I have a 2001 Dakota slt club cab with the 3.9 engine. Ihave an engine light on and I learned about the ingnition switch trick to get the code. The code is P0455 large leak in the evaporative system. Where is the best place to start to look for the leak? Any tips or tricks to find it?

 

Your gas cap I think can cause this. Check it for an oring and that it's sealing properly.

 

Thanks, I'll get a new one and see if that clears it up.

 

While the gas cap is a likely cause of the leak, there are two other places that are very prone to leakage on the 2nd gens. First, when you open the hood about halfway between the battery and the intake will be a fitting with a green cap. This is an EVAP service port and is between two rubber hoses. Make sure those do not have any cracks at all, and also check the vapor canister, which is located directly in front of the gas tank under the truck. There should be three hoses going to it, and any of those three are also likely causes.

 

^+1! Mine turned out to be the hoses by the green service port.

 

+ 2 on the hose by the battery, my buddy's dakota had a bad hose, the line was about 3/4" thick, completly dry rotted

 

Out of all the Durangos and Dakotas I have had in the shop, they are almost always the hose by the port or the hose on the canister. :-)

 

thanks folks!

 

I know that these hoses are bad on mine because I can see that they are cracked and have actually fallen off. I went to the dealer to try to buy replacements but they couldn't find them in their system. Does anyone know the part number for these, by chance?

 

Just cut a piece off and take it into your favorite parts store. They should have spools of it.