Changed the oil for the first time in my Quad at 2700 miles. What a pain in the [non-permissible content removed]! I actually took the skid plate off before I dropped the plug because I was afraid the oil would flow into it. After looking closely, I think that if the oil was changed COLD (after a night sitting) you wouldn't have to remove the plate, otherwise definitely remove the plate. I wonder what Jiffy Lube does when a Dak with skid plates comes in? What a mess that must make, and unless you're watching, I'm sure they don't clean a thing up.
On a side note: my left Quad Cab badge fell off the C-pillar! Gotta call the service dept and get a new one.
My paint appears to be ok. I haven't waxed yet, so I haven't been over every single inch of the truck, but there is one sight imperfection above the front passenger door.
For those of you who have A.R.E tonneaus for this truck - does your cover seal completely on the sides and back? I have an area right around the rear corners of the truck that is not weather sealed (the gasket does not make contact). Also, the gasket doesn't completely contact the aluminum rails, so some air is able to bleed through. I was wonder if they're all like this. I don't think much rain gets in, but there's definately some road dust inside because of it.
I can't believe it! My Quad finally made it to the Dealer today. I ordered it on Jan 23. It seems like most of you lately have been getting delivery in a month or less, but mine took a little longer. Then again, I am in the middle of nowhere USA (ie North Dakota).
However, the dealer I bought it from is 400 miles away and can't bring it by flatbed until Friday. :-( If I waited this long, I can wait another two days i guess. Besides, if he brought it during the middle of the week I would probably have to take the rest of the week off of work due to lack of concentration.
I decided to have tow hooks put on in the front of my truck. I thought they would intall in the two holes in the front facia but the dealer says they are below the facia. I can't figure out what the heck those holes are for. If neither tow hooks nor cow catchers (brush gaurds) intall there then I don't know what does. Anyone have a clue? Also, does anyone else have tow hooks intalled? Are they satisfied with them?
Oops, got kinda long. I am sure there will be an even longer one after I take delivery. Bye
The truck is running great again. What did I do you ask? Nothing. I got out of work the day which the malfunction occured, and it ran fine. 4 restarts later, the malfunction indicator light (MIL) went out. I suspect it was either a computer glitch or a temporary moisture problem. It had rained hard with high winds the day before so perhaps some water got on a wire or something. Still scratching my head about this one. Even as the problem was experienced, the truck kept running, and did not leave me stranded. Maybe the truck went into a "limp home" mode when the MIL went on.
I went to the dealer yesterday to have them check it out. They did not find anything wrong. At least the occurance has been documented. Also got the free complimentory oil and filter change done. All fluids were topped off, and to my surprise, they washed my dirty filthy truck.
I had double vision when leaving the service department as there were 2 Quads side by side the same color as mine. I had to look at the license plates to determine which one was mine.
My 4.7L V8 also had a wee bit (less than half a teaspoon) of the "white sludge" under the oil fill cap and tube. Got to remember to wipe out that area every now and then.
I used the ignition switch routine (on-off-on-off-on) to check for any codes. If any codes are stored they will be displayed where the odometer readout is.
The display will be in the OBDII format. "Pdone" will be displayed at the end of routine.
I found it may take a few tries of this routine to work.
Look at past post on Oil change. We found a valve that makes for painless oil change it called FOMOTOVALVE.COM 35.00 It replaces oil plug and has safety latch, and allows you to attach a 1/2 hose on it to direct the oil into container. I talked to dc service tech and he said they hate when qc pull up for oil changes with the skid group pkg on them. Oh p.s even if oil is cold it over shoots the square hole. also try using 2 liter coke bottle with cap in place to remove filter. cut bottom out of bottle place cap on slide the bottle up thru to filter and over filter unscrew and let filter fall into bottle . Painless oil change TraumaGas TraumaGas@aol.com
I've noticed various posts from 4.7L QC owners about a whining noise coming from the driveline. I own a 5.9L QC and personally have not experienced any unusual noises to date. HOWEVER, I happened to re-read the Sept. 2000 issue of Car & Driver yesterday (the same issue that talked about the AWD system on the Durango/Dakota). In it, there was an article about their Long-Term test of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the 4.7L engine, auto trans, and Quadra-Drive.
What got my attention is the following quote: "[At around the 37,500-mile scheduled service], the logbook had comments about a loud whine coming from the driveline when accelerating on the highway. Apparently, Jeep released a technical service bulletin to dealers concerning the issue, and per the instructions, the dealer replaced the driveshaft."
The article goes on to say that the driveshaft was replaced under warranty, and it talks about how reliable the Grand Cherokee was, how quick the 4.7L engine was, etc. The only downside was the gas mileage at an average of 16 mpg.
I hope the above information is helpful to those of you who may be experiencing this problem with your 4.7L QC.
As my previous post stated, I plan on taking delivery of my Quad this Friday. It is fully loaded, minus leather interior group, 4.7 V8, Automatic. I have never had a brand new vehicle before so I was wondering if there are any quidelines for the break-in period of the engine. Also, how long does this period last, and when should the first oil change take place? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.
I was reading a few hundred posts ago about the what they thought was shifting in and out of overdrive. Another person said it was just the multispeed trany doing its job. How important is this multispeed trany if limited towing is involved?
I have a 2000 ram 1500 quad (that I am trading on a dakota quad) that when I set the cruise, it shifts like crazy going up a hill. It really goes nuts and puts you back in your seat. Should I go with a standard auto to avoid this?
The Web Page For the Oil Change Valve is Fumotovalve.com great picts of the product along with application guide. If some one could share how to highlight the page so you could just click on it I would sure appreciate It E-mail me at Traumagas@aol.com
There is very vague information in the owners manual about motor break in. Vary the speed, limit speed to 55 or so maximum for the first 300 - 500 miles. I don't have the owners manual in front of me, but it is something like that.
I just got the first oil change yesterday at 1800 miles. This was the 3 month mark for me. Some people change it sooner.
Ask the service manager when you pick up the truck as to what their recommendation is. They told me 3 months or 3000 miles. good luck
Yeah, I hit the back button on the browser and it reposted the form data - instant double-post.
I looked at my tonneau and I think that it is too far forward (near the cab). This is preventing the cover from coming down far enough over the tailgate which keeps the gasket from making contact. If I unclamp it and move it back a hair or two, and adjust the rubber lid bumpers, I think i can fix it.
As for the oil changes, do you guys trust that flow-valve? I would be worried about it leaking for some reason.
My oil filter was a bit hard to get off, but I got it, and even though I had a cup underneath to catch the oil, some of it still missed. I had oil leaking from under the bumper for a bit. I wish they had made the hole a bit bigger to get to the filter. Poor design for maintenance.
Special thanks to Traumagas for the info on replacing the oil drain plug with the fumotovalve. I got my valve with nipple and adapter in the mail last week (only took about 1 week to recieve) and I'm looking forward to swapping it out when I do my first oil change at 2000 miles. This way I'll only have to take the skid plate off ONCE to install the oil valve and then oil changes will be a snap. I do believe the hose that connects to the nipple is a 3/8'' ID - easy enough to find some tubing that fits snug. There is a difference in the thread and diameter of the valve and adapter and I would recommend using the adapter even though it makes the valve stick out alittle farther. You may strip the threads in the oil pan if you don't use the adapter piece - this is only my opinion.
I would also like to thank the person who hooked me up with the spare tire lock at sparetirelock.com. It works great and installs as quickly as you can drop your spare. I highly recommend it to keep someone from pilfering that fullsize 16 incher sitting under the bed. I tried to find the old post to find out exactly who it was that gave me the info, but I think the post is wayyy back there. At the time I was posting about how I use heavy chain and a padlock to secure my spare, but I went for the spare tire lock because of it's ease of use, durability, and low profile. It arrived in about two weeks. Thanks again whoever you are!!!
This, the first time I have had a vehical with all these computers on board. It is making me very nerves. All this will help me feel better if I know a little something about any problem before I go into for service. Thanks Again.
Also I am in the Pac NW and we just had a large earthquake as I was type this.
Was wondering if anyone else is experiencing this problem. Have a 01 QC, 4.7 auto. Truck only has 600 miles on it. The other day sitting at a light I thought someone rear-ended me (didn't happen). The truck seemed "shift" for no apparent reason. Seems like its tranny related. It happens off and on now, sometimes pretty hard. Before I run to the dealer, was wondering if this is "common" and what has been done about it. Thanks for any help.
Other than that, truck is running fine and got 15 mpg on first tank of gas in mostly city driving.
hey Norm, was that you I saw today at 3:00 at the intersection of Trenton and woodbourne/edgely roads? If not, someone put brush guards on your truck and is tooling around in it ( your aunt maybe???). That darn amber fire is simply too gorgeous a color! drive safely! scottie
Scott, that was me. I was on my way home from Shoprite, where I was buying ice cream for the kids in my wife's classroom. She teaches in Langhorne. Sorry i missed you.
Mtrogstad- I too was miffed when my '00 Quad arrived and could find no place/way to install tow hooks. What I ended up doing was installing a GoRhino push bar (no headlight guards) which looks awesome. I put some driving and fog lights on it and was able to place two tow (tongue twister!) hooks on the bottom where it goes up and attaches to the frame. They got their first test last month in upstate New York when I had to get pulled up a hill out of about 2 feet of snow. If I knew how to send you pictures on these damn computers, I would.
I e-mailed this to TramaGas about a month ago. Hopefully this can help others . . . . (Sorry this post is so long)
I have a 2K quad 4.7 w/4WD & the skid plates. You're right - it is a pain to change the oil in this thing.
I have done the following:
1) I have the fumotovalve on my pan, so I set up my small drain hose & let it rip! It drains while I am setting everything else up. After the oil is drained, I close it all up & remove the hose. Time: About 10 min w/ a short hose thru the drain hole in the skid plate. 15 -20 min with the hose over the side of the plate & to the drain pan. (Warm oil. - Cold oil, double the time.) (Cold is 32 deg F night, before starting truck in the am.)
2) I have removed the front plastic cover/shield under the oil filter - It got in my way & serves no mechanically useful purpose as far as I can see. (You will have to remove it to change the belt, or to do any work on the front of the engine - I just accelerated that day!) The bottom of the engine might have gotten a little dirty with the shield gone, but I have been off-road so much lately, everything is dirty!
3) I have a small sheet of 1/4" plywood (5" X 7" or close to that) that I cover with a plastic bag (Wal-Mart shopping bag, etc). I lay the plastic covered bag across the front x-member under the oil filter with the board angled to front of the truck.
4) I loosen the oil filter, the oil drips off of the end of the filter, down onto the plastic covered board, and down into the my oil change pan. Quick & easy! I saw the write-up about the plastic coke bottle, but I never could get it to work well enough for me! Plus, it is easier to get a new w-m bag than to keep up with a dirty coke bottle.
5) Remove the old filter, put the new filter on, remove the bag & board, wipe up (if needed). Throw the plastic Wal-Mart bag away with the empty oil bottles, clean up pan & old oil filter. Put hose, wrench & "custom" board away. (wonder how much I could sell these boards for??)
Add oil & away!
Tools: oil filter wrench my "custom" board & w-m bag fumoto valve w/ nipple installed short hose for drain nipple oil drain pan new oil & filter elapsed time: 15 - 25 min.
Hope this "detail" of my process can help. It is still not as easy as my old Chevy w/ the 350 motor, but I can change the oil & only get the fingers of 1 hand dirty.
That is quite an improvement over my first oil change: 2 hrs & oil all over me, my concrete floor, AND of course, the skid plate. (by the way - every one of the little drain holes in the skid plate DO work!) I still have little drip stains all the way down my shop floor!
I found the fumoto valve site & posted it for everyone @ Edmunds, I'm glad to see that it works for other people. I have used the valve for about 6-7 months & have never had any problems with oil drips, etc - even off road & in brushy pastures. the valve lever has never moved to the best of my knowledge.
BTW: since June of 2K I have put a little over 25K miles on my truck & have changed the oil 5x. This system has evolved over the first 3x. The last two changes have been really sweet by comparison!
Which is better, a plastic bed liner ordered through Dodge, or should I have the bed sprayed painted with a protective cover. Which material will fade faster? With a plastic bed liner will water/rust develop under the liner? What will look better four or five years down the road?
On the side molding, can you order in different colors. I am ordering a white QC so I want the molding that color. An earlier post said the side molding only comes in black? Also, does the side molding add or subtract from the appearence of the body. For $64 (cost of molding), I don't want to cheapen the look of the QC.
Thanks skylerk. The link to the checklist gave me nine pages of things to look at. Picked up my new silver Q/C 4x4 yesterday for a prepurchase check. Parked in my driveway and went thru the whole check list. It passed my inspection so tomorrow, March 1, I will sign the papers and take delivery.
My wife accuses me of being more excited about this Q/C than any of the 8 or 10 vehicles we have previously purchased. If that is the case, it is because of the information derived from reading this forum.
I like the humor that filters in too. When is the Q/C gathering at bookitty's beach house??
I have a white quad cab w/black body side moulding(actually Ram moulding). I will try to post a picture soon, or I can email you so you can decide if you like it. Some have used the Durango moulding, but I think the rear door piece is a bit short??
I know what you mean about having so much computer driven stuff. The car which this truck replaced was an 1986 plymouth reliant which had the computer. The ignition switch routine was the way to check for codes on that car. "Haynes manual" It helped me to find the bad components for the 10 years that I drove that car. I did not know for sure if it would work on the truck or not, when the MIL went off on Monday, I used the routine and found it did work. Still want to get the service manual for the truck anyway. It's a great way to gain some knowledge about a problem before going to the service department, that way you can scrutinize the responses that they give.
I would appreciate it if you could forward me a picture of your white quad cab with black molding. My dealer rep. gave me no idea what the molding looks like. My e-mail address is checkmate4us@yahoo.com.
Just took the door panel of and there is only one speaker in each door. So, those four plus the tweeters make 6. How can DC get away with this false advertisement?
Do you know of a good way to search for a certain topic on this "new board style"? I was looking for the stuff about the K&N filters. But with this new board I can not bring up the whole topic and use the search of the browser and the "Board Search" does not seem to go into the text of anything. Have you tried to do that?
First my truck: 2000 QC 4.7, auto, 3:55, hd service group.
Gator72: my truck does the same thing, clunk/click when turning left into my driveway while braking at the same time. I will be bringing it in soon for a look.
Also I am getting a nice little shimmy when braking from speed to a stop. Might be tires, will know when new ones go on.
K&N filters: there may not be one out there for the 4.7 specifically but the one for the 5.2 works fine, I have had it for 4 months now and no problems actually a little better gas mileage, about 1mpg across the board.
Towing: I sometimes tow my stepfathers 5000lb boat and trailer. No problems at all. Actually he was extremely impressed with how easy it was to yank the boat up the ramp at low tide. His F-150 shortbed will spin the tires a little and really strain to get it up the same ramp where the QC just slowly (only needed 1/4-1/3 throttle) moved it on out.
All in all very happy, only problem I have had that really ticked me off was the weather stripping on the rear-passenger door came off, what bull-crap. Also where are my dang child seat teathers, still on national backorder I suppose. (just venting)
Do you know of a good way to search for a certain topic on this "new board style"? I was looking for the stuff about the K&N filters. But with this new board I can not bring up the whole topic and use the search of the browser and the "Board Search" does not seem to go into the text of anything. Have you tried to do that?
Norm, I had a feeling that was you! Here's a shocker for you, my darling bride teaches in the same district as yours! It's a small world after all! (different school though) Take care, I'm sure I'll see you around, and above all, drive safely! scottie
Ok Everybody!!! I got my new seats and they're in!
For those of you that are new here or maybe you forgot what I am talking about, here's the story again:
I ordered my new 2001 Quad cab with the bucket seats ($200 more if I remember right).
I have been disappointed in their lack of side/butt support and their lack of a head rest that meets my head without having to look back and up at the ceiling.
I noticed that the Durango had nicer seats that were better designed. So, I found a pair of nice leather ones from a '99 Durango that was wrecked at a junkyard. Had them shipped to me (after spending a ton of money I really didn't have) and put them in.
They look and feel fantastic! They sit about 1/2 inch higher, but are much more comfortable.
You are welcome to take a look at the pictures of this process at the link below.
Keep in mind that I did not thumbnail anything, so the download time is pretty long.
Also, if anybody would like to purchase the original bucket seats that came with my truck, they are in mint condition (under 500 miles of actual driving) and are in need of a good home.
I think $300 for the pair is a fair price. If not, let me know and I will see what I can do.
I have pictures of them at a link below as well.
Let me know what you think.
For pictures of the old vs. new plus the installation, click here:
Warren, the only searches that I have done were manual, and then I had to go through the archives. I don't know of any search engine that will look for "keywords" on this board. Perhaps someone else know how to do it. Sorry.
Scott, it is indeed a small world. My wife teaches second grade at Oliver Heckman. She taught in special education in Neshaminy district for years. I am certain that we will bump into one another (I hope not literally) somewhere in the area.
Nice Job Tod! Looks like a good bit of work finally paid off. Are the durango leather seats really that much different than the dakota leather? You've definately got a one of a kind now! and I don't even want to know why a 99 Durango was in the junkyard...
Bob, if you view channel 6, there will be no storm. For those of you who watch channel 10, well that's a different story. Each television channel issues a weather report that's diametrically opposed to the others. That way, somebody gets the opportunity to say that they were correct. The others just ignore the situation. Bob, it's a plot.
I found them somewhere on the internet. I had to have them shipped here (Virginia) from Arizona on some salvage yard search site. I don't remember where the site was, I'm sorry. All I can say is it took me a long time and a lot of searching to find them. Found prices on similar pairs starting at around $300 for cloth seats to $1800 for the leather. Salvage yards are obviously unable to agree on what seats should really cost, so price around.
Anyway, I ended up paying little over $600 for them.
Lucky for me, the seats that I found look as though they have never been sat in before. I would almost swear they haven't. They still smell new and fit like they just came from the factory. To say the least, I am very please as you can probably tell.
Dodge wants around $3000 for the same seats (with frame assemblies). How ridiculous when you consider the option added at the time of ordering will only cost you about $800.
Tod Nice job on the seat replacement! Are the new seats power adjustable and are they heated? Looks like there is a provision for power controls on the drivers seat. Good luck, Bob
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Comments
On a side note: my left Quad Cab badge fell off the C-pillar! Gotta call the service dept and get a new one.
My paint appears to be ok. I haven't waxed yet, so I haven't been over every single inch of the truck, but there is one sight imperfection above the front passenger door.
For those of you who have A.R.E tonneaus for this truck - does your cover seal completely on the sides and back? I have an area right around the rear corners of the truck that is not weather sealed (the gasket does not make contact). Also, the gasket doesn't completely contact the aluminum rails, so some air is able to bleed through. I was wonder if they're all like this. I don't think much rain gets in, but there's definately some road dust inside because of it.
Bookitty
However, the dealer I bought it from is 400 miles away and can't bring it by flatbed until Friday. :-( If I waited this long, I can wait another two days i guess. Besides, if he brought it during the middle of the week I would probably have to take the rest of the week off of work due to lack of concentration.
I decided to have tow hooks put on in the front of my truck. I thought they would intall in the two holes in the front facia but the dealer says they are below the facia. I can't figure out what the heck those holes are for. If neither tow hooks nor cow catchers (brush gaurds) intall there then I don't know what does. Anyone have a clue? Also, does anyone else have tow hooks intalled? Are they satisfied with them?
Oops, got kinda long. I am sure there will be an even longer one after I take delivery. Bye
I got out of work the day which the malfunction occured, and it ran fine.
4 restarts later, the malfunction indicator light (MIL) went out.
I suspect it was either a computer glitch or a temporary moisture problem.
It had rained hard with high winds the day before so perhaps some water got on a wire or something. Still scratching my head about this one.
Even as the problem was experienced, the truck kept running, and did not leave me stranded.
Maybe the truck went into a "limp home" mode when the MIL went on.
I went to the dealer yesterday to have them check it out. They did not find anything wrong. At least the occurance has been documented.
Also got the free complimentory oil and filter change done. All fluids were topped off, and to my surprise, they washed my dirty filthy truck.
I had double vision when leaving the service department as there were 2 Quads side by side the same color as mine. I had to look at the license plates to determine which one was mine.
My 4.7L V8 also had a wee bit (less than half a teaspoon) of the "white sludge" under the oil fill cap and tube. Got to remember to wipe out that area every now and then.
http://www.allpar.com/fix/codes.html
http://www.batauto.com/technical.html
I used the ignition switch routine (on-off-on-off-on) to check for any codes. If any codes are stored they will be displayed where the odometer readout is.
The display will be in the OBDII format. "Pdone" will be displayed at the end of routine.
I found it may take a few tries of this routine to work.
good luck
also try using 2 liter coke bottle with cap in place to remove filter. cut bottom out of bottle place cap on slide the bottle up thru to filter and over filter unscrew and let filter fall into
bottle . Painless oil change
TraumaGas
TraumaGas@aol.com
What got my attention is the following quote: "[At around the 37,500-mile scheduled service], the logbook had comments about a loud whine coming from the driveline when accelerating on the highway. Apparently, Jeep released a technical service bulletin to dealers concerning the issue, and per the instructions, the dealer replaced the driveshaft."
The article goes on to say that the driveshaft was replaced under warranty, and it talks about how reliable the Grand Cherokee was, how quick the 4.7L engine was, etc. The only downside was the gas mileage at an average of 16 mpg.
I hope the above information is helpful to those of you who may be experiencing this problem with your 4.7L QC.
I have a 2000 ram 1500 quad (that I am trading on a dakota quad) that when I set the cruise, it shifts like crazy going up a hill. It really goes nuts and puts you back in your seat. Should I go with a standard auto to avoid this?
Fumotovalve.com great picts of the product along with application guide. If some one could share how to highlight the page so you could just click on it I would sure appreciate It
E-mail me at Traumagas@aol.com
thanks TraumaGas
There is very vague information in the owners manual about motor break in.
Vary the speed, limit speed to 55 or so maximum for the first 300 - 500 miles. I don't have the owners manual in front of me, but it is something like that.
I just got the first oil change yesterday at 1800 miles. This was the 3 month mark for me.
Some people change it sooner.
Ask the service manager when you pick up the truck as to what their recommendation is. They told me 3 months or 3000 miles.
good luck
I looked at my tonneau and I think that it is too far forward (near the cab). This is preventing the cover from coming down far enough over the tailgate which keeps the gasket from making contact. If I unclamp it and move it back a hair or two, and adjust the rubber lid bumpers, I think i can fix it.
As for the oil changes, do you guys trust that flow-valve? I would be worried about it leaking for some reason.
My oil filter was a bit hard to get off, but I got it, and even though I had a cup underneath to catch the oil, some of it still missed. I had oil leaking from under the bumper for a bit. I wish they had made the hole a bit bigger to get to the filter. Poor design for maintenance.
I would also like to thank the person who hooked me up with the spare tire lock at sparetirelock.com. It works great and installs as quickly as you can drop your spare. I highly recommend it to keep someone from pilfering that fullsize 16 incher sitting under the bed. I tried to find the old post to find out exactly who it was that gave me the info, but I think the post is wayyy back there. At the time I was posting about how I use heavy chain and a padlock to secure my spare, but I went for the spare tire lock because of it's ease of use, durability, and low profile. It arrived in about two weeks. Thanks again whoever you are!!!
Also I am in the Pac NW and we just had a large earthquake as I was type this.
Other than that, truck is running fine and got 15 mpg on first tank of gas in mostly city driving.
Kojak
drive safely!
scottie
Bookitty (Norm)
I ordered one as well after I read that.
Should make things a lot easier since I have the skid plate package.
Now where are my damn seats???
I have a 2K quad 4.7 w/4WD & the skid plates. You're right - it is a pain to change the oil in this thing.
I have done the following:
1) I have the fumotovalve on my pan, so I set up my small drain hose & let it rip! It drains while I am setting everything else up. After the oil is drained, I close it all up & remove the hose.
Time: About 10 min w/ a short hose thru the drain hole in the skid plate. 15 -20 min with the hose over the side of the plate & to the drain pan. (Warm oil. - Cold oil, double the time.) (Cold is 32 deg F night, before starting truck in the am.)
2) I have removed the front plastic cover/shield under the oil filter - It got in my way & serves no mechanically useful purpose as far as I can see. (You will have to remove it to change the belt, or to do any work on the front of the engine - I just accelerated that day!) The bottom of the engine might have gotten a little dirty with the shield gone, but I have been off-road so much lately, everything is dirty!
3) I have a small sheet of 1/4" plywood (5" X 7" or close to that) that I cover with a plastic bag (Wal-Mart shopping bag, etc).
I lay the plastic covered bag across the front x-member under the oil filter with the board angled to front of the truck.
4) I loosen the oil filter, the oil drips off of the end of the filter, down onto the plastic covered board, and down into the my oil change pan. Quick & easy! I saw the write-up about the plastic coke bottle, but I never could get it to work well enough for me! Plus, it is easier to get a new w-m bag than to keep up with a dirty coke bottle.
5) Remove the old filter, put the new filter on, remove the bag & board, wipe up (if needed). Throw the plastic Wal-Mart bag away with the empty oil bottles, clean up pan & old oil filter. Put hose, wrench & "custom" board away. (wonder how much I could sell these boards for??)
Add oil & away!
Tools:
oil filter wrench
my "custom" board & w-m bag
fumoto valve w/ nipple installed
short hose for drain nipple
oil drain pan
new oil & filter
elapsed time: 15 - 25 min.
Hope this "detail" of my process can help. It is still not as easy as my old Chevy w/ the 350 motor, but I can change the oil & only get the fingers of 1 hand dirty.
That is quite an improvement over my first oil change: 2 hrs & oil all over me, my concrete floor, AND of course, the skid plate. (by the way - every one of the little drain holes in the skid plate DO work!) I still have little drip stains all the way down my shop floor!
I found the fumoto valve site & posted it for everyone @ Edmunds, I'm glad to see that it works for other people. I have used the valve for about 6-7 months & have never had any problems with oil drips, etc - even off road & in brushy pastures. the valve lever has never moved to the best of my knowledge.
BTW: since June of 2K I have put a little over 25K miles on my truck & have changed the oil 5x. This system has evolved over the first 3x. The last two changes have been really sweet by comparison!
Good Luck, and if I can help, drop me a line!
PDS (a.k.a.: Cowtown Aggie)
(and it is FUN to feel that power.)
Mailman
On the side molding, can you order in different colors. I am ordering a white QC so I want the molding that color. An earlier post said the side molding only comes in black? Also, does the side molding add or subtract from the appearence of the body. For $64 (cost of molding), I don't want to cheapen the look of the QC.
I would appreciate any feed back.
My wife accuses me of being more excited about this Q/C than any of the 8 or 10 vehicles we have previously purchased. If that is the case, it is because of the information derived from reading this forum.
I like the humor that filters in too. When is the Q/C gathering at bookitty's beach house??
Some have used the Durango moulding, but I think the rear door piece is a bit short??
The car which this truck replaced was an 1986 plymouth reliant which had the computer.
The ignition switch routine was the way to check for codes on that car. "Haynes manual"
It helped me to find the bad components for the 10 years that I drove that car.
I did not know for sure if it would work on the truck or not, when the MIL went off on Monday, I used the routine and found it did work.
Still want to get the service manual for the truck anyway.
It's a great way to gain some knowledge about a problem before going to the service department, that way you can scrutinize the responses that they give.
"occasional burst of FULL THROTTLE accelleration"
Forgot about that one. You are right, it is quite exhilarating.
A definate head snapper between 3k - 5k rpm.
As Tim "the tool man" Taylor would say arrr arrr arrr
Thanks, Steve
Gator72: my truck does the same thing, clunk/click when turning left into my driveway while braking at the same time. I will be bringing it in soon for a look.
Also I am getting a nice little shimmy when braking from speed to a stop. Might be tires, will know when new ones go on.
K&N filters: there may not be one out there for the 4.7 specifically but the one for the 5.2 works fine, I have had it for 4 months now and no problems actually a little better gas mileage, about 1mpg across the board.
Towing: I sometimes tow my stepfathers 5000lb boat and trailer. No problems at all. Actually he was extremely impressed with how easy it was to yank the boat up the ramp at low tide. His F-150 shortbed will spin the tires a little and really strain to get it up the same ramp where the QC just slowly (only needed 1/4-1/3 throttle) moved it on out.
All in all very happy, only problem I have had that really ticked me off was the weather stripping on the rear-passenger door came off, what bull-crap. Also where are my dang child seat teathers, still on national backorder I suppose. (just venting)
Take care, I'm sure I'll see you around, and above all,
drive safely!
scottie
For those of you that are new here or maybe you forgot what I am talking about, here's the story again:
I ordered my new 2001 Quad cab with the bucket seats ($200 more if I remember right).
I have been disappointed in their lack of side/butt support and their lack of a head rest that meets my head without having to look back and up at the ceiling.
I noticed that the Durango had nicer seats that were better designed. So, I found a pair of nice leather ones from a '99 Durango that was wrecked at a junkyard. Had them shipped to me (after spending a ton of money I really didn't have) and put them in.
They look and feel fantastic! They sit about 1/2 inch higher, but are much more comfortable.
You are welcome to take a look at the pictures of this process at the link below.
Keep in mind that I did not thumbnail anything, so the download time is pretty long.
Also, if anybody would like to purchase the original bucket seats that came with my truck, they are in mint condition (under 500 miles of actual driving) and are in need of a good home.
I think $300 for the pair is a fair price. If not, let me know and I will see what I can do.
I have pictures of them at a link below as well.
Let me know what you think.
For pictures of the old vs. new plus the installation, click here:
http://www.ayrow.com/seats.html
For DETAILED pictures of the original bucket seats that I am selling, click here:
http://www.ayrow.com/clothseats.html
Bookity
Bookitty
Looks like a good bit of work finally paid off. Are the durango leather seats really that much different than the dakota leather? You've definately got a one of a kind now! and I don't even want to know why a 99 Durango was in the junkyard...
Yes, the seats are very different. They feel more like a sportscar-type seat than a truck.
As far as the difference in leather, I don't know. I have never seen the leather Dakota seats.
However, if you go on Dodge's website (www.4adodge.com) you can see the actual differences in the seats just buy the photos.
Thanks for the reply.
Bookitty
fat_fenders
how were you able to locate these seats and how much were they. How much are they if you order them trough dodge?
I found them somewhere on the internet. I had to have them shipped here (Virginia) from Arizona on some salvage yard search site. I don't remember where the site was, I'm sorry.
All I can say is it took me a long time and a lot of searching to find them. Found prices on similar pairs starting at around $300 for cloth seats to $1800 for the leather. Salvage yards are obviously unable to agree on what seats should really cost, so price around.
Anyway, I ended up paying little over $600 for them.
Lucky for me, the seats that I found look as though they have never been sat in before. I would almost swear they haven't. They still smell new and fit like they just came from the factory.
To say the least, I am very please as you can probably tell.
Dodge wants around $3000 for the same seats (with frame assemblies). How ridiculous when you consider the option added at the time of ordering will only cost you about $800.
Good Luck,
Ayrow
Nice job on the seat replacement!
Are the new seats power adjustable and are they heated?
Looks like there is a provision for power controls on the drivers seat.
Good luck,
Bob
Is that a sunroof I saw in the pictures?
If so, I would like to hear more details about it.
Thanks,
Bob