Reply to: RE>Taking my truck in for service...
Hey Jon,
I've just recently noticed that sometimes I get the "squeal" when shifting to 2nd only, only when it is cold ambient temperatures, AND I'm late with the clutch. I'm not going to do anything about it until it gets worse.
Steering noise: yeah, does that too. It can sound like a "click/clack" also when you get it all the way against the left stop. Sounds as if a steering component could be loose (checked them -- they aren't), but I believe it is pump noise. I tow a boat, and when manuvering in reverse it is not unusual to go from lock-to-lock. IMO the noise is normal, and I don't intend to do anything about it.
Radio and cruise control: no problems.
Heater noise: happened one time only, sounded like the fan blades were coming in contact with something on the passenger side footwell. Super annoying but has never recurred. Conditions were unusual when it did happen -- heavy wet snowstorm, humid conditions fogging up the cab, and I ran the fan on "high" which I don't normally do. Noise occured when slowing it down to "medium." I don't intend to do anything about it.
I'm nearing the end of 7/70 (4,000 miles to go), but in general I believe the dealer can often do more harm than good, so something has to be a real problem for me to get their monkeys working on it. The only warranty work I've asked for is the normal Dakota 4x4 front axle leak (twice now) -- and get this -- they didn't properly torque the bolts holding the C/V joints to the front axle! My kid found a bolt in our driveway! The remaining 11 bolts were loose; thank-you my friendly Dodge dealer! This could happen to anybody because most Dak front axles leak and doing this job right is tough. (access is limited, you have to rotate the axle for practically every every bolt, and you have to restrain the drive-train during tightening; took me a couple of hours alone, would have been easier with a helper to work the clutch).
Also, I have not yet found a Dodge dealer anywhere who knows that there is anything unusual about the NV-3500 transmission fluid. Ask yours, and they will probably say something like "ain't never heard nothin' special about them, we just put ATF in 'em" Some guys on the list consciously use synth. motor oil, and I respect that, but I hate some dealer tech. ignorantly putting whatever in. I use the Mopar required fluid.
Phil McClay
mcclay@mitre.org
'94 Dakota Club Cab SLT V8 4x4 5-speed
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Date: 2/24/97 11:36
From: Jon Steiger <steiger@ait.fredonia.edu>
Subject: Taking my truck in for service...
I've got about 9,000 miles left on the 3/36 part of my warrantee, so
I'm taking the truck in to get some stuff looked at. -snip-
I've already mentioned the squealing sound I get when I release the
clutch at high RPM's.
Another problem is, if I turn my wheels full left, I get a "groaning/grinding"
kind of noise. Really annoying. Full right doesn't do this.
My radio "fades" in and out, -snip-
Something that recently started happening is that my cruise control
doesn't want to turn on and off. -snip-
The fan for my heater/vents will sometimes rub against something making
an extremely annoying noise. Its coming from somewhere down near the
passenger footwell. This has only happened to me two or three times
since I've had the truck.
-snip-
-Jon-
Jon Steiger - Network Administrator for Academic Information Technology
.- steiger@ait.fredonia.edu -- http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/~stei0302/ -.
| DoD# 1038, EAA# 518210, NMA# 117376, USUA# A46209, KotWitDoDFAQ |
| '96 Dodge Dakota SLT V8, '96 Kolb FireFly 447, '91 Yamaha FZR600R |
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I do not speak for the SUNY College at Fredonia; any opinions are my own.
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