| From | Message |
denx5
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/31/2005
14:45:36
|
 Subject: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
Last year I bought a new 04 Dakota with the 4.7 V8. Its been running fine with no problems at all in any respect. My brother comes to visit from Utah, he's a mechanic, and says the 4.7 liter engine is prone to many mechanical problems. I've looked around on this site and no one has mentioned serious trouble with this motor. My brother can be a real jerk (jealous because I have a new vehicle and he drives a 10 year old Suzuki Sidekick) so I'm wondering if he's just being himself (a jerk) or has anyone actually heard of this engine "blowing up", as he says they have a tendency to do.
He also said my new home is a in a bad area and that I should put bars on the windows. He didn't mind staying there for 10 days free of charge tho.
|
man
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/31/2005
14:58:27
|  RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
sounds like your brother is a prick.
|
TheOtherBear
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/31/2005
18:07:43
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
My mechanics are Jeep experts, so they work on a lot of vehicles that have the 4.7 V8. They say the 4.7 is an excellent engine.
|
Big Dog
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/31/2005
19:55:19
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
Your brother's a prick...
I have a 2000 Dakota QC 4.7L and it has never given me a problem....I have now added Air Intake, TB, Headers and Magna Flow cat back exhaust....nice upgrades, and will finish with HO Intake and Cams and and ASP under-drive crank pulley...this ought to do it!!! Only option after that is $5,000 for a Super Charger...
Great truck, great engine
|
GraphiteDak
GenIII
3/31/2005
23:22:49
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
Let's see.
Your brother is said to be a mechanic.
Yet his choice of a ride is a Suzuki Sidekick???
The ONLY good thing about those things is to rip them down to the frame and build a ROCK CLIMBER out of them!
Other than that, they are just a kids toy without enough power to get out of it's OWN way. And they break down plenty. I know someone who had to tow there's recently. He now wants to make a rock climber out of that one too.
|
denx5
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/01/2005
11:25:41
|  RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
to all who replied... Thanks for your inputs. I thought he was talking out of his b-tthole too.
I am planning on keeping this truck a long time. I only put about 7000 miles a year on it. should last me 20 years or more.
|
Andrew
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/03/2005
21:40:56
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
The only real problem is the sludge issue that has come up from the bad pcv design. If you change your oil at 3,000 or less you should never run into the problem. But some people have lost engines from the sludge building up and clogging the oil pump screen. You may notice that if you take the oil fill cap off and look down into the tube there is a milky white goo in there. It is from the condensation and the pcv valve. Under normal driving over 15 miles it is burnt off, but short distances and colder weather it can bulid up and if the oil isn't changed or the pcv isn't kept clean it can be a problem.
|
Figols
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/04/2005
15:03:48
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
The 4.7 engine and 45rfe tranny are probably the best part of the truck, BUT........Known documented engine problems do exist. Head gaskets, valve lash adjusters, oil pump failure and sludging are the most common. My buddy at the local Dodge dealership said they've had a few come in with cracked pistons, but I haven't read anyone on here having that problem. The biggest seems to be the sludge issue EVEN if you change the oil every 3K.
|
Jecht X
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/04/2005
17:27:40
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
yeah the oil milk is a a prob. just take a rag and wipe it out every once in a while. I talked to a dodge service manager and he said if you change your oil every 3000 you shouldnt have a prob with oil sludge. he said ever sence the 4.7 came out. they only had to replace 2 4.7 for oil sludge build up and the owners admited to not changing the oil regularly. if he was just blowing smoke up my skirt or if its true I dont know. but I always change my oil every 3000 or 3 months. its only $20 to be safe. I seen what happends when you dont change your oil. sister found out the hard way with her ford tempo.
I never had a prob with my4.7 other than the emissions controler being cracked. as far as the transmisison it feels like going down the road it tries to shift or doesnt seem fully in gear. dealership told me nothing wrong with the transmisison. only does it in low rpm driving. when it over 2 grand it dont do it. feels almost like a manual when yo uhave it in 5 th gear and only doing 35. I have even turned my OD off and it still does it under 2000 RPM. guess something to live with.
|
TexasTodd
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/04/2005
19:00:27
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
So someone thinks the auto tranny is a good part of the 4.7? Maybe I should have ordered my truck with one..............................................................NOT.
;-)
|
Figols
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/05/2005
09:25:31
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
My bad, I should've "trannys" in general.
|
jpconard
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/05/2005
13:41:00
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
I have 103,000 on 2000 QC.
1 set of tires at 85,000 approx. Went with P275/60-15, rather than hard to locate 255/65
1 water pump due to leak around gasket, pump was probably good, changed it to be safe, did work myself, inexpensive fix, also flushed radiator while at it.
1 throttle position sensor, almost left me stranded but got home and with help of this forum diagnosed the code and purchase the part and put it on.
2 sets of Autozone inexpensive rotors, 2 sets of front pads. Adjusted rear drums, but still good shape.
1 front hub, due to bad bearing. Supposedly you can have the bearings pressed out, but Orielly had entire hub for $100. Easy fix.
8 spark plugs, getting ready to do it again.
Not too bad, knock on wood.
maintenance - trans fluid change and filters almost every 25,000 or a little longer (Once yr.)
oil and filter every 2500 miles - Valvoline standard.
Now if it just got at least 20 mpg.
|
Bret
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/05/2005
19:28:31
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
My dad owns a dodge dealership, I've seen 1 or 2 4.7's come in blown out. Only cause people dont change their oil until its way to late. I have a 2003 4.7 and its awesome. Any dodge mechanic will tell ya, change your oil and you aint gonna have a problem
|
jpconard
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/05/2005
20:47:08
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
Does this mean a synthetic changed every 10,000 or 15,000 would be a bad idea? Like the new Mobil 1 15,000 Oil @ $6 / quart. Don't synthetic sludge and collect contaminants just the same?
Sure synthetic changed every 3000 would be the best, but who could afford that?
One other hint, I found on this site was to put a little oil on the oil cap gasket to help seal better and prevent sludge in filler neck. I tried this and on last oil change (during winter when it is most noticeable), I saw no sludge. Not sure if that is really the cure but it seemed to work for me.
|
Spacinjason
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/06/2005
12:40:07
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
I have an old friend that works at a jeep dealership as a mechanic and he says the 4.7L is a great engine....very reliable and well built. I have 72K on my '01 QC and not a lick of problem with the engine. I did have to replace the rear differential (LSD) and pinion bearings at 60K, but I believe that was due to my driving style. ~smile~ No tranny problems so far.
Spacinjason
'01 QC 4X4
4.7L, 5sp., 3.55 LSD
Magnaflow exhaust
|
Bret
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/06/2005
14:44:06
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
yeah, id say changing oil every 10-15 thousand is a real bad idea. Can't afford it? how can you afford to put gas in it then. Change your oil yourself and it wont cost more than 20 bucks. I change the oil in my 4.7 every 2500-3000 miles and give it 91 octane, its run like a champ for the first 25,000 miles.
|
jpconard
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/06/2005
17:38:05
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
Once again you didn't read my post. That is two people today who couldn't.
I can afford every 2500, as I have been doing for 103,000 miles now.
But I aint using synthetic every 2500 miles. That would cost $36 for oil alone, Mobil 1 15,000 mile oil is $6/qt. x 6 quarts, plus filter.
You aren't talking about synthetic for $20.
|
Andrew
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/09/2005
23:00:16
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
Well, you can get a jug of 5 gallons at Walmart for $20 then you need one quart for $4 for six, then the filter is less than $6, so that isn't very expensive to change every 2500-3000 miles.
Andrew
|
RAMEWE
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/10/2005
00:17:00
| RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
Hey big dog: think twice about the under drive pulley, at idle when your elec cooling fan turns on you could see a nice fire due to a high amp draw, and not enough volts comming from your alt. it happend to me on my 96 ram with a high amp alt. not a pretty site on cruise night!
|
Madman
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/10/2005
00:38:49
|  RE: 4.7 engine problems?
IP: Logged
Message:
Synthetic oil doesn't break down like plain petrolium based oils and does not need to be changed every 3000 miles. Petrolium based oils break down under high heat and create acids and water which breaks the oil down and causes a lubricant failure. Synthetics do not! Guess what, it doesn't create sludge either! So 10k to 15k is fine. Check Mobil's website for more information. Another big plus is your not buying imported oil making some king in a desert kingdom richer. Use a high quaility filter too. Other than that..... enjoy the ride! Oh by the way, they make synthetic trans fluid and gear lube too.
|
TomO
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/10/2005
22:49:55
| Quirks!
IP: Logged
Message:
I have a 2003 Dakota with the 4.7L and auto tran. Its a good truck but it has a couple of quirks that annoy me. I would appreciate any comments about:
1. It quits(I'm told) at 100 mph.
If you were passing a large truck doing 70 on a road in Nevada and the engine shut down while you were alongside - that would be startling. I could find no warning in the owners manual about it.
2. The engine overspeeds 300 - 500 rpm when reapplying throttle after coasting during normal cruise conditions before settling back to the required rpm.
3. Excess wind noise from the area of the rear side windows (extended cab).
|
| | P 1 Next Page>> |
