Thanks for the quick help guys, job is done, no leaks, no problems. I did end up putting nine quarts back in. I used a vacuum pump to suck the fluid out of the dipstick tube and ended up dropping a nearly empty pan, this worked like a charm. Putting the pan back in place with a bead of sealant on it and having transmission fluid continuously dripping from above was a trick though. I think you could end up with a leak if any ATF got on the wet sealant.
I installed these last year. Do I need to worry about these plugs burning my pistons? I might ask my service dept. what plugs they recommend and not recommend. Since I plan on keeping my Quad for many years. mm
I am a pretty technically savvy person. (Ref my profile) I am aware that the Dakota shop manual specifically warns about use of platinum plugs in the 4.7L semi-hemi. This is due to the coil-on-plug design and NOT internal engine damage.
Please explain to me how a specific spark plug brand can hole a piston? Do not be afraid to explain the physics behind it...I will understand.
OK, OK... I am being Facetious.
It is more likely that the DRIVING HABITS of the folks that select the +4 plugs are to blame. I know of several folks that drag race Dakotas and the +4 plug is what they are running.
I'm getting close to taking my 02 Quad Cab 4.7 4x4 in for the 6,000 mile oil change and tire rotation, and I was wondering if the PCM flash to help the idle is worth it? My truck is experiencing the stumbling at 500 rpm in gear at a stop sign when warm, and barely gets 13 mpg in town. I have read some stories about problems with the flash, and was wondering if I should just live with it or give it a try knowing I can't go back?
If this is the flash that was referanced here with a TSB# then get it. I got it done about 15K ago and have never had a problem. I also get around 13 mpg in town. (4.7 and a firefighter though)
Does anyone know what the fluid capacity is on a 2002, 4.7, auto, part time transfer case? I think it is about 2 pints, but I don't remember for certain. If I remember correctly, it is ATF+4. I'm getting ready to place an order for some Redline gear lube and thought that I would get some ATF for the transfer case at the same time. Thanks.
I guess I am joining the pulsing brakes club. My 2000 4x4 Sport Plus club-cab with 4.7, 5 spd., 3.92 rear and 1800lbs. payload package has gotten the brake virus at 20K miles. Thanks to the town hall forum, I gotten the information I needed to fix the problem, thus avoiding the expensive trip to a crappy dealership. I found some Brembo rotors and Hawk brake pads at the "Tirerack.com". The Brembo rotors are the same rotors that Powerslot starts with to produce their slotted rotors. The rotors were $50 a piece, and the pads were $59. The original pads were worn very little, but for $59, I bought a whole lot of piece of mind. So far I have put 3K miles on the new brakes, and can say without a dought, this truck stops better than it has ever stopped!! The wheels so far have stayed clean as well. The only problems I had in this easy fix was finding a 7mm allen wrench, a tool to push the calipers back in, and a large wheel puller to remove the rusted/frozen original rotors. I tried for a hour to remove the first rotor without the wheel puller, and had no luck at all. With a wheel puller, 7mm, and the caliper tools, a person should be able to complete the whole job in a hour. I believe the earlier posts about the junk metal these original rotors are made of. I did the first brake job on my 92 Dakota at 45K, and had no problems with rusted/frozen rotors. My 92 Dakota through a rear shoe, and I decided to replace all the shoes and pads.
After the engine reaches normal operating temperature from a cold start (e.g. after 20 mins of driving), I notice the valve lifters start to get noisy. The lifter clatter is not present when the engine is cold. There's approx 14K miles or 23K kilometres on the engine and I've checked the exhaust manifolds for leaks and appear to be OK. My QC is currently serviced at the dealership using Mopar 10W30 and Mopar filters.
Has anyone experienced this situation or have any ideas on resolution? I'm a first time Mopar owner and was wondering if this is normal for 3.9L V6s?. With the exception of the intermittent squeaky front-end steering noises, I'm generally content with my ride!
I would also like to take the time to thank all the regular contributors to this forum. I have and continue to learn so much from everyone. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
PS Just passed 20,000 miles on my 2wd 02 Quad, 4.7 manual trans. No problems.
Hope all have had a great turkey day with family and loved ones. I have a problem with my 00,4.7,5 spd...I am told that I need a new fuel pump and injector cleaning.Since Monday the truck has run like it were on half the octane of real gas.I tried a san of dry gas and also injector cleaner solution to no avail...so now i wait till the dealer can locate a fuel pump and do the dirty deed. 6 months ago I had a bad tank of gas that really had a lot of water in it.the dry gas worked then but not now. BUT...it still is a good thanksgiving Stephen Richard
...says to inspect and repack the front wheel bearings. There is no such recomendation in my owner's manual. Is this something that should be done? I will be at 22,500 before long.
Are not serviced on the Dakota. The fuel filter is inside the tank and the wheel bearings are not designed for routine maintenance. New technology can be good or bad.
You know I forgot that the fuel filter was in the tank too.The truck is running but still feels like it does not have full fuel..I can cruise at 75 and get off the highway and come to a stop and idle without problem.The accelerations have to be slow and gradual though. plan to add high test gas on sunday and some more cleaner when i put in 12 gallons of gas. any thoughts guys ? stephen
Are you using good gas from a reputable station? Also, are you filling up when the tanker is also filling the below ground tanks? These are two criteria to consider when you purchase gasoline. One brand might do well, whereas another will not run well at all in your vehicle. For instance, I never got good mileage from BP in my Dakota but the Vitara runs just fine on it. Go figure.
The main thing I recall during my days as a petroleum transfer engineer at a Marathon station was the number of fuel filters/gas tanks we replaced and flushed out. IT was simply amazing the amount of crud that was in there. When asked, the owners of these vehicles, to a man, said, "Oh, I'm buying my gas from _________ (insert cut rate, no name station), have been for years, and its just as good as the others but I'm saving a dime a gallon!" uh huh, sure you are...then they blanched when they saw the repair bill for a new injector(s) or a fuel filter.
Reminds me of my days at the Kmart where we had a Thortons gas station out front of our parking lot and I had a regular customer come in about every two weeks and loaded up on drygas, gas dry, gas magic, fuel injector cleaner, you name it, if we carried it, he bought it. One day I casually asked him where he was buying his gas (obviously I was curious as to why he was spending over $30 bucks at a whack on this stuff). He replied, "Shoot, I get ALL my gas over at Thorntons. I ain't paying for that high priced shell or Amoco and Thorntons is same stuff, just cheaper." Well who was I to argue with a guy who was committed to spending his money with my store. SO I left it at that but I had to chuckle at his attempt at "logic".
Mopar, have been buying 90% of the time from a national dealer in a highly competitive part of town where prices are usually good for all.did deviate from this in last 2 tanks when i was out of town. put middle test in today and felt no diference..i have my fingers crossed whenever i have to go to work for fear that the line will shut down.. thanks for the input, stephen
Try some B&G fuel system cleaner. This stuff is expensive @ $25 a can, but for me it has worked great. It fixed a noisy fuel pump on my 2000 Dakota @ 10k miles. Every couple of years my 98 Corolla begins to start hard (about 3 seconds vrs. the normal 1 second). So far this fuel cleaner has fixed the problem every time. The 98 Corolla only has a wire screen in the fuel tank for a fuel filter.
I would like to second what bja4 said. I have been using B&G Fuel System Cleaner for years and after trying all the rest I'm convinced it is the best by far. I guess it comes down to the old adage that you get what you pay for.
Today, when I brought my wife's car in for tires at our service station, I watched them change the automatic transmission fluid using a machine which removes the old fluid as it replaces it with new. You can observe visually the old fluid being replaced with fresh product via transparent lines. This is accomplished with the engine running and the hoses are hooked to the lines at the cooler. There is a digital readout as well indicating the number of quarts replaced. Pretty neat, and it gets out all of the old fluid.
As long as they use the proper fluid for the vehicle they are servicing.... Recall that Dodge automatics are VERRYY pickey about what you feed them.... lest the clutches will chatter and wear out.
On a related note.... I have read that there may be oil-changes at gas stations using hydrolic fittings using the very same idea. If all cars have a hydrolic fitting from the factory... then one can change the oil while the gas tank fills. Neat idea... but I wonder if we will ever see it.
The machine is sold by Snap On and can be preloaded with any type of transmission fluid and/or additive. I did not address the filter situation, but I will ask. The service station that we use is both reliable and honest The technicians are well trained and certified. I was dealing with the father (a childhood friend) and now the son has taken over.
The only flushing machine I've ever seen was a bladder system. This worked by utilizing the transmission's own pump. One line (I believe the return line) is connected to the gallery that fills the bladder. The other line was connected to a reservoir of ATF that surrounds the bladder. As the transmission pumps fluid into the bladder the bladder displaces ATF from the reservoir. This equal displacement design prevents over/underfilling the during the flushing sequence.
I think what the Filter Council is saying is that this flushing system is fine but should not be considered a complete transmission maintenence. The filter should still be replaced at interval and the pan removed and cleaned.
Guys, you know how I've been waiting for a new fuel pump etc...well today when I was a taking off the gas cap I got 10-25 ml of water out of the inside of my cap. Last night had dropped down to 34 degrees from a high of 68 .Should there be that much condensation on the inside of the cap ?Could my "fuel pump " problem really be the cap is screwed up ? Will buy a new cap in am and see if the engine trouble light goes out.
ps, I checked my wife's accord cap and there was no water. thanks, stephen
I have a 97 Dakota - want to install a new CD stereo. How do I get the front dash off to access the radio? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
mstan - I have a 2K and have had mine off. There is one screw that has to be removed before you snap it off. I can't remember where it is but try looking at the underside of the top near the instrument cluster.
Hi, would inappropriate plugs make a 4.7l engine accelerate poorly and misfire ? It was the last job the dealer did on my truck before all this rough accelerating started.My mpg's are also down.Do they need to do anything with the brain after a plug change ? thought I'd ask, stephen
Well, in the past I've seen the wrong heat range used and usually symptoms don't show up right away. As to an entirely wrong plug (incorrect reach, etc.), believe it or not I've seen engines run well for some time before ever producing symptoms.
Stephen, if this problem occured abruptly I would suspect either a defective spark plug, a plug or plugs that are significantly out-of-gap, or during the plug change process the technician unintentionally screwed something up. Since the 4.7 uses coil-on-plug, maybe it's possible that two of the coils got swapped. I've seen crossed ignition wires many times and on some engines you may actually get a somewhat smooth idle or off idle and only realize a misfire (skip) when a load is placed on the engine.
In any event, since you recently had service performed and if the symptoms just suddenly appeared, I would make another visit to the dealer and have them look at it.
This is a general question: What type of synthetic lubricants have some of you used for the Chrysler 545RFE automatic transmission and limited slip differentials?
Issues with price, availability, performance, and general experiences, positive or negative, would be appreciated.
What seems to be the best tires for the Quad? I have read post before praising the Pirelli Scorpions. Any feedback would be appreciated. Tiltboy...........
(Dusty) I changed the 45RFE on my 2000 Quad with Redline C+ ATF. Redline claims it meets all of the requirements for a chrystler tranny. I also used the C+ ATF on the transfer case. The front and rear axles got 75W90 NS. The NS blend already has the friction modifier mixed in it. To be truthfull, I havent noticed any performance changes with the addition of these synthetic fluids. I guess its just a piece of mind. John
Thank you for the reply and I hope you had a Merry Christmas.
Just curious. What has been you're fluid change interval on the transmission so far? Have you done any towing? And how many miles have you logged on the Redline products?
I also used RedLine in all of the my Dak's gearboxes.(manual tranny, Xfer and both axles.) I sent RedLine an eMail and they recommended the following for a Dakota.
NV3500 5sp manual transmission RedLine MTL
NV231 Xfer case RedLine D4ATF
9.25" rear differential with LSD RedLine 75W90
C205F front differential RedLine 75W90
BEWARE: jhorl has the facts backwards. The "NS" designation on the RedLine gear oils is for NON-Limited Slip differentaials. It DOES NOT have the friction modifier in it. Do not use the "NS" oil unless RedLine specifically tells you to use it.
Dont take my word for it....please see their web site for yourself.
As for performance differences. I noted MUCH better shifting of the NV3500 tranny, especially in cold weather. Additionally, My MPG went up a bit too. (I have touched 21MPG since the change 8-)
Both of these were my goals with the switch to RedLine lubricants. The 4WD has a large number of moving parts that are bathed in gear oil. One of the properties of synthetic lubricants is the reduced 'churn' that is needed to move all of the bearings, gears and chains thru the oil-bath. (the xfer case even has a built-in oil pump that circulates the lube to all the moving parts)
I had a set of the Pirelli Scorpions put on my truck in early December. Had to wait until Christmas day to see how they handled in the snow. They do a great job compared to the OEM Goodyear tires. Bought them from Tirerack.com for $390 (including shipping) and had Walmart put them on with a lifetime free rotation/balance for around $40. Very satisfied with them!
I have been researching tires too and the Pirelli Scorpions are at the top of my list.
Are you sure that Wall Mart will install tires that they did not sell and still offer the lifetime free rotation/balance for around $40? That is a GREAT deal considering tire rotations should be done every 2 oil changes! (8,000 miles)
BTW, My dakota has a REAL spare tire on a REAL aluminum wheel (same as the other 4) and have been including it in the rotations. I wonder what you did with your spare when you installed the Pirelli Scorpions?
Unfortunately my 2003 2WD Club Cab with the cast aluminum wheels did not. Wish it did. I like to rotate five tires instead of four. My dealer did say he'd give me a discount on a factory wheel through the parts department. The wheels for mine are $163 a piece, I was told. I think I can get 10% off that.
(dustyk) I asked RedLine in my eMail to suggest a RedLine distributer near me... It turned out there is one 20 minutes from my house. I called them and placed my order, it was all boxed and ready for pickup when I got there.
I have not used RedLine lubricants in the past but I did a lot of research. My conclusion was that RedLine is as good as any and reasonably priced. (I got mine for $7.25 quart which is LESS than any 'online' price I found)
I do not expect to have to change the xmission, xfer or axle fluids before 100,000 miles. When the cost is amoratizd, it is quite reasonable. (Especially when the cost to actually CHANGE the fluids is figured in.) Now that I have RedLine in the axles, I can use the 'suction' method to do changes in the future.
You appear satisfied with the Redline products and the result. I believe you mentioned earlier about a MPG gain. How much do you estimate it was?
I sent Redline's Techline a request for lubricant and interval change recommendations. Their website only lists a ATF for Chrysler 7176 vehicles. I'm not sure, but I was thought that the 545RFE transmission was spec'd with ATF+4, which I think is a newer version of 7176.
Anyway, appreciate the time you took to respond to my questions.
I am looking at my receipt and the totals are as follows: $3.50 each mounting, $1.75 each valve stem, $7.50 Lifetime Balance/rotation, $1.25 each disposal = $56.00 (sorry I told you $40 before, it was early, but this was better than the $76 another dealer told me). Now, if Wal-mart made a mistake I can't help them, but I'd sure give them a try. I figure that in order to check the balance on all four tires, they have to take them off the truck and while they're off, they might as well rotate them too. Don't you think??
As far as the spare tire goes, it is still tucked safely under my bed...unfortunately, I didn't rotate it with the rest of them, therefore, I have a really, really good spare tire at this point.
I put the Bosch+4 in my truck about 1,000 miles ago. That was a mistake. Ever since, my gas mileage has taken a nose dive and the truck seems to idle rough. I went and bought some Autolites today (don't know the number off hand, but they aren't the 3923 because those have tips that the plug wire screws onto). Hope this helps my gas mileage come back up. In addition, I'm thinking of cleaning the throttle body. I have about 42,500 miles on my 2000 Quad Cab. Any other suggestions???
Forgive me for going on and on, but here is why I bought the Pirelli tires. First of all, my rims are 15x8. Now my father has a 2001 Quad Cab and his rims are 16x8. Try to find tires to fit the 15x8 rim and you won't have much luck. My only choices were the Goodyears (I could get them in town for $650 installed) or I could buy the Pirelli tires for $390 + mounting/balancing. Since I wasn't happy with the Goodyear, I didn't have anything to lose. Tirerack.com was very competent and helpful. Only problem I had was that they were out of stock and I had to wait 2 weeks to get them. Oh, did I tell you, the local Pirelli dealer quoted me a price of $150 each + mounting/balancing. I walked out the door and didn't look back.
Another size that works well is 235-70R-15. The diameter is quite close, don't recall how much it is off but is a very small difference. I run Bridgestone Blizzaks in that size on my 2wd Quad during the winter. This size gives you many more tires to chose from and they are cheaper by far! Rick
I was going to try and get some Cooper Tires in town (235/70/15), but the widest rim they fit was 7.5". Since my rims were 8" wide, they wouldn't work either. I didn't actually look for a Bridgestone tire.......does it fit an 15x8" rim?
Comments
no problems. I did end up putting nine quarts back in. I used a vacuum pump to suck the fluid out of the dipstick tube and ended up dropping a nearly empty pan, this worked like a charm. Putting the pan back in place with a bead of sealant on it and having transmission fluid continuously dripping from above was a trick though. I think you could end up with a leak if any ATF got on the wet sealant.
about these plugs burning my pistons?
I might ask my service dept. what plugs they
recommend and not recommend. Since I plan on keeping my Quad for many years.
mm
Please explain to me how a specific spark plug brand can hole a piston? Do not be afraid to explain the physics behind it...I will understand.
OK, OK... I am being Facetious.
It is more likely that the DRIVING HABITS of the folks that select the +4 plugs are to blame. I know of several folks that drag race Dakotas and the +4 plug is what they are running.
I dont know the details, just that a few engine/piston problems are being blamed on those plugs (platinum)
I am changing mine soon, but with my track record with Dodge, I might even get the put Mopar plugs back in LOL...
Robert
I found some Brembo rotors and Hawk brake pads at the "Tirerack.com". The Brembo rotors are the same rotors that Powerslot starts with to produce their slotted rotors. The rotors were $50 a piece, and the pads were $59. The original pads were worn very little, but for $59, I bought a whole lot of piece of mind. So far I have put 3K miles on the new brakes, and can say without a dought, this truck stops better than it has ever stopped!! The wheels so far have stayed clean as well.
The only problems I had in this easy fix was finding a 7mm allen wrench, a tool to push the calipers back in, and a large wheel puller to remove the rusted/frozen original rotors. I tried for a hour to remove the first rotor without the wheel puller, and had no luck at all. With a wheel puller, 7mm, and the caliper tools, a person should be able to complete the whole job in a hour. I believe the earlier posts about the junk metal these original rotors are made of. I did the first brake job on my 92 Dakota at 45K, and had no problems with rusted/frozen rotors. My 92 Dakota through a rear shoe, and I decided to replace all the shoes and pads.
Norm and Judy Rosenberg (Bookitty)
Has anyone experienced this situation or have any ideas on resolution? I'm a first time Mopar owner and was wondering if this is normal for 3.9L V6s?. With the exception of the intermittent squeaky front-end steering noises, I'm generally content with my ride!
Thanks.
BTW, Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!
PS Just passed 20,000 miles on my 2wd 02 Quad, 4.7 manual trans. No problems.
I have a problem with my 00,4.7,5 spd...I am told that I need a new fuel pump and injector cleaning.Since Monday the truck has run like it were on half the octane of real gas.I tried a san of dry gas and also injector cleaner solution to no avail...so now i wait till the dealer can locate a fuel pump and do the dirty deed.
6 months ago I had a bad tank of gas that really had a lot of water in it.the dry gas worked then but not now.
BUT...it still is a good thanksgiving
Stephen Richard
plan to add high test gas on sunday and some more cleaner when i put in 12 gallons of gas.
any thoughts guys ?
stephen
Also, are you filling up when the tanker is also filling the below ground tanks?
These are two criteria to consider when you purchase gasoline.
One brand might do well, whereas another will not run well at all in your vehicle. For instance, I never got good mileage from BP in my Dakota but the Vitara runs just fine on it. Go figure.
The main thing I recall during my days as a petroleum transfer engineer at a Marathon station was the number of fuel filters/gas tanks we replaced and flushed out. IT was simply amazing the amount of crud that was in there.
When asked, the owners of these vehicles, to a man, said, "Oh, I'm buying my gas from _________ (insert cut rate, no name station), have been for years, and its just as good as the others but I'm saving a dime a gallon!" uh huh, sure you are...then they blanched when they saw the repair bill for a new injector(s) or a fuel filter.
Reminds me of my days at the Kmart where we had a Thortons gas station out front of our parking lot and I had a regular customer come in about every two weeks and loaded up on drygas, gas dry, gas magic, fuel injector cleaner, you name it, if we carried it, he bought it. One day I casually asked him where he was buying his gas (obviously I was curious as to why he was spending over $30 bucks at a whack on this stuff). He replied, "Shoot, I get ALL my gas over at Thorntons. I ain't paying for that high priced shell or Amoco and Thorntons is same stuff, just cheaper."
Well who was I to argue with a guy who was committed to spending his money with my store. SO I left it at that but I had to chuckle at his attempt at "logic".
have been buying 90% of the time from a national dealer in a highly competitive part of town where prices are usually good for all.did deviate from this in last 2 tanks when i was out of town.
put middle test in today and felt no diference..i have my fingers crossed whenever i have to go to work for fear that the line will shut down..
thanks for the input,
stephen
Ron35
Where can you buy the B+G cleaner ?
stephen
Ron
Bookitty
On a related note.... I have read that there may be oil-changes at gas stations using hydrolic fittings using the very same idea. If all cars have a hydrolic fitting from the factory... then one can change the oil while the gas tank fills.
Neat idea... but I wonder if we will ever see it.
http://www.amsoil.com/lit/filter_man_council01.pdf
Robert
Bookitty
I think what the Filter Council is saying is that this flushing system is fine but should not be considered a complete transmission maintenence. The filter should still be replaced at interval and the pan removed and cleaned.
Regards,
Dusty
you know how I've been waiting for a new fuel pump etc...well today when I was a taking off the gas cap I got 10-25 ml of water out of the inside of my cap. Last night had dropped down to 34 degrees from a high of 68 .Should there be that much condensation on the inside of the cap ?Could my "fuel pump " problem really be the cap is screwed up ?
Will buy a new cap in am and see if the engine trouble light goes out.
ps, I checked my wife's accord cap and there was no water.
thanks,
stephen
Drive Safe,
Joe
Ron
would inappropriate plugs make a 4.7l engine accelerate poorly and misfire ? It was the last job the dealer did on my truck before all this rough accelerating started.My mpg's are also down.Do they need to do anything with the brain after a plug change ?
thought I'd ask,
stephen
Stephen, if this problem occured abruptly I would suspect either a defective spark plug, a plug or plugs that are significantly out-of-gap, or during the plug change process the technician unintentionally screwed something up. Since the 4.7 uses coil-on-plug, maybe it's possible that two of the coils got swapped. I've seen crossed ignition wires many times and on some engines you may actually get a somewhat smooth idle or off idle and only realize a misfire (skip) when a load is placed on the engine.
In any event, since you recently had service performed and if the symptoms just suddenly appeared, I would make another visit to the dealer and have them look at it.
Let us know what is found to be the problem.
Best of luck,
Dusty
Issues with price, availability, performance, and general experiences, positive or negative, would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Dusty
I changed the 45RFE on my 2000 Quad with Redline C+ ATF. Redline claims it meets all of the requirements for a chrystler tranny. I also used the C+ ATF on the transfer case. The front and rear axles got 75W90 NS. The NS blend already has the friction modifier mixed in it. To be truthfull, I havent noticed any performance changes with the addition of these synthetic fluids. I guess its just a piece of mind.
John
Thank you for the reply and I hope you had a Merry Christmas.
Just curious. What has been you're fluid change interval on the transmission so far? Have you done any towing? And how many miles have you logged on the Redline products?
Best regards,
Dusty
BEWARE: jhorl has the facts backwards. The "NS" designation on the RedLine gear oils is for NON-Limited Slip differentaials. It DOES NOT have the friction modifier in it. Do not use the "NS" oil unless RedLine specifically tells you to use it.
Dont take my word for it....please see their web site for yourself.
http://www.redlineoil.com/products.htm
As for performance differences. I noted MUCH better shifting of the NV3500 tranny, especially in cold weather. Additionally, My MPG went up a bit too. (I have touched 21MPG since the change 8-)
Both of these were my goals with the switch to RedLine lubricants. The 4WD has a large number of moving parts that are bathed in gear oil. One of the properties of synthetic lubricants is the reduced 'churn' that is needed to move all of the bearings, gears and chains thru the oil-bath. (the xfer case even has a built-in oil pump that circulates the lube to all the moving parts)
Are you sure that Wall Mart will install tires that they did not sell and still offer the lifetime free rotation/balance for around $40?
That is a GREAT deal considering tire rotations should be done every 2 oil changes! (8,000 miles)
BTW, My dakota has a REAL spare tire on a REAL aluminum wheel (same as the other 4) and have been including it in the rotations. I wonder what you did with your spare when you installed the Pirelli Scorpions?
>>NV231 Xfer case RedLine D4ATF<<
>>9.25" rear differential with LSD RedLine 75W90<<
>>C205F front differential RedLine 75W90<<
Bpeeples,
Thank you for taking the time to transmit the product information from Redline.
A couple of questions:
Where have you been able to find and purchase Redline products?
How long have you been using their lubricants?
Thanks again and best regards,
Dusty
Unfortunately my 2003 2WD Club Cab with the cast aluminum wheels did not. Wish it did. I like to rotate five tires instead of four. My dealer did say he'd give me a discount on a factory wheel through the parts department. The wheels for mine are $163 a piece, I was told. I think I can get 10% off that.
Regards,
Dusty
I have not used RedLine lubricants in the past but I did a lot of research. My conclusion was that RedLine is as good as any and reasonably priced. (I got mine for $7.25 quart which is LESS than any 'online' price I found)
I do not expect to have to change the xmission, xfer or axle fluids before 100,000 miles. When the cost is amoratizd, it is quite reasonable. (Especially when the cost to actually CHANGE the fluids is figured in.) Now that I have RedLine in the axles, I can use the 'suction' method to do changes in the future.
You appear satisfied with the Redline products and the result. I believe you mentioned earlier about a MPG gain. How much do you estimate it was?
I sent Redline's Techline a request for lubricant and interval change recommendations. Their website only lists a ATF for Chrysler 7176 vehicles. I'm not sure, but I was thought that the 545RFE transmission was spec'd with ATF+4, which I think is a newer version of 7176.
Anyway, appreciate the time you took to respond to my questions.
Bests,
Dusty
As far as the spare tire goes, it is still tucked safely under my bed...unfortunately, I didn't rotate it with the rest of them, therefore, I have a really, really good spare tire at this point.