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Dodge Dakota Crew Cab - IV
This topic is a continuation of Topic 1871....
Dodge Dakota Crew Cab - III. Please continue
these discussions here. Thanks!
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
Dodge Dakota Crew Cab - III. Please continue
these discussions here. Thanks!
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
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Any recommendations on speed, rpm and/or mileage during engine break in period?
Thanks
Bookitty
The computer will still settle down as it learns, either close to the setting for the major driver or in some kind of compromise setting.
Break in, well common sense rules. I think that the manual gives some pretty good advice, one of the key things I would mention is that there is nothing wrong with some spirtited acceleration (and revving) for brief periods during break in. In fact it is a good thing. I wouldn't consistently cruise at much above 55mph for the first 300 miles or so, but by 500 miles in a modern vehicle you should be able to drive in a 'normal' manner (that doesn't mean red lining on every gear change).
By about 1000 miles I would be happy getting to red line and by 3000 miles the synthetic would be in there.
Thanks for the kind words and reassurance that I should wait for my Quad. Luckily, I won't be waiting much longer. See below.
Sam118:
If you want a Quad now, have your dealer exhaust all possibilities to find one for you. Mine checked again this weekend and found one to my liking. I pick it up Wednesday.
All:
Finally!! The dealer checked again and found me a Quad that I liked - very close to my original order. I had to delete the 4-wheel ABS and the Power Seat, but picked up two-tone paint, sliding rear window, and skid plates for about $300 less than my original order.
My New Specs:
Patriot Blue Two Tone Quad Cab 4x4 SLT
4.7L
5-speed
3.55 Limited Slip Diff.
SLT Plus
AM/FM/CD/Cassette
Leather Steering Wheel
Overhead Convenience Group
Fog Lights
6" x 9" Mirrors
Towing Package
HD Service Group
Skid Plates
Sliding Rear Window
I am psyched. They are going tomorrow to pick it up in Maryland - I live in Hampton, Virginia. I'll pick it up Wed. and get the Line-X spray-in and the Leer fiberglass tonneau put on Saturday. I am also going to pick up the door sill guards from the dealer's shop Wednesday. Thanks again for all of the great info, and I will post again after I have had a fair few jaunts in my new Quad!!
P.S. I also let my wife run errands in my truck this weekend. She loves it now. :-)
joyjr - I've got a half dozen black vehicles - 4 of which I show from time to time. The black Quad (Sport) I bought in Dec. is the only one I've bought new. I do lots and lots of paint work, generally avoiding the black cars and leaving them to 'experts.' What I've gotten back from high dollar jobs to low are all excellent. And lasting. And show winners. Don't worry about the paint touch up on the Quad at all. What I'd worry about is the dealer attitude, although I agree that they don't want to eat the repair. Of COURSE they wouldn't notify another buyer of the repairs, AND they'd pocket the delivery defect fee(s) they'd receive from D/C - or tap an insurance policy. Whatever. Anyway, paint technology has come a long way in just the past decade; don't worry about it - just make sure the ZONE REP is TOTALLY involved!
dannoclay - Don't know about the Jeepsters' opinions, but mine (ours) I assure you, is STRONGLY positive about the 4.7, and very few of us are Dodge types. In fact I'd go so far as to say you'd be making a mistake (though the other choices are fine) by buying any other engine choice in one if this is your first Dodge purchase. Why? It's the new corporate engine and D/C has a about half a billion invested in it. I don't believe for an instant that D/C would let this product come to market 'tarnished.' I (and others) can't seem to voice an accurate description of just how good this engine really is. And I personally think the 4-spd auto that is mated to it is fantastic, though others here are worried and will disagree (for some very good reasons); however, same situation (4.7 auto tranny) applies to the auto (on the 4.7 only) as applies to the 4.7 itself: new corporate image product, lots of investment, yada-yada. FYI
a_j - I know the feeling. I missed three days and had to spend 4 hours reading the posts! Imagine what it's going to be like running the owner's group deal.
BTW, Edmunds, Knock - Knock: HELLLLOOOO, we're reeaaadddddy... send us a little post card or something... soon would be really great, cause the posters are driving a_j and me crazy with little hints (soon to be threats) in their e:mails...
a "girl" thing. I try to tell her that we have sufficient fuel to continue, but it falls upon deaf ears. Darned bell! You are correct that it takes only 18-19 gallons at that time. BTW, if my mileage (average) is close to what the computer indicates, I will be thrilled to pieces.
Bookitty
I also was hoping to find something at carorder.com since they have a 1st time customer promotion of 33% off first order that ends on the 31st. However, I'm not an "auto person" and I'm getting confused at all the options unless it say specifically "00 Dakota 4-dr" :-)
Any recommendations would be appreciated. Feel free to send advice off list to my email listed in the profile.
www.atlantaauto.com. Just hit the link. I believe that Allen mentioned Holly (at the 800 number) as being very efficient and accommodating. Good luck
Bookitty
1st tank computer said 17.5 calculator said 17.21
2nd tank computer said 18.3 calculator said 17.99
(2nd tank included pulling a small trailer 60 miles or so.)
Changed oil and filter at 620 miles, seemed like a waste, oil was still clean but don't know what kind of crud was in the filter from the motors' creation. The filter was on so tight it seemed the first time I tried to turn it the whole truck rotated. Kind of interesting, filter was stamped on bottom "factory Installed" Used Purolator pure one filter and Castrol GTX 5w30. Also installed a K&N air filter.
I thought the waiting was over when I finally got my Quad but I ordered a set of wheel flares and I'm told they are on "back order". If anyone has a 2wd with the tire handling package the flares are almost necessary. The tires are so wide they extend at least 1/2" beyond the fender, if you run through a puddle it throws crap all over the sides of the Quad.
Over all I think this is the best truck I've ever owned. It feels considerably quicker than my Dak 5.2 auto 3.55lsd and is getting about 3mpg better. Rick
Themacguy - Thanks for the ebay tip!
Dannoclay - I had no reservations about purchasing the 4.7L engine. The problems with the 4.7L in the Grand Cherokee, which concerned me, were with the automatic transmission. I was unable to get a 5 speed ordered, due to the May 5th cutoff date for QC orders, nor could I find a 4x4 with the manual in dealer stock here in Texas, unless I would buy a black one. I decided it was time to bite the bullet and buy the automatic. I test drove 3 different automatic equipped trucks during my search and all 3 performed flawlessly. My truck is only a week old but I can tell you that I am extremely happy with it. As previously suggested, buy an extended warranty for extra peace of mind.
They have local distributer's, one 60 miles from me, that will ship, 397.00 plus sales tax - free shipping, however I will order through their web site and save the tax. The Quad cab form-fit they just issued about a month ago, with cutouts for tie-downs etc.
I'm just a lttle leery of drop-ins and spray-ins.
Will let you know how it works out.
That said, it will be more pronounced in manual transmissions because shifting is less consistent. An automatic transmission will always shift within a range of rpms, and will always shift at the same rpms in the same driving conditions. A manual obviously doesn't work like that, with the driver having complete control over shifts, and hence being less consistent.
As a result the computer will inevitably take longer to learn what is going on when the engine is bolted to a stick shift.
There are no practical benefits to the computer learning process - the process is a necessary evil of the computer management system - and that does have a number of advantages.
Essentially what the computer does is seeks to maximize the fuel efficiency, minimize emissions and keep countless other measurements within specified parameters. This it can do straight from the factory. The problem that the computer has is that some guy (or gal) keeps playing with the controls when it is trying to do these things so it has to work out what that idiot is doing so that it can get on and do its job.
It also has to watch the idiot's right foot because it has to react when that foot moves - no throttle cable on this engine - fly-by-wire all the way baby!!!!
It takes a while for the computer to learn how to react in different situations - all joking aside this thing is monitoring temperature in various parts of the engine as well as outside, gear, revs, speed, rate of acceleration / deceleration etc, etc, etc.
This will not ultimately lead to a single profile because all vehicles are different - your truck reacts differently to mine because I drive differently and live in a different place (with different atmospheric conditions).
Hope this helps a little - and for anyone, there is no such thing as a stupid question.
Running the Leer shell, MPG went down 1 or so with it on...
Carls5, what bay area dealer do you go to? Mine (in Oakland) is lame...
One of the common threads in this forum, besides the overriding courtesy shown posters, has got to be all the people saying "I wasn't a Dodge/Mopar Guy". Same here, lifetime Ford driver. Guess they made something so good it pulled us all in...I really liked the stories about the QC parked at the Chevy dealer's lot...
Ben
to yank2 - many thanks to you, too. Do you know if the flares made by Venture are more expensive than those from the dealer?
since I questioned him about a rebate, he has taken a new tack. Whatever, I continue to wait for
the rebate. This might be a longer wait than for
the Quad.
Bookitty
- Weatherstripping
- Bed alignment
- Paint problems
- Door alignments
Thanks to all for your help while waiting. I'll keep everyone posted on the mileage updates and any problems that arise (hopefully none).
Brookzie
Carl
No squeaks, rattles, whistles, whines, stumbles or stalls here! Only problem I had at delivery was a light coat of finish paint on the bottom horizontal underside of the right side doors, which the dealer quickly refinished.
Just got back from a 500 mile trip. What a smooth, comfortable and fast ride! At one point, for about 50 miles, my red QC was leading convoy for a black Dakota CC and a black Ram QC across Wisconsin's countryside at 70 mph! (Fortunately, there was very little oncoming traffic).
impy2 - I noticed a slight ping on hills after filling up with the cheapest 87 octane I could find. Haven't tried any 89. I did read an article that noted a coolant cavitation problem in the heads of the 3.9L V6's that sounded like a muffled pre-ignition ping. Wouldn't go away no matter what octane used. Said it could be solved by running a cooler thermostat in the summer heat. A 180 degree F rather than a 195 degree F - might be a little off but you get the idea.
Do have a friend that changed thermostats on the V6 and he said its a horrible place to get the old gasket off. BTW - It did solve his "pinging" but he'll probably need to put the hotter thermostat in for winter - Central Pennsylvania.
I have not yet checked on fill up. I will have to buy fuel two times in succession in PA, because I
can do my own fill and have a more well controlled
standard for "full." But, I am back and forth to the shore a great deal so that may not happen for a while. Love this truck. You are correct about us
"flat land foreigners" in that driving to the shore, the road is relatively flat. I use cruise control set @ 60MPH and the instant read out on the computer averages 24-28 MPG.
Bookitty
I can see now why your mpg's are better by being able to get into cruise control ASAP.
Let us know how the Quad does in the sand when you go surf fishing on a remote 4WD only beach in NJ, DE, MD, VA area. Probably not safe to eat the fish anymore but its always been a reason I would think of for a 4WD.
A couple questions...
I noticed when I engaged clutch while in cruisecontrol the rpm climbed from 1750 to over 3000 - almost like the computer sensed the drop in spd and adjusted throttle. This only happened once other times it dropped to near normal- is this normal?
Would the speed of the guy shifting cause the computer to vary the rate that it allows rpm to drop? Does it sense -for example- a 3rd to 4th shift at 4000 rpm/60mph and slightly pause the drop at the appropriate 4th gear rpm (2850rpm/60mph) for the shift?
Has anybody peaked inside the engine compartment, near the back of the headlights or where the air intake snorkle is? My paint job just sort of runs out in both front corners, and you can see a healthy sized section with greyish primer. I've never seen this on any other vehicles, but of course the Dakota has a unique hood/front end/enginebay design.
You'd think I'd have been smart enough to check all the doors the first time...or that the mechanic should have...I also have a transmission dipstick that doesn't seat all the way down-push it down, and it backs out about 1/2 inch. No leakage, but it does make you wonder if contamination can enter the transmission through the opening. Also, I guess the oil filter "trap-door" is a 4x4 thing only, mine's easily accessed from underneath, although weird angle and small clearance makes for some difficulty. Since all new cars have the factory filter installed by Godzilla, I have the first oil change (1500 miles) done by the local "oil changers". Last thought:
No "crud" observed at oil filler spout end. Maybe I'm just lucky.
Air conditioner drip and sizzle. Here in the humid South the AC just stays on about all the time.(yeah I know that probably affects my mileage) Lots of condensation and after stopping you can hear the dripping hitting something hot and making a sizzling sound....like pssst .......pssst. Has anybody else heard this?
Onto the drip. Hear it all of the time too but more when I've actually placed the control knob on a "snowflake" setting. Must be dripping on the exhaust system.
Bookitty - the rebate is, err, in the mail, yes that's it - it's in the mail.
Zonk - I'm not talking to you - creep all you like, if you call me Andrew you are off the Christmas card list ;-)
Now the owners club.
Macguy (Jack), Bonnie and I had a very positive e-mail conversation yesterday, we should see some progress this week. One of the reasons for the delay is that Edmunds are trying to get the brand manager or equivalent to become involved.
Let me say that again. Edmunds are trying to get the DC Dakota brand manager, or an equivalent person to be a part of the owners' forum. WOW!!!!
I don't know what progress has been made so far, but if this isn't a sign of the commitment that Edmunds has then I don't know what is.
So now we are close to getting our own club, and we are close to having a voice that will really be heard where it matters. This is our opportunity, I am sure that the oft referred to respect and helpful attitude taken by posters has helped out cause, but there are other views out there that need to be heard.
This is a call to all the lurkers - come post on these boards, you know from reading that you will get a great welcome, and if you haven't yet signed up to Edmunds then that will help their statistics - so come on in guys and gals - the water's lovely!!
Zonk - my sulks never last more than a minute - and no Dakota owner (or waiter) could ever make me sulk.
Oh by the way - if the lady with the identical truck to me who gave me the double take on the 404 north the other night is on this list - I want your phone number (just don't tell the wife).
Incidentally, I suspect that the company rep would be a Dakota brand manager rather than a QC brand manager, we don't all drive 4 doors you know!!
Aloha and Mahalo
Scott
And if my B&L Dealer, Bob Leffler Jr. in Shamokin PA is reading, I told you:
1. catch these threads
and:
2. the check is in the mail
3. we'll be talking about the tranny dipstick
4. there's a bunch of coverted Dodge owners that are also real intelligent, nice folk here.