DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB

tuvtest · March 2001

since we're on the subject of unwanted notice, I have a question for you. When you guys in Vatican City get pulled over by the local police, does the classic line from the Bluse Brother's movie..."I'm on a mission from God"... work to get out of the ticket?

aligator · March 2001

Anybody knowing if it is possible to CHANGE THE FREQ. OF THE RADIO TO EUROPEAN Frequ.(99,0 or 104,2 MHz FM) and if nobody knows, where can i get a DIN-Mountingkit with DIN Cableconnector for my QC Sport 4,7 2001?

crawly16 · March 2001

Thanks to all the dodge owners who helped me through a few early bumps. to update you, my truck almost has 1000 miles. the trans is acting a lot better and almost never stalls. it is feeling a lot better. i decided not to put a bug shield. i know a lot of you feel it is important, but i just think it covers to much of the curves. anyway, i am going on the first decent trip(4 hour drive along boring route 57). i was wondering how long the breakin period is. will it be ok to use my cruise control yet or should i wait until the car has a few more miles on it. How fast can i drive it? any help is always appreciated.

bobs5 · March 2001

I believe the break-in period is 300 - 500 miles.
Should be ok to use cruise control.
How fast can you drive it? As fast as you feel comfortable or until the speed limiter kicks in.
Watch out for them smokies.
Time to put your foot in it and enjoy!

dskoczylas · March 2001

I have a 2001 4x4 Quad cab 5 speed 4.7 3.92's with 5K on it now. I love the truck and am glad I bought it. I have noticed lately a noticible clunk when shifting at slow speed from 1st into 2nd. and sometimes 2nd to third. Have any of you with 5 speeds noticed this? I have heard it is normal and might be the sloppy throw out bearing or the front 4 wheel drive shaft slapping around. Anyone have any experience with this?

bookitty · March 2001

David, clunking noises occurring while shifting from first to second and second to third at low speeds may be some "slop" or play in the propeller (drive) shaft and/or its universal joints. A quite common occurrence on higher torque vehicles. I don't think it is anything to cause concern.

Bookitty

bobs5 · March 2001

dskoczylas
Yep, This has been observed by many 5 spd owners.
Mine does it a bit. Very light clunk sound with clutch engagement/disengagement. Does not always do it all the time. Kinda depends on engine speed as well. If I let the engine deaccellerate briefly so the drive line it not under torque, the shifts are silent.
People who have asked the service department about this, have been told it is normal.
If you feel it is really loud, then have your service department check it out.
Good luck,
Bob

biglucy · March 2001

I've just recently noticed that my QC is sqeaking an awful lot somewhere in the back, maybe the springs. It's been raining alot, so I thought the moisture might have something to do with it. But on dry days the sqeaking is still evident. Normal for a new truck??? Something that I can check and fix on my own, or should I go to the Dealer???

bobs5 · March 2001

No squeaks here.
Take it in to the dealers.
It is under warranty so let them figure it out.
They will probably give your rear-end a good lube job!

average_joe · March 2001

Hello,

Just picked up my new quad cab Saturday, and so far I absolutely love the thing, however I noticed one thing that had me a little concerned... a large portion of the underside of the vehicle has rust on it... for example the rear leaf springs have small patches of rust, as well as the rear axle in a few places... the exhaust has some on it too in places, as well as a few other places... now it seems as though the rust could easily be removed if I just took a little sandpaper to it, but I am not sure if that is a good idea... the dealer told me these things happen, but hell the vehicle is only 20 days old, built on the 1st of march... my best guess is it sat outside for a little while in Michigan during one of their storms earlier this month... anyway, what's my best course of action, or should i just leave it? any help would be greatly appreciated...

bookitty · March 2001

Joe, many manufacturers store their component materials outside, or in areas that offer little protection from the elements. Usually, as long as the properly prepare surfaces that are to be painted, it does not make a lot of difference. They also store finished products, or products needing out of stock components outside so that the production line is not compromised. They call it oxidation, we call it rust.

Bookitty

tvay · March 2001

I just had a lear cap put on my qc this week. It's the best looking cap out there! It's the cap designed by Leer and Dogde and it's worth the $1300 bucks. The one option that is a must is the front window that folds down so you can clean opposite side and truck window. This cap doesn't look like your standard cap. Awesome looking!

macminn · March 2001

The front window that folds down on the Leer cap you're talking about probably isn't available with the slider window, is it?

Thanks,
Todd

bobs5 · March 2001

Thank you for sharing the information.
The cap purchase will have to wait until after I pay my taxes...errrr.

$1300 is a sizeable amount of money. Especially for a 5 foot cap.
I am curious as to what the breakdown is, of the cost of the cap.
Is it like buying a vehicle? What I mean, is there a base price for the cap in which accessories or options are added?
Thank you,
Bob

bobs5 · March 2001

Underside rust is not all that uncommon with any of the truck manufacturers. I have not looked under my truck extensively other than to see if there are any fluid leaks on the ground.

I wonder if any of those spray on chemicals could stop or neutralize the oxidation or rust.

If you discuss this matter with your dealer, please let us know what the outcome is.
Thank you,
Bob

trippinglizard · March 2001

Two weeks ago I also ordered the leer cap . . . final price with installation should be $1245 . . .
I would guess mark up is about $300 . . .
I will let you all know how it looks on my pat. blue quad!!

trippinglizard · March 2001

If you have tire lifts getting underneath should be a snap for the spray on coating . . . Just wear gloves and eye protection. Do it on a calm day and use masking tap around the fender flares and throw an old towel over the wheels to catch any drips and overspray. protect your driveway also with plastic or something!! I'm looking into if it voids the warrany or not . . . I wouldn't think so . . .

slick300 · March 2001

Well, I've been reading here for and awful long time and have decided to order my QC. I am ordering a black 4x4 qc BUT a dealer I have been dealing with mentioned three additional charges that I need verified. One was a $20 Dodge ownership something or other and the other two ($250, $160) he mumbled something about a regional distribution charge? Doesn't sound kosher to me but has anyone else had to pay like charges?

tvay · March 2001

The folddown window does come as a slider. It's was about $80 bucks more. I called 5 Leer dealers in the area and $1300 istalled was best price w/ sliding folddown window. For the Leer cap 100xl it was around $900. That's not a negotiated price though, once you see the XQ You'll see it's worth the bucks.

trippinglizard · March 2001

Thanks for the past posts on the Fumoto drain plug . . . the whole process of taking the skid plates off and installing the drain plug were a simple success!!
I also called my dealer and he agreed with me that the break in period is only 300-400 miles and you can doing anything oil change wise after that . . . I proceed to put mobile 1 syn. 5w30 in and notice a real horsepower increase. The engine is also even more quite!! My advice mobile 1 every oil change!
What do you people think of Bosch(sp) oil filters . . . the higher priced ones . . .?

ethuresson · March 2001

There was a guy on a mopar site somewhere who cut apart over a dozen different filters from different manufacturers, and he found that some Bosch filters were made by a generic filter company. I forget what site exactly, it's listed in these forums somewhere, anyone remember?

I believe he found that the Mobil1, AC Delco and a filter called 'Hard Driver' were the best. He also concluded Fram sucked, FWIW.

Is 3 or 400 miles sufficient to allow the rings to seat properly? I would think it might take a little longer than that. But I could be wrong.

tuvtest · March 2001

Here is a link to the very informative research into Filters. Really shattered some opinions I had. No more Orange Cans for me!

http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/minimopar/techdata.html

bookitty · March 2001

Lee, there are regional, national and mailer charges (advertising) that are tacked on to the factory invoice. The funds are used to underwrite advertising expense incurred by the dealers. We get to contribute when we purchase a vehicle. Most manufacturers do this under one guise or another.

Bookitty

trippinglizard · March 2001

I'm thinking about getting westin nerf bars . . . however they attach to the body mounts which I question . . . interms of being good for the truck? Help . . . I don't want to pay the $475 for the mopar brand.

bookitty · March 2001

Fritz, I have the Westin side or nerf bars on my Quad and I am very pleased with them. They easily support my substantial bulk. My dealer carried Smittybilt and Westin but thought the Westin mounting brackets to be stronger. Well anyhow, I'm happy with them. I use them for access and regress, and not for offroading.

Bookitty

weebedna · March 2001

I have the Westin as well. No problems with the mounts...they are heavy duty...

biglucy · March 2001

Fritz,
The Westin nerf bars came highly recommended to me by several sources (Bookitty was one). They can be installed by one person in about 30-45 minutes and are very strong, well I had two really fat guys stand on them without them budging!

If anyone is interested, the rear-end squeaking that cropped up was due to my spare tire lock (Quicklock) that I installed. I purchased the quicklock and tried to install it, but found the U-bar was too short. I called the company and they said they had a number of calls regarding the lock they were sending out to folks with the full size 8 inch rims, the bar was too short with the spare in the normal position. The solution was to turn the tire upside down. I didn't get the tire centered and tight enough when I winched it back up... hence the squeaking. Always happy when it's a simple fix!!!

macey · March 2001

Expecting my new AWD 4.7 Auto 4-speed AC, mid-April.

Any problems with getting rid of the factory oil/filter and replacing with a good quality synthetic oil? (ex: heard about a performance oil that says you'll get a 5% improvement in HP...Purple something or other, otherwise Mobil1)

BTW, I understand Molar offers a cold-air induction system for our 4.7 engines, where on the WEB can I read up on this, plus get pricing info (imagine this includes the box and a I&N or supercharger type filter, right?)

Also looking at alternatives for the Gibson Super Truck dual side cat-back exhaust, they want around $300, who else is in this price range or lower, and offers the same amount of HI/Torque gain?

Other then these changes for more power (maybe a 180 degree thermostat and chip upgrade down the road), most other mod will be cosmetic.... what is a better buy for a fiberglass tonneau cover, LEER or A.R.E.?

Thanks in advance...

trippinglizard · March 2001

Thanks for the advice on Nerf bars . . . I ordered the black Westin cps . . . stainless. My leer cap should be here this week!!
Macey . . . Some people suggest you wait 1000 - 3000 miles before putting synthetic oil in a new engine so that the rings and seals properly set themselves . . . My dealer said that the 4.7's break in period is only 300-500 miles and after that changing oils should be no problem. I put mobile 1 5w30 in ant 500 and notice a big difference in horse power and overall engine noise. If you ask me . . . if high performance German cars come with mobile 1 in them from the factory . . . it can't hurt a newly developed engine like the 4.7!!

ford_bii · March 2001

I can't comment on other brands, but I can comment on A.R.E. LS II Fiberglass covers. I would not recommend buying one at this time. I have one on my Quad, and it is a great cover, but I think A.R.E. has quality control issues. My cover took 2 tries to get it right, the first time the paint match was off by a mile, even the second cover wasn't up to par, it was the right color, but has some tiny paint imperfections in the base coat. I took the cover anyway for a discount. After having the cover for a few months, I noticed I was getting water in the bed when it would rain. Turns out the weather molding was not installed correctly near the back of the cover, so it does not seal right. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to take it back to the dealer, or just try to fix it myself. My uncle just got back from an A.R.E. dealer last week, he had ordered a cover for his new Chevy, and it came in with cracked paint.

I have also heard negative things about A.R.E. Z caps. I would stay away from A.R.E. products right now, check out Leer, my brother and dad have had Leer caps in the past and they have been decent quality.

biglucy · March 2001

Yo, Whazzup???

tuvtest - thnxs for the awsome link, knowledge is horsepower!!!

ford_bii - An interesting perspective on A.R.E. Sounds like you have definately had some customer service issues. I have decided not to get the LSII with Sportwing... Unless any of my Wonderful Cyberpals would like to contribute to my "biglucy" fund!!!

So I'm wondering if anyone has seen the Chevy Avalance up close and personal?? I've been checking out the Chevy Website and I have just one word... Strange.
Edmund's is showing the 2002 MSRP at $30,000 for the V8 4x4. This thing has a "midgate" behind the passenger seats, I can't wait to see one!

bobs5 · March 2001

I would like to check one out myself.
About the size of a Ford Supercrew, which I was considering before getting the Quad.
$$$ determined what I could get at the time. Ford was not available with a manual transmission.
Don't particularly care for automatics.
Like the cool way the midgate makes room for long items like 4x8 plywood.
Not too crazy about the wrap around plastic look on the lower half of the truck. (Aztek on steroids?)
I would be concerned about how well the midgate seals out wind and rain.
Will a cap be available for the back? How about a manual transmission.
Like you say 33k msrp for a 4x4....that just soared past my imposed budget.

biglucy · March 2001

Yah,

I wonder about the same issues as You, especially the midgate. It would seem that you "remove the window" and stow it - sounds... strange. Not to mention a structural nightmare? I dunno if a cap would fit with that crazy sport looking plastic stuff on the back. Call me old fashioned, but (so far) I like my cab and bed seperate. What's that commercial for the steroidal Nissan<?> outdoor protostud, getting the truck filthy inside with mud, snow, and the like? Yes, trucks are meant to take abuse, but anybody gets dirt in my cab and they're in BIGlucy trouble!

ford_bii · March 2001

I saw an Avalanche up close and personal at the Philly auto show. Can't say I really liked it. Too 'edgy' with too much plastic around it. The Cadillac version, on the other hand, was a very nice looking vehicle. I don't even want to know what that costs.

biglucy · March 2001

Tell me more, I haven't heard about a Caddy 4x4...

dodgetrukn · March 2001

Been looking on the boards,,still can't find any Links to the Fumoto oil plugs.

I would like to get one if I have to pull off the skid plate every time to change the oil.

Does anyone have a link to this product?? Thanks in advance..

PS: Still on the approved to wait list, ordered quad 3/14.

Boy, my old (demolished 98) extended cab didn't have the stinkin oil plug hidden on the 318.

http://members.coolnet.net/~jjmiller/image/pics/gerald.jpg

Gettin itchy for the '01 quad !!!

bobs5 · March 2001

http://www.fumotovalve.com/

dodgetrukn · March 2001

Bobs5, thanks,,and wondering?? you gonna get one also??

apolo · March 2001

Hello,
I am wondering if anybody has put a High Performance Magnum Engine Controller on their quad cab. If so, what was the cost, the performance enhancements and the possible problems with it. Should I get the exhaust done first?

ensign1 · March 2001

I am stationed in Japan due to roll back to the states soon and am in the market for a truck. I have researched all the information I could find on the Dakota and have really liked what i have read about this truck. Problem is that I am in Japan and can not really go down to my local dodge dealer. I have e mailed a few dealers, but received an offer from one on a black Quad 4X4 with the following: split bench seat, hvy duty service group, skid plate group, trailer tow pkg, pwr overhead convienience group, shift on the fly, 4.7 V8, 6 way adj. seat, body side moldings, fog lamps, am/fm/cass, leather steering wheel, pwr windows/locks. He quotes me a price of $100 over invoice at 26889 before 2,000 rebate. Does this sound reasonable or is he out to lunch. Thanks for any help

bcarter3 · March 2001

Your best bet is to go to New Vehicles here at Edmunds and compare the invoice prices and MSRP for your configuration. The only cost not really addressed is the advertising fee of around $500. Most all buyers end up having to pay this. Most important is to get the "turn key" price. Too many dealers add hundreds of dollars for misc. fees and "appearance packages". Before you commit be sure you have a signed agreement on the price. You did not indicate if the model that was quoted was a Sport or an SLT. A fully loaded SLT is actually less than a comparable Sport but a lot of owners prefer the looks of the Sport. Does the Exchange Service still provide a new vehicle order program? It was a very popular deal when I was in the military but that was 20 years ago. Whatever your decision, best of luck. Have you checked out the Dakota Owner's forum in "Owners Clubs". You will find the link on the Town Hall home page. I've got a new Club Cab, 4.7, auto, fully loaded. A friend of mine has a Quad Cab and I am a little envious. I think you will like the Dakota.

rm13 · March 2001

That's good advice about written agreement. Best to have them send or fax it in advance so as to avoid last minute traps. I learned this when my credit union required a copy of sales agreement (which the dealer gladly faxed) prior to giving me a check. When I got to the dealer and he told me about processing fees, I just happened to have that agreement handy. No fee for me:)

txqc2000 · March 2001

The high performance PCM may not be available for your vehicle depending upon the year, engine size, and if your QC is a 4x2 or 4x4 (I heard somewhere that Mopar isn't making these available for 4x4's anymore. Mopar told me they will never make one for a 4x4 5.9L engine). Check the chart on Mopar's website to see if the part is available.

Is so, I've seen quotes for around $250 or so from Mopar performance shops throughout the country (in AZ in particular). I can't recall the shops in particular, but you might do a search on Mopar's website for performance shops in your area or do a search on the DML (Dakota Mailing List at http://www.dakota-truck.net). There have been lots of discussions re: the HP PCM vs. other alternatives like Jet Chips, custom PCM flash from Mike Leach & Co. (the people who designed the program for Mopar's PCM), etc. The performance gain is supposed to be about 18hp to the rear wheels for a 5.9L engine.

Depending upon your engine size, you might want to consider installing an air intake kit (K&N FIP Gen II, AirRaid, etc.) and a catback system (Gibson Single Swept Catback) before going with the PCM upgrade. Mopar claims their Cold Air Induction system (rebranded K&N FIP Gen II I believe) adds about 15hp to the rear wheels on a 5.9L engine. Gibson claims their Single Swept Catback adds about 5-10hp and 15 ft-lbs. of torque to the rear wheels on the same engine.

Hope this helps.

'00 Quadcab SLT+ Garnet Red 4x4 (AWD) 5.9L 46RE 3.55 LSD. For list of modifications to my QC, see my profile:

http://www.twistedbits.net/WWWProfile/dakota/Vof5jrNb0pR1M/

For pictures of my QC & Accessories: http://www.geocities.com/txqc2000

djklopfenstein · April 2001

I have been looking for a nice set of running boards for my 2000 Quad Cab. I would like to have crome but I am unable to find a nice looking set. I don't want nurf bars or the standard diamonds plated style. Has anyone found a quality running board that fits the quad cab? If you have any suggestions please let me know.
Thanks for you help.

bookitty · April 2001

Darrel, I don't know if you have a 4X4 or 4X2, but let me explain what can happen (I have personally witnessed this phenomena) when you drive through deep snow with running boards running the full length of a truck or SUV with 4 doors. The running boards get the vehicle "up on plane", where the wheels lose tractive effort because there is little weight applied. I had a leased Ford Expedition, and when I ordered it, the SUV was loaded with the exception of the running boards. Nerf bars allow the pressure of the snow beneath the vehicle to relieve through the space between the bars and the vehicle body. The same would go for muddy conditions. Get what you want of course, but at least now you are aware of a potential problem.

Bookitty

brake4me · April 2001

Dodge must be trying to cut corners. Like Ethuresson said in an earlier post, new QC orderd do not come with hood insulation. I will be picking up my new QC this Friday and I told my dealer to install the missing insulation. My feelings are that what you pay for is what you should get. The actual work required should be pretty simple. Anyone else notice any missing options they ordered?

nathan_johnson · April 2001

Check out Starboards

http://www.starboards.com/2044.htm

I think they are $499 color matched

Here is a link to someone off of Dakota owners group or the DML

http://intense99dak.com/steve.htm

Nathan

bobs5 · April 2001

I don't know if I will go for one of these oil valves. Well, at least not right away. I have a maintenance contract with the dealer which was thrown in as an incentive to get the extended warranty. It covers every other oil & filter change for 3 years. I'll let the service guys worry about it for now.

trippinglizard · April 2001

Do you have the Sport or SLT model? . . . the SLT's are the one's that come with the hood insulation . . . the sport models do not . . .
I have a sport and it also is missing the insulation, but the dealer told me this when I ordered . . . That hood insulation is a bad thing if you live in areas that get alot of snow and the roads get salted . . . the salt gets behind there and you can't throughly wash it out . . .
If you ask me then hood insulation is something your better off with out!!

trippinglizard · April 2001

The transfer case computer controller needs to be re programed . . . when shifting on the-fly 4x4 might not fully engage and slip into neutral . . .
or something like that . . . Everybody check it out!!

DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB

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