MsMpls
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
11/14/2010
23:14:04
|
 Subject: Can't stop/decel in snow! High idle?
IP: Logged
Message:
Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum but have had good luck
online finding advice for my previous car.
Here is the main problem: my 1993 Dakota is like a husky-it
wants to pull! I am seriously worried that this behavior in the
snow is going to cause an accident, soon. What I mean is
that when I am stopped, if I let my foot off the brake it just
starts going as if I had pressed on the accelerator. It just
takes off at probably 3-5 mph. I was given the truck this
summer by a family member after my old 94 Saturn's engine
seized up, and this weekend's epic snowstorm in Minneapolis
was my intro to winter driving.
In the snow, because of this problem, what happens is that I
almost cannot fully stop the truck at all. In the slushy snow it
would often take a full city block to finally stop! It does not
have anti-lock brakes and is RWD. I put 500 lbs of sandbags
in the back before the snow.
When I try to stop in snow I have to very gently press the
brakes, because braking too hard will lock them and send me
sideways. That's basic winter driving...but so is pumping the
brakes gently to not lock them.
Every time I gently let up on the brakes, when nearly
stopped, it starts pulling forward again, fast!! It is so scary! I
am honestly worried this could kill me this winter if I can't
figure out the problem as I live in Minneapolis and have a 40
minute commute to the suburbs. I am really hoping someone
here can help me; I'm a girl who's never had a truck and I
don't know too much about cars but have had luck before
looking online for help to diagnose the problem and then
explaining that to a friend who can fix it.
The truck specs are:
1993 Dodge Dakota Sport
V6, 3.9
115,000 miles
Idles when warm at about 600-700 RPM
I love this truck and I want to feel safe in it, if I can just get
this problem fixed it will make my winter so much safer.
Thanks to whoever reads this, and to anyone who might have
ideas.
|
