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Dodge Dakota - Quad Cab
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Good luck
I had concerns due to the fact the 4.7 has only 5,300 miles on it and the exhaust temperatures have clearly discoloured one complete section of the muffler where one of the baffled chambers starts and ends with no discolouring in the other chambers. The discolouration is at the forward 1/3 section of the muffler closest to the O2 sensors. I have heard stories about the 4.7 overheating...
I'm sure Dusty is correct regarding activation of the MIL light if the ECM discovered the level of exhaust temperature was out of acceptable range. I just hope the muffler will handle the heat build up and not wear out prematurely.
Thanks...
dataguru
Best of luck,
Dusty
Now get your butt out of Iraq and come home and drive that Dakota around! My son is with A-Company 1-37 AR 2nd Platoon, 1st BDE 1 AD, Unit 93035 in Baghdad. Please bring him home with you.
Best regards,
Dusty
This really depends on your mindset. If you consider it insurance, then I think it might be for you.
I once advised a friend not to buy the extended warranty and he didn't. He had to put a fair amount of money into that car. We don't speak.
I once advised a friend to buy the extra warranty. He never had a moments trouble with that car and he ended up feeling that he spent $1000 for nothing. We don't speak, either.
Do what you feel is right for you.
Best regards,
Dusty
My truck: 04 Dakota Quad Cab Sport Plus, 4x4, 4.7, 5 speed auto, 26c with power windows and locks, cruise, tilt steering wheel, sliding rear window, 60/40 split bench, and 245/70 tires. All wrapped in the new Atlantic Blue. Couldn't find 03s near me like I wanted and I know if the 05 is restyled same as the 04 Durango Id hate it so I figured it was time to stop talking constantly about a new truck and go in on the last of the month and just do the deal.
Oh my god I still can't believe when Im driving this truck how far trucks have come since my little rwd reg cab 95 Ranger was built. IT handles as tight as any car I've ever been in and the acceleration is UNBELIEVABLE for a 4thousand pound plus 4x4. Pulling off the lot I gave it the same kind of gas I normally have to give on my little 4-banger Ranger to get up to traffic speed and before I knew it I had gone from being at a stand still to moving FASTER than the approaching cars as I merged in.
Interior is very quiet and comfortable. Everything feels tight and well engineered. Only criticism is one side of bumper sits a couple inches lower than the other, but I have not yet decided if it's annoying enough for me to let the dealer mess with it.
On the radio: CAn't believe Dodge would put a radio in a 2004 truck without a scan function.
Back seats: VERY spacious. On a 3 hour drive to DC my Mom was able to sleep comfortably. She absolutely fell in love with big blue when I first pulled into her driveway. Her first reaction: "We have to go on a road trip. NOW."
Have already put ventshades on all four doors and a bug deflector. A bed liner, bed extender, and soft cover are probably next. I see little reason to spring for locking storage in the bed when I now have an actual full interior where I can store the fragile stuff.
And I have Ram's head cutouts on my tail lights but they're the cheap type that don't fit too great and I don't think I like them much. Can anybody point me to cheap places to get the full rams head tail light covers that cover the whole tail light and blend with the rest of the body?
I don't know anyone that has had short brake rotor life on 2001s and up. Before 2001 I talked to a number of Dakota owners that said they had repeated rotor problems. Of course, they were all getting aftermarket replacements, so its unfair to blame Chrysler for that. There are four Dakotas in my parking lot that are 2001 and up (two 2001s, one 2002, and mine, a 2003) and none of us have touched the brakes yet. In my office building its the Explorer and GM fullsize pickup guys that currently appear to be having the most problems with rotors.
Best regards,
Dusty
Thanks,
Dusty
Does your truck stop when you push on the brake pedal?
My Dak exibits all kinds of brake squeels when I stop... I ignore it because I know it is not a concern of any kind. It is , after all, a TRUCK!
Does your truck stop when you push on the brake pedal?
My Dak exibits all kinds of brake squeels when I stop... I ignore it because I know it is not a concern of any kind. It is , after all, a TRUCK! "
Geez, these types of responses caused me to stop using these boards, not even to lurk. My mistake for coming back....
What did I say to offend? Please dont go away without at least explaining why you feel this way.
I was mearly asking why you feel that some "brake noise" is a problem that needed to be resolved. Perhaps if you provide more details we can be of help to you. There are a lot a knowledgable folks here at Edmunds that are willing to assist if you are willing to be helped.
On the other hand... if you wish to complain about things but do not wish any resolution to your issues... Feel free to seek company somwhere else.
"Safety recall to reroute a wiring harness on your truck and repair it if necessary"
Again, Pertains to those years of trucks with a manual transmission.
Problem: A wiring harness located under the instrument panel on your dakota may be chafed by the actuation of the clutch pedal. This could result in abnormal operations of the wipers,horn,turn signals,and/or lighting systems.
Form says will repair truck free of charge(parts and labor). Gonna have to make call to dealership for appt even though I do not see any problem areas. First seen the notice, was hoping was for front rotors and would replace them free! ~40k miles and it's time for me to just replace the front rotors, as my wife is also tired of the bobble-head action I can force her into when I'm braking! Ger
A recent 600 mile round trip from Illinois to Michigan netted 20mpg with about an hour of stop and go 15-25mph rush hour traffic on I80 in Chicago.
Don't know what kind of muffler they put on my truck but I get all kinds of compliments on the exhaust tone when I'm sitting at idle. Another Dakota owner couldn't believe it wasn't a v8. I hope the lower power of the 3.9 will keep me from spinning when the snow flies. My truck was supposed to have LS but it didn't so they knocked off the price of it when I purchased the truck. I'll add extra weight if need be. Good Luck with your Dakotas! I would really like to hear some feedback on the 04 3.7's.
The first few times you use the brakes, you may hear a slight 'rubbing' or 'grinding' sound... this is just the metallic brakepads removing the rust from the brake rotors. It is no cause for alarm and no need for a trip to the dealer.
Do not forget that disk brakes...by their very nature always rub a little bit. (there is no 'return spring' like on drum brakes.)
Also, as discussed many times in the "Dakota Maintenance" Forum, it is a good idea to "let the smoke out" of the brakes at least twice a year....lest you risk the occourance. of undesirable issues with your brakes.
I've got 2800 miles on my GMC and really starting to appreciate it.I have challenged myself to get the best MPG's....best so far is 16.2 for the 6 liter engine.Tell you what...these beasts do not slow down real fast when you take your foot off the gas.not like the good ole Dak 5 spd.
I see where GM may face a class action suit for their big V8"s built for the 00,01,and 02 models.Seems they make some ungodly noises....which kills resale.
I will continue to follow you guys cuz I've learned a lot from you'all..
stephen
Which of the V8s are you refering to?
Do you have a link to additinoal information?
slr9589- I am also getting the 6.0. How do you like it towing and such and which rear do you have, 4.10? It feels great on long demos especially going from a 4.7
Bpeebles- It is piston slap and this is a good site http://www.pistonslap.com/
Robert
I think New York's Attorney General Elliot Spitzer is the one leading the charge against GM. Of course, he'd sue is own mother. He is the headliner type. Likes publicity that paints him as the great protector. Someone said he once worked for CU, but I haven't verified that.
Dusty
My first question is in regards to wind noise. I find that there is a lot of wind noise coming from around the top of the front doors. The dealer said they could correct it so I didn't worry about it. There was actually a whistle on the driver's side while driving in the 65 - 85 Km/h range. The dealer made some adjustments to both doors when I took it in for it's service which seemed to help the whistle, but compared to my last truck, a '97 F150 SuperCab 4X4, there's still a lot of noise, especially at highway speeds. The Ford was very quiet, except for the third door squeak. Is the wind noise normal? or will further adjustments cure it? Anybody familiar with this?
Second question. This morning, on the highway, the tranny didn't seem to want to come out of 3rd until after about 5 minutes or so. Cruising about 100 Km/h. I tried messing with the OD off button, but it didn't seem to affect it. Normal? It was kind of chilly this morning... can't imagine that being a factor. I hope not, it's not January yet.
I'm quite certain my Ford was built on a Wednesday, so maybe I was just spoiled.
One plus I did find in the some of the mini-van postings is that there are a lot more countries represented. Some postings have posts from up to 6 different countries. Where are Dakota group is mainly just Americans with a few of our brothers to the north.
My parents are on their second Ford Windstar in a row (keeping in mind my Dad's a Ford guy). The first, a '98 I think, the transmission "ceased functioning", but was replaced by Ford. The second, a '00 or '01, has been A-1, no problems.
My sister's Caravan, without getting into details, hasn't been the most dependable vehicle, although it's a '02 they bought used, so who knows how it was driven before.
My sister-in-law's Caravan had the air bags deployed after hitting a "bump" in the road. I think the oil pan or a cross-member hit too, though (= hit hard)... regardless, apparently it was unexpected.
A friend has an '02 Mazda and won't stop bragging how great it is. He says, " never had a problem with it once, it's comfortable, easy on gas and has no problem hauling his ATV or tent trailer around. He loves it.
The 545RFE will provide the following shift patterns until the transmission fluid reaches full operating temperature:
Fluid below -16 F - in Drive position, only 1st and 3rd. 2nd gear available only in manual "2"
-12F to +10 F - Delayed upshifts from 2-3 and 3-4. Early coastdown in 4-3 conditions. High speed kickdowns disabled (4-3, 3-2, 2-1)
+10 F to +36 F - Shift schedule the same as above except that 2-3 upshifts are not delayed.
+40 F - +240 F - Normal shift schedule
Above +244 F - Delayed 2-3 and 3-4 upshifts. Above 25 MPH the torque converter will not unlock unless the throttle is closed (idle position) or wide open.
The 545RFE is "fully adaptive," meaning that it learns the driver's habits and designs a specific shift schedule for the transmission. This then becomes the "normal" shift pattern and is retained by the TCM. The adaptive system is always in operation and continually updates the "normal" shift schedule tailoring transmission response to driver demands.
There are a number of Learn Modes for the 545RFE. The normal or street learn method is by driving over a period of 40 restarts. There is also a TCM Quick Learn that is used after certain repairs or procedures have been used. This learn can only be done by use of the DRB. There are a number of manual learn methods used to tailor cetain conditions. All of these learn methods can and will only be performed during certain specific fluid temperatures.
Best regards,
Dusty
I may have the whistle you speak of. When I have the passenger window open about one-half inch I hear a high pitched whistle on the driver's side. I am not sure exactly where it is coming from. For a while I thought I heard from the defroster vent.
Anyway, the most common causes in all vehicles is usually an air leak anywhere in the cab. Door and window gaskets are among the most frequent trouble spots. On a particular vehicle like our Dakotas, the technicians at the dealership are probably familar with the primary causes since they get to see these vehicles regularly, as well as receiving information from the factory on known major contributors.
Whistles are usually caused by very small leaks. Since there are seals that work against moving parts (like the side windows), in a practical sense it is impossible to seal these areas 100%. Dodge has incorporated the non-pressurized concept used in most Japanese designs. There is a constant venting to the atmosphere through vents at the back partion (or bulkhead) of the cab. These are hidden by the rear seat panel.
Any unintentional opening could contribute to a wind noise, like a firewall gromet missing or out of place. You can do your own testing by sealing body openings with masking tape and driving the vehicle to see if anything changes. This is particularly effective for troubleshooting poor sealing at the "A" pillar, or for that matter anywhere around the door. Just run a strip of tape over the door edge and windshield moulding and test drive. This is a process of elimination and takes a little patience (which is why it often isn't done correct, or not at all at a dealership. It's called flat rate).
Good luck,
Dusty
That's probably one of the most well answered posts I've ever seen and I'm the lucky one who posed the questions.
Nice to know the tranny is working like it should be. This being the first brand spankin' new vehicle I've purchased, I'm nervous of it turning out to be a lemon (especially after lucking out and then parting with the Wednesday Ford).
I was in the right ball park (in my mind) as to the wind noise. I'll probably drive myself nuts trying to locate a leak because I find the wind noise very irritating (especially seeing as the price tag on the truck was $38000.00 CAN $$).
Thanks again...
I think -- and I hope -- that you will find the newer Dakotas are well assembled and very reliable. Yes, there are Dakota "lemons," but they are available in every brand and model. We have a '99 Toyota Avalon that has been less than sterling. Actually, the majority of post-sale problems with any "lemon" is usually based on incompetent or otherwise poor dealer service. Studies have shown that people will tolerate defects and most malfunctions as long as the vehicle gets competently repaired.
On my 2003 Club Cab the overwhelming amount of interior noise comes from the tires via the rear vents in the rear cab bulkhead that I mentioned. I drove other Dakotas (mostly SLTs) with passenger-car tires that did not exhibit the noise. Mine has the optional on/off road tires with a more aggressive tread design.
Wind noise is almost non-existent. I get some from around the "A" pillars, but it is very minor. Overall most of the newer Dakotas I've been in have been very quiet...especially for a truck. Like you I have found most F150s to be very quiet, too, with the exception of engine noise. My Dakata has very little engine noise in comparison. I hear the exhaust note, of course, but actual noise from the engine itself is very low except at higher RPMs.
Good luck with the new machine. I hope you enjoy it!
Regards,
Dusty
I will stop in and keep everyone updated from time to time.
God bless you all and good luck.
Robert
Mine has the 265 on/off road tires also, but I don't find them noisy at all due to the fact that I normally run a much more aggressive tread pattern in the form of a quality mud tire or a true winter tire. Hopefully the current tires will be up to the task ahead so I don't have to replace them. My travels (work and rec) require me to travel on some less than perfect "roads". Time will tell (especially this Spring).
Anyway, my main concern with the noise was whether I was going to be fighting a losing battle trying to locate the source of the obvious wind noise if it was just a normal biproduct inherant to the shape and design of the truck body.
You have given me hope for a quieter ride. I'm sure I will enjoy it... Thanks again.
CS
Regards,
Norm (Bookitty)
bookitty: Have a safe trip. And send us some of that FL sunshine occasionally!
Happy Thanksgiving to all Dakota owners!
I WILL CONTINUE READING THESE HAUNTS AND COMMENTING WHEN I CAN !
GOOD DAY FROM SE TEXAS
You gave Dodge three chances to get it right. You are much more patient and forgiving than I am Hope the Chevy performs well for you.
On another note, the valve covers for the 4.7 engine are going to yuk.....plastic! read on...........
Dana Corporation Supplying New Cylinder-Head Cover Module for DaimlerChrysler 4.7L V-8 Engine
Toledo, Ohio -- Apr 09, 2003 --
Dana Corporation (NYSE: DCN) announced today that it has begun supplying the cylinder-head, cam-cover module for DaimlerChrysler’s 4.7L V-8 engine for the Jeep® Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, Dodge Dakota, and Dodge Ram vehicles.
The new thermoset plastic cylinder-head cover module was developed in just 12 months and replaces a magnesium component. Due to innovative manufacturing processes, Dana was able to reduce the overall cost of the module, while incrementally improving noise, vibration, and harshness, or NVH.
“Innovation within modules and systems provides a wonderful opportunity to reduce complexity, improve functionality, and create added value for our customers,” said Dana Chairman and CEO Joe Magliochetti. “The cylinder-head cover module for DaimlerChrysler demonstrates our commitment to satisfying customers’ needs with new and unique solutions.”
“Dana brought an extensive range of advanced capabilities and technologies to the development process, helping DaimlerChrysler meet its aggressive launch deadline while also increasing the value of the final solution,” said Mike Laisure, president of Dana’s Engine and Fluid Management Group.
The vinyl ester glass-reinforced thermoset plastic modules, which are unique to the left- and right-side cylinders, include the cover, gasket, and fasteners. These components are produced at Dana’s Composite Sealing Center in Paris, Tenn.
With this new sealing system, Dana developed a custom compound material for gaskets and grommets. Dana also provided prototyping for the gasket and isolator molds to ensure the design met all of the customer’s specifications. The system relies on a self-retaining, “press-in-place” gasket to improve function and quality consistency. This innovation eliminates the time-consuming and costly steps of precisely aligning and attaching the gasket to the valve cover with adhesive.
Dana engineers worked closely with DaimlerChrysler’s technical staff to provide 3-D solid models to fit tight, under-the-hood requirements. Dana also provided material development and component validation to ensure robust system performance. This collaborative effort eliminated the prototype step for the cover housing, which in turn reduced development time and cost by allowing the component to move directly from design to production.
A leader in the reduction of NVH, Dana provided extensive finite element analysis, or FEA, to ensure accurate NVH predictive analyses during the product development process. This capability allowed an incremental NVH improvement to be realized over the already favorable acoustical performance of the previous die-cast magnesium component.
Dana also supplies piston rings and rod bearings for DaimlerChrysler’s 4.7L V-8 engine.
Dusty
I speak from experience once leasing a 95 Taurus that had, when I turned it in, a pretty good leak on the rear valve cover. It too was plastic.
So too for a family friend with an old AMC eagle that had a crack in the high tech plastic valve cover and had to spend nearly 200 bucks to order it and replace it. So much for being cheaper.
The only good reason to be using metals nowadays is when you need to transfer heat or electric current, or you don't care about weight. Casting in metal is commonly more expensive unless you are using really low-grade metal. Valve covers use to be stamped many years ago, and they were often the source of leaks from distortion caused by over tightening, and they would crack, too.
Those magnesium alloy valve covers on the 4.7 motor, by the way, are actually quite fragile and highly susceptible to damage from harsh solvents and cleansers.
Regards,
Dusty
1) I'm never quite sure where to start pulling, just in case I'm breaking something instead of pulling out a removable plastic fastener.
2)The panels never seem to go back own the way they were originally.
I'm hoping its something cheap and simple like a belt or something. I've never seen the internals of one, but I'm willing to try to fix it instead of paying some dealer.
Any suggestions? Or know of free manuals on-line somewhere that would describe the fix?
To remove the rear door Trim Panel on the Dakota, perform the following:
1. Open the door.
2. Roll the window down.
3. Remove the screws that attach the trim panel to the door frame.
CAUTION: Do not use excessive force to pull the trim panel away from the door or damage may occur.
NOTE: The Door Trim Panel is attached using L-shaped retainers that are molded-in and part of the panel. When installed, the "L" of the retainer is pointing downwards, toward the bottom of the door. These retainers are aligned to rectangular holes in the door frame and this is what holds the Trim Panel to the door frame.
4. Grasp the trim panel at the bottom and simultaneously lift the trim panel upward and outward to release the retainers from the door frame.
5. While supporting the Trim Panel, disengage the inside door release linkage rod.
6. Disconnect the power window motor/lock harness connector.
7. Pull the trim panel away. If necessary, pull the upper trim extension outward to disengage the rear door.
8. To inspect the window regulator, use extreme care and remove the water shield.
If you need help beyond this, let me know.
Good luck,
Dusty