DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB

surffla1 · March 2002

furrydog,
I did my first oil change and didn't have any problem getting the factory filter off. I use one of those oil filter wrenches that fits right over the filter and attaches to a standard socket wrench. Works great. Worth a few bucks. By the way what is the 2 liter bottle approach? I think I missed that one.

Just passed 5000 miles. No problems except for a strange factory CD player "this is only a test" sound early on that went away after I turned off the truck and never came back. 17-18 mpg city, 20 mpg on a recent 200 mile road trip from Melbourne Beach to Bunnell, Fla. that put me over the 5K mark.

sunburn · March 2002

(furrydog) - the oil filter that came from the factory on my 2002 QC was very tight. It took on of those oil filter wrenches that fits over the bottom of the filter and an 18" breaker bar and a lot of pulling to get it loose. I have never seen an oil filter put on that tight.

In regards to the check engine light, mine came on again yesterday morning. Got a code P0456 out of the system. This is a small leak in the evaporative emissions control system. I pulled the negative battery cable for 30 sec. This cleared the code and it hasn't been back since. I got this same code about 1 month ago. If it keeps happening I'll have drag it back to the dealer.

As an update to my previous post, to get the OBD codes out you need to switch the ingition key from off to on three times, ending in the on position. It seems that you need to make the three cycles in about 2-3 seconds. Faster or slower doesn't work.

furrydog1 · March 2002

I took your advice an actually figured out how to do the ignition trick to bring up the code. I got the code but before I could check it out online my wife had already been to the dealer. You were right on the mark, there was a leak in the evaporative emissions control system. The mechanic said that it is a known problem and that they have a fix for it on the way in a month or two. The check engine light is off for now but wouldn't be surprised if it came on again in the next 5K miles.
Other than this really minor issue I am very happy with the truck, even if I don't get to drive it much. The way we're driving it, it shouldn't be too long before we hit 10K miles.

furrydog1 · March 2002

Can't take credit for this but read it here on Edmunds about 2 months ago. Here's the jist of the 2 liter bottle filter change(for the 4.7).....

As you probably realized after your first oil change, when you take the filter off your hand gets drenched in oil as you reach through the small access hole under the truck. To alleviate this problem take a standard 2 liter plastic coke bottle, cut off the bottom, which basically leaves you with a crude funnel. Make sure you leave the cap on the bottle. After you have loosened the filter enough where it won't leak but can now be removed by hand, slip the 2 liter bottle through the access hole so that it covers the whole filter. Since the bottle is flexible you can use it to unscrew the filter completely which will cause it to drop right into the bottle. Hold it there for a minute or two and then pull the bottle out of the hole and then you can unscrew the bottle cap to drain the oil into your oil storage tank. It worked great for me the first time I tried it.

Per the factory filter: I naively thought I would be able to remove the filter by hand so I was a little torqued b/c I didn't own a filter wrench and didn't have another vehicle to get to the parts store. Had to ride my bike up to the store, clerk gave me the appropriate oil filter wrench and headed back home. Come to find out he gave me the wrong sized wrench which didn't work. Boy was I po'd. I repeated the process and luckily got the correct wrench the 2nd time. Ended up being a 2 1/2 hour oil change. The next one should take 30 minutes or less.

mopar67 · March 2002

My arms still ache and that was a long time ago!
What the hell is wrong with those clowns at the factory anyway? That is why there is a gasket on there so you don't have to crank the living bejezus out of it to keep it from leaking.......

Guess the fellows up at Dodge City have never had to change an oil filter on a Dak.

iowabigguy · March 2002

I don't think the oil filter is over torqued but rather the paint on the block is still tacky when they install the oil filter. Rick

surffla1 · March 2002

I don't usually drink soda but I am going to definately buy some prior to my next oil change!

Regarding your initial filter predicament, look on the bright side. You got in some great aerobic exercise and you got almost every drop of the old oil out of your engine by letting it drain for 2 hours!

tglick · March 2002

I have a '01 Dakota Quad Cab with towing package. When hooked up to my 24' travel trailer all electrical components on the trailer work fine except for one thing. The batteries on my trailer are not charging. Is there a fuse on the truck that could be blown? In reading the owners manual for the truck and trailer the trailer batteries are supposed to be charged, by the tow vehicle, when towing. I would greatly appreciate any help.

Thanks,
Travis

bpeebles · March 2002

(tglick) I have never heard of the tow vehicle actually charging a battery on a trailer but I guess it might work. The "trick" is to somhow get a constant 12 volts from the tow vehicle. The only way I can think of for this to occour is to ALWAYS have the lights turned on when towing. (or at least the running lights)

iowabigguy · March 2002

I have the Factory towing option on my Dakota. The 7 pin connector has provisions for providing a constant 12 volts to the trailer. The factory wiring is fused with a 40 amp fuse. If I recall correctly the fuse is NOT installed from the factory. I use a 7 pin to 4 pin adapter so I don't use the 12 volt supply line. According to my service manual for my 2000 Dakota the fuse is #6 and is located in the Power Distribution Center. The wire is 14 gage and is red with a tan trace and terminates at pin 4 of the 7 pin receptacle. There is a Trailer Tow Relay which is also in the Power Distribution Center, when activated by the headlight switch the 12 volts is placed in another 14 gage wire which is black with an orange trace and it ends up at pin 3 of the 7 pin receptacle. The 12 volts also goes to one other place, it is present on the 14 gage red wire with tan trace that goes to the electric brake pigtail that was provided with the factory tow package. Hope this helps. Rick

merlh · March 2002

Questions for those of you that actually tow with your QC...

I've got a 25' travel trailer, weighs in at about 5300 lbs. I've been wanting a QC for more than a year now, but am concerned about it being able to realistically tow my camper. We've towed this TT with an '00 4.7L Grand Cherokee and a '97 4.6L V8 F150 w/3.55 R&P gearing. The '00 GC's 4.7L proved to be marginal for towing this TT with headwind resistance proving to be the biggest problem (on a flat highway with no wind it was actually OK), my F150's 4.6L can only do the job with a tailwind and if you've got headwinds forget it. I don't know what the axle gearing is on our Grand Cherokee. The QC I'd get would be (probably) a 4.7L 4x4 with 3.92 axle gearing, towing pkg, and the wheel and tire pkg.

So my question is... can the 4.7L + 3.92 axle gearing do the job? Anybody out there tow similar weight with this setup? If so, what kind of mileage do you see on the highway and how is the power? I'm not so much concerned with mileage while towing as I am with range. Our 4.7L GC gets 6-8 MPG while towing, and with a 20 gallon tank that puts us at a gas station more often than I like. What I'm shooting for is a compromise. We tow this TT about 6 or 8 times per year, the rest of the time this pickup will be my daily driver. What that means is that I can live with things like the range issue, but if it doesn't have to power to maintain 60-65 MPH on the rolling hills of an interstate (I-40 in western TN for example) then I need to be thinking of something with more power and unfortunately fewer MPG on my daily commute.

Thanks for any input.
--
Merl, Tejas

jebsdaddy · March 2002

I would use a suitably equipped 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck to tow your application. Once you add passenger weight, bicycles, 6 packs etc... you will be much heavier than the trailer weight alone. I would want some over-kill factor built in when towing and the Dakota would be over stressed. A diesel would be nice for towing and it would eventually pay for the difference with better mileage and performance. Good Luck

tglick · March 2002

I have a 2001 QC, 4.7L, auto., 3.55, 4X4. I tow a 4,800lbs. 24' trailer. With 4 people in the truck and the trailer's tanks full this truck does a fine job. I live in Seattle, Washington and have quite a few hills and mountain passes. When climbing a decent hill, like Stevens Pass (elevation 4,800'), I manually shift the truck into 2nd gear and can easily hold at 50 mph. At the steepest portion of this pass the truck does shift down to first a couple times but quickly jumps up to speed. The 4.7L does a very nice job towing my trailer but the gearing isn't quite perfect. If I had it to do over again I would get the 3.92 gearing.

Typically I tow the trailer at 60-65 mph. Depending on the terain I get from 9-11 mpg. I take the trailer out 10-14 times a year, usually traveling about 300 miles round trip. The rest of the year it is my commuter vehicle (75 miles a day) and 2nd family vehicle. For my purposes this truck does everything I hoped it would do, and more. I looked at the Ford Supercrew but liked the Dodge better (better size and cheaper). Good Luck

P.S. Thanks to iowabigguy for your very detailed information.

steve234 · March 2002

I tow a 4500, 24 boat with my Quad w/Tow pkg. You don't say how much or what type of terrain you tow, but I think in your case, you might be better off with a larger vehicle. The SuperCrew with the 5.4 might be a beter choice or wait until they come out with the 5.7 on the Dodge Ram.
Diesels are nice if you get enough use out of them, but in most cases, the gas cost difference does add up.

merlh · April 2002

Thanks for your responses on my QC towing questions. The 5300 pound weight of our TT is my estimate of it's loaded weight as we use it. Supposedly the unloaded weight is around 4700 pounds and since we don't travel with the TT full of water (except between a camp site and dump station) I figure 500-600 pounds is a realistic high-end estimate of the weight we add for traveling. I found out that our Grand Cherokee w/4.7L V8 has 3.73 gearing, so the QC's 3.92 should provide a little extra oomph on the highway as long as any tire size difference doesn't negate the lower axle gearing. AFA type of terrain we tow in... typically interstate highways of the south, southwest, and midwest, so rolling hills but not particularly mountainous.

I really don't want a 3/4 or 1 ton truck, it looks to me like I should be able to find a 1/2 ton pickup configured to do this job. I have also been considering the SuperCrew with a 5.4 and axle gearing lower than the 3.55 that my current 4.6L F150 has, but I've been driving my Ford for 5 years now and am ready for a change. I don't really like the new Ram, and the 4 door Chevy 1/2 ton is actually longer than the SuperCrew (I've got garage fitment issues as it is).

I know this has been asked before but I haven't heard... Is Dodge going to put the 4.7L HO into the Dakota? Or the 5.7? and if so, when? If I could get the extra torque that the 4.7 HO puts out (vs. the standard 4.7) in a QC I'd already be driving one.

Merl, Tejas

iowabigguy · April 2002

"Is Dodge going to put the 4.7L HO into the Dakota? Or the 5.7?" I would suspect that since the Dakota is going to be discontinued that DC won't put any more engineering money into the Dakota than necessary. You might see the 4.7Ho in the R/T to replace the 5.9 but I doubt you will see the 5.7 in the Dakota. Rick

draymond2 · April 2002

Does this mean the new model coming out the end of this calender year will be the last year or the model coming out at the end of year 2003?

iowabigguy · April 2002

draymond2, in reading the articles on the Buzz site the M80 is supposed to be out by model year 2005 at the latest. One could guess then that the Dakota's last model year would be 2004. I didn't see when the Durango was changing but since the Dakota and Durango share the same chassis its introduction would also logically affect when the Dakota goes away. Rick

draymond2 · April 2002

Thanks for the info.......

blackdakota318 · April 2002

i have a 98 dakota 4x4 318 and after a recent 4wheeling trip developed a metal squeal coming from the engine. it seems to be worse if it is cool outside. and it is usually only their when the truck is first started and driven whether cold or hot. would it be a bearing somewhere with the belt? thanks

bpeebles · April 2002

(blackdakota318) Your description points to a slipping belt. Check the belt and make sure your battery is fully charged.

A weak battery gets excessivly discharged when you start the engine... then puts a big load on the alternator (thus the belt) for a short time immediatly after starting the engine. The heavy load on the belt can make it slip and squeal right after starting the engine.

A belt that slips like this does not spin the alternator properly. This causes the battery to not charge properly and creates even MORE of a load on the belt. It is a slippery slope that ends up with either a broken belt or a dead battery over time.

Mow many miles do you have on the belt? Perhaps it is time to replace the belt.

kingquad1 · April 2002

AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ON THIS FORUM, I TOO STARTED TO HAVE ALL THOSE NOISES... TORSION BARS, SHOCKS,ETC. ALL THIS HAPPENED SUDDENLY AFTER BECOMING SLIGHTLY AIRBORNE AND THEN OF COURSE, BOTTOMING OUT! NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE NOISE WAS NOTICEABLE ENOUGH TO WARRANT A VISIT TO MY LOCAL DEALER IN THE COMING WEEKS!
THIS PAST WEEK I HAD TO BRING MY ATV DOWN FROM MY BROTHERS. ALL 650 POUNDS PLUS! AFTER DRIVING MY DAKOTA FOR 200 MILES WITH THIS THING ON IT.... I NO LONGER HAVE ANY MORE SQUEAKS,RATTLES.. NOTHING!!!ANY IDEAS GUYS?
ALSO, JUST BECAUSE A SHOW VEHICLE HAS A PARTICULAR NAME, ie: THE M80, DOESN'T MEAN IT MIGHT NOT SHOW UP AS THE NEW DAKOTA! MY SOURCES SAY THERE WILL BE A NEW DAKOTA. IT IS TOO GOOD OF A SELLER TO STOP MAKING IT!

sebring95 · April 2002

you could always throw the 5.9L in there for towing. I know on paper the power doesn't seem much different, but on the road you'll find that low torque makes a very obvious difference. You'll have no issues towing 5300#. The downside is mpg the rest of the time you're not towing. Not sure how much heavier the Dak is over the JGC so figure that into the equation. I've towed 4000# with a 4.7L JGC and power was fine, but the short wheelbase didn't really do it justice.

The 4.6L in the Ford is completely inadequate as a tow engine. Had one in a '98 and the thing was ready to blow with 50K on it. I towed about 4000# with it maybe twice a month and it just couldn't handle it. I now tow 12,000# and up with a cummins diesel and it's like night and day compared to towing with a small vehicle. I wouldn't recommend a diesel or 3/4 ton truck though for someone towing 5000# a few times a year. Unless you're doing alot of very steep mountain passes the Dak chassis can handle it fine. Anyone towing much over 3000# on a regular basis (my '01 Ram has 70K on it, 80% towing) needs a 3/4 ton or larger vehicle for durability and safety IMHO.

gator72 · April 2002

I want to remove the dealer's promotional decal from my tailgate. Does anyone know an easy way to do this; (ie. no scratches)?

BTW: The activity on this board has sure dropped in the past few months. Where did everyone go?

ja812 · April 2002

I just had the dealer remove the decal for me when I picked up the truck....I figured no free advertising...maybe you can still have them take it off as a favor for dealing with them.

txyank1 · April 2002

hair dryer and my thumbnail. Then spent hours cleaning off the sticky residue. Dealers logo stickers seem to come off a whole easier than the trucks trim pieces. That 3m stuff they use really sticks!!

eagleeye13 · April 2002

I was shown a few years back a wonderful product for removal of the gummy glue residue from items purchased with stickers on them, WD-40, get the paper or whatever off down to "glue" spray on WD-40 let sit for a minute wipe off residue and repeat if needed, after removal I would recommend wash and wax. Hair dryer has worked good for removal of decals for me.

Hope this helps you.

Lee

gator72 · April 2002

Thanks to JA812, TXYank1 and EagleEye13 for the info! I'll give it a shot this weekend between "honey-do's".

billarf · April 2002

I have used this little trick on the last 3 new vehicles I have owned and never had any problem with the removal of the stickers.. Though you worry about damage to the visor there is really little to no risk as long as you follow the directions as below.
Anyway, remove the visor and place an evenly wet (not dripping)washcloth over the sticker. Take an iron set on medium and heat the washcloth that is placed over the sticker until it begins to steam. Heat the complete wash cloth area over the sticker! Now, very slowly (Slowly!) peel off the sticker. Right away, IF any adhesive residue remains gently (gently!) rub it off with the hot, wet wash cloth. Use caution with the rubbing as to not damage the material. I then dry with a hair dryer set at low and held at a distance. After dry, wipe the visor with a dry soft cloth to get the texture all going one way. NOTE: Never place the iron directly on the sticker and be sure the complete sticker is evenly heated/steamed prior to the SLOW removal of the sticker.
Bill in NY Geeeez, looks so much better!

pweiblen · April 2002

I'm looking for a crew cab truck but what dodge needs to do is this
1. be the first to put a real bed on the truck.. skrew cutting it because of the crew cab . make it 7ft and get it over with
2. both front seats power
3 all seats heated
3. key less entry.. keypad on door.
4 lock able tailgate
5. needs more cup holders.. and big enough for the largest cups
6. auto headlights.. never want to turn them on or off
7. integrated cell phone that can be configured wiht the same tele # as your reg cell phone..
7. make the rd awd for us new englanders

mopar67 · April 2002

buy 4WD if you need it, AWD is a costly accessory weighs a ton, and is costly to fix.

Get a full size RAM if you need a 7 foot bed. Recall the dak once came with an 8 foot bed but was dropped due to poor sales.

Heated seats are nice but they add to cost & will further stress an already stressed 12V system. Which is why a 42V system is being looked at by nearly all auto manufacturers.

Ever have to fix a keyless entry system? I had to have one fixed on a Taurus, waited three weeks for the part and the screw up kept me from opening the drivers door. Kinda fun to do the Bo Duke (or was it Luke?) slide over the hood to the pass door though.

WHy auto headlights? Aren't we all intelligent enough to know when to turn them on and off? Might as well have auto radio too so we don't have to turn it off either.

Why think for ourselves when we can pay someone to do it for us?

If you take the biggest, baddest cupholders then how doyou keep a smaller cup from getting lost and tipping over?

Power seats? Get a Lincoln or something. This is a truck after all.

Cell phone? Don't even go there. I'm tired of near collisions with bozos who see the need to "be connected" while they are driving. Nonetheless, I have become adept at swerving to avoid those thoughtless, cluless souls who "didn't see that red light" I have a thought, try getting connected with your vehicle first. You can always yap on the phone later. And I thought teenagers were phone hogs.

A lockable tailgate has merit only if you have a cap or hard cover. Should the rest of us lock our tailgates too? Maybe we could get DC to make it "auto lock" (like auto headlights)

txyank1 · April 2002

you'd understand the need for auto headlights!

bookitty · April 2002

I agree with Ben (mopar67) regarding an auto headlight system being unnecessary, however, so far there is no ongoing program for installing "common sense." In NJ and NY, there is a law that states that headlights be on whenever operating windshield wipers. However, there are a great number of people who don't quite get it. These are the same people who have not yet achieved the learning curve on the "right on red" turn in NJ and PA. But, after all it has only been in effect for about 32 and 26 years respectively. As for needed items and accessories afforded by a manufacturer, one has the right to buy what is available, or give their business to another vendor. Ain't America great?

Bookitty

ahasher · April 2002

it's all common sense....visibility diminished.. use LIGHTS.. not for YOU necessarily, but for the OTHER driver to see you.. oh well goes with the same kind of driver who thinks high beans help in fog...
But one thing I WOULD change on the DAK deign.. is that very annoying lock setup on the rear doors. Pulling the handle should UNLOCK them as in the front. If we want the childproof safety; use the little switch in the side panel.

That was a 2 beer thought mopar67 ;-)

mopar67 · April 2002

come on son, time to catch up!

1200 on the hamster, no problems. Wish it had more oooooomppph though. But I knew that when I bought it.

steve234 · April 2002

I would hate having all that automatic garbage thrust on me. It seems that if they can't figure out the proper way to drive, they need to go back to school or park it. Those headlights on the GMS are a good example. They are worthless around OK. I got held up by a funeral procession recently and nobody could tell when it finished going by because of a large number of late model GM cars following.

Question: I saw a new Explorer (not even tagged) this morning. It had a light weight (factory?)hitch on it, with probably a 1 7/8" ball. An arm on the ball mount (part of the unit) went to the driver's side a few inches and had a teeny ball (less than 1") mounted. Anybody got a clue what this is about?

bookitty · April 2002

Steve, the second smaller ball is usually for a weight distributing hitch or some other reason to pull from more than a single source. I also believe that the new Explorer receiver utilizes the smaller (1-1/4"X1-1/4") insert (class II). There is a step-up insert for folks who have class III attachments and if the load falls within the confines of a class II, then they can be used.

Bookitty

gator72 · April 2002

Tailgate theft is a growing problem. Why do you think all those guys (and gals) use cargo nets? Sure, some use 'em by choice, but MOST do it b/c some jerk stole their tailgate and can't afford to buy a new one. Most new Fords come with locking tailgates.

FYI: I have the hard, folding tonneau cover; has lock at both ends (ie. locks tailgate). I've had my 2001 QC SLT-Plus for @ 1 1/2 years. Glad I got the folding cover!

spike50 · April 2002

Way back when, I saw an aftermarket replacement handle that key-locked the tailgate. Has anyone had experiences with any of these products? Any recommendations?

Btw - I did lock up the spare tire so that never takes a walk.

mfarber · April 2002

I have a 2000 Quad Cab with 4WD and the 5.9L Currently I have 53,000 miles and have had the engine lite come on several times with a transmission code. The first time I brought it in the dealer suggested changing the trans fluid, done, 300 miles later the lite came on again, this time they reconditioned the overdrive unit, a feww hundred miles later the lite came on again and they said it was a pressure plate. Well, $1200.00 later I was driving home tonite and the lite cam on again, obviously I am expecting another trans code. Has anyone else experienced any similar problems and what was the outcome. I love the truck but I am very dissappointed with the problems I am experiencing with this amount of mileage.

steve234 · May 2002

I wondered if it had anything to do with weight distribution. It seems odd to have WD on a vehicle with such a low tow capacity. My experience with WD is with the two bars that mount under the receiver and then chain to the tongue.

mfarber: Run, don't walk to another dealer or mechanic. The mug you are using oblviously doesn't have a clue and is selling you services you don't need.

fvracer · May 2002

Steve234, The tiny ball is for a friction sway control device, not a weight distibuting hitch.

steve234 · May 2002

Anti-sway would make more sense than WD with that configuration. I'm all in favor of anything that improves trailer handling, but I wonder how it would affect tight manuevering. Oh well, can't have everthing. It's like the pontoon boat I saw last weekend at the local dealer. It looks great, everything is much improved over my 91 model and it has 190 HP compared to my 90 HP. Trouble is, then I would have to trade the Quad in on a SC or get the new Ram w/ the 5.7 Hemi. Then I would have to build a new garage and barn to fit everything in. And here I am trying to figure out how I can afford lunch.

bookitty · May 2002

Steve, sorry for my error. Here I thought that I would get through all of my many years (69) without making a mistake. Boy! I'm sorry that I blew that record. The only other time that I had thought to be mistaken, it actually wasn't, so it didn't count. Steve, I saw that anti-sway thing in a catalogue, but didn't read the text and assumed it was a weight distribution accessory. Now that I think about it, the link looked something like a shock absorber. Sorry if I misled you. Your now less than perfect friend,

Bookitty

steve234 · May 2002

I never have to worry about being perfect. I have a wife and an assistant that tell me I am wrong even when I'm not. If you add the politicians, lawyers and bureaucrats telling me I don't understand why I cannot do what I want with my {money, property, life, opinion}, I have no worries about coming close to perfection.

quadtex · May 2002

I have a 2001 QC with 4.7L, 2WD, auto, limited slip differential, dark green, silver fender flares. My round trip commute to work is around 55 miles, 75% of which are highway miles. I live in Houston so the AC is on most of the time and consistently average 18 MPG. I now have 19,000 miles on the vehicle and have not had any of the brake problems that other people have mentioned on this forum. I have only had two problems, a piece of plastic trim on the front center arm rest came loose and the alarm periodically goes off when I unlock the car doors if I don't hit the unlock button twice on the remote keyless entry. There has been a lot of talk about the great quality of Toyotas. The rear windshield wiper of the 4Runner that my wife drives stopped working a month after getting the car and the weather-stripping on the sun roof came unglued and flapped in the wind when driving. I considered the Toyota Tundra before buying the QC and didn't by the Tundra because the QC looks better, has more rear leg room, costs less, and I experienced quality problems with a new Toyota. After a year, I still think I made the correct decision. Also my 15 year old son says he would much rather drive the QC than the 4Runner when he gets his license because it looks much better.

kojak3 · May 2002

Well, my 01 got 7k worth of damage while parked at work. Some moron rolled, that's right, rolled his 4-runner over speeding through a parking lot. Guess who's truck he came down on??

My truck has been in the shop for over two weeks and will take at least another two to get back.

So, I get a rental car. They don't have the car as promised so they "upgrade" me to a Quad Dak 4wd. OK--same price as car. I didn't drive that truck 10 miles to get home and decided as soon as mine gets out of the shop its being sold and Dodge can kiss my tail. I'll never buy another Dodge. The 02 4wd has all the same problems my 01 2wd does. Squeaking brakes, snap crackle pop front end and an even worse ride. Its a shame because the Quad is functionally very good (except for its short bed). I was thinking about getting a quad ram becuase I'm sick of the problems with my truck. Now,--fuggedabowdit.

Sorry folks. If you love your trucks great. I love my family and have no "loyalty" to a car manufactorer. I'll take the burn on the trade in and get something else. I work my [non-permissible content removed] off for my money and expect quality for these overpriced vehicles.

At work we have a dodge Neon for use and its in the shop more than on the road. My advice, sell your stock in dodge, they're going out of business.

Kojak

timm25 · May 2002

My 2001 QC is 4WD,V8 5 speed w/ 7000 mi. I am looking to get a split rear exhaust. The split rear from Gibson requires that I remove my spear (I assume permanently)....no way! Any suggestions for a good exhaust system that will improve both MPG and horsepower for the Dakota? (I'd also accept a dual that comes out the side).And how bout Gibson headers for the V8? I am also considering a good hood deflector that requires no drilling such as the EGR, any thoughts? And last, I plan to make the switch from mineral to synthetic oil. Should I go with Mobile 1? And what would be a good filter? I just want the best for my truck. I'd appreciate some good advice. Thanks.

mtrialsm · May 2002

HI,gator72, I'm interested in a folding cover for
my 2001 Quad. Did you install it? Where did you
purchase it. Brand?
How easy is the cover to remove?
How does it lock the tail gate? Any drilling to
install.
I've found two different brands.
The "K-Cover" and the "Fold-a-Cover"
both are around $495 plus shipping.
Thanks,
Mick

Kirstie_H · May 2002

A television reporter is interested in hearing from folks who have driven long distances to get good prices when buying new cars or trucks. If you have a story to tell, please drop a line including your contact info and city/state of residence to jfallon@edmunds.com.

Thanks,

Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB

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