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Dodge Dakota Climate Control

1235

Comments

  • dakota9474dakota9474 Member Posts: 1
    Can anybody tell me where the resistor is located thanks.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I am assuming you are asking about the blower-motor resistor. Keep in mind that the resistor itself is mounted inside the air-plenum so the flowing air can keep it cool. Without airflow, it would run red-hot and burn up quickly.

    Depends on what year you Dak is... but on my 2000 it is under the Dash behind the glovebox. One electrical plug and 2 screws and it comes right out. The part costs about $15.

    This webpage may help you out.
  • mnms218mnms218 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 01 Dakota with the 4.7. recently it stopped blowing hot air, just warm. i have replaced the thermostat, and it worked great.. for a week. did i do something wrong or did something else go bad?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    It sure sounds as if you have air trapped in the system.

    The 4.7 L semi-hemi can be tricky to "burp" all the air out of the cooling system. There is a special air-valve located at the highest point of the system to assist in "burping" the air out.

    Dont forget to check the resivour regularly for about a month. Each time the engine cools, it will suck in more antifreeze.
  • terrys2terrys2 Member Posts: 24
    First make sure the coolant is full. Don't rely on the reservoir level. Take the radiator cap off when cold and be sure the radiator is full. If the cap is bad or if there is a leak in the hose to the reservoir it will not draw coolant back into the radiator when the engine cools off. Also if you had an air pocket when you filled it up you could have been low on coolant from the start.
    Then with the engine at operating temp. and the heater on high both heater hoses should be hot. If one is cool the heater core may be plugged or if it has a heater control valve it may not be all the way open.
    It is also possible that your blend door is not operation properly. You could have a bad thermostat. Not likely but possible.
  • yellowwoodyellowwood Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with the vents in my 1999 Dakota except when not under load, all works fine. When accelerating, all face vents go to defrost. I assume its related to vacuum . Did you find a solution? I could not find where anyone answered your thread. Thanks TOm
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    Not sure if this is related, but most cars I'm familiar with (our Dodge minivans being a prime case), when the engine is under load (accelerating), the AC compressor disengages and the HVAC system switches over to recirculate, so as to not pull hot air into the vehicle. I don't remember if, when this happens, the HVAC goes to defrost mode or not.
  • terrys2terrys2 Member Posts: 24
    This sounds like a bad check valve on a vaccum reservoir.
  • seabee92seabee92 Member Posts: 1
    Today I changed out the waterpump on my 2001 3.9l Dodge Dakota Quad cab. Overall it wentt farly easy until it came time to start it up and admire the handywork I had done.Upon starting it I noticed temp gauge till the check engine light came on. I shut the truck off and checked the expansion tank which hadplenty of fluid in it. I have looked all over the internet and dixcovered the art of burping the cooling system. Every site talked about opening a bleeder. I have yet to locate this bleeder I have been letting the enigine run till the temperature creeps half walf between the midway and heat line in the hopes that whatever air is there will bleed out.Is there another way or a better way of doing this.
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    Anytime I've had to bleed a cooling system, I just used the radiator cap. Start with the engine cold, open the cap, and start the engine up. Make sure the heating/cooling system controls are set so that coolant is circulating through the heater core also. Let the engine run until the thermostat opens up and the engine tries to reach normal operating temperature (which it may not do with the cap off and the system unpressurized). Any air bubbles should find their way to the radiator and escape via the open cap.

    Let the engine cool down and top off the coolant. May have to repeat this a couple of times.
  • redeldo1redeldo1 Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know if the 2001 Dakota SLT has a cabin filter and if so where is it located?

    Thanks
    Wayne
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I dont think it has one.
  • themacguythemacguy Member Posts: 417
    edited July 2010
    okay bruce, after 200k on my 2000 quad cab, i FINALLY am having some weirdness with it. as you may recall, it's never been in the shop for anything other than a routine synthetic oil or tranny fluid change. i did have the rear-end checked /lubed once. 6 sets of tires too, rotors turned, then i replaced them myself. lol anyway, my a/c is doing hinky things now. as you may recall, i've got the semi-hemi and the extra duty cooling package, etc. on one of the very first of the delivered quads in Texas. came off the first trainload.
    i recently had a drop off in a/c efficiency. i've always run it on high a/c-high fan setting here in the 'dry tropics' of w. texas. sooooo, i got the a/c refill bottle thingy, went through the refill process watching the gauge drop nicely into the green, using about half a bottle, noticed the cooling efficiency improve in the cab as well. everything nice and tidy. until just the other day. and now it just blows warm air. not hot, but warm. about what it was doing before i added the 134a. okay, leak right? well, not so fast.
    oddly, the a/c compressor runs normally, fan blows normally and what's really weird is that when i hook the bottle back up to the low pressure port, it is solidly in the green, so apparently it's got a good charge of juice. hmmmmm... fan works, switches are all good, compressor works (not cycling, just on or off), yet temps are warm. turn the temp up to 'hot' and it'll fry your (hot dog) weenie. just no cold air.

    any ideas on this little mystery?

    jack b :-) in midland, tx usa

    coincidentally, we've got an 04 lincoln LS that has about 50k on it. it's just started blowing ice cold only (max low setting only) - no heat. i think we've figgered that'n out, but it happened at the same time. w. tx. just kills a/c units!
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    Seals internal to the compressor???
  • themacguythemacguy Member Posts: 417
    interesting thought. still wondering about that 'full charge.' you know, now that i've thought about it a bit more, for the first 160k or so it often whistled when it started cooling, and then quit (but kept cooling nicely). in fact my kids used to call my truck 'the whistler.' i'd forgotten about that. it was a high pitched whistle that just tapered off and then quit, but it didn't always do it and cooled well, so i just left it alone.
  • themacguythemacguy Member Posts: 417
    bled a little hot air out of the low pressure port, then put in about 18 oz. of 134a (19 oz. arctic freeze brand for $45). it cooled the inlet pipe down just briefly, but not much out of the dash vents. the clutch is cycling normally, and the blower blows strong and correctly at all speeds. the gauge reads 55 psi and then goes down to 20 psi or so when the clutch kicks in, rising in about 10 seconds back up to 55 psi. this cycles over and over. still warm air, when i turn the temp knob up it rapidly heats the vent air, so the blender must be working. the horn-a/c bus is good as the horn toots fine. cant' see any leaks or evidence that there's ever been one. still a mystery...
    jack b :-)
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    It sounds as if you have coverd most of the bases.... however, a *real* A/C guy would hook up guages to BOTH the high and low side. Simply by observing the behavious of the guages, (and the temparture of the compressur-inlet pipe) he could diagnose WHATEVER is wrong with the system. (freon-charge state, plugged airflow thru evaporator, reciever-drier issue, ice buildup within system... etc)

    I know the above to be true because I have cousin who does A/C work for a living and have seen him diagnose A/C problems by using ONLY those 3 connections (High pressure, Low pressure, and compresser-inlet temp)

    I would say that your best approach is to find someone who has those skills.

    HOWEVER: Before doing that, I would personally verify that the pressure-switches on the high and low side are working as expected. It is the pressure-switches which control the A/C clutch and cutout.

    Be aware, the ONLY way your system could have needed freon is because it leaked out in the first place. I am suspecting you do have some kind of leak.
  • themacguythemacguy Member Posts: 417
    thanks bruce. i figgered 'bout as much, but wanted to see what i could fix on my own since i have superierre rv mechanicalizing skillz. i can use duck tape and vise grips with the best of em. ;-)=
    update: i put another 6 or so oz. in it (about 24 oz. total, after burping the hot air out a few times), and it cooled down ever so slightly, not much at all. another oddity is a noise, similar to a clothes pinned playing card in bicycle spokes. if y'all aren't familiar with that sound, then you don't need to be reading any further. for those of you that do, you'll understand the duck tape 'n vise grips comment...
    anyway, the noise just increases with fan speed, and it's definitely coming from the blend box in front of the front seat passenger's feet. i unscrewed a few screws, and wiggling the box cover changes the sound noticeably. uh oh.
    pro'lly gonna leave it for the a/c guys downtown.
    i've got other stuff that needs attention on it more than that, particularly an odd 'cutting out' situation that's just developed. i'll go through the connectors, dirty distributor, etc. list before i get back on here and whine about it. speaking of rv's, my onan has quit putting out current on our smaller telstar motorhome, sooooo on to that little nuisance. gotta have it runnin' by manana evenin' or there'll be hell to pay!

    jack b :-) in midland, tx usa
  • dakotayodadakotayoda Member Posts: 1
    Have you tried replacing the blower motor resistor (BMR)? It's about $15.00 here in the comfy, summer temperatues of San Antonio. I was vactioning during the summer in New MX and Colorado when mine went out. At first it blew warm air. Then the speed significantly reduced on my blower fan. Eventually, High speed just quit. I researched the crap out of it on the net and found that a cheap fix might be the BMR. Location: if you were sitting in the passenger seat, right above your feet, there is a small panel on the bottom of the blower motor. Kind of hard to get at, but an easy fix once you do. 2 screws, drop down, may need to move the vent, unhook old BMR insert new BMR, replace unit, replace screws. You have to snap the little plastic tabs off of the ends of the BMR housing or else it won't fit into place. It's cheap, fairly easy and if you haven't replaced it in 200,000 mi, it can't hurt to do it. It's lifetime warranteed too. I bought mine at A.Z. Good luck and hope this helps. Love my 01 Dakota quad cab SLT at 130,000 mi and going strong.
    http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Duralast-Blower-Motor-Resistor/2001-Dodge- -Dakota-2WD/_/N-jf9dqZ91tag?counter=0&itemIdentifier=794687_0_3330_
  • themacguythemacguy Member Posts: 417
    you know what? actually, i haven't. i've seen it discussed here and there, but since the blower was working 'okay' i haven't noticed that it's slowing down on high speed, but i went out and checked it, and it seems to be a bit less air than it used to be. when i get back to civilization in a coupla weeks i'll replace the thing. thanks for the response, and it won't hurt to do it, as you say, since it's got 200k on it, and i'll likely never sell it.
    you might or might not have been around this group back in 2000 when we started it up, but i actually autocrossed my quad when it was new. won several trophies as well, then 'retired it' to the field for about 5-6 years of hard work and 130+ mile per day commuting. it still looks new, now has a camper shell on it, and i replaced the r/t wheels i'd put on it for the originals (more rubber for a smoother ride).
    i'll let you know if the resistor fixes it. still flummoxed as to why it just blows warm air. jack b :-) in midland, tx usa
  • david360david360 Member Posts: 2
    I posted a question in post #202, My ignition switch was in fact bad. My truck started fine and ran fine, but the blower wasn't running. The tumblers were good. The truck didn't have to be rekeyed, but the cheap ignition switch module did have to be replaced. It works fine now.

    D.P.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I fully understand the "clothes pinned playing card in bicycle spokes" sound. It is very good description.

    I assume you realize that something is physically touching the squirril-cage fan of the blower. I have had to take these apart a couple times over the years because of such a noise. All I can tell you is that I have found everything from dry-leaves to dead mice.

    Your only recourse is to access the blower-motor. There should be several screws holding it on...the squirril-cage fan should come out attached to the motor.
  • rollingat321rollingat321 Member Posts: 2
    The AC blower motor on my 2001 Dodge Dakota 2wd 4.7 V8 works great. I lowered it from under the dash and it runs great on all 4 settings. However when it is installed there is no air blowing from the vents on the side of the dash and only a small amount from the vents beside the radio and ac control panel. The air that does blow out is cold but is weak at best. The gate that regulates external and recirculated air on MAX was stuck half way open when i removed the blower motor and cage but I messed with it and now it works fine. Is there an electrical component that works the internal gates for the vents on my dash that are not working that i can replace to fix this?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Those flappers within the air-plemum may be VACUUM operated. You may have a weak vacuum-signal to them.
  • rollingat321rollingat321 Member Posts: 2
    I have never had the dash off of this truck. Knock on wood it now has 323,000 miles and it is running really good. I would love to get my moneys worth out of it. Oh i did buy it new. :) But seriously, can you put that in shade tree terms. Where are the VACUUM lines? Are they behind the control panel I would assume? and you also said vacuum-signal. Is that a signal from a hose or from an electrical componant? I did see on another forum that another guy had the same problem and it turned out his evaporator core was clogged with dirt. I was able to get a peek at mine and it was filthy. I did spray foaming coil cleaner on it and it did help some but the flappers still do not seem to be all the way open. Any ideas???
  • themacguythemacguy Member Posts: 417
    mine is a 2000 model, so naturally it doesn't fit. it did fit my business partner's 2001 though, so thanks! my part number is 'cr152' and it's about 30 bux. don't know where it goes as it looks different, but it's not my a/c problem anyway, so i won't need it right now. thanks though...
  • bigair68bigair68 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Dodge Dakota SXT 4x4 that is not blowing air at all. I turn the knob and nothing. It quick working and then about a week later I turned the knob and it started working. That lasted about a day then quit again and has not worked since. Any suggestions?
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    If it's not working on any speed, either the switch is intermittent or you have a flaky connection somewhere.

    If it doesn't work on anything but the highest speed, than it may be the resistor that's used to drop the voltage to the blower motor and thus reduce the fan speed.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    edited October 2010
    This has been asked and answerd about 100 times in these forums... the "search" button would have given you an answer pretty quickly.

    HINT: blower resister - part costs under $20

    Again, the 'search' function will tell you WHERE it is located and HOW to replace it.
  • coach17coach17 Member Posts: 10
    I have a 2000 dakota slt quad cab, 4.7, 103,000 miles. The a/c works fine for 15 minutes and then blows warm stale air. This will happen every time i use the truck. Guages show freon levels are good. Now that it is winter, the heat blows fine for 15 minutes, then blower still works but sounds louder(deeper) and flow of air is much less. Air is warm(not hot). Any suggestions??

    Thank you
  • coach17coach17 Member Posts: 10
    I have a 2000 dakota slt quad cab, 4.7, 103,000 miles. The a/c works fine for 15 minutes and then blows warm stale air. This will happen every time i use the truck. Guages show freon levels are good. Now that it is winter, the heat blows fine for 15 minutes, then blower still works but sounds louder(deeper) and flow of air is much less. Air is warm(not hot). Any suggestions??

    Thank you
  • papajohnazpapajohnaz Member Posts: 1
    2006 Dodge Dakota (75,000 mi)- Two intermittent problems:

    1. When I change selector from floor to dash (actually any change), a loud clicking sound starts from the middle of the dash, and may or maynot stop after a while.

    2. Fan speed varies although the speed control has not been touched.

    Any ideas would be appreciated, 'cause I love my truck except for this, thanks
  • 2004dakotablue2004dakotablue Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 Dodge Dakota (3.7L). My air blower just quit today. I was hoping it was a fuse but I pulled all of them and none seemed to be blown. I am pretty sure that I am feeling a trickle of cool air so I think the aircon unit is working.

    Does anyone have any suggestions before I bite the bullet and go to a dealer?

    Thanks,
    Jim
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Suspect the blower-resister... it is a very-VERY common item to burn out. The blower-resister is used to provide the various "speeds" of the blower. (more resistance = lower voltage = slower motor speed)

    Last I knew, a replacement is about 12 bucks. (plus a few minutes to access the burnt one to replace it.)
  • larryfastlarryfast Member Posts: 2
    Hi, my 2000 dakota just started with this same problem. Could you tell me how you fixed yours or do I have to take it in. Thank-you, Larry
  • larryfastlarryfast Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I have a 2000 Dodge Dakota. The bearings or clutch at the front of the compresser by the pulley are shot. Can I repair this myself or do I have to take it in.

    Thank you,

    Larry
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    You can certainly replace the entire compressor unit yourself. If you do, you will have to get the system recharged/purged.

    I do not know if the clutch and/or bearings themselves are replaceable or not. If you take it to any repair shop, I'm betting they will replace the entire compressor unit anyway.
  • wchristensonwchristenson Member Posts: 2
    Vehicle: 2002 Dakota 4.7 L SLT. My AC blower fan was only working on high about six weeks ago, so I replaced the resistor as suggested in the online forums. The fan worked properly for about 5 weeks, then stopped working at all speeds.

    After a couple of days of wondering why this happened I decided i may have connected something improperly so i reached under the dash and wiggled the connector on the resistor. To my surprise (and delight) the fan came on and functioned normally again…for about ten minutes. Then it stopped working again.

    As the very busy person I am (aren’t we all?), i wiggled again, the fan came back to life, and I made a mental note to “look at” the connection and see where it was loose. This went on for four days; fan quits, driver wiggles plug, fan starts. I got very adept at doing this even while driving (not recommended).

    On day five, shortly after the wiggle, i noticed a “melting plastic” smell filling the cab. Upon reaching down to wiggle yet again I realized the wires to the plug were the source of the smell. They were hot enough to burn me when I touched them. After letting everything cool off, I removed the “new resistor” and noticed it was burned in one pin of the plug, plus the insulation was burned off the wire going to that plug for about a half-inch. I though maybe I had gotten a bad resistor so I bought another and plugged it in. When I turned on the fan, the wire started heating up again (it did this in all fan positions).

    I'm at the point now where I’ve pulled the blower motor but want to test it before i shell out $100 to replace it. Anyone have any suggestions? The standard auto parts stores dont have a way of testing the blower motor. It runs fine until the wiring heats up so i don;t know if it’s getting bad and starting to draw too many amps or if there is a wiring problem I need to track down. Thanks for any help!
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    You could have just had a bad/higher-than-normal-resistance connection, which by itself would cause heating through I^2*R loss. These connections usually don't heal themselves, but rather they get progressively worse over time. If that's what your situation was, I'm not surprised that the connector melted from the heat.
  • terrys2terrys2 Member Posts: 24
    Common problem with bad connection/high resistance in the blower connection. You can buy a new connector from Dodge and splice it into the wiring.
  • wchristensonwchristenson Member Posts: 2
    Srs 49 and Terrys2. thanks for the replies. ill get a new connector and keep you posted as to what happens
  • jashtonjashton Member Posts: 1
    I am presently having the same problem. I removed the selector control unit. I then removed the vacuum lines from the controller. With the engine running I can't sense any vacuum on the lines going to the controller. Several posts have indicated checking under the hood fro chaffed vacuum lines. I'll let you know what i find
  • markgretzfanmarkgretzfan Member Posts: 1
    Any idea where to get instructions on how to build the new connector? I'm pretty sure I can figure it out, just want to be sure I don't fry anything.
  • terrys2terrys2 Member Posts: 24
    The connector comes pre-wired. All you do is cut the wires to the old connector and splice the wires together. I suggest you get some non-insulated butt connectors at Radio Shack, some heat shrink tubing over each wire, crimp the wires into the connectors, solder the connections and then heat the heat shrink tubing. You do not want to create any problems by having a bad connection due to the high current draw. If I remember right you get 2 connectors. Use the one with the heavier wire.
  • harly_guyharly_guy Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2006 Dakota 3.7 and my A/C only truly works at night when it is cooler outside. During the heat of the day, it may or may not work. I have checked to compressor and when the a/c is not working, neither is the compressor. I have checked the Freon and it is about 30-35 psi on the low side. I have swapped the a/c compressor clutch relay and that did not help and even replaced the fuses. Sometimes I can get it to work when I turn it off and back on, but until the sun goes down then it works great and blows snow balls. Any help would be appreciated.
  • carvermancarverman Member Posts: 101
    Generally it's just the pulley bearing that needs repacking or replacement.
    On mine, I just used a puller to pull of the pulley that comes off a splined
    shaft after you remove the locknut. The bearing runs out of grease
    and makes a noise. If it's not too bad, you can pop off the grease seal that
    is accessible and wash out the bearing in varsol and repack it with good
    bearing grease and pop the grease shield back on an it's good to go.

    The other thing that can make noise on these is a scraping sound between
    the pulley and the electric clutch that attracts the coupling plate. I just use
    a little bit of oil sprayed into the pulley between the rotating pulley and the
    coupler which rotates only if the clutch is activated.
  • carvermancarverman Member Posts: 101
    edited September 2011
    I'm going by the Haynes electrical diagram on the 98 Dakota which I
    have for mine.

    The Dakota a/c system has an A/C high pressure switch
    and a A/C low pressure switch that are in series.
    If both are closed (for normal A/C operation), switch sensing
    goes into the PCM and the PCM will turn
    on the A/C compressor clutch relay, when it gets a demand signal from
    the AC/Heat switch on the dashboard.

    If the A/C request signal comes from the A/C heater control (dashboard) to the PCM, the PCM turns on the compressor clutch relay, which controls the A/C compressor clutch. That is pretty much it.

    The symptom you describe 'it works when the sun goes down" only
    makes sense if there is a temperature sensor or thermistor
    that is elsewhere that affects it. On the 98 Durango, there is also a
    A/C low temperature cut-out switch between the A/C high pressure
    switch and the A/C low pressure switch. It's power comes from the
    fused ignition switch (run), so maybe on the newer Dakotas, they
    also incorporated that and that might have some effect causing your
    symptom.
  • doug2002doug2002 Member Posts: 1
    My '02 Dakota HVAC blower control only works in the highest position, any clues?
  • dakota968dakota968 Member Posts: 9
    Its the resistor found under the glove compartment. Very common problem. Dealer part to replace it.
  • terrys2terrys2 Member Posts: 24
    Check the plug at the resister. They have problems with the connections at the terminals in the connector. Mine had been so hot the plug had melted to the resister and could not be removed. If you see ant problems the dealer has a replacement connector. You cut the wires and splice in the new connector. I highly recommend that you solder the connections and I like to use heat shrink tubing to insulate them.
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