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Cotharyus
GenIII
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9/27/2002
18:20:14

Subject: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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When I radiator blew up today, the first thing I did was call my wife. The next think I did was call my brother in law to have him bring me enough water to get my truck home. While I was waiting on him, I called a dodge dealership I just happened to have a number for. The parts department asked me if I had max cooling or not, and I told them I didn't know. So they ran my vin number, and told me I didn't. Later I went and bought a new radiator, since they told me they had 3 in stock. I got everything pulled apart, set the new radiator next to the old one, and ther were different. Turns out the difference is between an auto or manual trans. - no one EVER asked me which I had. Now I'm sitting around on my arse until monday when the right fscking radiator comes in. Maybe CW or someone can tell me why the heck they would stock 3 radiators at one dealer for an auto, and not a one (in all of middle TN!!) for a truck with a manual trans. I'm so pissed there aren't words for it, and I want everyone to know it. I think everyone that has a truck with a manual tranny in it needs to call a dealer near them and MAKE SURE THEY STOCK PARTS FOR IT!!!!

2001 QC 4x4, 4.7,5 spd, LSD, K&N Gen II Intake, Robert Shaw 180 Stat, Hanson Industries custom front bumper

DaveR
GenII
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9/27/2002
19:05:03

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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I am asking this cause I don't know, but is the only real difference between the auto and manual trans radiator the transmission cooler?



alex
Dodge Dakota
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9/27/2002
19:15:55

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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The reason that any dealer stocks parts for an auto over a manual trans is simple:

Nobody except the people here drive V-8 manual trans Dakotas. There's about 300+/- memebers & visitors here, and there's about 1000 times more Dakotas out there that need servicing.

We manny tranny guys are in the minority. Sorry.



CW
GenIII
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9/27/2002
19:24:28

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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In my dealer there has been about a 5% manuals sold to 95% auto. In everything but diesels that is.

2001 4.7 5sp 3.92 LSD
Ported 68mm TB, IAT adjuster, 3" flowmaster cat back, TPS @ .76V, 4" Z-tube, Roadmaster active suspention, Removed Third cat, Electric fan Convertion, HO cams, Robert shaw 180 therm, HO intake manifold.

Ross
Dodge Dakota
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9/27/2002
20:55:11

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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I drive a v8 auto =/



neo
Dodge Dakota
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9/27/2002
22:21:39

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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if you have a manual tranny you can still use an auto radiator. the cooler lines are the only difference, so you just wont have any lines to them. and they wony leak any coolant out either...not connected to coolant



Cotharyus
GenIII
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9/27/2002
22:37:12

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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I understand they don't sell as many, but they still need to stock the parts.

neo - the auto radiator has two bigazz holes in the side that the coolant lines screw into. Coolant would rain out of those things faster than mortons salt in a desert.

2001 QC 4x4, 4.7,5 spd, LSD, K&N Gen II Intake, Robert Shaw 180 Stat, Hanson Industries custom front bumper

sandman
Dodge Dakota
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9/27/2002
22:45:00

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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I can not speak to Dodge's parts system but It would be hard to do this with the system GM uses in compatent hands. If the vechile is 1990 or newer we use last 8 digits of vin to pull all the RPO's, Broadcast codes, casting numbers, build sheet .... for your vechile. Radiators are usualy broken down by HVY DTY, HVY HEAT, AC, Engine, Trans cooler, Oil cooler, aux oil cooler, and three or four digit code on side of radiator. Once all of these items are filtered you match Year,Body Style and weight capacity. If all of these do not match then you picked the wrong part. Some apps only have one radiator listed others have 16 pages of radiators. It is unfortunate that parts departments get very little formal training and have high a high turn over rate. Most dealer will not spend very much money on their parts department. Alot of them are running very lean versions of Bell&Howell, Imager or Pacard(sp). The parts catalog people sell their basic software cheaply and then they sell option upgrades ala carte. So dealer do not keep up with updates and they will not pay to train their parts people. SO you run into this alot. On the service side most manufactures have a minium standard for continueing training that must be met by the service staff but not for parts department. It took about 12 years for manufactures to drill into dealerships that their techs needed to stay current and realy needed to understand electronics alot better. The big push was for ASE cert. You can also get ASE cert. in parts cataloging(sp). So while he should not have goofed like this the deck may have been stacked against him. We all are human and we all make mistake's.



mdandl
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9/28/2002
07:06:55

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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hey man
the cooler line holes u r talking about WILL NOT LEAK COOLANT if they are not used onlt trans fluid goes in cooler not antifreeze

i just installed one of these rads in a 99 dak
it will work

most replacement rads have coolers in them that way they will work on either type vehicles, with less stock overhead

mike

1997 Dakota Sport RC V6, Magenta, Dynomax Ultra Flow, K&N, APC Clear Corners, NR White Face Gauges, Mopar Boards, rails, Line-X, and Others to come
2000 Dakota Sport RC V6, Dynomax Ultra Flow, K&N, ARE Cover, Soon to be PLUM CRAZY
NEW TOY 1987 Dakota RC LB V6

sandman
Dodge Dakota
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9/28/2002
15:22:44

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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While you should expect an after market part to have multiple usage the OEM part should closely match the origanal unless the vechile is very old. You realy should not have to use a rad. designed for an automatic tranny on a manual trans vechile this new. While it would prob. work no problem it is the princepal!



Cotharyus
GenIII
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9/28/2002
18:40:50

RE: Dodge parts department screws the pooch.
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Not to mention the fact that no one at the dealership happened to mention that the radiator would work. I probly would have used it just to have had my truck running this weekend while my brother was here.

2001 QC 4x4, 4.7,5 spd, LSD, K&N Gen II Intake, Robert Shaw 180 Stat, Hanson Industries custom front bumper

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