any questions for a dodge tech

klamola

Help! Bought a new Dodge Dakota in March. Dealer installed bedliner. I chipped the tailgate & found rust. After closer inspection found 2 rust spots where dealer chipped paint when installing bedliner. Now they are trying to tell me that it is "maybe primer or basecoat, not rust." Now you tell me what company primers their vehicles with rust colored primer. Told me I have to talk to the "Field Rep" from Dodge, when he comes to their shop. Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

odsam

I recently bought a 1994 2500 diesel with 87,000 miles. I love the truck, but do not have the use for it I expected. I am told if I don't drive is often enough seals will dry and i will have big repair bills. WHAT IS THE MINIMUM I SHOULD DRIVE IT TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM?

rockfive01

I have a simple question that I hope you can help me with. I am researching for a new 2001 Quad Cab 2500. I also plan to purchase a snow plow for this truck. On some websites (cars Direct) it says that the combined weight of the plow and frame cannot excede 633 pounds. The plow I want is the Fisher E-Z minute mount. The fisher E-Z RD(regular duty) plow is supposedly designed for the dodge 2500. The only question I have is that this plow weighs 710 pounds. Is this going to be a problem? Was the weight posted for maximum allowed a type-o? Can you tell me just how much weight the front end can handle for plowing on this particular model truck. (2001 Quad Cab 2500 4X4). Thanks...

dodgeboy8

I would like to know if there is any way to override the top speed limiter on the 00' 4.7liter
Dakota's. Top speed is only 97mph. Having 4 cyl. GEO's blow by me is really, really starting to upset me!!

bigal31

All you have to do is have the computer reprogramed..I don't want to sound like some ones dad but keep in mind that the stock tires are only rated to "said speeds" so if you choose to do this be very careful and make sure you upgrade(tires) them appropriately.And please be careful!
Allen-

rrichf

bigal31,
You're absolutely correct about what speed the tires can withstand.

Using that logic a bit further, my '92 F-250 was factory equipped with either Michelin or Goodyear tires and had a limited speed of 97 MPH. My '99 F-250 is equipped with Firestones and only Firestones in the 265 x 75R 16E tires. This truck is limited to 91 MPH.

The question is; "Is Ford saying something about Firestone tires?"

Rich

jsybert

I've been experiencing spark knock problems with my 99 Dodge Dakota extended cab, V6, 3.9 liter engine. I've had it into the dealer on two occasions. This last visit they said they had gotten info from Chysler on how to fix it, so they tested and replaced the intake gaskets and replaced the thermostat and gasket and filled it with fluid. Problem is, it's still knocking! I've put premium gasoline in it to see if that helped--it doesn't. Has anyone else experienced this problem, and if so, what have you done to get it fixed? I'd appreciate any help you can give, this is driving me nuts (cause I love my truck!)

ldh2

WHATS BETTER STICK OR AUTO FOR FUEL ENCO?3,54 ratio cummins motor,1 ton duelly. all answers help full

bigal31

Quick answer,stick shift.Once in o/d or 5th not much difference.An automatic transmission eats up horse power too,the amount does very depending on the application..
PS. I have an automatic 4x4.
Allen-

eldenej

Several months ago, I began to notice that when the engine was cold, the shift from 2nd to 3rd in my 1996 5.9 Ram 1500's automatic transmission required going to nearly 3000 rpms, even with a very light foot. As the engine and transmission reached normal operating temperature, the shifting pattern returned to normal (between 1600-1900 for all gears). Since it had reached the point of needing regular service (about 27,000 miles), I had it into a transmission shop this morning where the mechanics found brass/bronze flaking, both on the bottom of the pan and suspended throught the fluid. They intimated that the transmission was headed for serious trouble.

What is going on? At its mileage, this truck still seems nearly new. It has not been worked in any serious way, although it is equipped with the towing package. Before I confront the dealer, it would sure be helpful to have some idea as to the problem, how common it might be, what tech bulletins might be in existence etc.

Thanks

Elden

warfish

For what it's worth, be very leary about what a transmission shop tells you about brass in your fluid. You may actually have a problem, but shiny brass particles in your pan are the result of normal wear and tear. Showing the customer this stuff in the pan has been a scare tactic used by some shops for years. Don't let the first shop scare you into a major repair, it may be a minor problem that is causing your shift problems.
Ken

taterthedig

I am looking to buy a used Dodge Dakota between the years of 1991 to 1994. They all have around 100000 miles on them and are priced between 2500 and 3500 dollars. I have looked at the blue book prices of these trucks and they are significantly higer. Does something happen to these trucks around 100000 miles? Is there anything I should look out for?

wwhite2

The front end of my 97 2500 Ram 42K mi. sometimes creaks and pops when turning ..at slow speed anybody know whats going on ? .....and yes the fittings are well greased

rldss

I have a 2000 dakota quad cab with the 4.7 auto trans 355 gears L,S,D 2wd and it shuts off at 98mph I have read where it should shut off at 112mph is this right?

ram4x4

Why do you need to drive at 98 mph...are you racing, running from the police or do you just have a death wish?

bobsyvee

The speed limiter is set according to speed rating of the tires the truck came with. There are shops that can remove/change the limiter. But if the tires aren't rated for the higher speed, you're asking for trouble. (Like Explorers with Firestones??)

davids1

Lots of questions but no answers!!! Where is the guy that started this topic???

henne

on a 2000, dakota 4.7 does anybody know how to make cruise work over 85, i have seen a few that do this including mine, the speed limit is 70 and i have friend that is a trooper and they never have to obey the law like we do hahaha serioulsy, any ideas?

robert

obyone

Probably got disgusted and now is working for Toyota...LOL

cmd5

Help... My '95 Dodge Ram loses power while driving 50 - 60 - 70 mph. It idles without skipping.

mmatson

1998 Dodge 2500 360 4x4 sometimes when starting out the engine sounds like it's over revving and there is a loss of power, sometimes it does it after you stop then start out again, like at a stop sign. After afew seconds it slowly returns to normal. I know this sounds weird but how do you tell a techy at the dealership that my truck howls like a dog?

ram4x4

I've noticed the same thing in my 2001 1500 with the 360. Seems only to happen on real hot days. It probably has something to do with the hot air being less dense. With the air being less dense, the engine needs more of it to produce the same amount of power so it revs higher.
Hope this helps.

mmatson

ram4x4 - your right about the hot days, if thats all is i won't worry to much about it. thanks m matson

jimmyjr11

i read a few weeks ago about 97 ram 2500 deisel having a steering problem, pulling to the left, right etc., what was the final solution that the dealers found out. any info much gratis. thank you

rrichf1

cmd5,
Could be that your catlytic converter is plugged. Have you been running regular (a.k.a. Leadded) gasoline or have you been doing a lot of (And I do mean a lot.) of towing?
Rich

poconojoe

Master Mechanic, My 99 Dakota, 4x4 3.9l w/ 5sp, has made a fluttering vibrating noise (that changes in pitch as you go faster) since new. If you put your hand on the shifter it also changes the pitch of the noise. The truck now has 17K and otherwise runs well.
I've had this in for service a few time and have been told its normal to get a vibration coming up the shifter on 4x4 truck, to the usual " I couldn't hear it".
Have you ever heard this, and is it acceptable?
Thanks,

4x4nut

I live 33 miles from work, while on my way home last week, about 10 miles from home, it was like someone pulled 4 of the 8 spark plugs out of the engine. I limped it to the closest village and as soon as I stopped it died. It would not restart. I checked everything I could think of. I now was at the mercy of the garage nearby. He said that the code showed the O2 sensor was bad. I took the truck home, everything seemed okay. On the way to work the next day, again about 10 miles from work, the same thing happened. It got towed to another garage, he said he couldn't find anything wrong and called the dealer, and they said it could be the coil. I said it sounded logical that the coil was heating up and breaking down. On the way home from that garage, the same thing again. This time I was within site of my house. I then called the dealer and made an appointment. It has been at the dealer for two days. They installed a new catilitic converter. On the way back to the garage, it happened to the mechanic. It is now on the lift and the gas tank is going to be removed. Has anyone else had a problem like this ? I don't know how much more money I can put into this thing.

marklett

carl,

The reason this happens is they don't install the fog lamps correctly. For fog lights and trailer lights a special relay is used so that the normal switches (headlamp,. brake light, turn signals) do not have to handle all this extra juice. If you look in the fuse relay panel under the hood you will find a place for the fog light relay. did they install it or just splice the fog lights into the head lights ?

lurp316

#36 of 84: ram milage improvements (townsend5) Tue 07 Mar '00 (11:11 AM)

Is there anything I can do to improve my Rams 5.9l
engine fuel economy? I've heard that you can get a
mopar air box that draws cold air in to improve
fuel economy. Is this true? Are there any other
mods. that can be done that don't void the waranty?

poconojoe

Dodge tech,
Should I drain the fluids and put the truck up on blocks while I wait for a response?

jcmdie

The dodge tech that started this topic has been long gone. If you read through you will see that there was a few responses in the beginning but it has been deserted for some time. Answers have been feilded by some drop in users only.

poconojoe

thanks jcmdie, for letting me know.

jsw4

I am thinking about buying a dodge dakota with a 4.7L v8, but a few friends have told my that they have had problems with their automatic transmissions. I want a 5 speed, and I was wondering if anyone has heard of or has had problems with the 5 speed manual transmission.

bookitty

Scott, I have a 5 speed transmission in a Dakota with a 4.7. Awesome truck. No problems. TRhere is no longer (for a long time) a Dodge technician manning this topic. There are a lot of guys on the
Dodge Dakota forum topics as well as within the Owner's club, listed under conferences (left hand margin, scroll down for Dodge dakota subjects). If
there have been automatic transmission problems, I would say that there were very few. Initially, when this transmission (multispeed) came into being there were complaints related to stalling, sluggish shifting, hunting, etc. As these folks learned that this transmission adjusts itself to the individual's driving habits, the complaints lessened and these same people loved this relatively new transmission. Some reported problems such as hunting and constant shifting turned out to be people towing in overdrive, a big No-No on most any vehicle. If you haven't already, post your concerns in the Owner's club and hear it from the horse's mouth. Love my Dakota Quad cab. Good luck.

Bookitty

pocahontas

The Dodge tech that started this topic is no longer here, so I'm going to freeze this topic and let you take your questions to other Dodge forums that are in progress.

Use the Topic Search on the left side of the page, to find other Dodge topics throughout Town Hall. Thanks for your participation. ;-)

Pocahontas,
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