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Dennis
Dodge Dakota
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1/28/2011
14:23:17
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 Subject: Problem fixing 1997 Dakota
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I bought a 1997 Dakota V8 3 weeks ago and brought it to our mechanic to check out and to smog. A couple of thousand dollars and 3 weeks later they are out of ideas on why they can't get the check engine light to stay off and are repeatedly getting a code 171.
These are good mechanics and they've checked or replaced just about everything they can think of. Anyone have any ideas? (Most of the money is in replacing the radiator, fixing an exhaust leak, etc, not in just trying to fix the engine running lean.)
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other bill
Dodge Dakota
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1/28/2011
15:00:04
| RE: Problem fixing 1997 Dakota
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Sounds like you have 'exhausted' your mechanics (pun intended). Sometimes the last resort, as in your dealership, is where you have to go for the 'stumpers'.
Or you can try these guys: http://www.justanswer.com/dodge/
This is not a plug. I have no affiliation with them, but did get my questions answered when asking about trailer brake wiring as well as oil consumption on my `95.
It does cost a couple bucks, but they will stay with you (question stays open) to get your problem solved.
Hope it helps!
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Josh
Dodge Dakota
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1/28/2011
21:24:22
| RE: Problem fixing 1997 Dakota
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P0171 is bank 1 sensor 1 fuel system lean.
That's the upstream O2 sensor (the one closest to the exhaust manifold on the driver's side).
Check for power steering fluid in the wiring harness for that O2 sensor. If you find fluid, check for leaking power steering pressure sensor. There's a history of those power steering pressure sensors leaking down the wiring and messing up the O2 sensor.
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Dennis
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2011
17:09:36
| RE: Problem fixing 1997 Dakota
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Thanks much for the replies.
other bill: I called the local Dodge service center. Briefly explained the problem. His immediate response was to make sure they were mopar spark plugs. I got the distinct impression that was his approach to diagnosing the check engine light. Explained that they were and the issue was a code p0171. He said that meant nothing to him because mechanics don't have his diagnostic tools. I mentioned that that code is well known on all the Dodge forums and it means the engine is constantly running lean because the bank 1 O2 sensor thinks it's too rich. He had no comment. Based on this I'm extremely reluctant to take to this dealership. But there is supposed to be a Chrysler specialist in Berkeley with a high user rating so I'm going to try there Monday.
Josh: Yes, I've been reading around and mentioned that - and the several hundred other things it could be that I gathered from all the messages I read - to my mechanic. That particular sensor was burned out when they checked the vehicle originally so it was replaced along with the power steering pressure hose. So no luck for me on that fix.
Again, thanks for the replies. I hadn't needed a vehicle in over 20 years so I've become quite naive apparently about buying a used one. Oh well. You pays your money and you takes your chances.
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Dan00Dak
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2011
23:02:57
| RE: Problem fixing 1997 Dakota
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Just a thought, you said they replaced the 02 sensor
when they originally checked the vehicle.
What brand did they put in? For some reason the
Bosch O2 sensors don't work that well in the Dakota.
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Dennis
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2011
00:48:25
| RE: Problem fixing 1997 Dakota
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Thanks for the tip, Dan00. I don't know what brand but I'll check. If it matters at all, they did get the check engine light to go off, and they thought everything was fine a couple weeks ago. But they discovered they broke a ground wire causing the fuel gauge to malfunction when they replaced the radiator and then the light came back on after they corrected that. They could get the light to go off, but not long enough to run it completely through the smog check. They spent a number of hours on it without charging me, even updating the computer, which had never been flashed without charge.. I know for a fact their best mechanic was on it for about 10 hours and they didn't charge me a single cent. Given that this is one of the most busiest shops in the city, I have to think this is just some weird odd ball thing, like the gear shift knob being missing or something.
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Dennis
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2011
00:49:27
| RE: Problem fixing 1997 Dakota
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Thanks for the tip, Dan00. I don't know what brand but I'll check. If it matters at all, they did get the check engine light to go off, and they thought everything was fine a couple weeks ago. But they discovered they broke a ground wire causing the fuel gauge to malfunction when they replaced the radiator and then the light came back on after they corrected that. They could get the light to go off, but not long enough to run it completely through the smog check. They spent a number of hours on it without charging me, even updating the computer, which had never been flashed without charge.. I know for a fact their best mechanic was on it for about 10 hours and they didn't charge me a single cent. Given that this is one of the most busiest shops in the city, I have to think this is just some weird odd ball thing, like the gear shift knob being missing or something.
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Dennis
Dodge Dakota
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2/02/2011
11:32:32
| RE: Problem fixing 1997 Dakota
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Ok, as you may have saw when I started another thread when I got the check engine light to go off, this Dakota is now fixed. So for any help it may provide others, here's what the issue was and why I accidentally resolved it.
I had to go to the local dealer to get another key and told the service guy there what had happened. He said well, yes, the generic scanner the mechanic used does not erase the memory, and for my modal and year the computer chip only randomly checks itself, so it is highly unlikely it would sense that any problems have been corrected.
So when the mechanic turned off the check engine light and drove it around testing it the computer just reverts back to what's in memory. When I manually erased the member by removing the negative battery cable and turn the key on, that let the computer recheck everything from scratch..
Now my mechanic said yes, that does make sense, and that he didn't know that the pcm had a capacitor that had to be drained to clear the memory. And this had never happened to any truck like mine before. (Just as an aside, I also found out the owner and the mechanic that worked on my vehicle almost came to blows arguing over why the check engine light kept coming back on, the owner thinking the mechanic wasn't doing the work right.).
So I think the lesson here is, if you have a full featured 1997 Dakota V8 and there are check engine light issues, make sure you manually wipe the computer and know that the generic scanners the local shops use are unable to do this. Only the dealer scanners erase the memory.
I am very happy now with this truck. It runs beautifully, the emissions test showed it runs really clean and I'm at the top end of mpg for the V8.
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