Dodge Dakota ForumDodge Dakota PhotosDodgeDakota.net Membership
  Forums   Forum Tools
23:50:06 - 12/19/2024

V6 Dakotas
FromMessage
Monkey_Man
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


1/25/2004
19:49:13

Subject: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
Well, Today was the last straw for my Dakota.
after $2,900 in 3 months, and being stranded, this time in the middle of no where, 8 times in the last 3 weeks.
I am not even getting it fixed this time, just going to sell it as it is,
this time the fuel pump went.
ohwell,
MM



J and J Auto
GenII
 Email User Profile


1/25/2004
19:55:32

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
$2900 man you could have stroked it for that.

How did you spend that much or was it dealer labor

Larry
J&J Auto

asswipe
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


1/25/2004
20:04:37

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
I will buy it for a buck, i will trade you even, your truck for a 2 point buck.

deal?



Greg
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

1/25/2004
20:41:28

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
I hate to say it, because most of us on here are mechanics, but you sure your mechanic isn't playing with you??? I've known a few to do stuff like this to me... That is they will barely fix what they are fixing then cassually loosen or fracture something else to keep you coming back for more... This is why I try to do all of my own work on my truck for now on or stand right were I can watch them work on it... And after they get done I'll get under it and check for loose bolts or missing bolts...

Got my truck back the first time from where I had my clutch put in and got under it only to find two bolts missing out of the tranny, one out of the crossmember and another on the tranny that was loose.

Went back after 10,000 miles to have that junk one replaced "while under warranty", this time I watched :)) They used air wrenches to take everything off and put it back on "didn't like that at all, because I like to torque spec everything,". They had to put the new one in twice, because couldn't shift the gears the first time. I'm sure this was because they had use the air wrench to tighten down one side of the clutch before going all the way around like your suppost to. About this same time the head guy was hot rodding someone elses moded to $70,000.00 saleen. He had it sideways in the highway playing. Also another one of his guys was changing out a tire "tightening up with air wrench, not torqueing". About this time I just wanted my truck back and do the clutch job myself! Would had done that to begin with, but trusted the guys big promo and didn't have the time.

Finally got the truck back they wanted $50 for the flywheel turning "still haven't payed that one back" got back to the house "80 miles from shop" got under it only to find what? Two bolts loose holding tranny and engine together, all four loose holding down shifter, and one bolt missing out of the crossmember :(( About this time I was really pissed. Well two clutch's later from the same shop and starting back to original problem. Will I take it back for warranty.

HE11 NO.

The head guy even told me that he was going to put in better than normal clutch the first time then told me second time he put in even heavier clutch? Which is rattling and jerking like first. Just how heavy these things get. I bet it was cheap junk. AND the first caused grinding in 3rd gear which I'm sure helped to lead to every gear through 3rd grinding and not working right.

Oh and when I got it back the first time I had a blasted speed sensor go bad. Looked at it and someone or on it's own had nearly torn it off out of the rearend. Right after I got it back. Go figure. Also he was suppost to clean the TB and fix the fogs, all of which he charged for, but never got fixed ://

Trust me he got a good cussin before I was done and gone with him! Oh it's Allen's BP in Asheville, NC, so if anyone's ever gotten anything fixed there, you might want to check it out.

So all and all, it may very well not be your Dodge, only your mechanic or guy who is fixing it for you. Heck, I've noticed while watching, that some dealerships won't know what there doing. Guess it's a new guy or something.



Monkey_Man
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


1/27/2004
14:00:31

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
well... not all dealer work.
but they really did do the work. I watched them do about 90% of the work because I was drop the car off/ towed it there and sit and wait fofr the truck to be done.

just had the air idle controrer replaced today.
that was quite a bit of money.
MM



Robert
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


1/27/2004
14:14:27

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
People say I'm cheap because I change my own oil and do most repair work myself. I do most of the work on my friends cars/trucks also for beer and reciprocity.

Ever see an add for a tuneup? 90 bucks to change spark plugs and check things that cannot be changed.

Ever remove a cross threaded drainplug after some idiot from a fast lube place changed the oil?

I could really go on forever on this topic.



Greg
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

1/27/2004
19:41:45

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
Ever get back a car from the Ford place and decide that you might oughta check the plug and things like that that was suppost to be tight, then put it up on the lift only to find that "at most" two threads are still holding it into the oil pan??? I have ://

Oh and if you want to put it that way, I watched the guy do 100% of the work on my last clutch swap, but that doesn't mean that I can see through him and the truck due to possitioning... You don't always see right where the guy is working ; )) AND wont find out till you get it back due to all the insurrance junk to where you can't be right there with them if you want!!!



Jeff
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

1/28/2004
01:19:59

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
ever get back from a dealer oil change, look under your hood and not see fingerprints on the air filter box? like they hadn't checked it in 10k miles?
lol.
i check all work anyone does now, after the air filter fiasco. a clean air filter does wonders for the engine.
:)



tazzy
GenIII
 Email User Profile


1/28/2004
01:31:16

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
After working in a shop for years...
A lot of people freak out when they see an impact gun tighning lugs..
But just for the tire industry they have "torgue sticks" that will not let the full impact of the gun be applied..
Different sticks for different applications..
But yes I agree a lot of shops do the WRONG things...
The get it done quick pressure gets to the new guys trying to make a name for them self...
And while the new guy struggles the old timer plays on his own things..not helping or teaching...


another mark
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


1/28/2004
16:00:02

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
Hey Greg you oughta file a complaint with the better
business bureau on the shop you were talking about. I had
to do that on my dodge dealer to straighten out a big
problem and within one week the general manager called
me and solved the problem immediately.



whitedak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


1/28/2004
17:40:14

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
Well, most shops, even mine only pay by the job, called Flat-Rate. Also, the company sets there own rates, to screw the mechanic. Like free brake inspections, don't get paid to do that, and many other things, A lot don't look at stuff cause they don't get paid to do it.



Robert
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


1/28/2004
17:56:35

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
I know many of a Mechanic that make a good living off of flat rate. True, they focus at the task at hand and do not stray from that task. Nobody wants to work for free.

Just the way it is....



The Dude
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

1/28/2004
20:14:20

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
How's this...my mother used to get her oil changed on her car at the dealer, & every time, they over-filled it by at least half a quart. This happened 3 times. The first time, I drained off the excess myself. The next 2 times I b!tched out the service dept, took her car back, & made them drain off the excess for free. I finally got through to her what over-filling by that much can do to an engine, and now I take care of both our vehicles' (Dak's & Ferd's) maintenance. F___king dealerships...



sea turtle
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


1/29/2004
05:41:24

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
Before I did my own maintenance, I had muchos problems with my cars. Now, after wrenching for 25 years, I never have problems. I haven't given a dealer any money for anything in years.

Think of it this way. If they fix it you won't come back until it's broke again which could be 6 months. If they help it get broken you'll be back sooner. I'm not saying all shops do that but I bet many do.

And if I see anyone go near my lugs with an impact wether or not it has a torque stick, I'll jam it into their skull and use it to scramble whatever brains God gave them. An impact gun is used for tightening the living fu_k out of a nut. A TORQUE WRENCH is used to apply a specific amount of tension on a bolt. Use a TORQUE WRENCH, especially with alloy rims.



Greg
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

1/29/2004
19:24:08

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
Yeh, I know exactly what your talking about... I don't care for those stupid torque stick guns either... We'll work on vehicles all the time and we'll get a vehicle in that the blasted nuts were tightened down so tight that they stripped the bolt off right around where the nut seats and they never seem to care about getting the nuts started by hand first of all to make sure their even starting them right... I took my truck into a tire place and I watched them and made sure that they used a torque wrench, then I even went over them when I got home and found that the front had come back loose minorly... BUT that's expected a little bit :))



Red03Dakota
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


1/30/2004
11:51:44

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
i had no luck with the dealership here either had taken both of my neons one time each and they screwed something up or didn't do the right thing didn't tighten oil plug all the way and drove the dang oil filter onto it so badly it took me about 30 minutes of fighting with it to get it off.

the oil plug was about out of the car when i noticed it too i was p!$$ed. i have free oil changes on my kota and i was not sure if i wanted to use them or not but i am right now till something happens then i am gonna let them know about it.



Ed
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

1/30/2004
13:33:19

RE: Goodbye to the Dodge World
IP: Logged

Message:
Here is a disgusting story, in the past three months the local Wal-Mart Store has had to pay for new motors in 3 cars/trucks. My roommate's girl-friend works there and they seem to like to leave the old seals arround the filter housing. I think we all know what happens (loss of oil, and bam, new engine). The wierd part is that the Dodge dealership here in town is starting to have the same problems. They had to put a hole new motor in my friends 2001 Ram because of the same problem. Needless to say that they are hiring from the same tech school. I always have the dealer giver me all the parts they replaced. This eliminates the "disposal costs" they usually charge everyone else, and I can compaire it to my manual to at least see if they relaced the part they caimed. I still have factory coverage, but that is not stopping me from learning and having some basic knowlege. I am not real mechanically inclined, but I still change my own oil, spark plugs, rotor, distributor, and I am not scared to learn. We need to stick up for ourselves, if not everyone will try to take advantage.



   P 1


Post a reply to this message:

Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages


Name:
Email:
Notify me when I get a reply to my message:Yes  No

Icons:            

          

Subject:
Message:
 



Home | Forums | Members | Pictures | Contact Us

This site is in no way affiliated with Chrysler or any of its subsidiaries.