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Dodge Dakota: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • aldan93aldan93 Member Posts: 202
    Hello, with 33 threads this board is pretty active, I would like summarize my Dodge Dakota owner experience. Had the the truck for 4+ years 50k. Used for work trans. and hauling my boat for all 4 years. V6 5sp, X2, 1999, Sport, Flame Red

    First off the folder I had in my filing cabinet started off as one folder, then grew to 2 folders over 4 inches thick full of repairs!!! all under Warranty!!!

    I liked the truck due to its looks, and grunt, and it was discounted 2k off MSRP/Invoice. So I was sold!

    I knew it was bad from the start, I pulled away from the dealer, and the cig. lighter was missing? 6 miles on her, Made a U-turn back into parking lot, got cig lighter, guess what It didn't work!!! HE HE, 1st repair, 8 miles on her! LOL I still have the Paper work, they fixed it right away, 2 hours later!!! seems wiring wasn't hooked up at factory? Oh well here is a summary of some of the repairs!
    -radio comes on and off fixed 3 times, never could figure it out, replaced twice!
    -3 cat. convertors, every 10k they rotted out, from the inside out, sounded like your dragging a bag of cans! 3cat convertors!!! MEANS 4 on truck!
    -thermostat leak, coolant pis sin out houseing? pin hole in casting?
    -idle sensor, kept stalling, this happened on a bridge, -5F out, winds at 50MPH!!! Thankfully I was on the downslope! I coased for a mile and she started up again!!!
    -running lights did not work!, found this one out by a State trooper at 3 am in the morning!! Thank god I was coming home from work! CAuse was a short in licence plate bulb wiring. completly fried!
    -front seal leak
    -rear seal leak
    -transmission leak, top of shifter, was leaking 90 W out of top? dripping on exhaust, causing smoke to come into cab at lightstop. Found that the bolts were never tight on shifter plate from factory?
    -paint was peeling off front fender
    -corrosion was starting in the corners of the bed! Was never touched by me or anythin in bed! They would not fix this, so I rhino lined it!
    -Warped rootters at 4 K
    -Leak in the Inside of radiator? That was a weird one, at first they thought a stone hit it, then I showed them it was peeing out the back side!!! LOL
    - The factory tires lasted 10K, they were horrible! Goodyear wranglers!

    -OK i traded this thing in, I could not sell this it anyone personnally! The radio never worked! It would fade in and outm they tried everything, antenna, 2 radios, wiring, they could not figure it out!
    - To top it off a Pizza Delivery guy smashed in the front end on a side street, his car was totalled, it was a Grand AM GT brand new, I had only $4900 in damage!!!
    -A basic truck, they gave $5500 for a trade in, Not bad I only Paid 12500 for it in 99,
    - So people I took car of this vehicle like you wouldn't believe, changed oil every 2500 miles, had all the paperwork to proveit, changed all fluids and filters, and this is how Dodge builds trucks

    Good Luck, I hope you have better luck than me!

    PS it never burned oil!!!, it only leaked on my new driveway!!!, had to park on the grass!!
  • ibis994ibis994 Member Posts: 3
    I can really feel the pain of aldan93. I owned a 2000 Dakota, SLT, 4.7 L, 4x4, manual trans with limited slip. In three years (60,000 miles mostly highway, no towing) this is what went wrong:
    - 5 sets of rotors, even went to Bendix rotors to try to fix the poor design and it did not help.
    - Manual trans had to be pulled and completely resealed at around 20k miles, it still leaked and left a mess in the garage and I was without the truck for a week.
    -Upper heat/AC vents stopped working, $13 plastic part located inside the heater box took 6 hr of labor to fix.
    -At 58k miles power steering pump went, $700 bill.
    - At 60k miles upper ball joints went, estimated $500 to fix but the upper ball joints are (or at least were last month) on a national back order (hints at how many Dakotas are in need of this part. A good ploy by Dodge, make more money on cheap original equipment).
    - Both front seats squeak very loudly.
    - Rear fender flares separated from body within first 8 mo of ownership.

    My solution: I got rid of it before it drained me. I am very disappointed with the truck and I may never purchase another Dodge in my lifetime. If I were a Dodge engineer, or worked for Dodge, I would be extremely ashamed at the poor quality of the product. The word cheap comes to mind and further erodes my faith in US made vehicles. Someone stated that "if you want to get rid of those kind repair bills, buy a forgien vehicle."
    So my new Toyota truck sits next to the Audi in the garage.
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    A Toyota was our first choice. But the regular cabs are too small inside and the extended cabs still aren't cheap. Rangers aren't bad but I'm not crazy about how the interior looks or how they drive. You have the Nissan but we do not like the exterior. So maybe this Dodge is a mistake, but maybe it will be a good one. Luckily, it's cheap enough to where if it is a piece of junk we can sell it and not take a bath in the loss.

    Audi's aren't known for their reliability either but some people have no problems with them. We have 3 other cars so if there is a problem it won't be a big loss while it's getting fixed.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    This is the item I am most concerned about on my 2000 Dak. I have read enough stories about these having problems after about 50k miles.

    My original fluid smells burnt after 50k miles and I need to replace the fulid ASAP in an effort to avert disaster.

    QUESTION: What was the failure-mode of your pump?
    Noise?
    No steering?
    Leaking?
    other?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I have had virtually no problems with my 2000 Dak for the last 30k miles.

    This weekend, my wife was helping me back into a tight spot and noted that my reverse lights are not working. I am suspecting the switch on the tranny is the problem.

    BTW.. I have the manual tranny.
  • ibis994ibis994 Member Posts: 3
    The power steering pump failure was first noticed by a slight jitter in the steering wheel at slow speeds. Then some fluid needed to be added, not unusual. Sooner thereafter, about 1 week, the tell tail sign of lots of leakage on the garage floor and around the pump itself.
    No burnt smell was detected before the failure.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    I know this isn't going to make you feel any better, and I'm not trying to be an apologist, but every auto and truck manufacturer will have a number of units that exhibit flaws of one type or another. Your experiences are not typical for Dakota, in my opinion. Fortunately the vast, overwhelming people I've talked to that own Dakotas have not had anywhere near that level of problems, despite the fact that I recognize that Dakota quality wasn't as good a number of years ago as it is today.

    The bigger problem, in my opinion, is the apparently poor level of service support you folks got. A dealer makes the all the difference in the owning experience.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • mopar67mopar67 Member Posts: 728
    but just remember, the dealer does not build nor design the truck, the factory does and the engineers and product planners have a hand in the first impression the customer has of the new vehicle.

    If Chrysler has used better parts, then the whole issue of dealer service would be moot because the customer would not have to return there to have things made right.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    If a dealership fixes a problem right the first time, buys me breakfast while I wait and foots the repair bill... they can expect me to come back years later when I am paying the repair bills.... and even when I am looking for a new vehicle.

    Beleive it or not, there ARE dealerships like this around.
  • aldan93aldan93 Member Posts: 202
    I left out the whole discussion about the loose steering column, and rubbing front end etc... This was never figured out, and was with the truck from day one!

    Maybe the thing got dropped off a train? Nah

    PS while my truck was serviced I totalled one of there loaner cars!!! LOL, I got sued, long story.
  • ibis994ibis994 Member Posts: 3
    Yes indeed a dealer can make all the difference in the world as to the perception the customer has about the vehicle but the root cause of the issues above, specifically the brakes a well known concern, is poor manufacturing process control,engineering,design. Fix the root cause, not put a bandage on it, and you have a higher quality product, more satisfied customers and eventually more market share. Mopar67 hit the nail on the head, the manufacturer has the majority of the impact on the customer.
  • sunburnsunburn Member Posts: 319
    I was underneath the back of my truck today and noticed an oil leak in the rear axle. It appears to be coming from one of the circular indentations in the differential housing that are on either side of the differential cover. Anyone else have a problem like this? The truck will be going into the dealer for it's 30K mile tranny service soon and I'll have to add this to my list of "issues".
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    Changed that today and everything appears to have gone well - no leaks. I used the Red Line 75W-90 synthetic product that contains the LSD additive. Hardest part was cleaning off the old sealant from the bolts. After a curing period, I filled it up and took it to the local high school parking lot. I did the obligatory "figure-8's" to work the new oil into the clutch plates.

    The insides (gears, housing, shafts) appeared to be covered with a "soot" above and below the normal oil level that I could wipe off if I wanted. Other than that, everything looked normal to a novice like me.

    My question: When I purchased all of the oils to do the differentials (4x4), transfer case and the 5 speed, the vendor recommended adding the small bottle of the Red Line friction modifier to the LSD rear-end. I questioned him on that since the hypoid gear oil bottle stated that the additive was already in it (and bpeebles remarks on the subject). He recommended it anyway. So rather than make the 60 mile round trip again, I bought the additive for $5+ but I have not put it in yet.

    How can I tell if I might need more fiction-modifier additive or if I'm Ok where I'm at? I didn't experience any rear tire grabbing while doing the figure-8's, that would indicate that the clucthes were locked up. Also, after another 15 mile "new oil circulating" trip, I punched it while sit on stones. Both wheels spun and dug the same size hole at the same time (no delay from side to the other). I guess everything is operating as it should but are there better tests?
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    Completed the 5 speed's oil change today. You need a 17mm hex wrench ($8.99+ tax at Sears) to remove the drain and fill plugs. The magnet, which is built into the bottom plug, wasn't too full of filings but it had some gunky stuff on it too.

    With the bottom plug remove, the hot oil came pouring out and does run along some of the transmission's fins, so use a large enough pan sitting on newspapers to reduce to mess. After a good draining, I applied Mopar's sealer on the bottom plug (same Mopar stuff used on the rear differential cover). Used a big "syringe" with 10 inches of tubing to suck the new Red Line oil out of its containers and then to inject it through the transmission's side fill hole. Everything seems OK after my test drive.

    While cleaning up, I poured the drained transmission oil into containers for recycling. That's when I saw a thin layer of sparkling metal filings at the bottom of the pan. A magnet does not attract these so I'm assuming it's aluminum. I'm not worried because I didn't see any big pieces and I've not had any problems (noise or vibration).

    After a week or two and barring any noises / problems, I'll work on the transfer-case and then the front differential.
  • eagleeye13eagleeye13 Member Posts: 29
    Hi everyone, it's been awhile since I caught up with whats going on, too busy enjoying my QC.
      See post # 4495 in QUAD OWNERS site.
     The only problem I have is with Smittybilt!!
    I have the stainless steel nerf bars, something ( I think a chunk of metal) was flipped under my QC in back of the front wheels and took out the rear pass side bracket hitting it so hard that it "sprung" the stainless steel tube. So I went into the web site to order replacement parts and I'm being told that I have to order a complete set, the parts aren't available separately. They did save me a tire and possibly a rim (Centerline) but if any one is going to add the steps or nerf bars you might want to check on availability of replacement parts. The instruction sheet gives the impression that parts are available !
     good luck to everyone and if anyone knows of any solution to my problem I would appreciate all info
  • anonymouspostsanonymousposts Member Posts: 3,802
    We bought the truck Friday. Needed tires and brakes front/rear brakes. So far, in about 300 miles, it's proven to be a good choice. Pretty smooth ride, 5-speed is better than in most trucks we have driven, and the gas mileage isn't horrible.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Townhall,

    You don't indicate what kind of maintenance you've performed, but this could be something as simple as a loose accessory drive belt.

    Its not unusual for failing water pumps to begin seizing and breaking free sometime after starting the engine. So it's something to look at. You should check into this now before you go much farther.

    Bes of luck,
    Dusty
  • jhorljhorl Member Posts: 89
    Has anybody changed the fluid in these two components with synthetic yet. If yes was the procedure pretty straight foward. As soon as I can track down the proper fluids I will be changing them.
    John
  • sunburnsunburn Member Posts: 319
    Has anybody ever looked closely at their differential fluid? I was checking the level in mine the other night and pulled out a couple of CCs to look at. It had what appeared to be quite a bit of metallic looking dust and some very small metallic looking particles. The fluid was warm at the time as the truck had just been driven about 10 miles. Is this normal? The fluid was changed to Redline 75W-140 about 9K miles ago. I've never paid that much attention when changing differential fluids in the past.
  • bcarter3bcarter3 Member Posts: 145
    Well, I followed the Service Bulletin instructions and replaced the A/C Control Panel to correct a "Service 4WD" light. I still do not understand the connection between HVAC and 4WD but the light is no longer illuminated. It's getting more and more difficult to keep up with all the new technology.
                '01 CC, 4.7, auto, loaded, Love it!!!
                      Dick
  • sunburnsunburn Member Posts: 319
    My Dak went to the dealer today for tranny service and several warranty issues. The tranny service was $142 after reducing the labor to $25 to account for incorrectly replacing both filters in the 45RFE. According the the owner's manual, the spin-on filter does not get replaced at a 30K mile service, but at the 60K mile service. Anyway, they flashed the PCM to get rid of the false P0456 error codes and hopefully fix the erratic idle. They ordered a new ring and pinion to fix the rear end whine, a new power window switch, and a new rear fender flare. Note for those with fender flares. Check the paint under the flare where it curves under the body. Mine had worn through to the bare metal on one side and is pretty scuffed up on the other side. The dealer is replacing the fender flare and touching up the paint under warranty. I just hope that the new R&P will last longer than the original did.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Sunburn,

    The way the 2003 Dakota service manual reads, if schedule "A", the Primary (called "sump" filter in the maintenance section of the service manual) and Cooler Return filters do not need replacement until 100,000 miles.

    With schedule "B" vehicles, the Primary filter gets replaced at 30K, 60K, and both Primary and Cooler Return filters get replaced at 90K.

    Sounds like there's a descrepancy between the owners manual and the service manual.

    Best regards,
    Dusty
  • sunburnsunburn Member Posts: 319
    Dusty,

    You may be right about the Schedule B filter changes. I was operating off of memory, which isn't as good as it used to be. I'll have to check my manual.
  • lotech1lotech1 Member Posts: 112
    Just got back from a trip. Took my Quad and had an enjoyable time... except for a short stretch of the trip. As I was driving along at a reasonable speed (65 mph) a caravan of new Dodge trucks passes me like I'm standing still. In the caravan were Rams, Dakotas, Durangos, and vans. About 15 in all. Most of the drivers were over 60 years old. Well, they turn off at the next rest stop so I pull in behind them as I have some questions I want to ask them along with needing to use the facilities myself. I walk over to the vehicles and read the stickers, etc., and make some small talk about how far their going and all. Asked one guy about the speeds they are traveling and how the vehicles are new, etc. Well, he basically tells me that they were instructed to deliver the vehicles to the dealership (+100 miles away) asap and not to worry about driving speed as the new vehicles don't need breakin time and they're covered by warranty if something should happen. Now mind you, these trucks all have less than 100 miles on them. The Dakota's all have the 4.7 V8 and one Ram was the Hemi model. Next time I buy a new vehicle I will insist on one with less than 10 miles on the odometer.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    >>I was operating off of memory, which isn't as good as it used to be.<<

    I know exactly what you're dealing with!!!!

    Bests,
    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Just curious, how many miles do you have on your truck and what kind of rear axle noise are you experiencing?

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • bookittybookitty Member Posts: 1,303
    Brian, that is the exact reason that I would never accept a car driven from another dealership. At least these drivers were mature. I have seen kids ferrying vehicles driving as if in a demolition derby. When my wife's vehicle was located at a dealership some 75 miles distant, we insisted on either driving the vehicle back or having it transported. Reluctantly, the local dealer had it transported. Good observation on your part.

    Bookitty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    If my memory serves me correctly ...(I can remember that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor started at 7:55 AM, but I can't remember what I did yesterday morning!)...most dealerships that I've come in contact with have had "mature" people do such shuttle work. You know, those closer to my age!

    I knew a guy who did nothing but this type of work for various dealerships.

    Bests,
    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    I realized that the new sensation I've noticed twice so far is clutch chatter from the limited slip clutch packs. I've got just under 13,000 miles (9.25 Trac-Lok axle).

    Anyway, I'm going to change out the differential lubricant and shopped for a 75W-90 synthetic gear lubricant and couldn't find any. A couple of places had the 90W-140 in synthetic, but that's not what I want to use for this application.

    Does anybody know of a 75W-90 in synthetic?

    I bought the Mopar materials for now, but in the future I'd like to find the synthetic version.

    Thanks in advance,
    Dusty
  • usaf52usaf52 Member Posts: 70
    I have two different whines, neither are very loud, but I'm curious. One comes on very low when you let off the accelerator and coast down a grade. The other is a little higher pitched and comes on when the truck is idling in 'park'. It sounds like it's coming from right under the pick up bed. It's a 2002 SXT club cab with the 3.9 and auto 2WD. Has about 3K on it. Got it as a leftover.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Well, my first thought on the latter one is the fuel pump since the "high pitch" whine is typical of fuel pump noises, and on the Dakota the fuel tank is exactly under the bed on the driver's side. You should be able to hear the pump very loudly by getting near the tank when the engine is running.

    Funny thing, but today was the first time I had the sliding rear window open on my Club Cab, and I thought I heard some fuel pump noise as well. I did not find it objectionable. Oddly, I've stood next to this truck many times and never heard it on the outside.

    >>One comes on very low when you let off the accelerator and coast down a grade.<<

    Worn or damaged differential bearings are usually the cause of low frequency-type noises, but pinion bearings are most often associated with coast or load type noises.

    Of course, just about any type of rear axle noise can be caused by insufficient gear lubricant. You can check that yourself by removing the rubber plug from the differential cover. The level should pretty much be right at the bottom of the filler hole.

    Drivetrain noises are not always easy to diagnose and you can't always rule out tires, although most of the time tire noise is easily recognizable and increases/decreases with speed. I've been involved in troubleshooting a couple of "rear axle" noises that were caused by a combination of an out-of-balanced wheel and a worn shock, believe it or not.

    Anyway, hope any of this helps.

    Best regards,
    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Okay, I change the diff. lubricant this afternoon. I wish I wasn't so darn fussy. It took me three hours, mostly because I took meticulous care to clean and flush out the differential assembly and housing.

    Like a previous poster noted, mine had a thin layer of sooty material covering everything. This is material from the clutch packs and is pretty typical in limited slip units. I used spray carburetor cleaner and then dried everything with compressed air before reassembly.

    I was pleasantly surprised to see absolutely no signs of bearing material or other metal particles in the oil. In the past some of this I've seen is metal bits from the machining processes that didn't get removed at the factory.

    I used the Mopar friction modifier and the 80W-90 gear oil. On mine, the factory sealant is a red colored RTV. The replacement Mopar stuff that's specially formulated for things requiring transmission oil, is gray. Don't use the black or blue RTV materials on the differential cover.

    It's a lot easier to fill the housing if the spare tire is off the vehicle. I found that a short piece of fuel line hose on the end of the spout worked okay, but less convenient.

    Regards,
    Dusty

    PS - I don't think I had a clutch chatter problem after all, so the gear oil was probably okay. It turns out that I was hearing gasoline in the tank smacking, which it does when its nearly full.
  • sunburnsunburn Member Posts: 319
    Dusty - I have almost 30K on my QC now. The rear end noise is a whine at constant speeds on level ground between 30 and 55 MPH. It is loudest at about 35 MPH. The noise tends to go away under acceleration or deceleration.
  • bookittybookitty Member Posts: 1,303
    Dusty, the kids that I have seen transporting new cars on occasion, are the same kids that you would hope that they did not show up at the house to date your daughter (sort of like me many years ago).

    Bookitty
  • usaf52usaf52 Member Posts: 70
    Thought that high pitched whine might be the fuel punp. I had a 1992 Cherokee that had a fuel pump whine from the day I got it. You could hear that one inside the vehicle. It whined for 5 years and I never had a problem. It was still whining when I sold it. Will stop at the dealer this week, as it is nearing oil change time. This will be the first oil change so I'll get it a bit sooner.
      The whine on the Dakota just started a couple of days ago.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    >>The rear end noise is a whine at constant speeds on level ground between 30 and 55 MPH. It is loudest at about 35 MPH. The noise tends to go away under acceleration or deceleration. <<

    Resonance problems can be tough because it could be associated with anything in the driveline or components that contact it. I once heard of a situation just like yours that was caused by a loose set of spring shackles.

    Does this noise stop on turns or moderate curves?

    Have you checked the gear oil level?

    Have you ever had the gear oil changed? (30K intervals)

    Try this.

    1. Get the axle components warm by driving a few miles.

    2. Select a stretch of relatively smooth pavement.

    3. Get the vehicle speed up about 20mph past the point where you normally hear the whine.

    4. Take the vehicle out of gear and allow it to coast through the resonant speed area.

    If you don't hear the noise at all, or the noise changes in tone or speed, this generally narrows it down to the ring and pinion. You could have damaged or worn ring and pinion gear tooth surfaces, incorrect ring-to-pinion depth, or incorrect ring & pinion backlash.

    I'm curious, do you have the 8.25 or 9.25 axle? Have you done a lot of towing or towing excessive weights? Have you done a lot of highway sppeds for long distances?

    I ask these questions only to determine if vehicle use may have contributed to a premature axle problem. If not, my suspicion is that something wasn't set up correctly at the factory

    Let us know how you make out with this problem.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    I should mention that there appeared to be a flat rectangular magnet attached to the very bottom of the differential housing on my 9.25 LSD. There was very few metal particles on it, fortunately.

    Something I've never seen before on an axle housing.

    Dusty
  • sunburnsunburn Member Posts: 319
    dusty - here's the answers to your questions:

    >>Does this noise stop on turns or moderate curves? No

    >>Have you checked the gear oil level? Yes, it is up to the fill hole.

    >> Have you ever had the gear oil changed? (30K intervals). It was changed to synthetic 75W-140 at approx 19K (now at 29K).

    As per you suggestions, I tried the "coast down" test. While coasting through 40-35 MPH, I had no noise. This is the region where it is usually the loudest.

    I do have the 9.25" differential. I have towed about 6K miles (out of the past 10K) with trailers weighing from 1500-3000 lbs. Most of my driving is usually 10-15 mile trips. The exceptions being vacations and such (usually 1-2K miles per year, except about 6K miles this year)

    My dealer has a new R&P on order. I'll probably have it installed in early September, after camping season is over. I want to take my time breaking it in and don't want to do any towing for 500-1000 miles after the installation. I'll also be sure to change the fluid after that break in period, instead of waiting longer.

    I'll keep you informed of how it goes.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Well, it doesn't sound to me that you ever overtaxed the differential.

    In my experience most differential problems are latent in nature, meaning that there was an assembly issue right from the start. Usually either the pinion depth or backlash wasn't set correctly at the factory.

    I have seen differentials wear out, but this is usually from use at or over the extreme limits of the design, depending on the unit, or just from many, many miles.

    I've also seen chipped ring or pinion teeth cause the same symptoms as yours, but those have often been higher performance cars that suffered from too many torgue-outs or holeshots. Novas, SS Chevelles and GTOs were famous for that many years ago. GMs of the sixties and seventies use to blow out side gear teeth, too.

    Chrysler products very seldomly suffer from catastrophic failures. Almost always its related to noise and ...in my opinion... usually caused by incorrect set-up at the factory. I've seen too many go 100,000 - 200,000 miles without a problem of any kind to believe its design related.

    Good luck,
    Dusty
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    Just completed the transfer-case lube change over to the Red Line ATF this weekend. I've saved the worst for last - front differential. As I've worked through each drive train component, I've noticed that each has been a bit over filled at the factory or these lubricants greatly expand with temperature and each must have been filled in the dead of winter. In each case, oil dribbles out when the inspection / fill plug is removed.

    After refilling each component, I've run the vehicle for a week until doing the next. Before doing the next, I've inspected the last one for leaks and then removed the fill plugs to add just a little bit more lube to get the proper level. The transmission took the most on the "second fill", which was another 100 cc. The transmission wasn't hot for this last inspection / fill-up but was done on the same level garage floor.

    My only point is that it's easy to check the levels on the your new fluid refills and it appears to be warranted to get that level just right.
  • mtrialsmmtrialsm Member Posts: 159
    2001 Quad with 28K miles. Auto/V8/2WD.
    This morning my fuel gauge registered flat empty
    and the dash fuel indicator was also illuminated.
    I knew I had at least 1/4 tank. I stopped and put
    2 gals. in, turned key back on and gauge read
    correctly 1/2 tank.
    Just a glitch? Anyone else see this before?
    Are shocks covered under warranty? My truck ride
    seems to have deteriated?
    MM
  • lotech1lotech1 Member Posts: 112
    Live and learn (transporters) I guess. Now I wonder how my truck was driven during the 200 miles on the odometer when I got the truck. If my truck gives me any trouble I'm going to be on them like _____ on ______.

    What I saw on the highway made/makes me want to scream. I had visions of my Dakota running down the highway at 80+ mph driven by a senior citizen with absolutely no respect for the person who will own the vehicle! And these older guys should know better. Suggesting the vehicle is under warranty, so who cares? I'm still seeing red!!!
  • mtrialsmmtrialsm Member Posts: 159
    2001 Quad.
    Gas gauge is still acting up, guess I'll have to
    finally make a trip to the dealer.
    MM
  • 2nddak2nddak Member Posts: 44
    Hi, Can anyone out there with the shop manual give me the fluid capacity for the AT on the 4.7 2001. I'm getting ready to have a synthetic installed by flushing and need to know how much to get. 40K mi 2001, 4wd, 3.5, LSD, Quad. Only dealer repair at this point has been a resistor on the blower motor. Of course it happened 2K miles after the warantee was up. The rotors of course are warpped but will be going with the sloted replacements and ceramic pads soon. This has been a good truck so far. I'd buy it again but sometimes I hear the Ram Quad calling my name.

    Thanks for your help.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    If you have the 545RFE, the total capacity is 28 pints.

    The 46RE is 19-20 pints.

    Be advised that the 545RFE requires ATF+4. Do not let anyone talk you into believing otherwise.

    I believe ATF+3 is okay for the 46RE of that vintage.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • ready10ready10 Member Posts: 13
    Hello Fellow Dak Lovers,

    One of the prerequisites for installing the JET Stage II module is the use of a 180-degree thermostat. I know a lot of you have been using the RobertShaw, making a modification to the gasket in order for it to properly fit in the 4.7.

    Call me paranoid, but I would really rather have a low temp t-stat that is a direct-fit replacement.

    My question is: Does installation of the Dodge Performance ECM have the same requirement? It would make sense that it does, but I cannot find any documentation that states either way.

    Thanks,
    Ready10
  • lotech1lotech1 Member Posts: 112
    I took my Dakota in to get the oil changed at 3,000 miles today. It took them 1.5 hours to do it. The moron behind the service desk lost the paperwork. Good thing I haven't returned the Daimler customer survey yet. Yet another lousy encounter with the local "5 star" dealership. Is it any wonder Chrysler isn't a contender in the new car market. Fortunately, the truck is holding up good which is more than I can say for the low class dealership employees. All my frustration in purchasing this truck is courtesy of O'BRIEN AUTO TEAM in Peoria, Illinois. High pressure sales team.

    BTW, these are the same morons who like to take new V8 Dakotas and do burnouts in the lot. See message #4448 in the Dakota Quad Cab thread.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Yes, I hear you friend.

    Some of the worst, most unfriendly, most uninterested customer service comes from US automobile dealers, especially the service departments. I have stories you wouldn't believe.

    Once you find a good dealer, however, it makes you appreciate them.

    Best regards,
    Dusty
  • bcarter3bcarter3 Member Posts: 145
    I can not speak from personal experience with dealer service departments as I never use them but my relatives and friends have enough horror stories to fill a book. My daughter insisted on having the dealer repair her car because she had an extended warranty. Every time she had repair work done parts were not installed properly, fasteners were missing, interior trim damaged, etc. I told her to force them to fix their mistakes but she works and doesn't have the time to deal with them. I think most people have the same situation. One time while I was at the local Dodge dealer getting a part one of the mechanics did a "burn out" in the service bay!!! It was no accident and everyone seemed to enjoy it. The parts guy just looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. The kid who did new car prep for the Toyota dealer used to live on my block. He would come home for lunch and race up and down the street in a different new car every day. When I called the Manager I got blown off. No skin off my back, I don't buy from Toyota. I feel badly for people that have to pay a high price for repairs and end up with the same problems or worse. I am convinced that this is a national problem and is not only one brand Dealer. If I ever win the lotto the first things I will get are an alignment rack and tire changing/balancing equip!!
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