hello fellow D owners
new here and to dodge.

i recently took ownership of a 2000 Durango 5.2L

first off it was very poorly maintained. i havent done much to her...

what i have done is:

replaced the rear diff fluid 3 times. due to the old fluid coming out dark mud textured sort of watered down...

replaced transmission fluid now a bright red. before it was a brownish color.

re-charged the a/c.

replaced the power steering fluid not sure if it needed it just did it anyway since the fluid was a bit dark and made a little funky noise when i turned.. not loud but noticeable.

cleaned the TB and replaced the air filter

bleed the brake fluid. the brake pedal was spongy. now firmer but still the same...

replaced radiator, both upper hoses, filler neck, lower hose, t-stat and replaced as much old coolant before the new rad install.

 

now for the bad....

recently the engine on cold start ups would idle rough (maybe misfire)
also the engine would idle fine but AT LEAST once a week it would idle rough when its warmed up.
also i did notice it "surge" once before..
lastly i hear a tick / knock sound on idle only.

any ideas of the cause to the problems above?

i think there are A/C leaks.. where? i have no clue. any ideas what to do?

i know i still need to replace plugs, wires, and cap

i think i need to replace the pads and rotors. thinking of the brake lines as well...

i am experiencing coolant lost which i noticed it leaking from the upper inlet hose on the radiator. i re-tighten that clamp and now doesnt leak. but im not convinced that was the problem because there are no leaks under the truck when parked after a drive.

before the radiator replacement, i removed the cap and ran the engine (idle) for a few mins and it didnt leak from the radiators side.. once i installed the cap and ran the engine idling again for a few a mins then shut off the engine and sure enough the radiator leaked from its side. i did noticed bubbles escaping with the cap off and engine on (idle)
any thoughts or comments??

it ran fine until i was a little heavy on the gas...


any info on past experiences also helpful.

i apologize the info is spread out and not in order.

thank you for your time

2000 durango 5.2L 2wd

 

Do the cap (brass contacts), wires (either moper oem or msd 8.5mm), and champion copper plugs. After that if it still idles rough check the intake plenum.

The radiator should be under warranty still, get a new one. When you put the cap back on it allowed the system to get pressurized and is pushing water out holes in the radiator. The bubbles where air escaping the system, most likely was low from the leak and that is how the air got in.

Also to get more specific help maybe start a thread dealing with one problem, then when its resolved start another for a different problem. Just a suggestion.

 

Had the same issue .. turned out to be a dirty IAC and a bad TPS... replaced both with a TB cleaning and it runs like new... just a thought..

 

my next step was to replaced the plugs wires and cap.. hopefully it eliminates the problems.

for the wires, you mentioned moper or msd. one better than the other? for the msd. would i look for a msd 8.5mm universal set? or is there specific wire / item number to use?

double check for leaks today... found the smaller coolant reservoir hose to filler neck leaks. so i just need to match it up to a replacement at local auto parts.

i wanted to do that, but i didnt want to get flamed for opening acouple threads for small problems. not at once but yea...

 

Great! iac cleaning... is it right beside TB?

how do i go about testing the TPS?

i dont have any check engine codes...

 

Its on the back of the TB (looking from the front of the truck) there are to hex screws and then it just comes out... be careful tho cause they are delicate... also if it really bad might be a good idea just to replace it since there only around $20..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gJUR62u4Tg

There is a video of how to test it on a ram but, it should be the same with the durango....

I didnt have any code too at first... as the sensor got worse it started throwing trans shift codes....

 

Here is a link on how to clean the IAC and tb properly https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...ttle-body.html

Msd has a specific set for our engines, they are better than the oem but are more expensive. Here is one of the most experienced guys ignition set up https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...hange-out.html

These are under the DIY thread sticky at the top of the 1st gen section also if you want to do some more browsing on the subject.

 

old school: thank you for the info. and the video is great.. you think the reading on the multimeter should be the same when testing the TPS on a D?

adukart: thank you also. ima def do a more thorough cleaning on the TB and IAC.

i have taken a look at the diy section and came across Stock Electric Fan Replacement...

now i cant be a complete idiot but i dont see ANY electric fans.
i DO have a clutch fan that i replaced but didnt help with the ROAR sound.
where is the stock electric fan installed? or the Auxiliary Electric Fan Motor?

i Hate the ROAR sound. after the new clutch install i felt slightly more power but same sound. i did notcied if i am heavy on the gas after 30-35 the roar sound goes away and is quite until i come to a stop where it roars again. if i take it easy on the gas its just a constant roar...

is there a heavy duty clutch?

i also cam across the Transmission Diagnostics sticky..

when i take off from a stop, i feel it shift as i pick up speed but once i get passed 30-35mph it will stay in whatever gear its in UNTIL i pass 45mph.

tell me would i need a band adjustment?

 

On my 2000 4.7L, I notice the roar of the clutch fan relates to the engine speed. The fan stays on til the engine reaches just under 3K RPM, then stays off until it drops to about 1200 and it kicks in again. I do like the roar though, makes it sound more beastly...

I think it might be about time to have a look at the TB and IAC on mine, probably needs cleaned.