I just drove home (about 35 miles) a 1990 dodge dakota 4x4 with auto trans.
On the way home I noticed some things that I hope someone can help me out with...
#1 - it has a new thermostat but is still running a little hot. What could that be?

#2 - the guy I got it from said it needs the shifter cable adjusted that sometimes it won't shift into gears. It shifted fine into all gears while checking it out but when I got it home it now won't shift into reverse. Is it truly needing the shifter cable adjusted? or is it something else?

#3 - it was doing fine until we got closer to home and then at semi-hard stops it would die. What would cause this?

#4 - it has a weird noise coming from the passenger side front, kinda like a roaring sound. What could that be?

I have never owned a dodge, don't know much about them. Please respond in laymens terms for me.
Thanks

 

Welcome to DodgeForum!

#1 - Could be many things. Low on coolant, bad fan clutch, blown head gasket.

#2 - The shifter linkage is easy to adjust. There are a few write ups on how to adjust them on this forum. Read this one: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...lp-needed.html

#3 - IAC (idle air control valve). Chances are it's stuck. This valve controls the airflow into the intake manifold when the butterfly valves are all the way closed to control the idle speed. These are common to go bad on these trucks.

#4 - Need more info. Is this noise while accelerating, braking, cruising, at high speed, at low speed?

 

#4 - noise isn't noticeable until 35mph. The faster you go the more it does it.
I was guessing maybe a bad tire or rim. But it is a roaring sound but isn't constant. I never got over 50mph due to this noise. It is mainly while accelerating. It was barely there while cruising and not there at all while braking.

 

My first thought was wheel bearing, but they would make a more consistent noise. Is it just a noise or is there a vibration to go along with it?

 

Didn't notice a vibration. But the truck is old and rough. So if there is a vibration it isn't real bad...yet.

 

Have you tried rotating your tires to see if the sound either goes away or moves? Does the alignment look good (any uneven tire wear)?

It's gotta be either the tire/rim, wheel bearing, or the cv axle. Nothing else moves up there except the brake rotor, and that shouldn't be an issue while cruising.

 

Haven't had a chance to rotate tires. Just got it home at dark.
It has used tires on the front, the guy I got it from said he had to buy used tires because the old ones on the front were both bad and he didn't feel that it would be safe to drive with them on.
Tomorrow I plan on lifting it up and wiggling the tires to see if it could be bearings and I might switch out the tires while I have it up.

 

Oh and also the E brake light stays on. I tried to release it in the cab but it still doesn't go off.
And the ABS light stays on, the guy I got it from says the front brakes need to be replaced and that is why the light is on. Though I go to stop the truck and it squats in the front like the brakes are working and I hear no squealing from brake liners either.
Is this a common fault of these trucks?

 

The two most common causes i know of for the brake and ABS light to both be on is 1) the brake fluid level is low... try adding fluid and bleeding the lines, or 2) the rear drums are out of adjustment and need to be tightened.

 

Something else I'll be checking tomorrow.
In your opinion, from the problems I have listed... should I have bought it in the first place?