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Dodge Dakota: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    Sounds like you're retired like me. I would have never known what the inside looks like but good going. I'm nursing along an under lubricated AC pulley rather than spending $200+ for the parts.
  • haselhasel Member Posts: 64
    The bearing in your A/C pulley is replaceable and should not be much of a problem to replace,all you would need is a bearing,
  • sunburnsunburn Member Posts: 319
    The Feds have finally asked DC to recall 2000-2003 Dakotas/Durangos for bad ball joints. Of course, it looks like DC is going to resist. Here's a link for more info:

     

    http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/10/pf/autos/dodge/index.htm?cnn=yes
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    Tell me more. I kind of played around with the pulley the other day and noticed that "it ain't comin' off easy" especially with the space available. How will I get it off the AC compressor shaft? All other parts of that assembly are working fine except the lubrication of that bearing. For now, all of the noises have been quieted but they will come back. The dealers have only quoted me the whole assembly (clutch plate, pulley, electromagnet, assorted nuts, keys, washers) at $220. No mention of the bearing only.
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    I saw it on CNN this morning but they stated 2000-2004. That would be great to have mine replaced since they are "poppin' a little at 65K on a '00 4x4. Maybe we'll get the good stuff this time rather than their "hillbilly" parts.

     

    Man, I feel sorry for those guys and gals in Iraq.
  • saabgirlsaabgirl Member Posts: 184
    MSNBC reported the proposed recall covered Dakotas and Durangos from 2000-2003 for upper ball joint problems. 600,000 vehicles would be covered. Chrysler admitted to ball joint problems but said it wasn't sufficient for a full-scale recall. S'posed to be decided next week.
  • opera_house_wkopera_house_wk Member Posts: 326
    No, just an engineer that has to know how things work and why they fail. Hey, I balanced my tires the other day and that was a lot of fun. A friend of mine has this nice Hunter computerized wheel balancer and tire changer. So he has all that and not one floor jack that works, had to bring my own over. Every tire was out of balance by about 5oz even though they only seemed to have about 5K of wear on them. You pull this lever out to touch the rim and it inputs diameter and spindle offset. Read the rim width with this giant caliper and then input that. Then let her spin. It tells you where and what size weight to put on each side. All the time, I'm trying to figure out the algorithm they use. Fun to try but wouldn't want to do it every day for $6 a tire.
  • sunburnsunburn Member Posts: 319
    I saw this morning the DC has agreed to recall 2000-2003 4x4 Dakotas/Durangos to replace the upper ball joints. They also started a 10 yr/100K mile extended warranty on the ball joints on those vehicles not covered by the recall.

     

    I expected DC to put up more of a fight over the recall. Now I'm just waiting to see if my Dak is one of the "lucky" ones.

     

    It sure would be nice to get rid of the popping and creaking that has been there since about 20K miles (now at 52K).
  • haselhasel Member Posts: 64
    look in sevice manual for details on replacing the bearing, you might check with a local AC repair shop and see if they will replace the bearing for you, i have in the past replaced the bearings but it has been some time ( retired)the clutch assembly has not changed over the years, system does NOT have to be discharged.
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    I checked with BOB and there are no instructions. As suggested, I'll start snooping around the local AC shops to get suggestions / costs. I'll also look into the availability of a "flat" gear puller. The one I have is way too big for the available space. If I can pull it and open up the bearing (again no detail in BOB) and introduce a new load of lube, I could easily cover the investment cost of the gear puller. I just went through this process on my '81 motorcycle's wheels and I now have that confidence that there are many trouble free miles ahead. I'll let you know how it turns out.
  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    That spokesman they've been quoting in the news is a total idiot and needs to be fired.

     

    "Gates said a vehicle owner would hear noise coming from the vehicle well before the upper ball joint failed. Mechanics also will find out if an upper ball joint needs to be repaired during routine maintenance"

     

    So after putting a part they acknowledge is defective on my truck, they want to place the burden on me to diagnose it correctly? Or else they think I should have faith in the technicians at the dealership to just notice it without any prodding from me during a routine oil change and tire rotation? The same technicians who made me come back a total of four times before they correctly diagnosed and fixed my wheel balance problem and my warped rotors?

     

    "Gates said if the upper ball joint fails, it is most likely to happen at low speeds and during turns."

     

    So DC acknowledges there is a problem with the parts, but at first rather than accept responsibility for it they want to place it on the owners and dealerships to catch it before it creates an unsafe situation. And even if it does create one, so what? If it causes your wheels to fall off, it probably won't happen on the highway so why worry about it?

     

    I'm actually pretty pleased with the performance of my truck so far, but I don't think I can buy another one again from a company with this sort of attitude. I bet trial lawyers across the country taped that second quote on their VCRs and are replaying it over and over and over again while giggling like giddy school girls. I'd bet money part of the reason for the sudden reversal is the company realizes how bad this fool made them sound in the press and that there's only one way to save face.
  • haselhasel Member Posts: 64
    You do not need a puller to get the pulley off, take out bolt in center of pulley tap the outside of pulley it should come loose, remove. Take out snapring in the other half of pulley and remove the rest of the pulley, remove the other snap ring in the pulley remove the bearing. i believe this should work. the 2004 manual shows the above, i would still check with a AC shop.
  • mopar67mopar67 Member Posts: 728
    This is one reason the big 2.5 continue to lose market share to other brands. Secondly, its a classic case of asinine cost cutting. Third, its proof positive why you never let a beancounter control product development.

     

    FWIW......ball joints, in days gone by, wore out. Sure. But never has my father nor myself experience a ball joint simply breaking. And believe me, we racked up hundreds of thousands of miles between us on good and bad vehicles.

     

    This so-called response (From DC) is just ludicrious. They make you take drug tests before you HIRE into a company. How about drug test while you STILL work at the company?
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    Why I'm asking about a gear puller. I had removed the accessory drive belt. The clutch plate is held on the AC compressor's splined shaft with a nut backed by a washer - I then took that off. The snap ring is next and I took that off - must use the gap in the fan blades to get enough clearance for my cheap snap ring pliers. The pulley, at least mine, still seems to be anchored pretty good and didn't move at all. It never gave a hint that it was getting close.

     

    I tapped around with a rubber mallet but nothing. Maybe they used some LocTite, I don't know but it ain't movin. I don't see the channel for the sort of half-moon key so that's in there somewhere and could be digging in. I have to move all of that before I can get to the rear snap ring.
  • opera_house_wkopera_house_wk Member Posts: 326
    They look like the same ball joint in the 2WD. Only thing I can figure is the added mass of the 4WD either makes them wear out quicker or pop out easier. Anyway with less than 15K to go on my 01 to 100K it looks like I won't get anything free. I was checking them the other day and the sheet metal cap was extremely rusted with a flaky scale. The kind you get with rolled steel that has a lot if impurities. I tapped it and it sounded paper thin. I've never seen this on much older ball joints I've looked at. I wonder if the extensive wear is from water getting in this way. Also saw this extreme layered rust on the brake line transition piece that mounts on the upper arm. The rest of the vehicle is rust free. I'm going to have to replace both brake lines. You might want to check this. I ruptured a metal line once and I don't want to repeat that. It never happens when you are gently braking.
  • haselhasel Member Posts: 64
    What year is your Dakota?. dont loose the shim behind the front part of clutch, I checked the manual and the balance of pulley should remove (part where the belt rides)dont remember ever using a puller to pull the pulley
  • mciadmciad Member Posts: 5
    Good day,

     

    New to this forum, but I am hoping that someone can shed some light on Dakota history.

     

    I have a 2001 Quadcab, with the 4.7 V8, with 36,000 miles. Just out of warranty in August, the vehicle has now started to overheat, for now reason. Day time temps have been in the 60's, at most. I had the 30,000 service completed at the dealer, with no problems noted.

     

    Has anybody else had this issue? Is it something with the radiator, fan, hose lines, etc.?

     

    Any info will be appreciated. I had to take it to an independent mechanic for service, as I do not entirely trust the local dealer. BUT, that does not mean I do not intend to at least attempt the get them to pay for it.

     

    Thanks in advance . . .

     

    MCIAD
  • opera_house_wkopera_house_wk Member Posts: 326
    I had the turn signals and radio go out at the same time on my 01 for about 15 minutes. By the time I got to a parking lot to get out my meter, everything worked again. Radio had no display and didn't work. What I found weird was the flashers still worked. Only has happened once. Maybe it's in the keyswitch. I have to work on that because my key detect circuit doesn't work unless you push in hard on the key. Even had a key made at the dealer from the VIN because I though the aftermarket key was too short. I found this out when I locked my keys in the car. Good thing(????????)it only takes about 5 minutes to break in. Anyway, my only real question is how do you get the tilt wheel lever off so I can remove the steering column covers. Don't want to break anything. The darn seat lever costs $35!
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I have never heard of the 4.7L having overheating issues. (In fact the 4.7L has been very reliable.)

     

    My first thought is that somone has mixed "normal" antifreeze with the very unique HOAT antifreeze that came with the 4.7L. even a small amount of the wrong antifreeze can cause clogging and plugging of the cooling system. (a "jell" forms that plugs everything all up)

     

    Please tell us WHY you beleive it is overheating. What are the symptoms you are seeing?

     

    Of course if you are CERTAIN that this has not happened with your Dak, the next thing to consider is the thermostat.

     

    It sure would not hurt to have the cooling system flushed and new fluid put in. At 30K miles, you may need it anyway.
  • opera_house_wkopera_house_wk Member Posts: 326
    It certainly is a good question to ask. How you know it is overheating? A bad electrical ground connection from the engine block to the vehicle body can cause a higher reading on temp gauge. A quick check is to see if the gauge changes when you turn the headlights on.

     

    My 01 sounds like it is going to take off the first couple miles I drive it. Obviously the fan clutch is locking up. Doesn't happen all the time. Thought maybe the thermal spring had become disconnected, but it is intact. Thinking about just removing the fan till spring or maybe longer. Thinking about a speed control for the electric fan that changes speed with return fluid temperature.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    When I did auto repair for a living I'd occasionally see a ball joint break completely. The worst vehicle, in my opinion of course, for premature ball joint wear and breakage were the early Mustangs and Falcons. I think my ATV has tie-rod ends bigger than the lower joints on those small Fords.

     

    Bean counters do serve a purpose. But they more often than not cause trouble. The problem is that they are motivated by cost only. Bean counters should have their performance evaluated on cost AND quality. Whatever they saved going in on the ball joints they got will probably be lost twenty-times over in warranty replacement cost.

     

    I read the recall, but I didn't pick up on the 4x4 only. Is that what it said?

     

    I'm pretty sure I have a bad ball joint on the right side. New York State inspection is coming up. I'll find out soon.

     

    Bests,

    Dusty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Like Bpeebles, yours is the first 4.7 I've heard of with an overheating problem.

     

    Did you get a code or did it exhibit overheating in some other way?

     

    Yes, I'd first suspect the thermostat, too.

     

    Good luck,

    Dusty
  • mopar67mopar67 Member Posts: 728
    Not mention Dusty, the massive ill will from customers who may not consider a Dodge product. To remedy that, there's the zero percent financing and the ever present rebates. This business model is similar to a leaking balloon; the more air you pump in, the more that leaks out. Alas, profits are generated more from the finance operations than automotive operations.

     

    I recall it was the 4x4.
  • mciadmciad Member Posts: 5
    OK - here is how I know it was overheating. The gauge would climb into the red, and it was leaving pools of coolant on the ground. Pretty obvious.

     

    Now, as to the root of the issue - it turned out not to be the engine at all - so it can still be said that the 4.7 rarely, if ever, has overheat issues.

     

    The cause of the problem was a $0.98 hose clamp that "disintegrated" and fell off the bottom radiator hose, causing the hose to eventually come off the radiator all together, thereby causing the radiator to lose all of the coolant.

     

    All is well now.

     

    MCIAD
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    Years ago, the concept of life cycle costs was used in the environmental business to help justify higher initial investment costs of installing less trouble-some and less polluting industrial processing equipment. 20 years later it hasn't worked. The bean counters can easily quantify what their initial costs are but can't really quantify the cost of future problems, so their incentive is to push down those initial costs. "How cheap can we go and maintain our good reputation?" is a management decision because they should bring together all of the other factors: quality assurance, safety, environmental, cost of recalls, investor sentiment, etc.

     

    YOE (years of experience) working w/ civil, electrical, mechanical, industrial engineers, finance, lawyers, production people, and politicians has taught me to "follow the money" when trying to figure out business behaviors.

     

    And no, I'm not a bean counter but I did stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.
  • mopar67mopar67 Member Posts: 728
    I switched to Geico and saved a ton o' money on my car insurance!
  • slowriderslowrider Member Posts: 2
    Ok, so Dodge got forced into replacing upper ball joints on 2000 to 2003 Dakotas. It is my understanding that once the upper ball joints are replaced, the dealer doing the wheel work will need to do a front end alignment. Is Dodge going to pick up the cost for front end alignment? I don't think Dakota owners should have to pay a penny for problems created by Dodge.

     

    Also, does anyone know when reall notices will be mailed? I've read where the Dodge spokesmen said notices will be mailed at the end of the month (I assume they are referring to December/04). Can anyone confirm that. It would be nice for Dakotas owners to have ball joints replace early January, versus some way off date. I hope this thing does not drag out.
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    I actually switched my bike from Erie to Progressive and saved a bunch. Paying $114/yr vs $466/yr for the same coverage. I was paying $200+ last yr but I guess Erie doesn't want any bikes on the policy with a jump like that. Hopefully, I'll never see how they cover a claim.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    That "Fan sound" you are hearing during the first few minutes of driving is completely normal. If you actually start to 'track' when it happens, you will find that it occours the worst between 40F and 60F degrees. You are correct that the thermal fanclutch is simply taking its sweet time to disenguage. Not a real problem at all.

     

    BTW: I am glad to hear that you pinpointed the fanclutch as the issue.... there have been MANY folks that thought their automatic transmissoin was sticking in gear. (Although the tachometer told them it was not.)
  • thirdof4thirdof4 Member Posts: 28
    Last week, my husband called to get an appointment for an oil change and to get his recalled wiper problem taken care of. The service person asked if he wanted to leave it for the day and they would also replace the upper ball joints. We never got any kind of formal recall information, the service person just offered to have it done.

    This was done on Friday but nothing was said about a front-end allignment and there is nothing in the paperwork. Is a front-end allignment something that absolutely should be done if the ball joints are replaced?

    BTW, the upper ball joint recall was listed as recall #D47 on the receipt.
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    Technically, Yes. The dealers may have convinced themselves that they can get by without one if they do one side at a time. That procedure won't allow "too" much movement within the steering linkage (ball joints a part of that) and minimize any misalignment but some can be introduced. If it's only a slight amount, it's not absolutely neccessary to get an alignment.

     

    If your tires are old (1/2 life), don't worry about it. When you get new tires at about 50K+ down the road on the OEMs, you probably need an alignment anyway. I've banged into a few things on the trail (4x4), so I'll pay for my own alignment after I get a free Mopar ball-joint replacement (hopefully). It seems I ought to make a call to see if my dealer is as accommodating as yours.
  • opera_house_wkopera_house_wk Member Posts: 326
    Tried to remove my fan shroud to do some work on my 01 with 3.9L. Gingerly removed the top two nuts and then went to work on the one below the battery and compressor. Didn't seem to get anywhere and then noticed fluid leaking. The DC engineers decided to put the steel stud through to the overflow tank. I'd had enough and just put it back together. It's down to a drip now and then. Now the top studs spin even though I greased the threads when I put the nuts back on. You can hold the stud with a 4mm socket and use a wrench, but just try and do that on the lower one. Just a warning to the rest of you. Just another example of bad DC engineering.
  • ron35ron35 Member Posts: 134
    My power door lock on the drivers side is making a screehing noise when it goes down. I had a similar problem on the passenger side just before my warranty expired and DC fixed it. I have heard this problem reported on other forums and believe it is fairly common. Has anyone encountered this and made the repair and if so what was the degree of dificulty and cost of parts.

     

    Ron
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    Interesting that it'll take 2 hrs of labor but it's all free. I'll be "clunk-free" later in the day on Dec 30.
  • sunburnsunburn Member Posts: 319
    I got my letter yesterday. My Dak goes in on Dec 28th. Hopefully, this eliminates the clunking noises.
  • dominickdominick Member Posts: 1
    by '03 dakota (v6)has a high pitched whistle which seems to happen on cold days (say 20 decress f and below). the sound can be heard easily in the cab and seems to be related to the engine speed.

     

    has anyone else had this problem and is there a fix???
  • spike50spike50 Member Posts: 481
    I haven't heard the whistling noise but I had others. I noticed on long mind-numbing trips at 65 mph that as I drove over tar patches or slush on the road, I very distinctly heard the change in tire noise. I took it back to the dealer (under the 36K warranty) complaining about clearness and loudness of those noises. My thinking was that the door seal (whole door) was leaking somewhere although it wasn't apparent to me.

     

    The dealer changed the inside window "gasket" in the driver's door. What I'm calling a gasket is the long narrow rubber inserts that are attached to the door and sit on either side of the glass as in comes up out of the door. It took 2 minutes or less and the noise was gone.

     

    Kind of interesting that that little rubber window gasket is the only thing between you and the road noise. My point is that there are many potential sources of whistling noises but you may not be annoyed / concerned about them if that little gasket is working.

     

    I also start playing the radio louder.
  • cparkes1cparkes1 Member Posts: 15
    a new code that i do not have a listing for showed up on my 2000dakota v6 that i cannot find listed in my fault code sheet and it is p1486. i just finished resolving my p0456 code that has plaued me for the past year and now this new one. any help stating what the fault is will be greatly appreciated.

    regards cookie
  • bookittybookitty Member Posts: 1,303
    Tomorrow, January 07, my 2000 Quad Cab goes in to the dealer in Port Charlotte, Florida. I am going to inquire about the alignment. Do the new ball joints have zerk fittings? Otherwise, it could be an exercise in futility.

     

    Bookitty
  • evaddaveevaddave Member Posts: 156
    It's not an earth-shaking problem, but the rear dome light in my '04 QC has burned out. Are there any tricks to getting the lens off? Since it doubles as the switch, I don't wanna ham-handedly destroy the thing while trying to replace the bulb.

     

    Thanks,

    Dave
  • dakownerdakowner Member Posts: 21
    I got the same noise in my 03 Quad 2wd with the V6. IAC (Intake Air Control) is a possiblity from posts I've seen on other boards

     

    My truck was built in late March of 03 and is not part of the ball joint recall. Dealer says trucks built in late 02 pop up on their computer. No mention of 2wd vs. 4wd from them.
  • bookittybookitty Member Posts: 1,303
    The local dealer replaced the ball joints in my 2000 Quad and the popping seems to be gone. Also, the steering seems to be tighter. If anything exciting happens, I will post it.

     

    Bookitty
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Book,

     

    My guess is they will not have a grease fitting since they are factory replacements.

     

    You could easily drill a hole in the cover plate of the ball joint and install a zerk that has self-tapping threads. I probably should have done it on my. I think I've got a bad upper on the right side. I'll find out soon after the New York State vehicle inspection.

     

    Bests,

    Dusty
  • ja812ja812 Member Posts: 33
    Had ball joints replaced and noticed truck was pulling to right while driving & braking...brought back to dealer and they aligned the front end at no charge so I was happy.
  • bcarter3bcarter3 Member Posts: 145
    Fault Code P1486: "Evaporative Leak Monitor Pinched Hose Found"

       Possible causes: Evap Canister Obstructed

                        LDP Pressure Hose Obstructed

                        Leak Detection Pump

                        Intermittent LDP Monitor

                           Failure

                        Obstruction in Evap System

                           Between Evap Canister and

                           Fuel Tank

                        Obstruction in Hose/Tube

                           between Evap Canister and

                           Purge Solenoid

     

               Good luck, Dick
  • opera_house_wkopera_house_wk Member Posts: 326
    I've just owned this for two months and the air bag light is now on. Tried to get the code on the odometer display and all it says is DONE. Wondering if this can be read out on Autozone's free reader, I know some readers don't read these codes. Thinking it is probably the clock spring in the steering wheel. Anyone else have this problem or know of an online sight I can get the wiring diagram off of? Thanks
  • mtn dakotamtn dakota Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2001 dakota 4x4 club cab v6 that has 55,000 miles and spends most of its time driving up and down a mountain from 8300' (where I live) to 5300' it has started to ping or knock under load mostly with the rpms over 2000. I have seen messages where the problem is a bad seal at the intake manifold, is it just a matter of replacing the original manifold gaskets or something else?

      

    Has anyone had any luck with bosch +4 plugs?

     

    I also have the notorious ball joint failure that my dealer (Christophers dodge in Golden,CO) had no idea what that noise could be especially since I was the only one that could hear it! Bad case of selective hearing, I since go elsewhere for repairs and getting the ball joints replaced at another dealer.

     

    I am getting ready to do a brake job and wondered what was working best as far as rotors and pads are concerned or any other tips for removal and installation. I need all the help I can get.

     

    Does anyone know a good source for ARB bull bars?

    I hit a deer this past fall and trashed my front end pretty good and since the deer are not moving anytime soon thought I could use a little protection.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    As I recall, The V6 in the 2001 was smply the 318CI V8 with 2 cylinders lopped off. (A 1960s engine design)

     

    The newer Daks have the 3.7L V6 which is the 4.7L V8 with 2 cylinders lopped off. (A significantly better engine)

     

    The pinging you are hearing under load is not unusuall. Especially at hight altitudes using winter-blended fuel. Also, todays gasoline is the VERY LEAST qulaity they can sell and still legally call it gasoline. Pinging, or more accurately, PRE-IGNITION, is caused by too LOW an octane fuel. Lets not forget that lower octane fuel ignites at a LOWER tempature (Before the spark ignites it)

     

    The next time the fuel tank is nearly empty, put some of the HIGHEST OCTANE YOU CAN FIND in it. I would put money on the ping will be magically gone.

     

    If that does not do it for you, suspect that the combustion chambers have a build-up of carbon in them.

     

    It is unlikely that changing the sparkplugs will affect pre-ignition... because the fuel is igniting before the sparkplugs fire.

     

    A leaking seal in the intake manifold can cause the fuel-injection to run a tad lean. It may cause pinging... but I would try other things first.
  • bookittybookitty Member Posts: 1,303
    James, when I had just received my 2000 Quad Cab, the "Air Bag" light would come on intermittently. I brought the truck back to the dealership, and after having the truck for almost an entire day, I was informed that it was a failed sensor that had to be ordered. I complained about returning with a new truck and they canabalized the part, installed it and sent me on my way. No problem since then.

     

    Bookitty
  • mtn dakotamtn dakota Member Posts: 6
    I have not tried 93 octane which I think is still available in spots. I use 91 because it definitely helped however there is still some pre-ignition.

     

    I did hear the same about blended winter fuels the only remedy I heard was keeping the fuel system clean by throttle body cleaning and injector cleaning done by a dealer.
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