Over the course of weeks, your Dodge will 'learn' how you drive and program itself based on your driving-habits.

    A Dodge which SHARES drivers with vastly different driving-habits is constanly trying to learn and may never seem to run right.

    Disconnecting the battery erases all the saved 'fudge-factors' and it must relearn everythng.

    I hope this answers your question.
  • fbjr55fbjr55 Member Posts: 2
    My 4.7 L 4X4 extended cab Dakota has been running rough for about 7 months. It idles rough and sometimes when you accellorate from idle the engine misses until it catches after a second or two. Most of the time it runs fine at speed, however occasionally it seems to get in a mode where it seems like it not firing on all cylinders. Usually when this happens if you stop the engine and restart it, the engine runs smooth again. I have taken it to the shop twice for this issue. Each time the camshaft sensor and crank sensor was replaced which improved but did not fix the issue. The last shop who worked on it told me to take it to a dealer so the wiring and computer can be checked. They said it had to be a loose wire or a computer issue. He said the dealer has equipment to tell if a wire has a bad connector ( some kind of wiring harness diagnostic tool which only the dealer has). I am kind of gun shy because I have put a lot of money into this allready without it being fixed. It has also blown the ASD fuse in the power distribution panel (3 times). I have allready sank more money than I can afford into this. My questions are
    1 Have you heard of this combination of issues before and if so do you have any idea what maybe causing it?
    2.If I take it to a dealer, do they actually have some kind of tool that will diagnose the wiring and tell which wire is the issue.

    I love my truck but I have never had any issues like this with any vehicle before.
    Thanks for any help and advice.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Dont you wish that mechanics only get paid IF THEY FIX IT?

    BTW, if you have had the very same sensors replaced several times... I hope you realize that you do not have to pay for any more than the 1st one. All Dealer parts are waranteed and if they have to be replaced again, the original part must have been bad so it is 'covered'.

    Personally, I cleaned the IAC . (Idle Air Controller) once a year when I had the 4.7L semi-hemi engine. This always improved idle smoothness.

    Dont forget that your 4.7L has COP (Coil On Plug) ignition. The coils are swappable if you need to isolate a bad one.
  • dchap110dchap110 Member Posts: 2
    hi i have a 1993 dakota v6 magnum when i first crank it the oil pressure is great! after about 20 miles it looses oil pressure and the engine starts knocking any i dea what this could be? was told it may be oil pump. if so how do i change it and are there any online places that i can see a free repair manual thanks!!
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    Bummer. Hope you haven't hurt your engine.

    Not aware of any free on-line manuals. The manuals, either those from the manufacturer or from a third party are copyrighted. Posting them would probably be a violation of copyright law. There are some on-line sites where you can subscribe to manuals for an annual fee, I think.
  • dchap110dchap110 Member Posts: 2
    can anyone walk me through the process of changing the oil pump?? thanks
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Before you replace the oil pump, have you tried a good cleaning?

    My daughters 1st car tended to 'rattle' when the engine got hot. This was because the hydrolic-lifters were so cruddy that they would not hold pressure.

    I ran some "STP oil treatment" in it.... that INSTANTLY fixed the oil-pressure. (because it is a viscosity-improver.)

    The next time I changed the oil, I expected the rattling to come back.... to my amazement, the "STP oil treatment" other feature (detergents) had cleaned out the lifters and that car never-again had that problem.

    Also, you may wish to run a slightly-thicker oil... this is a MUCH less expensive way to resolve such a problem.
  • fbjr55fbjr55 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, however I am being told that there is a bad connection or computer. Currently I have trouble codes 352 351 357 and 1391. 1391 is loss of signal from crank or cam shaft sensor. Both of these have been replaced. In addition the truck has been blowing the fuse for the ASD relay. My funds have allready been exhausted in trying to fix this. My thought is if it is a wiring issue, then the codes and the blowing fuses should help isolate which wires to check first. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give me.

    Also something I found out that I was unaware of. If you turn the ignition on and off three times, your trouble codes will show on your odometer. Cool. Just wonder why I have not seen it in any of the manuals.
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    Cool. Just wonder why I have not seen it in any of the manuals

    Because they want you to bring the truck into the shop for a service visit and be able to bill you for it.
  • header1974header1974 Member Posts: 10
    Not sure with that many codes. What is going on with acutal running of the truck? are there any mechanical issues you can notice? If not then I might think about disconnecting negative cable to battery and the reconnect 15 minutes later. It might reset itself which happen with my truck when I replaced the TPS. Did you try this when you replaced the carak and camshaft sensor? I know that when I did this is reset the computer and no longer got the code this was after fixing the problem. let me know if this works Header1974
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Just wonder why I have not seen it in any of the manuals. The FACTORY shop manual clearly explains this (and many other) troubleshooting capabilities of your Dakota.

    *)The FACTORY shop manual has step-by-step instructions how to troubleshoot/isolate most problems.
    *)The FACTORY shop manual lists, diagrams and locates EVERY electricial connector in your Dakota.
    *)The FACTORY shop manual has paragraphs describing EVERY component and its function. (Automatic-xmission chapter is 100s of pages)

    I suspect you are not looking in a FACTORY shop manual. All the other ones (Chilton, Hanes...etc) have no connection to the factory and are very careful to NOT infringe on copywright of the FACTORY shop manual.... thus they necessarrly do not have the same content.
  • biggdlr59biggdlr59 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1995 dakota 3.9 a/t that shuts down after 5 to 10 minutes. I have to wait 45 minutes to 1 hour before it may or may not start. It may or may not run for 5 to 10 more minutes. Replaced the magnetic pick up in the distributor,and the fuel pump relay. I then took the truck to aamco for a scan and was told it may be a bad wire in the computer or the computer it self. please anyone HELP BEFORE I SET THISTRUCK ON FIRE!!!!
  • redneckf75redneckf75 Member Posts: 3
    :confuse: I have a 1992, dodge dakota ,3.9L, V 6, 2x4, no air conditioning, standard package that is really screwed up and I've got a problem!! The other day I hit some ''wonderful potholes'' and everything went dark. Mind you this happened at 6:30 am so it was dark out. I now have no headlights, no marker lights (front and back), no brake lights, no dash lights, the anti-lock and brake lights are lit up in the dash and the horn don't blow. I DO have flashers and 4-ways. I have checked ALL fuses and all are good. I do hear a clicking noise (something like a house breaker blowing) when I push in my lightswitch. The sound comes from around the area of the rear wheels ???? I'm looking for some indication as to what direction to go now. If anybody can give me some insight to this wierd mess it would be of great appreciation!!!!!
  • gofaster94gofaster94 Member Posts: 1
    I was told I need a power steering switch for my truck to pass smog. Here's the kicker the factory never installed one. So now the dealer says we will install one for 500 bucks! Have any of you dakota owners run into this problem before? How did you pass smog?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    WOOOAAHHH. Something is fishy here.

    It is up to the MANUFACTURER to guarantee emmissions... the owner should NEVER have to pay for this kind of stuff. Read the Federal Emmissions Warantee that comes with every vehicle sold in USA.

    Besides, what does a power-steering switch have to do with emmissions-control? All the switch does is increase idle a tad when there is pressure in the line... thus keeping engine from stalling when you are mauvering in parking lots.

    Personally - I think you are being fed a line of cr@p.

    Are you CERTAIN they are talking about powersteering switch?
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    Something smells fishy to me too. What does power steering have to do with emissions???
  • header1974header1974 Member Posts: 10
    I would suggest testing PCV valve, hoses (make sure not old and clapsing) and the catalaytic converter test if they are saying your not passing emissions. good luck
  • stinky324stinky324 Member Posts: 6
    Power steering switch leak fluid through the wiring to the o2 sensor causing incorrect readings. check to see if 02 sensor plug is wet? If it is, change 02 and ps switch Glenn
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I could understand that argument.... But the appender said their Dak DID NOT HAVE a PS switch??
  • tlingatlinga Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever get an answer to your problem? I have a 2001 with the same problem: revs up high when cranked, surges as your driving at a steady speed (around 50), and idles higher while sitting at a light with the a/c on. I've had it to my mechanic 3 or 4 times, and he can't figure it out. No check engine light is on. Any help is greatly appreciated.
  • hawaiipuphawaiipup Member Posts: 28
    hello need help my oil pump went off and the last time it did this i changed the oil and only put in synthetic it cleared it now its doing it again but now there is gas in my oil i had a chevy once that had gas in the oil and i had to replace the head gaskets will i have to do the same thing it hasnt lock up but im afraid to start it dont want to catch on fire dip stick is showing over fill on oil but gas is present help
  • jyrojyro Member Posts: 4
    I think your truck's problem could be a bad / stuck injector.
    And the length of your sentence is impressive.
  • hawaiipuphawaiipup Member Posts: 28
    ok how would one diagnose thru a mechanic or are there alterneratives not alot of funds available :confuse:
  • hawaiipuphawaiipup Member Posts: 28
    decided to open my hood this am and when i opened the air filter wow there was a burn hole in the filter from the hose so now ??? is that my sign to know i have a bad injector :sick: :confuse:
  • hawaiipuphawaiipup Member Posts: 28
    wow i had that happen on my 94 dakota the peeps here recommended i replace the relays there is one above the rear wheels that gave me all lights missing in rear then i had to replace the front which is located above transmission. hope it helps
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I am assuming you are refering to the smaller hose (perhaps 3/4 inch diamater) that plugs into top of air-filter-housing.

    That hose is supposed to only SUCK air into top of cylinder-head for the PCV system. The purpose of the PCV valve is to maintain a slight VACUUM in the crankcase so this hose constantly SUCKS air out of the air-filter-housing.

    If there is backpressure into the air-filter-housing thru that hose... suspect your PCV-valve may need to be replaced... or your engine has excessive blowby.
  • hawaiipuphawaiipup Member Posts: 28
    ok so take for instance the pcv valve is defective would that cause the gas to mix heavy in my oil or if i have excessive blowby is that cause the heavy mixture ? what causes excessive blowby a bad injector? another thing would excessive gas in the oil cause the oil pump to shut down? i really appreciate this feed back i hate to have her parked especially in this weather.im in the country and its a long driveway from the bus for my kids to walk in the rain and cold thanks again
    i did notice when i removed the air filter it was actually stuck to the lid as well as having a large burn area at the position of the hose.
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    Blowby [sic] usually is from a bad piston ring, which allows the air/fuel mixture in the cylinder to leak past (or blow by) the piston rings, thus contaminating the oil.

    A bad injector, which puts too much fuel into the cylinder, could cause blowby by rinsing the oil film off the walls of the cylinder. The piston rings need a thin film of oil for them to seal properly. Or, you could just have a bad/broken ring.

    I think a cylinder leak down test would be able to tell you if this is your problem or not.
  • hawaiipuphawaiipup Member Posts: 28
    thank you for the reply im assuming i have to have a shop do the cylinder leak down test .thanks
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Which engine do you have in that 94 Dak?
  • hawaiipuphawaiipup Member Posts: 28
    it a 6 cyl 3.9 :blush:
  • hawaiipuphawaiipup Member Posts: 28
    ok well we replaced the PCV valve it was majorly blocked and a friend showed me how when i shake it back and forth it should make a noise so since he replaced this plus a new hose since the hose totally cracked my pump is staying off tomorrow ill change the oil and filter and hope the synthetic oil i put will wake up my oil pump if not guess well have to put a new pump in thanks for the advice yall gave without it i wouldnt have made it easier to explain the help i needed from my girlfriends brother.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I am glad that I was able to diagnose the plugged PCV valve for you from your description.

    I would suggest AGAINST trying synthetic oil to "wake up" a weak oil-pump. This is because synthetic oil is less-viscous (thinner) than dyno-oil and harder to build-up pressure.

    Instead, change oil/filter using dyno-oil and add a can of STP Oil Treatment. This will add viscosity-improvers (thickeners) to your oil and some xtra detergent. You may find that the oil-pump is able to built-up pressure with the thickeners in the oil

    It is a LOT cheaper to try STP Oil Treatment instead of tearing-apart engine to replace oil-filter.

    In fact.... one time I used STP Oil Treatment to 'assist' a weak oil-pump and to my surprise, the problem never came back over the next 2 years. (without adding STP Oil Treatment again!!) I suspect that the xtra detergents cleaned the cr@p out of the oil-passagways.
  • johnny005johnny005 Member Posts: 3
    I NEED SOME HELP!!!! i have a 2000 dodge dakota 3.9L V6. here recently, i had to pull the engine out. due to the freeze plugs leaking very badly in the back of the block and next to the oil filter. i figured that it would be way to fix the problem. I got the engine out with no issues at all. replaced all the freeze plugs and checked for leaks. thank the lord no leaking!!!while the engine was out, i replaced the valve cover gasket, water pump and bypass tube, and replaced rotor cap ,distributor and wires. placed engine back into truck and replaced all wiring and vacuum hoses to there approperate locations. filled up coolant and completed all hook- up to the engine. Now is where i am having the issues. i am now trying to start up the engine... it has taken me a few tries since i have to get fuel flowing back into the injectors. i can get the engine to turn over, but i cannot keep it running. whenever i take my foot off the gas it dies. i have heard that when retiming, you have to rev up the engine to 1500 RPM for 5 minutes and that is supposed to retime. its not working? Anyone have any suggestions that will help me? i forgot to mention that i also replaced the PCV valve and just over the summer replaced throttle position module. thanks for anyones suggestions! i also have the issue where i have tried to keep my foot on the gas and tried to place into gear and died right now. HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!
  • dirtyharrysdirtyharrys Member Posts: 6
    I have a 92 Dakota 4x4 5.2l with about 140,000 on it. The truck is getting spark, fuel, and has about 140 lbs of compression in every cylinder. The truck will crank and fire, run for about a second, and then blow pressure through the throttle body. After doing this for some time I noticed a lot of fuel mixed with the oil, which led me to believe that it was flooding or had poor spark. Replaced, Crank sensor, distributor pickup, cap, rotor, plug wires, plugs, coil, Engine coolant sensor, Air temp sensor. New Egr valve (old one was missing parts). And a used Ecm. I checked the distributor time, with number 1 at TDC the rotor lines up with the pickup coil mark and the number 1 terminal on the cap. I also removed the under hood fuse box and repaired any wires that looked corroded. Still nothing. if one spark plug is completely removed from the engine (in order to test for spark) while cranking the engine it will run for five seconds or so, but obviously very bad. I have totally ran out of ideas. If any one has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    It sounds like either timing or a stuck/leaking valve to me. But, since the compression test went OK, that sort of rules out a bad valve. Could a really bad valve lash adjustment cause this?

    Looks like you replaced the major components that would lead to a timing problem.

    Don't have much else to suggest. Let us know what turns up.
  • jyrojyro Member Posts: 4
    Hey bud, as much logical stuff as you have done, and based on the compression, I would have to question if you've got water in your gas. Or maybe a clogged / clogging injector. Just my $0.02 worth.
  • dirtyharrysdirtyharrys Member Posts: 6
    Looks like I have found it, the timing chain has not jumped, but has excessive slack, The crank will almost turn 1 tooth before the cam will start to turn.... Hopefully a new timing set and I will be good to go.
  • johnny005johnny005 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2000 dodge dakota 3.9L V6 and i am asking if anyone knows how to time the engine back to the computer settings? battery was removed and now spits and sputters.
  • dirtyharrysdirtyharrys Member Posts: 6
    Do you have any engine mods, like cold air injection or throttle body spacer? I had an 2002 s10, if the battery was unhooked for to long it would reset the computer. The truck would run poorly until I drove it for about a half an hour in order to give the computer time to relearn how the truck ran. I dunno just an idea.
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    Just disconnecting the battery should not cause those problems. The ECU defaults to some basic factory settings (spark and fuel injector timing and duration, etc) when the battery has been disconnected for some period of time. The truck should still run, though maybe not optimally until, as dirtyharrys said, the ECU has some time to "re-learn" the engine and driving habits of the driver.

    Is that all you did - just disconnect the battery?
  • johnny005johnny005 Member Posts: 3
    no..... i had to take motor out to fix very badly leaking freeze plugs........
  • dirtyharrysdirtyharrys Member Posts: 6
    Well, that is a whole different story. I would start by rechecking all of the vacuum lines and plugs to make sure everything is plugged in properly. Also, may sound stupid, but make sure all of the plug wires are on the correct plugs.
  • cheeze74cheeze74 Member Posts: 30
    I have a 2000 dakota with a 3.9L magnum engine. Each time I star it either warm or cold it idles up between 1500 or more RPM. After looking through the different posts it seems the IAC motor may be the culprit. Is there any way of correcting this other than replacing the motor completely? Thanks for any suggestions.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    On my 2000 Dak, I would pull the IAC and clean it and the seating surfaces about once a year. It is amazing how much black crud builds up on the surfaces which are used to modulate idle-air.

    It is very easy to do with Torx driver, some Qtips and can of carb cleaner. While I was at it, I cleaned the entire throttlebody.

    The only thing to remember.... AFTER removing/replacing the IAC, you need to "recalibrate" it. Do this by turning ignition key to run (dont start engine) and wait about 10 seconds for computer to recalibrate it. Then, when you start engine, the idle may "hunt" for a few moments before it settles out. (It has to relearn how to idle the enigne with CLEAN air passageways)

    Remember, it is the COMPUTER that sets the idle-speed using the IAC to modulate airflow around the butterfly valve. NEVER EVER try to adjust the throttlebody to set the idle. (You wont change the idle and you WILL mess up the calibration.)
  • cheeze74cheeze74 Member Posts: 30
    Thanks for the input. I have the shop manual which tells in detail how the IAC motor works so that helped me understand the operation of it. I did remove it and clean with some acetone and q-tip. It wasn't too bad. I even pushed down the spring loaded collar around the motor shaft and shot a little WD40 in it to help in case it was sticking. I turned the key on for a brief second and the piston retracted into the motor slighty. So I put it back on the throttle body and started it. I didn't go through the steps you mentioned to re-teach the computer. The first time I started the engine it only went up to a little over 1000 rpm. But noticed a few times afterward it still goes up to around 1500 then drifts down. My main concern is when the engine is cold and it does it. I feel it is harder on the engine to start it when it's cold and have it run so fast. I might even try disconnecting the battery and then reconnecting it to see if that changes anything. Will let you know.
  • wetwillie1wetwillie1 Member Posts: 1
    Johnny005, I have a 2000 Dakota 3.9L and I need to replace both freeze plugs. Was wondering if you or anybody else knows of a way to replace plugs without pulling the engine? Doesn't look good because of where the plugs are located.
    Wetwillie1
  • hawaiipuphawaiipup Member Posts: 28
    :confuse: ok guys heres a real kicker for over a month now my 94 dakota has been trying to tell me something at times my oil pump will shut down then turns on when i drive or actually when i accelerate it shuts off i can let off the gas and it turns on and this happens most trips but at times it shuts down and i end up either stopping shut off the motor turn turn it on or pop it in neutral shut off and turn on i know im gonna mess up my starter but what can ya do ;) is the truck telling me to put a new pump or is the sensor sayin change me :P im sure yall prob say do both but another kicker is when i get under 1/4 tank this is when it happens mostly over 1/4 tank the gage stays in middle and she runs perfect :confuse:
  • dirtyharrysdirtyharrys Member Posts: 6
    Well, finally got around to replacing the timing set.... Guess what,,,,, No help, the truck is still doing the exact same thing. Fires, but wont run. Any one have any other ideas???
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