| From | Message |
Susanne
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2005
15:50:57
|
 Subject: Please help
IP: Logged
Message:
I have a 93 Dodge Dakota Sport M/5speed 3.9L. In the beginning I had some starting problems (sometimes it started and sometimes it didn’t). I had to change the fuel pump twice after then everything seamed to work well for few months until I was driving to Virginia from Minnesota. In PA the temperature gauge went suddenly up. Turned the engine off right away and opened the hood. I didn’t touch anything waiting for the engine to cool down. Couple of minutes later the radiator exploded on my face and my shoulder (1st degree burns). A trooper helped me to get a used radiator and some coolant. On my way back in the same spot the truck backfired then explosion under the hood then it went dead. The EGR Valve was milted. I had towed to the closest town fixed it and got home. Next day it didn’t want to start. I spliced the wires by the fuse box under the hood as I read on this website. It worked for couple of days then the problems have gotten even worse.
The symptoms are as follow:
- All the lights on dash are on including both blinkers (not outside)
- The dimmer switch controls the lights on dash (including turn signals on dash)
- The buzzer keeps buzzing all time and it is controlled by the dimmer switch also
- When I open the hood at night @ idle I can see the sparks traveling thru the spark plug wires and jumping between the EGR valve, the engine harness, the valve cover(#’s 2-4-6) and the spark plug wires (Distributor cup and the wires are new). Also the exhaust manifold (cylinders 1-3-5) is red burning hot (always @ night when I open the hood).
- I get less than 11 miles/Gallon
Please, if you have any idea, any suggestions... I am willing to try anything...Your help will be really appreciated. The mechanic who fixed it the first time said he put new fuel pump, took $350 then I found out he put used one or maybe has never changed it. I put new one myself. I went back and asked what he did he said that I had figure it out myself.
Thank you,
Susanne
|
gloomygoblin
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2005
17:34:21
|  RE: Please help
IP: Logged
Message:
Holy hell!! LOL.. well. I cant say Ive ever heard such a thing in my life lol.. But on the serious side.. Your Dash lights are obviously suffering a wiring problem.. Did this start when you did the slice?? .. Sounds like a positive wire is connected where it should not be.. As far as the sparks.. whoa.. If your plug wires are properly connected there should be no sparking from the ignition system.. you mentioned that its hot under there.. Check your new wires for damage from melting on that surface.. you may find an open 2 ground. Im guessing that if you only have certain cylenders that are glowing.. maybe your other cylenders are not firing resulting in an overload on the ones that are... Id strongly suggest a differant mechanic.. you should be able 2 find one that will look @ your truck for free and give you the results of what he/she finds. Well.. good luck =).
|
Susanne
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2005
18:06:59
| RE: Please help
IP: Logged
Message:
I checked all the wires one by one none of them is stripped, milted or cut. The truck still has power...lot of power. I scanned it no codes and everything seam normal. I have replaced the ECM by the way but it didn’t help. I am going to check the spark plug wires and the engine harness like you said and get back to you. This actually happened before splicing the wires. As far as heat, I cannot tell. I noticed this problem later on when I was trying to fix it.
Thank you so much
|
jared
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2005
19:12:37
| RE: Please help
IP: Logged
Message:
Susanne,
I worked in a garage while I was in college. I remember once a full size GMC came in with the exhaust manifolds glowing red. It was caused by a plugged catalytic converter. Thats one possible problem that will definately make your truck run way too hot and get lousy mpg. The sparks sound like it could be from a bad set of wires, but I've never seen one as bad as you describe.
Good luck and I hope you are OK
|
Susanne
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2005
20:29:52
| RE: Please help
IP: Logged
Message:
I just checked the engine harness, and all the wires seem fine. The spark plug wires look good - they're not even a year old - but I'm going to change them anyway. As for the catalytic converter, I thought about that possibility and checked the exhaust-it's blowing fine. It doesn't mean that the CC is good, because I have noticed that the junction between the pipe and the exhaust manifold shows signs of slippage, i.e. possible leak. Also, there is occasional backfiring, especially when I release the gas/decelerate. I'm going to try cutting the pipe and see what happens.
One thing I forgot to mention, though, is regarding the dash. I thought it could be the harness behind the instrument cluster, so I took it apart and found out that there were some light bulbs missing. I replaced them, and since then, the lights on the dash stay on continuously, but none of the gauges work! I'm going to take the cluster out again, take out the bulbs, and see if that problem resolves.
Thanks very much!
|
joe
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2005
20:48:34
| RE: Please help
IP: Logged
Message:
Now dont that tick ya off. SOme hillbilly took that dash all the way appart just to take out some bulbs. Me personally id fix the damn problem so i dont kill some young ladie and her kids on the way to work. Ehh but than again the are lots of redneck tire kickerz out there. As for the backfireing that is cause from a small exhaust leak prob your converter or manifold, and if that converter was tottaly clogged ud know it would hardly run and would smoke and make horrable noises. Hope you figure it out soon.... Joe
|
Susanne
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2005
21:13:41
| RE: Please help
IP: Logged
Message:
I agree about the CC, but like I said, I will try anything...I love my Dakota and I certainly don’t want to give up on it. I have spent a lot of money and a heck of a lot of time on it, so I really don’t mind lying underneath and cut the darn thing off. As for the light bulbs, the instrument cluster has to come off.
Thank you
|
Susanne
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/25/2005
22:57:30
| RE: Please help
IP: Logged
Message:
Hello Joe, Jared, and gloomygoblin,
First, let me thank you all for your help and advice. I cut the cat converter, and it was clogged. I also found some black, sticky residue on the circuit board on the back of the instrument cluster. I cleaned it with some adhesive remover, and all the gauges work now, except for the fuel gauge, but that could be from the fuel gauge itself since the fuel pump has been changed a few times. I'm still planning on changing all the bulbs to be sure that none of them are burned.
By the way, Joe, if you can tell me how to replace the bulbs in the instrument cluster without taking it apart or breaking through the firewall, please let me know - from one hillbilly to another!
Special thanks to all who have posted answers or questions regarding Dodge trucks - I've learned a lot.
Thanks again.
|
| | P 1 |
|
Post a reply to this message:
Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages
|
