| From | Message |
adam
Dodge Dakota
11/03/2001
14:29:22
|
 Subject: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
Hey guys, any suggestions to "winterize" my Dak. besides the normal oil change and weight in the back of the truck, is there anything else i can do fluid wise or engine wise to better my truck through the cold chicago winters?????
Thanks
adam
|
sandman
Dodge Dakota
11/03/2001
15:10:16
|  RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
In a nut shell No!They test these vechiles under artic counditions.The best thing you could do is change all of your fluids out with synthetic fluids and stay on top of maintenece. I doubt that you should need anything as radical as plug in heaters unless you are moveing to Alaska! You might want to put some silicone grease on you weather seals to prevent them from freezeing to your doors.
|
xplikt
Dodge Dakota
11/04/2001
01:05:00
| RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
I actually started a post called "Winterizing the dakota" or something not too long ago that you may want to look for on the search that covers quite a few topics.
As far as I can tell -- no snow yet -- but these trucks work great in the cold. I get my max oil pressure real quick on cold startup and it doesn't take long to get it up to normal operating temperature (less than one mile to get past that 1/4 or whatever temp line). Just do not floor it or go above 40-45 mph in the first mile or two and you will do great with cold starts.
Do not let your engine idle, that is VERY bad and it's better if you just start it right up and go (be sure to unplug it from the block heater first though! damn have I seen some people do that one before...). By the time you got the CD you want in or the track chosen and your seat belt on, the oil's pressure will be good and ready to go.
I reccomend a block heater, just a regular one with a timer like a couple hours before you leave to go to work/school. There is no need for it to be on all night, it keeps the block heater in good shape longer and they work quite well and I got mine with the truck. Dodge's stock one isn't bad and it's a pretty good price if you compare it to getting one at Checker or Napa...
I don't know how correct this is, but I do not turn on my heater untill I reach that 1/4 temp. mark on the guage.
Make sure you have lots of wiper fluid and check your tyre pressure at least once or twice a month -- should do that anyways.
I am changing my oil tomorrow (Mobil 1 synth.) from the stock oil that's in it currently (I'm at like 600 miles now). I plan on changing the rear differential with some red line real soon too, but for the most part sandman is right, change out to synthetics -- I am.
You could always move southward...
|
DAK2
Gen III
11/04/2001
09:30:24
|  RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
I'm going on my 3rd winter here in Chitown with my DAK The only problem I've had with it was last winter in Dec.I was coming back from KY. on Dec. 11 and got caught in the middle of the blizzard aannd I didnt have the winter wiper blades on and no sand bags in the back OOOOOPs. I definately suggest getting winter wiper blades and don't forget the sand.
Y2K DAK 3.9L 5 Spd OS/2 Keeps going&going&going
|
Chris W.
Dodge Dakota
11/04/2001
15:06:15
| RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
Whats so bad about letting you're engine idle? I've been known to let mine idle for up to 5 minutes or more on really cold days. My truck is a 95 3.6 with 118000 on it and it runs like a charm.
|
xplikt
Dodge Dakota
11/05/2001
10:21:05
| RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
Oh yeah, bags, those are important...still havn't got those yet.
What are winter wiper blades?? I probably know them by a different name, but who knows -- ya learn something new everyday!
I put Zaino Z-2 (Rain-X works too) on my windows and it seems to help a lot.
|
Neil
Dodge Dakota
11/06/2001
23:00:24
| RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
Winter wiper blades are encased in rubber so ice can not build up in the metal parts and is made from a more cold resistant rubber. The downside is they can not handle the summer sun and typically only last one season.
Letting the engine idle causes the fuel gauge to drop unnessecarily and the engine takes longer to heat up at idle than it does under load. Most engine wear happens prior to the engine reaching opperating temp.
|
Chris W.
Dodge Dakota
11/08/2001
13:13:56
| RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
As far as not letting the engine warm up before driving goes, Lets say you have a cold engine. now you say most damage is done when you first start and i wont argue that, but when you pul out in the street on Monday morning and try t merge with traffic going 55mph, with a cold engine, thats ridiculous! If you have the luxury of starting down the road with a cold engine at a nice slow pace till the engine is warmed then morer power to you, but when i have to get with real world traffic, My engine is gonna be warm. What would you rather do to a cold engine,? idle it? or increase the RPM's And as far as the gas gage goes, why dont you shut it down at the drive thru or the red light etc. The few cents worth of gas money are worth the cost of having a warmed up engine before I go out in busy city traffic.
|
Lesley
GenIII
11/08/2001
18:32:56
| RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
I live in Canada, and I've never used my block heater. I used winter windshield fluid, get my fluids all changed and throw about 8 bags of sand in the back.
97 3.9 V6 Sport Club Cab. Black. Auto 3.55
Quick D Intake,
Autolite 3923s with Borg Warner Wires
Awaiting Installation: JBA headers, V8 R/T TB,
|
xplikt
Dodge Dakota
11/08/2001
18:51:26
| RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
It doesn't take but half a mile to a mile before you can go over 40-45. Do whatever works for you, but in a decade from now, we will see how all of our trucks with 150,000+ miles are doing. If you don't plan on keeping this truck/engine for a long time...do whatever. I plan on keeping this truck 'till it dies. I'll eventually retire it as my work truck and get a good AWD sedan, like an S4, lol.
There is probably no way to really know the long term effects right now, but we sure as hell will be able to way down the road.
|
x
Dodge Dakota
11/08/2001
18:59:08
| RE: Winter suggestions
IP: Logged
Message:
OK
|
| | P 1 |
|
Post a reply to this message:
Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages
|
