Dodge Dakota: Problems & Solutions

bpeebles

(s4016) One could say that a waranteed item NEVER costs the dealer anything. This is flawed thinking. It may not cost them immeadiate dollars, but they are certainly 'graded' on how much warantee work they do in comparison to all other dealerships.

This is a very real 'cost' to many dealerships.

tgregory29

Fat Fenders,
It started with a self adjuster going bad in the rear that caused a vibrating feeling at 40 mph. In fact all the problems with my brakes I've been able to feel at 40 mph. They fixed that then it started to "pulsate". Turned out to be warped rotors. Now it's back to vibrating. I'm thinking lemon law here.

pomyc

Funny you should post this message now. I am going to take my truck into the shop for exactly the same problem. Warped rotors are not covered under the warranty are they? I would highly doubt it. I don't know how my rotors could have gotten warped because I am very careful about using the brakes and to this point I have not had to "stomp" on the brakes and I have near 17K on my truck.

wetwillie

Even though your not 'standing' on the brakes, they get very hot even in normal driving. If exposed to a sudden change in temperature, such as a car wash, they will warp. Knowing this ahead of time will ensure they live 'normal' life.

s4016

how the hell can you "grade" someone on something he has no controll over!! If the converter (or any other oem part) is defective. It is the fault of the manufacture, not some middleman.

wetwillie

Of course your right. Dealerships are not evaluated in any other way than service survey cards supplied by the manufacturer and to a lesser extent, direct complaints or praise from the customer. The converters are not even made by DC. I had one fail on me at about 15K. I would definitely look to another dealer for the proper warranty coverage - or complain to the district office - that should get their attention.

willywill

same thing happened to me two months ago. but my truck had under 12k on it and dc replaced the rotors.

bpeebles

I usually stay away from comments such as these but you both seem to be outside the real world.

If you truly believe that there is not a paper-trail of ALL vehicles, parts and other costs in operating a business, you may not understand the concepts of running a business (dealerships -vs- manufacturers )

Assume dealership "A" provides $500,000 of watantee work that is accounted for by the manufacturer in one year.The average across the nation is $100,000 dollars per year. Dealership "A" has to answer some embarrassing questions. (Do not forget that the MECHANICS get paid from the manufacturers purse on warrantee work!!)

As a result, many dealerships adopt a conservative stance towards warrantee claims...Especially now that the "C" in DC is in financial trouble and has just replaced their head guy.

BOTTOM LINE... Be persistent if you truly believe you have a valid warrantee claim.

wetwillie

What 'real world' are you referring to? Yours? There was no mention of the lack of paper trail - of course there is - it's an accounting function. As far as the service end of the business is concerned, denying service by adopting a 'conservative stance' is not a requirement to attain the '5 star' rating - a rating system Chrysler takes seriously. It's simply more profitable for dealers to take on non-warranty work, as warranty work is established by code to include task times down to the hundreth of an hour - there's no wiggle room here. Actually, taking a 'conservative stance' on warranty has a negative impact on business in the long run. A dealer with a good service rep. will ALWAYS be more successful. In the end the manufacturer is concerned about the success of the franchise - measured in vehicles out the door, not lower incidents of warranty repairs.

ole3

I have 3000 miles on my '01 Quad 4x4 4.7L 5 spd,
mostly fwy and commuting miles, with appx 400
"hard" offroad miles.

The rubber sleeve under one of the straps which
wraps around the leaf springs is coming out . . .
should I go to the dealer with a warranty claim ?

Has anybody else seen this ?

Thanks,

Ole

tgregory29

I have a 99 Dodge Dakota with 18000 miles on it. I started having brake problems at 9,000 miles. It started in the rear with malfunctioning adjusters to the front rotors warping. I've had in 5 times and am thinking of using the lemon law. Has anyone else had similar problems?

tgregory29

Pomyc,
I had my rotors replaced free of charge. Brakes are covered until 12000 miles. I think they did it for free as kind of a gesture of good faith since I've been in the garage over and over again. What year is your Dakota? Mine is a 99.

tgregory29

I had this same problem with my 99 dodge Dakota. The rear end felt like it was "hopping" when braking lightly. It turned out to be my front rotors being warped. Hope this helps.

ahasher

Quadders,
Now I have 2 maintenance questions I really need advice on before i go to the dealer, who I have little confidence in. First, a refresher..the rig is a 2000 SLT, 4.7 auto, T&H, 3.92 with 15000 miles.
1. Recently ( I believe I saw this symptom posted earlier) the engine seems to idle rough usually after interstate driving, but it happens in town. It's about 500 RPM and has a rough feel in the cab. It runs and accelerates SMOOTH any other time.. Rarely it seems to idle at 600 and NO ROUGH feeling. Is it idle speed, or the computer confused again?
2. My front brakes have chirped for a while now when initially depressed but i have finally taken a close look at the rotors. There are what appears to be slight ruts or groves around it, like a pad has gouged it out. They are not deep but there are several rows on each side. On other rigs, the rotors I look at are smooth. Is it bad pads or rotors?
Please let me know, since the experience from certain members in invaluable and needed for us 'shadetree types" before I go to the dealer and get the runaround again.
Thanks and sorry for a long unhidden post..
Bill

bpeebles

(ahasher)

1) The idle system has a 'learning' algorithm that needs time to adjust to conditions. For example, if the weather gets colder, the on-board computer (PCM) assigns these conditions to a new "memory cell" and begins to apply the algorithm There is a 'trick' that I have applied to my Dak that speeded up the learning process. However, Your 15K miles should be enough to allow the past history to be rendered into the algorithm sufficiently. Has your battery been disconected lately? This may 'reset' the PCM to defaults.

2) my brakes will 'chirp' when first applies in damp weather or after sitting unused for several days. Do not forget that the brakes have a 12 month warranty ... not 3 years.

Certainly your dealer should be alerted to ANY problems to allow your complaints to be logged for future reference.

iowabigguy

As far as your idle problem goes have you started using a winter formulated gasoline? My previous Dakota would idle rough at times when I used gasoline with alcohol. I avoid gasahol and stick to straight 87 octane now with no problems.
Brakes with 15000 miles are going to show some wear. The concentric rings you see are not unusual. When the government outlawed asbestos in brake pads they went to a harder material in the pads and to a "softer" metal in the rotors. I was told this was to prevent the squeal that hard pads and hard rotors make when the discs are applied. My previous Dakota went through the front pads and had the rotors turned at 26,000 miles. The rotors warped about 3000 miles later and started giving a pulsating feeling to the brake pedal when the brakes were applied. I went to a local mechanic and had a set of non Dodge rotors installed ($110 apiece) and reused the pads as they were hardly worn and I had paid $121 for the parts from Dodge when the brakes were redone at 26K. I had no more problems with front brakes for the next 45,000 miles when I traded the truck.

ahasher

bpeebles, ioabigguy,

I appreciate your quick responses, and I also appreciate the detailed information to what might be a simple topic/question. I have used the same gas (87) from Chevron or citgo without fail.. no other brands, altho I used 89 once a few tanks back. No battery disconnects or discharges. The start of the rough idle does however coincide with the onset of cold weather here (New Orleans..yes it does get a bit cold here). Is it the computer then still "learning"?? Seems a long time to wait for a smooth idle..
Also, bpeebles THANKS for the heads up on the warranty. I had not been aware of that timeframe for the brakes!!!!!
Do you think then, that the slight 'grooves " are normal or acceptable then? There are no other indications of warping or problems, such as shake or pulsating.
I plan on bringing it to the dealer then to do just that .. record my concerns for future DC reference.

traumagas

Hey guys,
What filter and oil does everyone use I plan to use mobile one or amzoil, I plan to keep the truck untill it quits me, I was told buy parts man that amsoil would go 25k between changes with reg filter changes (I dont come from that school of thought) Was planning mobile one with mobile one filter q 5000 miles after second oil change of Dino a 6000k. book says 4.7 should use 5w30 then recomends 10w 30 next page depending on climate. What do you think?
Thanks in advance Traumagas
what gives

steve234

I just switched to Valvoline 5w30 synthetic. Amsoil may claim to go 25k between oil changes, but I would never do it. If the engine fries, DC won't pay for it. I plan on going 7500 miles between changes. A regular oil change costs me $18 and I always change dino oil at 3000 miles. It costs me $30 for a change of synthetic, so I will save $30 every 15k miles. Considering that I am changing oil every 2 months with dino, the time savings is also a big factor. If those are the two oil choices for you, I would go with the Mobil 1. It has a good rep and a lot of people swear by it. You can also get it at Wal-Mart which is a lot handier than buying it by the case from a Amsoil dealer.
The recommendations by Dodge is based on average high and low temperature that the vehicle would be started in. The 5w30 is the most practical for most states. I use this in all my engines and they last and last.
I use a Motorcraft filter. I learned a long time ago that this was a great filter and recent studies on the net have shown this is true. The Mobil 1 filter is good, but I cannot see spending the money for something that is no better than a good $5 filter. My only problem is that the FL-200 is not carried by my Wal-Mart. Hopefully it will be soon.

traumagas

What would be the diff in valvoline and mobile one
I agree with your filter idea I read it was made by purolater and it had been rated second behind mobile one. is yours a 4.7 v8 if so I guess I will need a fl 200
Thanks for the info happy holidays
TraumaGAs

fourwheeldrive

I have '94 Dakota, 3.9 engine, auto, 4wd, and the ox sensor is in exhaust pipe on right side. Can anyone tell me any tricks to maneuvering a tool to remove/install, I can't see how there is hardly any room for turning a wrench or socket handle. I know of the special socket that can be bought, about ten dollars, that has room for the wires when putting new one in. Is this one of those mechanic specials, with 4 foot long extension, installing it from above, in engine compartment instead of from underneath, on my back at the exhaust pipe?

ohc_baby

Just curious, did you just post in moparchat.com with the same question?

steve234

I do have the 4.7l. Actually, I wanted to stay with Havoline oil, especially after I read a report that rated the Havoline synthetic as one of the best. However, I have a criteria that anything I use can be obtained almost anywhere in the country. Wal-mart does not carry the Havoline synthetic. They do occasionally carry the Valvoline in 5 qt jugs and I respect the brand. I had considered the Mobile 1 and Castrol Syntec. All three are good oils, but my gut said to go with the Valvoline.

slickwilliedj

i plan to chg the oil in my 01 q/c this weekend and use a purilator pure 1 filter and castrol 10-40. i feel this is a excellent filter and have had ggod luck with castrol oils.

pttaylor

While getting my 2nd Catalytic Converter replaced on my 1998 Dakota (3.9 with AT) the dealer service manager had the mechanic perform Safety Recall #891 (Install Axle Vent Hose Clip - P/N 56021260) What was this for? I did notice the rear of the differential and drivers side axle housing was dirty with greasy build-up obviously from the rearend lubricant. Anything wrong with the 3.55 rear gears on this type driveline I haven't heard about??

fourwheeldrive

No, none of those people are me in mopar chat. But, one of them are about to become me, glad you mentioned it and I found that subject.

traumagas

Well here it is my first complaint on my 01 quad cab. Changing the oil is a nightmare, first you have to stick your hand up thru a hole in a plastic cover with sharp edges to get to the filter, the hole is just big enough for my arm. the factory filter must have been put on with a impact wrench, it took a strap type filter wrench with a 1/2 inch drive to crush the filter to get it off. Thanks to this post I had my 2 liter coke bottle with the end cut out and the lid on it to catch the filter and oil remaining in housing. I will take a punch and place hole in it next change
next is the skid plates what a bunch of worthless S### these plastic things may help keep some debre off but if the truck slips off a rock edge their broke and likely have to be removed
the front plate has a 5x5 hole in it to let oil drain out, well the oil will miss the hole overshoot it and fill the corrugated plastic skid pan with oil until 2 qts are out. What a mess !!
this could have worked well if the drain was headed straight down thru the skid plate hole
or if some sort of diverter was placed there
Has anyone else had this feeling or is it just me? I have changed a lot of veh oil in my forty years but this one is the worst. and while I am on a tear whats with those riveted top ball joints off the upper a fame. looks as if they cut the ends off of another line.
traumagas

stnick

I hear you and agree that the access for oil maintenance was not thought out very well. I havn't seen a great solution on the filter yet but some time ago I posted a note about a small blue rectangular funnel that I had found at wal-mart that works pretty well on the oil drain pan side of the problem. You slide it in between the pan and the shield sideways and drop the spout down through the drain hole, with the longer side facing rear. It catches it very well, and has a large diameter funnel so it keeps up okay. Cost about a buck and a quarter. Hope this helps. Stnick

blubelle

Haven't needed a oil change yet so don't know all the problems I will have. But if it is as bad as it sounds on the posts I wonder if a E-Z DRAIN Kit advertised in J C WHITNEY catalogue $14.95 would work or help? (page 212 stock No.55DL5486P) For what its worth.

traumagas

Yes I was thinking of a marine application ext hose that could be placed on oil pan drain hole. I have one on my 351 ski nautique it works fine except that oil drain time is longer. The other thing I was thinkin was a diverter that could be hung in front of drain area, maybe a funnel cut in a special fashion that would do the trick,
I like to drop my oil at full operating temp and with that cross over pipe the temp of the oil just want to pull the plug and watch it flow into my recycling bucket not my garage floor. I am sure we will come up with something, I love this truck as with life it can't be perfect.

bpeebles

(traumagas) Are you SURE you are refering to the skid plates? Did you SPECIFICALLY order them?

I DID NOT order the skid plates and I DO have a plastic "cover" beneath the engine. Are you refering to this cover perhaps?

The "skid plate" option should have beefy protectors for the engine, tranny and xfer case. Not necessarraly metal armor that can hold the weight of the vehicle on a rock.

waynesan

With 442 miles on my new 4.7 4x4 with skid plates, I changed the oil and filter last weekend.
After loosening the drain plug, I placed my fabricated plastic bottle (cut vertically down both sides with the bottom removed, but half attached to the top) upside-down thru the 5x5 access hole to catch all the oil overshoot.
Then I loosened the oil filter with my JC Whitney
"deluxe self-adjusting oil filter wrench" (3 1/8" to 3 7/8") placed a "Hefty" freezer slider bag (10 9/16" x 11") around it and unscrewed it. As the oil filter's position is almost plumb, I was able to fill the new filter with oil before I installed it.It was alot easier than my Ford sedan.

taki3

ive got a manual v6 2wd 97 Dakota SLT, with 60k miles on it....and when the engine is "warm" and at idle, the engine makes a ticking noise - sounds from all around the front end, but most noticable right behind the drivers front tire....

i want to be educated before i take it in to the dealer....anybody got any ideas?

traumagas

I am glad someone else had the same feeling
I used the 2 liter coke bottle on the filter and like your Idea of the freezer bag. I have one question I have never pre filled a oil filter before installment, only fuel filter on diesels have I done that. Have I been doing engine harm by not prefilling them ? I know that some filter applications that I have had that would be impossible. Also I have a strong magnet
that I attach to the bottom of the filter, I would like to find a drain plug with a magnet on it anyone know of a source? I know that BMW, Porsche, Merc use this type of plug.
Also Yes I ordered skid plates on this truck
bpeebles, I would have thought them to be stronger but I know most trucks will never need them and wt is the issue for mpg.
Traumagas

slickwilliedj

like most of u i had a bit of trouble getting the factory filter off but thats to be expected since they do install them using impact wrenchs at the factory. i have a 01 q/c 4.7 4x2 and other then the filter being too tight the rest was easy. i guess the difficult draining problem must be a 4x4 thing.used 10/40w castrol & a pure one filter...6qts for the record..

slickwilliedj

just changed my oil at 1500miles. like most of u i had a little trouble getting the factory filter off since they do use impact wrenches at the factory to install them with. other then that the rest of the oil change went smooth and took approx 30 min. i guess the oil drain problem is a 4x4 thing. i used 10/40w castrol and a pure 1 filter 6 qts for the record....recently had to add some atf fluid,couldnot find the atf4 anywere==== so i had to go to the dealer $8.50 qt.... can we say rip off!!

traumagas

Has anyone up graded shocks on any qc 4x4s,
since factory shocks are good for about 12k? traumagas

maldanis

Hey fellas, I picked mine up a week ago, and unforunately it has been back twice. I was making a left and heard a sudden noise that sounded like a piece of the truck falling into the wheel well and rubbing against the tire. Had it towed and they "could'nt duplicate the noise." Went and picked it up today and on the way home the wheels hesitated ... kind of like the ABS kicking in ... only I wasnt braking at all. Took it home and got angry. Any idea what this might be? I have a 2000, 4X4 Quad Sport. I love it so far, but getting nervous.

myersed

Any way you can obtain the TSB number from your dealer that you worked with to get the replacement filler cap and baffle? I am getting a run-around with my local dealer- probably because I did not get the vehicle from their dealership.

My last oil change at 17,000 miles had extreme quantities of the emulsion in the filler tube. I have never seen it this bad in prior oil changes (2K and 2.5K mile intervals) which is why I procrastenated getting the replacement.

By the way, have you seen a benefit since converting?
Ed

tuvtest

It's always hard tracing engine compartment sounds (as you have found) with all the different things going on at the same time. But based on your description and the area it's loudest my best guess would be an exhaust leak at the joint between the manifold and pipe. you can check this by putting your hand close to the joint and feeling if there is puffing of hot exhaust. PLEASE BE CAREFUL. this area is obviously very hot and burns are easy to get. This meathod can be used around the rest of the manifolds to check for leaks elsewhere as well.

rotondim

I will have to look at my paperwork to see if I can make out the TSB number. It was penciled in and being we don't get the original it is hard to make out. The part numbers for both parts are:

NEW OIL CAP ===>53032389AC
BAFFLE=========>53032126AA

Hope this helps.

waynesan

Traumagas- I just never liked starting-up after an oil change and having the engine running while the empty oil filter waits to fill. I don't think it harms the engine by not pre-filling, but I do believe pre-filling extends the engine's life. (IMHO)

bpeebles

(myersed) I think that rotondim answered your first question.

As for any benifet from the updated parts.
The new CAP better insulates the cold-air blast from the fan.The baffle keeps the build-up of 'goop' under control by directing the gasses from the crankcase directly into the PCV valve. At the same time, the baffle keeps condensation droplets AWAY from the PCV valve and DOES NOT need to be removed to add oil.

All-in-all these are both creative engineerring solutions that do not alter the original design to any great degree.

ahasher

All,
Update on my 5 star dealer Service Dept.
I took my 2000 SLT 4.7 auto in for the 2 items i asked this forum about recently. They say: 1... Engine idle/rumbling at idle after highway driving or a few miles then stop, in gear and engine fully at temp. He has heard of this before, checked with regional Rep and was told there will be a TSB out in a month or 2 to update PCM(?) computer to compensate for this problem. 2. brakes have slight grooves on both sides and frequent chirping in varied weather. He says that's the way the rotors are, and the composite shoes will chirp. In other words, it's normal. I have NO other brake anomalies like wobble, shimmy or stutter.. so i guess unless someone here has more on this I will let it go for now.
Really these are minor issues, since it performs beautifully otherwise.. great power and smooth shifting, but FYI to whoever might have the same symptoms....

Bill

lmeyer1

I'm really out of my league on this one, but I've heard people complaining on various boards that the PCM flash to fix the idle problem has caused significant decreases in mileage and performance.

As I said, this is really beyond anything I'm remotely familiar with, but what I took away from reading all this was to be wary before allowing the dealer to flash my PCM.

ahasher

lmeyer1, that is very good advice.. being wary of flash updates without knowing the impact of the procedure. From what I have read/heard/experienced, It took my 4.7 a while to "learn" my driving conditions, and I hate to start all over again.

ALSO can someone tell me any technical/mechanical reason why I should not install those brake dust shields? Now that I have put my attention to my brakes, and have seen the rims get very dirty very fast in this weather, I would like to resolve the dust problem. I HATE it when my beautiful Forrest green QC has dirty "feet". or shoudl I just wash it a lot more.....

Thanks again,
Bill

usamp

I have a 98 Dakota CC and recently tried to install a CD changer. I ran the positive and negative wires through the fuse box in the cab. After connecting it the CD changer worked fine but my door locks, power windows, lights and other assorted electrical accessories went crazy. I unplugged all the CD Changer wires and the problem persisted for about another 15 minutes and then mystically disapeared. Has anyone else had a problem like this? I plan on connecting the CD directly off the battery in hopes of eliminating the problem.

bpeebles

(ahasher) You asked for some technical reason to NOT use disk-brake dust shields. The brake cooling will be adversivly affected

I have taken to always having "brake dust cleaner" in the truck and using it at every coin-up washing. (Salty covered roads demand often rinsing to reduce corrosion)

I plan to install high-quality synthetic very-low-dust pads when the originals wear out. I expect this to be a final solution.

ron35

ahasher - I have heard much discussion over the years about the effect of brake dust shields on the build up of heat and the follow-on warping of rotors. I can only relate my own experience with 3 vehicles and an article which I read several years ago. I have had brake dust shields on my sports car an RX 7 for the past 17 years; they still have the original rotors and work great. I have dust shields on my wife's car for the past 8 years with the same set of rotors with no problems. I have had the Kleen Wheels vented dust shields on my 2000 Dak for the past year and they are absolutely fine. Many times OEM rotors have problems with rotors warping and they look for an excuse to blame the warpage on and they will frequently zero in on the dust shields when the problem is really subpar rotors to begin with. Additionally, the Technical Forum in Road & Track magazine had a question on this subject about 8 years ago or so, they conducted a test, under controled conditions, during which they ran the same vehicle with the dust shields on and then with them off. The results of their test showed that the temperature of the rotors with the dust shield on was 7/10 of 1 degree warmer, which for all practical purposes is no difference.

99slt

I recall recently (though I haven't been able to re-locate the post) that a new member from the Raleigh area was looking for a mechanic. I recommend Doug's Automotive in Cary (919-319-0393). He's located at 120 Woodwinds, Industrial Ct. I had all my work done there when I lived in Durham. Hope this helps.