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Dealer, TSB's and Recalls
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DakotaCC
Dodge Dakota
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11/03/2011
01:47:52

Subject: 01 Dak, did recall now shifter is loose
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Took my 01 Dak into the dealership to have ball joint recall and shift interlock recall done. That was yesterday, today when I jumped in to go to work the shift lever seems loose, the gear indicator sometimes doesn't match what gear I'm in (shows reverse when it's in neutral, for example) and shifter can be pushed up and down without pulling back on the lever. Before, with 93k on the truck the shift lever operated perfectly. The recall says they replace the interlock and bracket, I'm wondering what they could have messed up to make the shifter so funky. Ideas?
Thanks,

DakotaCC




daddio
Dodge Dakota
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11/03/2011
12:51:52

RE: 01 Dak, did recall now shifter is loose
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My first idea would be to bring it back and tell them to fix what they broke doing the repair under a recall.



DakotaCC
Dodge Dakota
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11/03/2011
20:54:33

RE: 01 Dak, did recall now shifter is loose
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That is on the agenda for sure, but it's 100 miles to the dealership. Truck now does not need brake application to get out of park, when pulled down to the 1st stop where it always used to be in "D" it is now in "N", and it can't be shifted into "1". Lever has about an inch of up and down play and will float freely between R and D without any stops or detents. I think they messed up something in the cable adjustment or the interlock piece. One thing I'm not clear on is where exactly is this interlock piece located? In the steering column? Down by the trans where the shift cables connect? I'm afraid to drive the truck as it is, for fear it will drop into Reverse when I'm running down the freeway.

DakotaCC



DakotaCC
Dodge Dakota
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11/05/2011
17:49:06

RE: 01 Dak, did recall now shifter is loose
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Took the truck back to the dealer. They agreed the shifter was wacky and opened the column again. It turns out that when they installed the recall interlock and bracket, there was a zip tie that they cut to allow the column to drop down far enough to install the bracket. That zip tie was nothing they had ever seen before, it was a strange kind of zip tie--nothing like what you'd buy at a hardware store or home center-- and didn't seem to be important. Apparently, that zip tie was holding the shift cable in place, instead of the actual connector on the end of the cable, so without it nothing was working right. They checked the parts diagrams, questioned me about whether anyone had ever worked on the steering column (no), then conferred with the service manager. SM thinks it was a hack fix done on the line when the truck was built, and after looking at the parts diagram and the old cable I agree. This is at the dealership where I bought the truck, and the SM said to just put in a new shift cable at no charge. So, truck is shifting fine again, I'm happy, and am happy with the dealer-- Hinckley Dodge in Salt Lake City. How many dealers will take care of a factory screw-up on a 10-yr old truck?

So, 4 new ball joints, alignment, 4 new shocks, rotate and balance, an engine tune-up with new plugs and filters, and I'm ready for at least another 50k. :^)

DakotaCC



daddio
Dodge Dakota
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11/08/2011
06:52:25

RE: 01 Dak, did recall now shifter is loose
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That dealership and SM deserve recognition for correcting something that the factory broke in the first place. Glad to hear everything is good. If that dealership has a facebook page you should go there and tell of your experience with them.



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