Dodge Dakota: Problems & Solutions

dustyk · February 2003

Ferous,

My 2003 CC has gotten very little open road or expressway driving in the last two months (My daily drive to work is 2.4 miles). Under these conditions I was averaging about 17 MPG, but since the cold weather hit us it has dropped to the mid 14s, with one tank dipping to 13.92.

In a lot of December and January driving I noticed that the cold temperatures kept the transmission from going into overdrive. One morning I drove more than 8 miles before she went out of third.

All this eats fuel on a engine that has lots of power.

regards,
Dusty

yoshio · February 2003

bpeebles,

So you're saying that HEAT is the problem for warpage and that's why you went to the slotted type rotor? Is Powerslot the only brand? I can't seem to locate any in town. Ahasher had mentioned Pep Boys, but I had no luck with them. How do you season rotors?
Another question I have is .."Are all brands of ceramic pads basically the same? What am i supposed to look for?"

PS.....thank you dusty, mopar67 and bpeebles for your comments.

bpeebles · February 2003

(yoshio) Not exactly... I used powerslot because they are WARANTEED and higher-quality than the OEM rotors. (not because they are slotted)

Yes I beleive that HEAT is the reason that ALL brake-rotors warp.(due to uneven tempering)
Lug nuts that are unevenly/over torqued can cause uneven expansion when the rotors get hot. Water splashed on hot rotors may cause warpage. Agressive stopping then HOLDING THE BRAKES will cause a hot-spot under the brakepads and promote warpage.

Some folks wait til the last moment and slam on the breaks. During my driving training, I was taught to look far ahead and PREDICT the braking needs and leave 1 car-length for every 10MPH. I also use downshifting to help slow the rig. Very rarly do I have to use the brakes very aggressivly.

The 'seasoning' I mentioned is actually a tempering process that changes the molecular structure of the metal in the rotors. Check out this URL: http://www.shotimes.com/brakes/part1.html

Gee... I am only aware of only ONE brand of brake pads that are ceramic-based (Raybestos) What others are you aware of?

dustyk · February 2003

bpeebles is correct about overtorquing.

When a rotor is overtorqued, you will usually not notice any runout (pulsing) problems. However, after they get hot the rotor will take "set," so to speak, reflecting the torque pattern. That's how they get warped from overtorquing.

I think that newer Dakota's are getting a much better rotor nowadays. My service manager did say that on "older models" rotor life was a problem and Chrysler has changed primary vendors for these parts since the late '90s. I know about a dozen Dakota owners and the 1999 and up vehicles don't seem to have a rotor short life problem.

Anyway, I hope that stay true for mine!

Regards,
Dusty

stnick · February 2003

Dusty, I'm on my second Dak QC, and on my 13 mile each way drive, very little stop n go the 02 AWD averages 17 to17.5 in warm weather and as low as 14- 14.5 in cold weather. The 00 Quad I had would not lock the torque converter up until completly warmed up and then some. This used to really irritate me as I didn't feel it was needed that long. The 02 does it also but does not stay unlocked at all if ambient temp is approx 50' or higher and also locks up faster than the 00 did. The 1st time it wouldn't go into overdrive (these are two different operations)was when we had 10-19'below zero temps a few weeks ago. On those mornings after warmup, the overdrive engaged and then a couple of miles after the converter locked up dropping rpm to 1700 at 60MPH. 4.7L auto 3.55 gears. It is all computer controlled and the owners manual mentions the overdrive issue in cold weather but not the converter. Most likely your experiencing the converter not locking up until the engine reaches operating temp. Sorry for the long post but I checked into all this at length with the 00 and now how the 02 reacts. Regards, Nick.

dustyk · February 2003

Stnick, thanks for the reply.

Well, I could be wrong, but I actually think that what I felt was the difference between 4th and 5th, not just converter lock-up.

In fact, just the other morning I noticed that switching the overdrive off revealed no difference in RPM nor did I feel anything. This was after I counted shifts. Then about a minute later it did shift into the next higher gear as the RPMs dropped. At this time I thought it was in 5th, but another mile down the road and sure enough I felt another shift.

I can't say I've ever felt the torque converter locking, so I'm still unsure. But I don't think converter lock is going to drop the RPM very much.

This 545RFE is to darn smooth you really have to pay attention to notice the shifts.

Best regards,
Dusty

ford_bii · February 2003

Just figured I'd chime in (been silent for a few months). I now have 23k on my 2001 QC. Rotors/brakes feel fine, but there are some grooves in the rotors. No pulsing or otherwise, and the pads still look damn near new. No problems here. I rotate my own tires, if that means anything.

Gas mileage is as other have stated. I drive 17 miles each way, mostly back windy roads, lots of stops. I've been averaging 15-16 during the winter. I think I usually get around 17 during the warmer months. I once got over 21 on a 180 mile trip home from the hunting camp. That was because I just left it in overdrive the whole way and did 50 mph on most of the roads home.

Also, if anybody remembers, I had a strange whirring noise come about at the end of last summer when I would engage the AC. Local dealer dropped a new AC compressor in and everything is ok now. Dunno if it would have lasted or not, but they were happy to replace it, so I don't care.

2001 QC 4x4 5 speed.

yoshio · February 2003

bpeebles,

Sorry for not getting back sooner. But the other ceramic brake pads were from Bendix and Napa. I recently found out that Bendix doesn't have any for the dakota.

By the way, I found another Dakota web site (dodgedakotas.com) and they are having a group buy on the powerslot rotors. Someone there posted that his powerslot rotors lasted 30,000 miles. How long do rotors normally last? That seemed a short period of time.

stnick · February 2003

I plum forgot you had an 03 with the 545RFE. My 02 is the 45RFE 4 speed. But you would be surprised at the RPM drop when the converter locks up on the 4 speed auto. At 60 mph on mine it drops from 2300 to 1700 rpm. Maybe there's not as much difference on the 5 speed in yours. Just for fun ,what rear end ratio and tire size is your truck, and what rpm in 5th is she turning at 60mph? No hurry, just curious about that 5th speed. Take care, Nick.

dustyk · February 2003

My '03 Club Cab Sport Plus has the 3.55 limited slip differential and P245/70R16 tires.

I'm not sure exactly what the 60mph RPM is. I think its around 1800 RPM. I'll check tomorrow.

Dusty

bpeebles · February 2003

(yoshio)If you keep looking, you will find several other Dakota websites. I feel this one (Edmunds) is the best (easiest to track what you want and the participants are good folks.)

hint... look for DML (Dakota Mailing List)

That "group buy" that you refer to is the EXACT SAME ONE that we all use for powerslot rotors. The people over at dodgedakotas.com tend to be more into performance... they wear out parts all the time. They also rip their engines apart and install the "HO" cams from the Jeep engines. Your millage may vary ;-)

Do not forget that the ceramic-based pads are rough on the rotors. (as compared to organic pads)

With that said....
I have NEVER seen any rotors wear out. Most often, I have seen them get so rusty that they are no longer serviceable.

I am speaking from over 20 years of replacing rotors on my vehicles. I do all of my own brake work because I want it done RIGHT. Most shop-monkeys do not take the time to file-smooth the rusty contact points or apply the special lube so the brakes do not drag. Also... it is IMPERATIVE that the braking-surface of the rotors is not touched by human hands. Copious amounts of IPA should be used to degrease all braking surfaces. Any residual oils/grease will become imbedded into the grainular-structure of the steel and may cause uneven braking or warpage over time.

dustyk · February 2003

I'll have to agree with bpeebles on rotor wear. I, too, have never seen one wear beyond the thickness specification solely from contact wear. Rotors get thin from resurfacing.

I put 106,000 miles on my Nissan rotors and they were still within thickness specification.

And on that subject, the correct way to resurface brake rotors (and even drums) is to grind the surface using a stone. Most shops use a lathe with a cutting tool. It's okay, but the surface is nowhere as uniform or consistent.

Dusty

dustyk · February 2003

Stnick,

Okay, at 60 MPH my RPM is approximately 1600 RPM.

Bests,
Dusty

dataguru · February 2003

I'm about to replace the 9007 bulbs in my 2001 QC. The pictures and procedures in the Owners manual shows a rubber fender connector and 3 or 4 bolts for removing the headlight housing which contain the bulbs. However, I only find 2 bolts (vertical and horizontal adjustment screws for the headlights) and a separate bolt to remove the sidemarker housing unit. This task should be quite simple...am I overlooking something here or looking in the wrong spot? How does one remove the headlight housing units for bulb replacement?

Thanks in advance.
Bill

bpeebles · February 2003

(dataguru) You are making too much out of it DO NOT TOUCH THE HEADLIGHT-AIMING ADJUSTERS! The only thing that will do is mess up your headlight aiming....(nothing can be removed by altering the adjustments)

Just open the hood, reach behind the headlight assembly, and give the bulb-socket a 1/4 twist to the left. Then remove the old bulb and place the new one into the socket.... reinstall the socket back into the rear of the headlight assembly.

As I recall the passenger-bulb requires some contortionist moves to get to it... but it is possible without any tools. (HINT... where you STAND when you reach in is the key.)

stnick · February 2003

Thanks Dusty. It appears that yours is about 100- 150 rpm lower with the 545rfe than my 45rfe except that my tires are 265x16s. So given the slight tire difference, the 5th gear drops the revs some but not that much. Thanks, Nick.

bookitty · February 2003

Bill, in addition to Bruce's posting, do not touch the bulb with your bare hands/fingers, as the natural oil from your skin can cause premature failure of the bulb.

Bookitty

pirat5 · February 2003

Did anybody experience this? Few days ago I noticed strange smell from under the hood. Is seams like some oil is leaking from little pipe that runs on the top of both sides of the engine. It may be some kind of breathing system, but I'm not a mechanic. Grease is dripping onto valve cover on the left side of the engine therefore it smells. It looks like it's coming out of that little black tube with small plastic valve like cup. What could cause this problem? Does the regular maintainance require changing some breathing elements or something else? Thanks for your help,
Ben

bpeebles · February 2003

(pirat5) What engine do you have? I will assume the 4.7L V8...

This sounds like the PCV system. (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) This system has been installed on all internal combustion engines for over 20 years (even a lawnmower has PCV)

Basically, a slight vacuum is maintained inside the crankcase... drawing all of the noxus gasses off of the oil into the engine intake manifold so they can be safely burned up inside the combustion chambers.

A PCV system consists of 2 portions.
1)An 'intake side' where filtered air is piped into crankcase.
On the 4.7L V8, this 'intake side' consists of a small tube that comes out of the the Air-filter housing and splits to feed fresh-filtered air into the top of each valvecover. (These may be the tubes you ar refering to)

2)The 'outlet side' where the noxus gasses are piped into the engine intake manifold. There is one-way valve known as the "PCV valve" where this piping connects to the crankcase.
On the 4.7L V8 engine, the PVC valve is plugged into the side of the oil-fill tube. There is a KNOWN issue wheras this oil-fill tube can become filled with an oil-water emulsion. (White, smelly foamy stuff)

It is VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that the oil-fill tube be wiped out every couple of weeks during cold weather. The 'baffle' should be pulled out to do this. If this is not done...the PCV valve may become plugged up and problems such as those you describe may occour.

dustyk · February 2003

The condition that Bpeebles has outline is usually caused by short trip driving, especially in cold weather.

Dusty

pirat5 · February 2003

Thank you all for addressing the problem. It looks like Bruce is our tech support, very knowledgeable one, and deserves nice compensation package from Chrysler for doing their job. I guess Chrysler is so obsessed with making money that they somehow don't have enough time to build reliable vehicles. Yes, I have 4.7 and I know about foaming in the oil-fill tube. I try to avoid short trips, but it looks like with the winter we're having this year in New England you never know when driving is long enough, and I don't really think that long driving would solve the problem. So assuming that this is the problem, what should I do to clean the tubing? Is it harmful for the emission system or maybe something else? By the way the engine light went on. I went to the dealer, no convenient help. Make appointment, loose half a day and $100 to hook up computer for 5 min. and see what it says. I went to the local Auto Zone, they do it gratis and It took 15 min. of my time. Problem: Evaporative emission control system leak detected (Gross leak). I reset the computer and the engine light never came beck since. Please tell me how much more time we have to waste fixing thinks that should be done by people who get paid for it? The truck has a lot of loose ends and it kills me. By saving money they make our lives miserable. They ask us to put a little piece of plastic and they assume that if we don't see the foam it's gone. I feel like they think we are stupid and it's very offensive. Sorry for the long post, but you probably feel the same way. Thank you!
Ben

dataguru · February 2003

Hi Bruce and Norm, thanks for clarifying the misprint in my Owners manual and the good advice.

I suspected my 2001 Owners manual was incorrect as soon as I looked at the headlight assembly as the pictures/procedures in the manual do not match the vehicle. Yes, I'll be wearing gloves when installing the new PIAA bulbs. I sure hope this upgrade is going to be worth the effort and cost.

Thanks again.
dataguru

appraiser · February 2003

I'm at 65,000 miles on my 2000 Dakota QC 4.7 5-speed. I still don't think there's a better truck out there. Anyway, it's time for some maintenance, after changing oil and filters religiously over the past three years. Does anyone have any ideas about what to have done now that might differ with the manual? By the way, I won't be doing any of this myself, as I am as mechanically inclined as a rock. Should I go to the dealer or my local mechanic, who I would consider "average" at best.

dustyk · February 2003

pirat5,

The oily foam is the result of moisture collecting in the engine. In extremely cold or high humidity conditions, this moisture gets into the engine. The moisture will not be a problem if the engine comes up to temperature and is operated long enough to purge out. But when the the trips are short the moisture cannot be consumed by the engine and collects in the oil.

This is NOT a problem that just affects the 4.7 engine or Dodge for that matter. We have had an even more severe problem with this on our '99 Toyota Avalon. And friends with all sorts of different cars and trucks experience this, too.

Regards,
Dusty

bpeebles · February 2003

(appraiser) I know that I will be bleeding the brakes and the hydrolic clutch fluid on my Dak this summer. I also plan on flushing/changing the antifreeze.

Can I assume that you ALLREADY have changed the gearbox lubes (tranny, xfer case, front&rear axle)

appraiser · February 2003

Don't you know what happens when you assume something? Seriously, I haven't done anything except what's in the manual for my 30,000 service and regular oil changes.

ronslakie · February 2003

bpeebles - When you bleed the hydraulic clutch please post the procedure you use. I have a 2K Dak and there is no bleeder valve for the clutch. Additionally, my factory service manual says the hydraulic clutch is not serviceable but should be replaced as a unit.

Ron

bpeebles · February 2003

(ronslakie) Gee.... I have not been under my rig to look at the clutch slave cylinder. I had assumed that there was a bleeder-nipple. If there is NOT... I may consider loosening the hydrolic line a bit to allow for bleeding to take place.

My Nissan PU had a clutch bleeder-nipple.
Even my motorcycle has a clutch bleeder-nipple!

I guess I will have to consult BOB (Big Orange Book) to see what it says.

DONT HOLD YOUR BREATH.... It has not gone above freezing yet this year. Once the weather warms up (around mid-April), I will be able to get under my truck in the driveway.

bpeebles · February 2003

I know I have read that CompactedGraphiteIron
material that is used in the 4.7L V8 engine but I never really knew what CGI was until now.

The CGI is used to replace all of the main bearings with a sort-of engine-girdle. The entire bottom half of the 4.7L engine is CGI.

This is one reason that the 4.7L engine is soooo smooth. (There is virtually no lateral flex of the engine block.) This also allowed the engine-designers to tighten the clearances of the 4.7L V8.

Here is an artical that describes how unique this CGI material really is.

http://www.sintercast.com/articles/pdfs/TWST.pdf

dataguru · February 2003

Bruce, thanks for providing the hyperlink to share information about this exciting technology with all of us!!! I, personally really appreciate it!!!

Thanks.
Bill

dustyk · February 2003

Bpeebles, I know you know, but you probably didn't realize what you typed.

The CGI girdle (Chrysler calls it a bedplate) does not really replace the main bearings. The 4.7 still uses a standard bearing like most other engines. The girdle contains all of the main bearing caps as part of a one-piece assembly that fits onto the bottom of the engine.

An SAE technical paper said that this technique reduced torsional twisting of the engine block by something like %38 (the number may not be right cause I'm old!).

Thanks for passing on the info about CGI. It was quite informative.

Bests,
Dusty

bpeebles · February 2003

You read my mind....(and my append). After the allotted "edit" time was long elapsed, I realized what I had said about this girdle (as called by some folks in the racing world)

You are correct that this girdle replaces the main BEARING CAPS. (not the bearings themselves) From my read of the factory shop manual, there are over 14 bolts clamping this thing on... It is also GLUED on with special adhesive.

stnick · February 2003

Bruce, are you confident that your changes to Redline fluids brought your gas milage up that much? 2 MPG is quite a good improvement on vehicles such as these. My 02 has AWD,and if I could improve milage by 1 to 2 mpg by changing the front and rear end fluids etc. it would certainly be worth the cost. Oh I do have the 45RFE auto trans though. Regards, Nick

bpeebles · February 2003

(stnick) All I can tell U is that the best I could get out of my 4.7L V8 4X4 with 31 inch tires was 18 MPG..... after the change to REDLINE, I have touched 20 MPG. In my book, that is +2 MPG.

Perhaps you are not aware of all of the moving parts in the driveline that suffer from "CHURN".
There is the front and rear differential, the xfer case and all of the moving parts in the tranny. (I have the manual)

The BIGGEST improvement with synthetic lubes is the reduction of CHURN. (due to the much thinner oil)

I would not expect the auto tranny to see as much improvement. Its lube is ALREADY synthetic from the factory starting in 2001.

gjble · February 2003

I've been keeping up with the Dakota news since Bookitty took delivery of his way back when. I got mind in November 2000. A 2001, 4.7 auto. I will have 30,000 miles next oil change and I must make some decisions.
     I am going to change the plugs but now don't know if I want Bosch or something else. Seems there was a discussion if Bosch was correct for this engine ???
     Next, I will be changing the auto trans fluid. I just changed the differential to Red Line but since the Auto trans fluid is allready synthetic, should I be going to Red Line there also? I have a local garage that removes the fluid with a machine at the cooler line at the radiator, uses a cleaning agent and flushes the whole thing getting all the fluid out.Then, he would replace with whatever I decide. ( 15 quarts I believe)The question is, would I be gaining anything with Red Line? Greater interval between servicing would be an advantage.
     Any comments would be appreciated.

In Atlanta

dustyk · February 2003

For what it's worth, the parts counter fellow at my Dodge dealership told me that the recent change from the ATF+3 to ATF+4 (Chrysler) was to increase the synthetic component and also added some new low temperature additive.

Dusty

bluebayou · February 2003

Gjble:
I just had my tranny serviced (01 4.7 QC 4x4) at 30,000 miles and went through the same questions. I decided that ATF +4 (from mopar) is semi synthetic, I have had little to no problems with the current fluid, I'm going to change the fluid every 30,000 from here to eternity, and came up with this. Why spend the $ on a flush and upgrade to AMSOIL and or Redline? I understand the reasoning, but I spent my money on plugs! Denso Iridiums! I like a lot!!! That coupled with the fact that my dealer was running a special for fluid change ( I think is was $50.00) I went the Mopar ATF +4. That is not to say at 60,000 i wont go Redline.

Redline and AMSOIL are more than likely a little better product, but I'm not that hard on the tranny anyway.

Blue

henne · February 2003

2001 Dakota, Quad, 4x4, 4.7, auto, 3.92lsd and tow package.

Well now my horn has lost part of its sound. It now sounds like a Yugo/kitten and is real quiet.

I am at about 32k miles, so I am hoping this will be the last problem out of this one.

Robert

bpeebles · February 2003

Your Dak has 2 horns that are tuned to resonate. Ill bet that one of them has quit. You can easilly determine which one is 'broken' by simply unplugging the wire from each horn and trying to sound the horn.

The horns are mounted on the drivers-side of the radiator. (sorta near the battery.)

Since the horns are a SAFETY item (just like seatbelt or airbags) They fall under the federal warantee for safety items.

henne · February 2003

Thanks, I didnt think about the safety side of it in regaurds to the warranty.

Robert

kingquad1 · February 2003

BLUEBAYOU, PLEASE GIVE ME THE DETAILS ON THE DENSO IRIDIUM PLUGS YOU ARE USING.

ferous · February 2003

This is VERY remote possibility, but it HAS happened to me. I had a 81' Citation (yes low to the ground)that I came home from vacation and found the horn sounding like a cat. At first I didn't put it together with the fact that we had flooding while we were gone (Both foot wells inside the car were full of water from the flooding). After a week the horn (full of water) dried out and the horn worked just fine after that. Like I said, it is a very remote chance, but one or both of your horns could have water in them.

bluebayou · February 2003

After my initial break in of my vehicle, I felt what I thought was a noticeable (butt dyno) loss in power, so I did what any respectable shade tree mechanic would do. I tried to restore and find more power! I had read numerous posts on the Autolite 3923's and how they were a colder plug that works wonders in the "magnum" engines. So i tried them. I will never do that again. Major disappointment in my book. After about 1,000 miles, I swapped them with the Autolite 5224's. You know... the plug that was actually made for our engines! lol. My lost power was found... for about 5,000 miles, then again, I started to lose some power. Clean the plugs and lo and behold, back to normal. Seems like this 4.7 really likes clean/new plugs.

I've never been a fan of Bosch plugs. Can't tell you why, just haven't. I didn't really want to go with platinum, as they don't produce as good of a spark as a standard copper plug. They work better than a standard copper plug after several thousand miles, but I'll just clean my plugs it I have too.

Enter the Iridiums. First off... They are oh so expensive!!! Second... I think they are worth it! Third... I got mine fairly cheap, If i remember correctly, about 8 to 9 a piece. The trick is to find some import auto website that sell alot of them to the high perfomance croud and they will have sales everyso often.

None the less, I have little to no mods on my truck. drop in K&N, and my iridiums. After going from cleaned 5224's (autolites) to my iridiums, I saw a noticable improvement in idle (cold and hot). Any stumble or drop in rpms when sitting at a light ceased. Throttle response was instantanious. Power was much better through out the rev range.

Don't get me wrong! Plugs will have a minimual impact in total horsepower, but I can honestly say that all of these improvements were noticeable. Research shows that the iridium plug is a superior plug to all others, it just comes at a price, and the benefits are greater the higher strung you engine is. I don't think I would even try them in old tech engines.

Oh yea... that was 20,000 miles ago, with no problems/drop in performance that I can tell.

Blue

kingquad1 · February 2003

THANKS FOR THE RESPONSE. I HAVE 39000 MILES ON MY 2000 QC. HAD THE DEALER TUNEUP AT 23000. I HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH ABOUT SPARK PLUGS (PLATINUM, ETC). IT IS ABOUT TIME AGAIN.
AS FOR OTHER THINGS, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES OR ROTORS...SAME ORIGINALS....I GO THRU EVERY WATERHOLE I SEE. BEING A CONTRACT GM DESIGNER AND PREVIOUSLY OWNED ONLY GM TRUCKS, IT IS REAL NICE TO HAVE THE SAME BRAKES FOR THIS LONG. ON ALL MY GM'S, IT SEEMED LIKE I HAD TO REPLACE EVERY 12000 MILES.
NOCK ON WOOD...I LOVE THIS TRUCK! FIRST TIME DODGE BUYER AND HAVE NO REGRETS! I JUST WISE MY CHEVY'S PERFORMED THIS WELL!
THE SHOCKS WILL PROBABLY BE THE NEXT THING TO REPLACE. I HAVE INQUIRED HERE ABOUT SHOCKS AND HAVE GOOD RESPONSE. I HAVE CALLED BILSTEIN, BUT THEY HAVEN'T COME UP WITH A REAR SHOCK FOR THE QC WITH THE "TUNED SUSPENSION OR TIRE PACKAGE". OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED THE EDELBROCKS...MAYBE THAT IS WHAT I WILL GET!

ronslakie · February 2003

bluebayou - Can you give us some details about the iridium plugs. I have a 2K 4.7, what are the model numbers, where did you get them and what did they cost?

Thanks
Ron

bluebayou · February 2003

Ronslakie:

I'll have to try and dig up the info when I get home.

Will try and get back to ya by tomorrow.

KingQuad1:
I do have the edelbrocks IAS performer shocks. Love them. They seem to do everything that they claim. I know several on this board have them, and I don't think anyone have a bad thing to say about them.

Blue

kingquad1 · February 2003

DO YOU HAVE THE "HANDLING PACKAGE" ON YOUR QUAD?

mtrialsm · February 2003

kingquad1,
Please turn Caps lock off, it's the same as YELLING in the e-mail and message board world.
And your messages are harder to read,,,,
Thanks,
mick

bluebayou · February 2003

Yes I have the Tire and Handleing package. Which for an 01 was the larger 16" tires and a rear anti-sway bar.

mstan · March 2003

I have a 97 Dakota Club Cab with 39,000 miles. About the last 2 to 2-1/2 months, the truck has a squeal to it that I first thought was just the belt or a pulley, but I've had 2 mechanics look at it and both came to the agreement that it's not the pulleys, belt, water pump, or alternator. However, neither could figure out what it is. It only happens after I start the truck and I step on the gas and start moving. As the truck warms up, the noise fades and disappears. If the weather is 30 degrees or below, it will last 15 to 20 minutes. If the weather is 30 or above, it squeals less and less "loudly". If it's 40 degrees or more, it may not do it at all. I've had it in my driveway in park with the hood open and give it the gas or throttle and no noise at all. Again, it only happens when it's moving. One last thing, it seems to be coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. Anyone have an idea??? Thanks.

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