1st issue is a pretty big one.... My key takes about three minutes of jiggling to unlock the door. My key is not a factory issued one, but I am unsure if it is the key, or if I have to replace the door lock assembly. I am assuming that since it happens on both sides of the truck that it is the key, and not locks. Any ideas?

2nd issue....A/C blower does not turn on, but pressing on the A/C button will illuminate the blue light, and I can hear the compressor clicking on and off. However the blower will not spin, no matter what speed you select. I read the sticky about the blower wire harness on the passenger side of the firewall, but am unsure if that is the issue.

3rd issue....Which I am unsure is an issue at all. This is my first Dakota and am not used to so much movement with the shifter. I used to drive multiple Nissan 240sx's (yeah i know comparing apples to oranges here) and it had a really tight shifter. It seems as though there is about 3-4" of free movement left to right when it is in gear. Is this normal, or do I have some kind of bushing wear that needs to be addressed?

On that same note...Is there a consensus about resting your arm on the shifter while driving? I always used to do this in the 240 but the shifter was a much more vertical shaft compared to the Dakota. Does my arm weight cause undue wear and tear on the tranny?

There are a few other electrical issues that I will update on tomorrow, once I have a better feel for what is going on.

By the way this forums is great...I have already learned a lot from the sticky's and look forward learning more.

Zac

 

Welcome to DF.

Maybe the key is too worn down. Take it to a lock smith. They may be able to cut you a new key by code. If not then try to remove the lock and have them make a key to match. Some locksmiths can do it without removing the lock.

Yes it sounds like a bad resister pack or a bad fuse.

 

Thanks I figured since it was both sides that the key was the issue.

I checked the fuse already and it is fine on the A/C. I will add the resistor pack to the shopping list.

Another issue I thought of is the headlight lenses. They are yellow, and I want them back to original. I know there is the polishing compound and green ball thing at the auto stores, but could i just use regular buffing compound with my buffer and do the paint and headlight covers? My guess is no, but i wanted to see if i could save the $20

Any thoughts on the shifter concerns? I am also going to do a total liquids flush, and want to know what the best tranny fluid is for me. I used a synthetic on my 240 one time, and the shifting went to hell right away. Should i stay away from synthetics? If so then what is the oil to use? It is the 5-speed for a 3.9L.

I also want to change the gear oil in the differential...Does it matter if I have an open or LSD as to what oil I use?

I will be back with more this evening after working on the truck a little.

Zac

P.S. Thanks for the welcome!

 

Having a locksmith rekey is about 150 around here, not to say it isn't worth it. FYI

There is a note in the sticky section for the plug on the firewall (for the fan). I think I paid $10 for one.

Headlight lense polish is near 20,000 grit (some are more aggressive), but you should start with 10,000 and work your way up, or buy new headlights.

The shifter can be remedied with a new bushing, or buy a new shifter kit. Both will lessen the swag of the shifter.

The diff oil may need an additive if it is an LSD type. Service manual will confirm.

 

my uncle cleans his headlights with a toothbrush and white toothpaste...your ac clicking cycling on and off might mean that its low(mine does that alot even when the button is off and it got annoying, so i unplugged it). as for the key you could go to the dealership with the vin and title and such and get a vehicle specific key for your truck, but its usually cheaper to go to a locksmith. my uncle had to go to the stealership for his yukon after his remote locks failed and locked him out of the car. he spent 65$ to find out that the stealer he bought it from gave him the wrong key in the first place.

 

Ok here are some updates...

Got the blower resistor today from the store for only $8. I plugged it in and it worked perfectly. I am very happy to have air blowing now, but it is stuck on defrost mode. I guess I need to take the dash apart to see why the the air ducts aren't changing. Do you guys have any ideas? I know it is an electrical issue, but I don't know where to look.

I noticed the front passenger turn signal was not working. It didn't illuminate, but the turn signal indicator light in the gauge cluster would turn on but stay solid. It wouldn't blink or click, but when I switched it to the driver side it worked just fine. I assumed the problem was a burnt out bulb, so I got a new one, plugged it in, and it is the same situation. The terminals all looked good, wiring looked good, fuse looked good, the turn signal flasher seems like it would be good, because the driver's side signal blinks....Do you guys have any ideas on this?

I finally got to the back of the truck and noticed that the tailgate latches would not fully engage. They are aligned correctly, make contact, start to rotate like they will lock in place, but it doesn't fully latch. If you just pull on the tailgate it will release and fall down. I checked the lift-up handle (that would usually unlatch the tailgate) and it operates correctly, but it doesn't have to do anything because it is never fully latched. Is there a simple fix for this, or do I need to get new latches?

I am sure i will have more for you tomorrow!
Zac

 

More likely a vacuum issue, not electrical. There are some colorful vacuum tubes behind the controller (looks like part of a rainbow and very vivid), see if they are cut or binding.

The lamp is not grounded, so the light stays on. (according to an electronics tech)

Are the cables on the correct bar. I noticed when I bought mine, that someone had put the clip on the lock bar, as opposed to the latch bar. Just a thought. Other issues could be a bent rod, misalignment, or worn out mechanicals.

Another thought on the headlight polishing.... NEVER use the same applicator for the headlights that you use on the body. I will not explain why, just don't.

 

Ok on a side note...Does anyone have a 1st Gen Dakota parts car that could send me some really cheap pieces? I have noticed that a lot of my screws under the hood are rusted out and will not bite anymore, the windshield washer nozzles are missing (tubing is there though) some door clips are missing, factory speakers are missing, no floor mats (don't know if they came with any from the factory or not), I may need new tailgate latch assemblies to keep the tailgate up, I need a driver's side tailgate support cable AND TORQUES BOLT for the latch assembly, etc... I know my list will grow with time, and if a single person had all of these parts it would be much easier than searching all around town at junk yards.

Zac

 

Ok here are some follow-ups...

I took the dash apart to access the a/c control unit, and pulled it loose to see the vacuum lines in the back. As far as I could see all the red, yellow, blue, etc... tubes looked good, and were not kinked or broken. I did find it interesting to see that the main colored vacuum line would split into two smaller lines right before the a/c control unit. I figured only vacuum would be applied to only one side of a diaphram and a sping would push from the other side. If the colored tubes looked in good shape, does that point to a problem within the a/c control unit?

I chased down the wires from the turn signal bulb (black, black/yellow, tan/green) and followed them through the wire harness to a place in between the a/c blower resistor and the master vacuum reservoir bulb. In bewteen those two points I noticed someone had used tape to hold the wire bundle together so they could have done something funky in there. Sure enough they used DUCT TAPE to protect a few wires that were spliced together. The Black and Black/Yellow wires from the turn signal bulb were spliced together along with two plain black wires that continued down the wire harness bundle to god knows where. I tried to find a wiring diagram for that circuit, and Chiltons had one but the wire colors were incorrect and they didn't show this kind of splicing.
From what I can gather the Black/Yellow wire is the positive lead, and the solid Black is the ground. So the black/yellow spliced with black should be creating a short to ground, and should be blowing the fuse but it isn't????????????
Any ideas on that one?

Next issue was the radio.....I was getting illumination when the headlights were on, but I had no display of radio frequency or sound through the speakers. It is a factory stereo sp I am guessing that it is just fried somewhere inside. I do have a muti-meter but I do not know how to check for continuity between the pins in the back of the stereo, or if it is even worth it.

My big concerns are the a/c selector, b/c I live in Florida and winter will be over before you know it, and I will be sweating like crazy, and the turn signal. I don't want to get in trouble for not signaling, and i don't want to have my hand out the window.

Zac

 

More updates....
I went back out to the truck started it up, and for some reason the vent selector was working I guess just taking it out, wiggling some connections was enought to get it going again.

Now i notice there is a noise coming from the blower like a trading card in the spokes of the bike tire, so I guess I have a leaf stuck in there. No big deal, but while I am in there i figured I would replace the air cabin air filter if there was one.....So is there one?

I investigated the tailgate latch situation again, and noticed, that everything was working properly if you wiggled a few metal pieces. I sprayed some lubricant in the latch to ease the friction, and if you shut the tailgate with a little bit of force it will latch. So that issue is resolved.

Thanks again for all of the help so far.
Zac