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gregdakota
Dodge Dakota
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10/02/2004
23:51:58
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 Subject: PROBLEMS...please help!
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Hey guys, it has been a while since I last posted on here (cause of school and time) but I am back...and I can't say it’s for a good reason. Yesterday my Dakota started acting up...and now i am figuring it a major problem. My biggest problem is I am 140 miles from my tools and a garage to work on it and I have no time to get there for 2 weeks. So I need to diagnose the problem now so I can have parts so when I get home I can do the repairs. Here are the symptoms:
1. Check Engine Light Came On
2. Runs Ruff on idle and stalls while stopping
3. Puff of some kind of smoke while driving and WOT
4. Sounds deeper throated (could just be me worrying also tho)
5. Loss of some power, not as much pep as before
6. MAJOR LOSS OF GAS MILEAGE. I am getting roughly half the mileage I was getting before this all started.
I would appreciate some help because I am low on money (college student) and miles away from my tools to do the work, so I want to make sure this is something I can continue to drive (besides the bad mileage) with out causing further damage.
'99 Dodge Dakota
4x4, Auto
5.2L V-8
Replaced the cat 1 1/4 year ago
Replaced whole cat back exhaust 2 years ago
Thanks Guys
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J-Rod
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
08:25:33
|  RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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Message:
First thing i would do is stop at an Autozone and find out the diagnostic on the check engine light. From the sounds of things, you may just have a bad oxygen sensor, and that can be fixed with a simple open end wrench (and maybe some wd-40).
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
09:44:58
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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Where is school? Maybe someone on this board is nearby to help?
If you are near Philly, gimme a holler. I have a code scanner if you are afraid to drive the truck anywhere.
Wal
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
09:46:05
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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Message:
Sounds like a 02 sensor to me.
Do what J-Rod suggested also.
Good luck..
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
09:46:12
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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Sounds like a 02 sensor to me.
Do what J-Rod suggested also.
Good luck..
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gregdakota
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
19:08:28
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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well i tried going to autozone and seeing what the codes say....it said needs new o2 sensor. I replaced that there in the parking lot and it was running better. Then i took it for a drive, was running ok but still bad mileage. So i pulled over and reset the computer by disconnecting the negative terminal on the battery. Since i did that it is running like crap again...now what???? BTW, my school is located in LaCrosse,WI.
-Greg
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
19:11:49
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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which sensor did you replace? Which one did the scan tool name to replace? You should have an up and a down stream sensor.
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gregdakota
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
19:38:27
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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i replaced the one directly behind the cat...i believe thats the only one on this truck because it is the 318cid. I thought only the 4.7s have 3 o2 sensors.
-Greg
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gregdakota
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
20:12:50
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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i just went down to the truck and took it for a drive and it is still running very rich and now the check engine light came back on.
-Greg
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gen1dak
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
20:47:16
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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All OBDII vehicles (1996 and newer) have at least one upstream and one downstream sensor. However, the upstream sensor is the one used by the engine to adjust things. The downstream evaluates the efficiency of the upstream sensor. If you're still running rich, the MAP sensor is probably toast. Typically, it'll make you run so rich you're throw flames out the pipe if you push it. You need to resolve this soon as an over-rich condition will fry the catalytic converter.
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gregdakota
Dodge Dakota
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10/03/2004
23:49:07
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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so you saying that since i replaced the o2 sensor and it is still running rich that it is the map sensor? when they read the code it said it was running too lean, which i thought was funny at first since its damn near pouring fuel out the exhaust. But then i figured it is saying it is lean cause it is damn near stalling. So im assuming that since it runs fine while cold but terrible mileage, and runs terrible and gets terrible mileage when warm that it would be the MAP sensor as well. Since the MAP is sending too much fuel into the engine and the O2 is off when cold, then once warmed up the 02 is on and is saying "less fuel" which is why it is almost stalling while stopped in gear. Is my assumption correct? Any help is appreciated....remember im on a college student budget and my tools and garage are 2 hours away. PLEASE HELP, MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!
-Greg
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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10/04/2004
10:18:08
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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take it back and read the code again. I think they sold you the wrong 02 sensor, or you just swapped the wrong one. From the sound if it, you replaced the downstream and should have replaced the upstream. If I am wrong, then the trouble code they read should tell you that too. It sucks that our 99's won't tell us anything w/o a reader :-(
Wal
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gen1dak
Dodge Dakota
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10/04/2004
19:01:15
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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Agreed, definitely make sure the upstream unit is new. If that's okay, then my next suspect is usually the MAP sensor, since it will cause over-rich immediately, and it can be going bad, but compensated somewhat by the O2 sensor feedback. The PCM just does the best it can.
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give up
Dodge Dakota
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10/05/2004
22:25:48
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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i'd just give up on life man. it sucks anyways
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gregdakota
Dodge Dakota
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10/06/2004
13:19:57
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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Wow thanks for the help "give up." My life don't suck, sorry man. Hate to break it to ya.
Ok back to the people actually trying to help me. Yesterday i went back to Autozone and the guys there this time said that "Too lean bank 1" means that its the side of the engine with cylinder #1. And that the other side of the engine must be over compensating to counteract it. They told me to take it to a shop. Instead I called around and found that my cousin has a friend that i know somewhat that had moved up here a couple years ago and works at the local Honda Dealership (yuck) so i went in there and talked to him. He brought out the scanner they have and it said the same thing, except that he insisted that "bank 1" mean the upstream o2 sensor. So i went back to autozone and told them and they said that mechanic was trying to rip me off...so i mentioned that he wasnt getting paid a cent and they shut up. I bought the other o2 and put it in and everything is going good again. I went back in there this morning and the guys go "oh....back again huh, o2 sensor didnt work did it?." I said "no actually it worked perfectly, you guys shouldn't try to say a mechanic is wrong untill you really know what your talking about" and left. So thanks guys for all the help with this. Without you guys i wouldnt have even known where to start.
-Greg
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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10/06/2004
17:41:58
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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having a good basic mechanical understanding is needed at all times. You can't just read a damn scanner and be an expert.
Rather then giving them the "I told you so", I would have swapped out the downstream and boxed it back up and returned it. Of course if you trashed parts or packaging, then forget it. Burning the bridge never helps though, and you might need a scan again one day.
Glad you fixed it!!!!!!
Wal
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Rob C
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2004
00:56:43
| RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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Sounds like the belly pan gasket in your intake manifold. Get a flashlight, open the throttle plates on the throttle body and look down into your intake manifold, if it's oily, it's your belly pan gasket. Here's a couple of links to help you: http://www.dodgedakota.net/boards/v8/1817.html
http://www.speedtweaks.ca/tipsandtricks.php#plenum
Good luck!
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Rob C
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/13/2004
00:41:59
|  RE: PROBLEMS...please help!
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Oops! I somehow missed the entry where you determined it to be the pre-cat O2c sensor. Gotta be more careful with that pagedown key.
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