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Dodge Dakota: Problems & Solutions
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Its sorta like a "tune-up"... "tune-ups" went away when electronic ignition was invented over 20 years ago. Anyone that actually PAYS for a "tune-up" is being fed a line of cr$p.
There was a time that without a tune-up, the ignition timing would drift out and the engine would begin to run improperly. This was due to the points wearing and the dwell would change. Like I said above, there are no "points" to wear on a modern engine....thus no "tune-up"
I have done my own TB cleaning many times. It never gets very dirty and in reality, it is the IDLE QUALITY that is improved because the IAC (Idle Air Controler) gets cleaned too.
As for Injector cleaning, A GOOD QUALITY fuel additive is all that is needed to clean up the fuel system including the injectors. Also, some fuel additives can help remove carbon from the combustion chambers.
BTW: You still have not told us specifically which V6 engine you have.
Then grab a set of your favorite plugs and do it yourself and save a ton 'o money. Plus get the satisfaction of doing it correctly.
Ron
The letter describes a bad upper ball joint manifesting itself in the form of a "clunking" noise, but most Dakota owners refer to the symptom as "popping."
A bad seal permits water to enter the interior of the ball receptor on the defective ball joints. According to my technician, after the first couple of months of the 2003 Dakota run a new seal of different design and better material was cut-in on the manufacturing line. These improved seals have been on the Mopar replacement units since February 2003.
Regards,
Dusty
Dont skimp by getting the cheep stuff, you have to use nearly twice as much to get the same effect as the mid-grade stuff. I have cleaned many, MANY (100s) of carberators over the years, (I love to rebuild them) I used to get the very cheepest spray cleaner I could find. One day, I asked my wife to pick up some carb-cleaner for me while she was out. Of course, she got the more expensive stuff.... but when I tried it.... WOW, the gunk just fell off the carberator parts. (with the cheep stuff, I had to soak it for hours and still scrub to get things clean.)
It is not uncommon to experience WORSE engine running while the fuel-system-cleaner is in the system. I once treated a car that probubly NEVER had been done previously. So much crud was washed thru the system into the TB that I could physically see the dirty fuel being injected into the TB. (I ended up having to replace the fuel filter because it got clogged with all the crud that the injector cleaner loosened up)
Many people swear by "Lucas" products. Others have had good results with the "Valvoline synpower" products. If you stop at a well-stocked autoparts store, you should find several 'grades' of injector cleaners. You can often judge by the price how well it will work. Over the years, I have found that you often get what you pay for.
Let us know how it works out for you.
www.bgprod.com
About 6 months ago I took my 2001 Dakota 4X4 in for service. Complaint was squeaky front end and popping/clunking during turns.
They replaced the ball joints and the sounds went away.
Since the recall I've gotten information on how to get reimbursed for the replacement. But the squeaking and popping has returned.
How can I check if they really replaced the ball joints as opposed to lubing them or something else?
Thanks!
Larry
hope this helps...Someone with a digital camera may want to take a pic and post it...I would but my daughter dropped my digital camera into the toilet(long story, dont ask.....)
Also, I too had the squeaky front end problem. It sounded like a rusty matress spring when you went over speed bumps in parking lots... The culpret was bad swaybar bushings that were replaced under warranty @ 45000 miles....no problems since
Chad (North Carolina)
Best regards,
Dusty
The dealer can check on the computer, if they have the time.
I could compare to what was installed on mine.
Thanks!
Larry
Yesterday I had the front end aligned by a local GY tire dealer. As a scientist, I should have checked the alignment before it went in for the recall work. Then the follow-up full alignment check would have noted any change as a result of the ball joint replacement and the Dodge dealer's half-assed "toe-in only" alignment procedure.
Now I have a 4x4 with 65K and have slogged around on jeep trails, so who really knows but I definitely needed an alignment after the recall work. Drivers' side camber, cross camber, passenger caster, and cross caster, both side's toe, and the cross toe were all out. So for $80 I'm back in spec, not prefect, but closer.
Probably a good idea to get a full alignment after the recall work.
Mike
This type of repair is STRONGER than the original threads. In fact, most critical designs (like airplanes) are built with heli-coils from the drawing board.
Here are some links to examples of thread-repair kits.
http://www.timesert.com/
http://www.newmantools.com/recoil1.htm
Most autoparts stores will "loan out" a heli-coil kit... you end up just paying for the single helicoil that you use.
Thanks for the info. FP number is 5104816 with a description of B/JNT PKG 17011020.
Online my recall status says "Incomplete". I don't know if that's normal or not.
I'll get it to the dealer next week AND submit for reimbursement of 385.80 to DC.
Larry
I wouldn't run with cement blocks in the back of a truck, or any other type of vehicle. Friend of mine had bags of sand in the back of a car when a mechanic wrecked it on an unauthorized trip. Sand was everywhere inside plus the inside of the car was beat-up by the initial impact of the bags. You have to ask yourself "Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?". Those cement blocks can easily go through that back window if you stop and they're still going 60 mph.
You have alluded to the only solution you have when the occasional slippery conditions persisit. Putting some weight in the rear (RIGHT OVER THE AXLE) makes a lot of difference in traction (but handling can get very weird.)
The best way to add the weight is to build a simple wooden frame with lumber that drops down over the wheelwells. Then, whatever weight you choose to use will stay in place (even in an emergancy handling maneuver.) Most folks choose to use SAND as the weight because if you DO happen to get stuck, the sand can be sprinkled under the wheels to gain traction.
Of course, your choice of tires makes the biggest difference. When I had a 2WD pickup, I ended up getting some cheep wheels from a scrapyard and having studded tires installed on them. That way, I could bolt on my snow-tires for the winter but have the better ride of my summer tires the rest of the year.
Dont let anyone tell you that a 4X4 somhow "handles" better under slippery conditions. A 4X4 does not corner nor stop any better than any other vehicle. (Actually a 4X4 may tend to handle WORSE on the snow over 40MPH than a 2WD)
Four wheel drive ONLY helps you get moving.... it does very little else for you. (except cost more, use more fuel, and weigh-down the vehicle)
I'll get some sandbags, build the frame, and the next set of tires will be skinnier. And I don't go anywhere in snow/ice unless its an emergency.
The tires are not up to the same performance levels as the Bridgestone Blizzak ones they are a vast improvement over the Goodyear Eagle LS tires that came on the truck. I don't use ant extra weight in the back of the truck because of safety concerns.
Some may say skinny tires are better in snow and mud. I believe on limited traction surfaces like ICE I would want as much rubber contacting the road as possible to take advantage of whatever limited traction is available. I personally would never go smaller than what the factory offers as a standard or optional size. Rick
Skinny tires are MUCH better in the snow when there is pavement below it You want your tires to "cut through" the snow and concentrate the vehicle weight to the pavement.
In your example of ICE, again, you want to concentrate the vehicle weight to gain more traction. To get traction on ice, the rubber-compound is more importantant than the tread pattern. The special rubber used in winter-rated tires actually GRIPS the ice. (but will wear out very fast in warmer weather)
Wider tires in the snow will tend to "float" on the snow/slush and thus find very little traction.
In general, tires that last many, many miles will be just AWEFUL in the snow. The rubber is so hard that it just slips all over the place. The Goodyear that come as OEM on the Dakota is an example of tires that LOOK like they have traction (because of the tread pattern) but they are not very good in the cold.
For the MUD, there is no solid surface for the tires to push against, this is very different conditions for the tires.
Skinny tires are WORSE in the mud because there is no pavement below it. (you just sink to the axles) In the case of mud, you want WIDE tires that will tend to "float" on the mud to find traction.
My Coke can puts up more of a fight than the Dakota body. I used my thumb to take the last dent out. Suggest sliding a strap down through the tailgate to seure sand tubes. Besides a safety issue, anything loose can cause a lot of damage to the bed.
I person I knew a person that years ago had a two-wheel drive Rodeo (Izusu) and they said it wasn't good in the snow. I told them to buy sand, in bags, and put it in the back to get better traction. They complained that it still didn't handle in the snow. I went to investigate. The headlights were shinny into the sky because they had so much weight in the back (springs were smashed). Their problem was that they had bald tires.
Extreme example but you have to have "snow" tires for snow when you drive a 2WD rear drive vehicle.
Dick
But there are consequences to putting the weight farther back. Because you have the weight farther from the center of mass, turning left or right will be slower. Think of kids spinning around on a rope swing--when you, umm, I mean they, pull your arms in, they spin fast, but with arms outstretched they slow down. (It's also why dragsters are long and thin with the weight at the ends while roadsters are short and wide with the weight in the middle.)
I would guess that the placement of the load on a flatbed has nothing to do with traction. If, like I said above, that any weight placed between the axles is split 50/50, then it wouldn't matter where the load is placed on the trailer. They tend to have the wheels at the back of the trailer and attach to the tractor at the front of the trailer, so the load would always be split 50/50. My bet is that the load is placed at the back of the trailer to make it easier to UNload.
Don't go too fast for conditions. Leave enough space around you if something should go wrong. Make smooth starts, stops, and turns. Give yourself plenty of extra time to get where you're going.
And probably the most fun thing--practice. Find an empty snow-covered parking lot or well-frozen lake and explore the limits of your vehicle. Learn how it behaves when it starts to slip. Learn how to correct it. Scream "yee ha!" if you want to.
By the switch side of the lens, there is a little tab that holds the lens in. Slip a flat screwdriver between the lens and frame and gently pry the lens out.
The bulb is a #578.
Easy as pie.
Just wondering, since I'll have that work done shortly..Ger
Ron
I inquired about the alignment and they said the toe in was checked/adjusted as part of the recall.
Who knows what was actually done, but the truck tracks as straight as it did before.
Front end is now very quiet, no more pops or creaks.