Welcome to the list, Paul. If you are looking for some reading on PTFE
additives, check out an article at:
http://www.vtr.org/maintain/oil-additives.html
This article has been posted in several places on the web.
At about 25,000 miles on my Dakota, I added Slick50 and was rewarded
with between 1/2 and 1 mile per gallon increase in mileage. I didn't
notice any temperature or power change. But, I have since been educated
somewhat on PTFE additives (and most additives in general) and their
marketing tactics and wish I hadn't bought the stuff. I don't use it
anymore.
I have been on the Dakota mailing list for quite a while and have tried
to introduce myself a couple of times, but each time my company's
internet mail server was having a fit. So I'll try again.
I have a '93 Dakota club cab 4x4 V8 auto which I bought new. It now has
56,000 miles on it and has had its share of problems. It has left me
beside the road 3 times, which is pretty bad considering the amount I
paid for it. But two of those times were battery related, so they
really don't relate the quality of the vehicle.
- Battery failed at 12,000 miles. Replaced under warranty with another
Chrysler battery. This replacement battery had 520 cold crankning amps,
and my fiance's Subaru Legacy (4-cylinder) came new with a 490 CCA
battery. The Chrysler battery seemed pretty marginal to me.
- ABS valve changed because of a recall. Not a problem.
- Automatic transmission quit shifting from 2nd. Fixed (valve
replaced) under warranty. (About 20,000 miles). The fan noise fooled
me on this one. I was positive the transmission was making all the
noise when the clutch fan engaged because of the big loss in power. So
when they fixed the transmission and the pickup still roared because of
the fan, I brought it in twice more to have them look at the
transmission.
- Fuel pump went out at about 35,000 miles. This one really got to me
because it stranded me and would have cost about $450 to replace,
except that I had an extended warranty to cover it.
- Battery failed again (52,000 miles). It is still under warranty, but
I decided not to get another cheap Chrysler battery and purchased one
myself instead. These battery failures were catastrophic (for lack of a
better term). They didn't just no longer take a charge; they failed
instantly. I'm guessing that the plates between two cells touched
because of internal breakdown. I'm also guessing that these cheaper
batteries weren't able to take the rough off-road use they were
subjected to. Hopefully the new one will.
Now for my question. Has anyone else had trouble with pinging in their
Magnum V8s? The owner's manual says to use a minimum of 87 octane gas,
but my pickup pings terribly if I do. I have to use at least 89 octane,
and even then I have some pinging. This seems to have happened slowly
over time. Also, 89 octane Texaco makes it ping badly, but the 89
octane Chevron is a lot quieter. I called the dealer on this one, and
he said that all the Magnum engines just get an appetite for octane as
they age and there is probably nothing wrong. Any comments,
recommendations?
Mods: I have added the Jacobs OmniPak ingition system at about 25,000
miles and the K&N FilterCharger kit at about 40,000 miles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Steven Connelly
>----------
>From: pstair@peaka.net[SMTP:pstair@peaka.net]
>Sent: Sunday, August 25, 1996 12:20 AM
>To: dakota@csclub0.cs.fredonia.edu
>Subject: an introduction...
>
>Hi all,
>I've been reading the Dakota mailing list for some time now and
>thought I'd better hop on and introduce myself.
>I live in Colorado near the beautiful Rocky Mountains and currently
>own and drive a '92 Dakota with the magnum V6 and 5 speed. While the
>truck hasn't been without some problems (distributor, faulty oil and
>fuel senders), it performs very well in the back country while finding
>new hunting, fishing, and camping spots. Best of all, it's now paid
>for!
>The truck currently has 45,000 miles on it and is outfitted with a
>K&N air filter, Slick 50, new tires, and a plastic topper. Otherwise,
>it's pretty much stock. I'm curious about the pros and cons of these
>aftermarket oil additives. Do they really do all the manufacturers
>claim they do or is it hype? I didn't see much improvement in gas
>mileage after adding the Slick 50, but the temperature gauge did drop
>some. Less friction, less heat?
>Anyway, enjoy reading all the material posted. Very informative and
>entertaining!
> Paul
>p.s. Just finished a 6 year restoration of a 1941 Chevrolet Special
>Deluxe 4 door sedan. No, it's not Mopar, but it is a beautiful
>old automobile!
>
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