Dodge Dakota - Club Cab

bja4 · May 2001

That's what you will be saying in you go with the V6. My neighbor just traded in his almost new V6 Dakota for a new one with a V8. I'm sure he lost a lot of money in the process. Why worry about a 1-2 mpg difference in a truck that at best in only going to get 18 mpg anyway? This is about a half gallon per fill-up diffence.
I would worry about pulling power, fun, and quietness.
I can't speak on behalf of the new Dakota's with automatic transmitions. I hear they are better. I think these new automatics need their oil changed every 30k. I bought a used 92 Dakota that spent more time in the shop the first three months than in my own driveway. The dealership was fighting the "big wigs", and trying to repair instead of replace the bad tranmision. Once the dealership got the O.K., and installed a new tranmision., I never had a problem again. When my family of three grew by one, I needed a back seat. I looked at some used club cabs, but could not find one nice enough with a 3.92 rear end. I decided to buy a new one; only this time it was going to have a five speed. I don't care if the new automatics are better, I would rather replace the clutch at 100k plus miles than see my truck in the shop for tranny problems. I couldn't find a new club cab with the V8, 5 spd, and 3.92 rear end, so I ordered a new one. Paid $50 over invoice, and waited two months for the truck. This allowed me time to sell my old truck, get the farm bureau discount, and secure finances.

catchjack · May 2001

Hi guys and gals, picking up my first dodge vehicle today (after buying fords for 15 years with good luck) my last vehicle was a '99 powerstroke f250sd 4x4, supercab that I loved but had to sell after getting laid off in Virginia. Now got a great job in Florida and since I no longer have the 29 foot Baja sportboat either to tow I figured a small truck would fit the bill, but I still had to have v-8 power this left just dodge as my choice.......personally some of your quality problems have me concerned (my trak record is a'95 mustang GT ---never back to the dealer for any problems, '95 Bronco 5.8- back one time for rough idle and fixed, '97 mustang GT convt. - back one time to repair weatherstripping misinstalled at factory, '99 psd f250 - never back to the dealer) My Dakota is a 2001 club cab sport 4x2, white, 4.7, auto, air, tilt and cruise, buckets, and srw....list 20,900 paid 17,400 including 2000 rebate (really wanted power windows and locks but come'on dodge $710 for them -absolutely ridiculous they should be included in the sport package at todays vehicle prices so i'll wind mine by hand-----the v-8 is cheaper for gods sake-535)my question is what bolt on performance parts are out there for the 4.7 (air cleaner, off-road exhaust (no cat), duals, headers, computer, etc.) and where can I find them, what is a good hard tonneau cover and what does it cost, and finally does anyone know of anyone selling "takeoff" 2001 16" wheels (mine has 15"s and the dealer wouldn't switch them since they are part of a "tire and handling package") or who supplies them to chrysler and might sell them aftermarket cheaper than the dealer........thanks for any help you guys can give and I look forward to joining the dodge guys........that 4.7 smokes a real hard charging engine for a small truck---test drove'em all and it by far runs better than any including the 5.9 r/t......Jack

tuvtest · May 2001

I have a full set of five 16" wheels and tires for sale. They have less than 100 miles on them and are the 265/70R16 tires from the 4x4 tire and handling pkg. If you are interested, my e-mail address is in my profile. You can contact me there.

namfflow · May 2001

If you have been driving Fords without any quality problems then you should be very, very, very happy with your Dodge. My experience with Fords is that you are always changing parts. For me with Dodges I have not had any problems.

About the toneau, the only one I recommend is the Gem GT Classic www.gemtopmfg.com. It is steel, sits flush, painted to match doesn't leak. Mine cost me about 7 bills several years ago. Got it on my 97 like it so much I am gonna add it to my 01 as soon as I save enough pennies.

There are K&N Filtercharger kits and quite a few exhust setups on the market for the 4.7. I don't think you'lkl have many problems there. For me when the warranty expires I want to put a Kenne-Bell twin screw supercharger on mine. It'll pump it up to around 335 HP.

gbed · May 2001

I Purchase a 2001 Dodge Dakota club cab - 6 3.9 I engine. It has a clicking chatter rattling noise that increases and decreases with the speed of the engine. The clicking rattling chatter noise in the engine is irritating to me and does not sound normal or natural to any of my friends who listened to it. The service manager said he believed it was the ball bearing cam in this new upgraded engine. He told me told that my engine computer would recognize any engine malfunction and turn on the check engine light if something was wrong and not to worry about it. But I still worry!

Worried "Gene"

catchjack · May 2001

I now have 22 miles on mine and really love the torque range on the highway.....barely touched the gas coming home on I-95 to pull into the hammer lane 60 to 80 no downshift no strain just smooth pullin' and gone.................3.55 gears are fine for S. Florida (flat) , btw I've heard several people complain about low speed front end creaks or grunts when turning especially into driveways..............had an '88 nissan co. truck years ago same prob. traced to worn front sway bar end link bushings allowing metal to metal contact between the bar and end link might be a good place to start
jack

atokad · May 2001

Hey guys...Does anyone know where I can get the GOOD doubled sided tape..like the kind they use for moldings and emblems for cars/trucks?? I have to re-attach a abs bed rail cap and tried the regular 3m tape (Walmart) but it is not holding the cap down.

Thanks
atokaD

tuvtest · May 2001

check out your local auro paint supply house. The place where the body shops go to get there supplies. They should carry 3M's pro tape for this application

saxtoncss · May 2001

Just thought I would mention the Mazda B3000 Dual Sport. Designed like the Toyota Prerunner, looks like a 4wd (sites real high) but isn't. This is a dang good looking truck and you can get the extended cab for around $15900 fully loaded (and I mean fully loaded). They have a $1500 rebate right now and they just started including PW,PL,Keyless Entry, PM, Bed liner, Leather Steering wheel, CC, tilt, and sliding rear window for free. And it gets 21 mpg in the automatic version. I have a 95 Dakota ext cab w/ V8 and get 15 to 16 everywhere. Thinking hard about the Mazda.

namfflow · May 2001

If you want a Mazda take it to the Mazda board. This is for those of us smart enough to buy a real truck, the Dakota.

None of us want a re-badged mini truck like the Ranger.

The Dakota is still a better buy.

bobs5 · May 2001

I see that you are selling your 16" wheels with the P265/70R16 tires.
What kind of wheels and tires are you using now?
Bob

tuvtest · May 2001

I switched to 32x11.5/15 BF Goodrich All Terrains as soon as I got home from the dealer. They are mounted on American Racing 767 black steel rims. After the snows we had this past winter I'm sure glad I did too. Never got stuck,and even made a couple bucks pulling others that weren't so luckey

bobs5 · May 2001

I had no problems with the snow with the Goodyears. Rarely had to use 4x4. The Quad has a bit more weight towards the rear axle than a reg cab truck, so putting additional weight in the bed was not necessary. The only problem I had was a sidewall puncture at 3100 miles. The extended warranty covered most of the replacement price. There was a $25 copayment. This saved me about $140. Only problem, the replacement was a blackwall tire without the white letters. I'll just keep it as the designated spare.
Did you sell the wheels and tires yet? If you are not too far away, I may be interested. I'm in NJ.
Bob

tuvtest · May 2001

Depends on your definition of "far away". I live just outside of Chicago. I can arrange reletivly cheap trucking through my company if necessary.

I've had very bad luck with Goodyears over the years. Never found a set I was really happy with. My personal opinion is the only good ones are the tread less ones. But I also know people who swear by Goodyear, so I guess it's just personal preference.

bobs5 · May 2001

"Far away" meant a casual day trip of say a 3 hour ride or less.
Chicago area is a little to far for me.
It would depend on how much $$$ your looking to get for them, and shipping costs.

mopar67 · June 2001

in the wake of the firestone scandal.

bluebayou · June 2001

Unfortunetly, Goodyears tires are marginal at best. Hope they get there act together soon.

Just my 2 cents.

Blue

mopar67 · June 2001

Traction? Maybe sure but I never had a goodyear tire self destruct. And I've driven two Dodge Intrepids a combined 200K miles on Goodyear tires. On the other hand, I've had three firestones (1 truck tire and two 721 car tire) lose their entire tread. The truck tire blew the sidewall and by the time I pulled over, you would not have recognized that there once was a tire on my rim.
THe 721 (remember that fiasco?) had two instances where the entire tread peeled off leaving the inner casing, still intact and still holding air. I suppose the only saving grace was the fact the Cordoba I was driving at the time was large, heavy, and had a low center of gravity. Oh sure the dealer replaced them after a pro rate. I got them replaced only to have a third one separate the steel belts under the tread leaving a large "tumor" rendering the tire useless.
Soon after, I replaced all four with BF goodrich and never looked back.
I'll have my pops recite his experience with firestones sometime. I should have listened to him before I went out and got Firestones.

bja4 · June 2001

Join the club - I have had problems with Goodyear tires as well. With less than 100 miles on the new tires, I had two tires destroy themselves after hitting a pot-hole on top of Independence Pass in Colorado. One lane road with over a thousand feet drop-off. The rear tire blew, and the front tire had a 5x5 bubble sticking out of the sidewall. I watch other cars hit the same pot-hole with no problems. I was able to use four-wheel drive and get the truck far enough off the road enough to let traffic through as I changed the rear tire. I than limped to Aspen, Colorado in search of new tires. I decided against buying their $220 a piece tires, and ended up buying some used tires for $10 in the next town to finish the trip.

I don't plan on changing the Goodyear tires on my new Dakota until they are worn-out. I will than look for some Perelli tires instead. They are super quiet.

bluebayou · June 2001

Most of my information comes from reading reviews and discussions with close friends, I have yet to have any problems with Goodyears, but I feel that is only because I have never had a pair.

Obviously, we are all looking for the same thing... great traction (in all conditions that one would drive in), unbelievable reliability (i.e. no Firestone issues), exceptional handling and treadwear, and low noise (don't want to drowned out the beautiful sound of my 4.7).

Unfortunetly from my conversations and endless pursuit of more worthless information, i have come to the conclusion that Goodyear must accomplish this with extremely soft compounds that give you grip, but not great handling or treadwear. My buddy, who drives like a mad man, will go through a set of Goodyears (RT/S) on his truck in about 20,000 miles and complain that they don't grip in any situation (dry, wet, snow, on-road, off-road). Switch to Michelin LTX and I can't shut him up. He just keeps going on and on and on about how much better they are. Of course they are very very expensive.

The stock Goodyears on my QC seem to be ultra soft. I can't turn into my side load garage without leaving dark black tread marks all down my driveway. I understand that this is an AT tire but reading reviews of other tires and postings of other truck owners makes me think that Goodyear needs to offer a stiffer compound with better handling and traction.

Don't get me wrong! I would like to ride on Goodyears for the rest of my life. The last of a dying breed. Hell, I live 20 minutes from "The Spirit of Akron" and the rubber capital of the world (at least it used to be) I hope that my first impressions of my Goodyears don't hold up and I purchase another set, but something tells me that I won't.

Again, just my $0.02, and i am willing to hear other arguments, but i don't think that Goodyears are the best, or even close at this point, and that is what I need on my Truck. Something that will perform when it is critical.

Blue

mopar67 · June 2001

regarding traction. thank god for 4 WD or else I would not have gone anywhere this winter.
Longevity on the RTS tires? My jury is still out as I only have 16K on the truck. I'll get back to you at 30K or so.
I have always had good luck with Good year and even better luck from Kelly Spring field. Again I am referring to car tires, only experience with truck tires is with Junk stones (see my previous post).

namfflow · June 2001

The best tires for a Dakota IMHO are the Pirelli Scorpion Zeros. Sure they are a little noisy but they stick to the pavement like glue in the dry and in the rain. If you have the standard 215/75-15 the 255/60-15 works well. If you have the 235/75-15 the 255/65-15 work well.

They are truck tires with the handling of a sports car tire.

Have the 255/60-15 on my 97. Once I get tires of the Wranglers on my 01 I'll be putting 255/65-15 Zeros on it as well. Anything else is just putting garbage on the truck.

mopar67 · June 2001

steve234 · June 2001

I have dealt with most brands over the many years. My dad will never buy Firestones and after my experience with F/B, neither will I. I have never had any major problems with Goodyears and have gotten good life out of all my vehicles with them. My F150 got over 50K out of three sets of GYs and only 40K from Bridgestones. I still had tread, but the things were dangerous on the interstate. My wife has the TOL Firestones on her Shadow and they only lasted half as long as the factory GYs. I did not have good luck with BFGs in the 70s, but have heard they are better now. Kelly Springfields has a good rep, but I don't care for the ride. When I replace the GYs on our Q, I intend to try Michelins to try for better handling.

mopar67 · June 2001

Firestone tires. Just have a bad feeling and past records in my family do not inspire confidence.

greeno · June 2001

Hope you guys can help. I have a 2000 Dak 4.7 with fulltime 4WD. Whenever I make a left turn and hit some bumps, I hear a clunking noise, not grinding, but mild clunking in that passenger front suspension. Won't do it when I turn right, just left. There is a TSB on this on NHTSA.com, but wondering if any of you guys have been having this problem up front and if you have, does the dealer fix it??? Thanks. CHRIS in VA.

bja4 · June 2001

9500 miles on 2000 4x4 Club Sport Plus, and is super quiet everywhere. The only noise that is some-what weird is coming from the dash when turning AC on after leaving truck in the sun. A few pops in the plastic and the popping noises are over. No brake problems (one ton package), no transmition problems (5-spd), no towing problems (4.7L & 3.92 rear), no power electrical problems (Stripped except for Cruse), and no fuel millage problems (still 16-17 mpg)so far. I have owned other Dodge products, and have learned to keep it simple to avoid possible trouble.

jogletree2 · June 2001

I purchased a 2000 Dakota Club Cab 4x2 in June '00. This was my first experience with the Dakota since I had driven F-150 Supercabs for the past 15 year. I just do not need a full size pickup
any longer. Since I did not want a true compact truck the Dakota was the obvious and best choice. I found SLT w/3.9 and auto and SLT Plus package for a very good price so I bought it. I have been satisfied with performance and mileage. I live in Oklahoma and have some hills and lots of wind. The 3.9 is adequate, but certainly not overpowered. In 22000 miles, mostly highway, I averaged 17.5 to 19.5 on highway (depending on wind) and 15.0 to 16.9 in town. That's not great but acceptable for a truck.
I seldom pull anything so that is not an issue for me. Two weeks ago I was stopped for someone having car trouble and was rear-ended by a '98 Suburban at 40mph. Needless to say the Dakota lost that battle. I escaped with a few bruises, minor cuts and a sore back. I was impressed with the integrity and safety provided by the cab. I was told my injuries could have been far worse. I am now the owner of 2001 Dakota Club Cab SLT 4x2 with the 4.7 and auto with Plus package and a few other extras. I was on a short time frame and didn't find a large selection to choose from in this area. I purchased the truck for $100 over invoice with insurance proceeds. All this to get to my experience with the 4.7 so far. Nice truck with lots of power. Smooth running and smoother shifting than the 3.9. I checked mileage at 250 miles (all local) and it was 14.9
mpg. I think that the mileage will equal or exceed the 3.9 as truck breaks in. If you are going to buy a Dakota look hard at the 4.7. I believe it is worth the extra money in performance and trade value on the back end. I will let you know how mileage does in future. I test drove a 2001 F-150 with 4.6. No comparison! The Dakota rides better, handles better and I can park it in my garage and not have to squeeze to get in and out.

bja4 · June 2001

Has anyone tried a new throttle body from Hughesengines? If so, how does it perform?

shawnh2 · June 2001

I also have a Dakota Club Cab with the 3.9L and auto transmission. I agree that the 3.9L is adequate but certainly not overpowering by any means. My truck is only about 11 days old and so far so good. I do some light towing (under about 3,000lbs) and feel this truck will do much better than my wife's minivan. I probably would have chosen a V8, however, choice on the lot seemed to be very limited. I am, however, satisified thus far.

Shawn

blackdakota318 · June 2001

I want to the change the gear ratio in my 98 Dakota 318 from 3.55 to 3.92. Will this effect the speedometer? And is the ring and pinion gears the only gears I would have to change? Thank you for any advice.

rascal · June 2001

You guys are pros...
98 SLT 5.2L V8, Club Cab, loaded. Hard cover on the bed..60k miles
is $10,500 a good deal for this? Truck belonged to my bro-in-law who just suddenly passed away. Car has had excellent maintenance.
I would like to buy it if you folks think its a good deal.
Please share your thoughts here or email me at:
Thanks!

rascal2064@yahoo.com

bja4 · June 2001

I paid $11,000 for a 92 Dakota Sport 4x4 back in 1996. The truck had the following: 318, bright package(chrome), Mopar off-road light bar, power everything, 3.92 rear end, split rear window, cruze, and 4 spd auto. The truck also had low millage at 32K miles.
If the truck had 4WD, It would be worth it. 4WD holds its value a little better. I sold my old truck in 99 with 67K miles on it for $8200. It had $1200 worth of hail damage on it.

hairydog · June 2001

I have a 2001 with 5,000 miles and it is the only vechicle I ever owned that you can wash your feet while driving.

Compartment floods (passenger side).

Brought it to dealer and after two days of water testing they replaced Pillar in A-frame.

One week later carpet was saturated.

Brought it back and mechanics admitted thy were stumped?

Chrysler stated they are aware of the problem and said evaporator and evaporator housing has to be replaced along with my carpeting.

Of course these parts are not available and I was told it would take another week. In the meantime the cab smells, and the windows fog quickly and my grandchildren love playing in the water. All I need is to provide sand and pretend were at the beach.

What disturbs me why these certified mechanics didn't get it right the first time. Carpets clearly showed stains most likely chemical in origin.

Would like to know if AC fan is supposed to run continuously? Enjoy your discussions! Appreciate the advice.

bpeebles · June 2001

Sorry to hear of your water woes. You did not specify but I assume that this flooding takes place while it is NOT raining outside? Are you saying that the drain for the evaporator is plugged up?

To answer your question about the AC fan... I need some more info...specifically WHAT fan are you asking about? Is there a fan under your dashboard that runs continously? The only fan I am aware of that runs ALL THE WHILE THE AC IS TURNED ON is the supplamental electric fan attached to the radiator. Is this the one you are asking about?

ahasher · June 2001

that the A/C aux fan (electric) what you asked about? (bpeebles question post 338).. if so, I had to add that from recent personal experience the fan should NOT run ALL the time, as in after the engine is off. ;-) By the time I got the fan disabled, I had a melted fan relay and fuse box.. and a 2- week wait for a fusebox/wireharness transplant. My point.. watch that fan and check relays often .. I know of only 1 other post on stuck/burned fan relay.. so I guess I have the honor of bring it up to inform others.. and if you read back posts, bpeebles added good technical info on relays and wiring along the way...

steve234 · June 2001

hairydog: You may be right about the quality of the mechanics, but I suspect that the weather there has been rainy or at least humid. The problem sounds like the evaporator is not draining properly. If this is the case, there is no 'chemicals' to be in the water. The only way that there could be chemicals in the water is if the heater unit is leaking coolant. Since you have not mentioned your radiator constantly going dry, I would assume that this is not the case. There is a number of things that could be wrong or a combination of problems because we are talking complex mechanical systems.

We love to bad mouth the quality of mechanics, but the reality is that we try to encourage our kids to aspire to the 'good' white collar jobs and most kids today are wanting to get into a computer related job. As things get more complex, our best and brightess are being told that there is no future for them in being a mechanic or machinist. We are facing a severe shortage in these fields and it is getting ready to bite us.

gjble · June 2001

I had a water leak on the passenger side of my ext cab 2001 a while back after a rain. A real flood inside. The dealer farms out water leaks but they sealed something ( They didn't say what or where) and I haven't had any problems since.They only had the truck one day. I thought at first that the AC was causing the problem but I am convinced now it was a genuine leak around the door area. Hope this is usefull.

In Atlanta

hairydog · June 2001

Sorry gentleman, I should have been more specific regarding problems.

AC fan that I was referring to is the auxillary fan. It only runs (loud) when the AC is on. I believe Mr. Peebles has answered the question. Apparently I have never owned a vechicle with this setup.

Flooding problem occurs only when AC is running. Dealer literaly flooded vechicle with water to initially determine if external water (rain) was the problem. They (mechanics) decided the Pillar was defective and replaced it. Less than a week later flooding of floorboard was found by my grandchildren.

Stain on my rubber mat was clearly chemical in origin. I just scrubbed it off today. It caused my black rubber mats to turn ashen gray. I am assuming whatever is coming from the AC?

Yes I did check the radiator as suggested and it is static. No problem there.

Since I am not mechanically inclined or knowledgeable on the internal workings of the evaporator housing and associated plug this is foreign to me.
This is what the dealer and Chrysler has decided is the problem. I was told maybe next Tuesday the parts will be available along with new carpet. To date dealer has had vechicle four days with this particular problem.

We certainly appreciate your responses to date, it has been most informative.

I spent two hours last evening reading every message posted regarding Dodge Dakota's. I must say I am humbled by the knowledge each of you possess. My field is science and consumes my time. I envy those of you who have the skills to address auto mechanics and willing to share your skills. In this nation auto mechanics is not a requiste in owning a vechicle. Just turn the key and go.

Once again, we thank you for your interest and rapid response and will look forward to reading the posted messages.

hairydog · July 2001

Well the saga continues regarding the flooding.
I brought my vechicle in on Tuesday as directed, and was told the parts are in but the technician with the skills to work was off sick. Okay, I can wait another day except it was July fourth and the dealership would be closed. So I took it in on Thursday the fifth of July at the crack of dawn. I was told it would be ready by closing. Dealer never called. I called on the sixth of July and was told by service manager they had bad news. I went to dealership and what I saw was a sight I never will forget. The complete interior was stripped and laid out on the ground. Dash board, panels, carpet. and windshield. I thought at first my vechicle was in a wreck.

The service manager then began to explain that they discovered leaks from front windshield, door, and AC. More parts needed to be ordered!

If you have been following my posts, you will now find my first experience resulted in a Pillar in the A-frame followed by evaporator housing, evaporator plug and now another whatcha ma call it.

Now this vechicle has just 5,000 miles on the odometer. I will leave it up to you to judge the quality that went into my 2001 Dodge Dakota CC 4x4 and the skills or lack of them in resolving the problem.

I know water leaks can be a problem to track, but this a soap opera in the making. I can't help but wonder what other quality part is lurking in the wings. What can I expect tommorow?

Now I am told it will be Monday before parts arrive.

kruzer · July 2001

I'm the frustrated new owner of a 01 Club Cab. I bought it less than 3 weeks ago, new. I got a great deal. It's an SLT 4x4, with the 4.7, all the Heavy Duty bells and whistles. I got one extra that I didn't order, however. As I type this, my truck is back at the dealer for THIRD service with same problem. This is all within 3 weeks and less than 600 miles.

Seems the computer says there is an "evaporative system leak". First time they replaced the sensor pump. Next, the purge solenoid. This time the jury is still out (along with my truck). The truck drives fine. It is just a major inconvenience having to drop off a BRAND NEW truck, literally every week to leave for a day or three.

Me being "mechanically challenged", my question is... Evaporative System seems to be only involved with emissions type issues. Is this correct? Service Manager described it as just a diagnostic tool for onboard computer.

BTW, I will be starting my State's "Lemon Law" procedures if the dreaded light comes back on. So far the dealership is very polite; but equally incompetent at finding root of problem. Maybe with Daimler/Chrysler ticked off at my 5 Star dealer, they will become smarter??

namfflow · July 2001

By any chance did you change the gas cap to a locking version? If you did, did you get it from Dodge?

The reason I ask is that I did thios and had the same problem. Turned out that for 2001 the cap was changed but part stores only list to 2000. 2000- cap is different. It will fit but you will get a leak.

When I went back to the OEM cap everything went back to normal. Luckily Stant Mfg. was nice and exchanged my wrong locking cap with a correct one. Everything is fine now.

hairydog · July 2001

I can only sympathize with your problem. It is frustrating to have your vechicle sitting at the dealer wondering do these people really know what their doing.

After reading every post regarding Dodge I am not sure if I made the right choice. I am concerned as to what else my vechicle will experience in the months or more likely weeks ahead.
I have yet to take my Dodge off road yet and put it through it paces.

I live to deer hunt, and this fall my Dodge had better be up to the challenge or I will replace it.

bpeebles · July 2001

To answer your (only?) question;

The EEC test. (Everaptive Emissions Control) is PERFORMED by the onboard computer. A brief explanation of its operation follows

This diagnostic is performed in 2 parts only under specific conditions.

1) An air pump actually creates a slight pressure in the air in the fuel tank. A verification is made to ensure that this pressure is held.(ie...no leaks exist)

2) A more critical test is performed on how fast this pressure "bleeds down" under specific
conditions.

The onboard computer controls the air pump, several solenoids and a couple of servos to perform these tests.

As namfflow suggests.... Leaving your gas cap loose after filling with fuel will DEFINATLY cause the tests to fail and the trouble light to come on.

For more info ... please take this discussion to the Dakota Maintenance Forum.

kruzer · July 2001

That was the first thing the dealer tried. They just tightened cap and reset light. The light was on the next morning when I turned on truck. If I were to count that "off the record" try, then I would be up to number 4. I will go by dealership today and see if there is an update. Thanks for all the advice. Hopefully things will get sorted out soon..

bobs5 · July 2001

It surely is a dissapointment when a brand new truck needs work. Must have been heartbreaking to see your truck stripped out like that.
Give the dealer a chance to properly fix it right for you. There is always the lemon law...etc if they can't get you up and running again.
My Quad cab had a bad window regulator right off the lot. It got fixed under warranty.
It is a bummer being without the truck but give them a chance to fix it.

shawnh2 · July 2001

Just a question...I noticed in the owners manual, DC recommends to replace the rear axle oil with either a heavier duty oil or a synthetic if the vehicle is used for towing. I do some light towing and was considering having this completed by the dealer at the next oil change. My question is this: is this a big job? what should I expect in the way of cost?

Thanks,
Shawn

bobs5 · July 2001

When I read the owners manual, it seems to indicate that towing up to 2000 lbs, that there is no need for fluid change.

I may have to help a friend out and tow his boat to my house. It may be over the 2k lbs.

Would it hurt to tow it one way less than 15 miles without the fluid change? I will definately take it easy on this trip.

Also, should a person get the front axle fluid changed as well, if it is a 4x4?

Thank you for any input.
Bob

bpeebles · July 2001

Your dealer has the tools to diagnose the problem and isolate it to a specific failure mechanism. (There is a question of if the skills are available tho...)

One thing you can do is to "pull" the troublecode for yourself and write it down. To do this, just turn the keyswitch from OFF-ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON (three iterations ending in ON without turning the starter at all)

This initiates a diagnostic sequence that parses the onboard computer memory for any logged troublecodes. You can watch the process on the display that is normally the odometer. After several seconds of running the diagnostic, any logged troublecodes will be displayed on this display. Anyone with a shop manual can "decode" the troublecode for you.

BTW I had the EEC failure myself which WAS NOT the gas cap either. A porcupine nibbled on several hoses under my truck. The dealer had to order an entire new hose assembly from the engine to the gastank. (I am very grateful that he covered it under warantee :-) 5 STAR DOES HAVE SOME GOOD POINTS!

kruzer · July 2001

Well, I started this thread here so I'll finish(?) it here. Dealer had made third attempt to fix my EEC problem. So far light is still only visible when doing normal cycle at crank up. Yeah!! Here's to keeping my fingers crossed.

BTW, the problem this time is being claimed by dealership. They say a "mechanic" must have messed up a vacumn hose when they changed out EEC sensor pump first time. If they say Human error, that would seem to preclude warranty issues. No problem really. I just want my truck to run smoothly.

Hey thanks bpeebles for that diagnostic tip with the keyswitch. That will help me keep my mind at ease if I can "check up" on my dealer. I shouldn't be so untrusting but have heard the Urban Legends of dealers just disabling pesky problem lights.

Dodge Dakota - Club Cab

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