Need some help on 01 Dakota
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2008
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Need some help on 01 Dakota
Hello All,
I have a 2001 Dakota in really good shape. V6 4WD. It needs brakes. I use the truck for hunting, fishing, hauling wood, it's not my everyday vehicle. Since it needs brakes, I haven't been driving it for about the last 3 weeks and I guess I hadn't started it since then either...
So, I got in it today to move it and the battery was dead... no big deal, I jumped it with the wife's car and it started up.... but immediately died (I did have the jumper cables set up correctly -- not backwards). This repeated about 4 more times, so I let it charge while hooked to the wife's car for about 20 minutes. Started it again, same result... it fires up, I give it gas, it revs, then dies... never makes it to idle. Now as long as I give it gas it runs, but will NOT idle, just dies.
I removed the jumper cables and tried starting from the battery, which it did... but I ended up draining the battery in my subsequent attempts to keep it running so I gave up.
The only thing I've had to replace or repair since I've owned the vehicle was an O2 Sensor and well the rotors and pads on the front need replaced (why I wasn't driving it).
I checked the P codes and get nothing... just "P Done" displayed.
I'm hoping it's not the alternator... it won't even run off the charged battery, like I said, it just dies... could it be fuel system related...filter, line, etc... could it be a switch stuck open or shut, or am I going to have to replace the alternator?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
John
I have a 2001 Dakota in really good shape. V6 4WD. It needs brakes. I use the truck for hunting, fishing, hauling wood, it's not my everyday vehicle. Since it needs brakes, I haven't been driving it for about the last 3 weeks and I guess I hadn't started it since then either...
So, I got in it today to move it and the battery was dead... no big deal, I jumped it with the wife's car and it started up.... but immediately died (I did have the jumper cables set up correctly -- not backwards). This repeated about 4 more times, so I let it charge while hooked to the wife's car for about 20 minutes. Started it again, same result... it fires up, I give it gas, it revs, then dies... never makes it to idle. Now as long as I give it gas it runs, but will NOT idle, just dies.
I removed the jumper cables and tried starting from the battery, which it did... but I ended up draining the battery in my subsequent attempts to keep it running so I gave up.
The only thing I've had to replace or repair since I've owned the vehicle was an O2 Sensor and well the rotors and pads on the front need replaced (why I wasn't driving it).
I checked the P codes and get nothing... just "P Done" displayed.
I'm hoping it's not the alternator... it won't even run off the charged battery, like I said, it just dies... could it be fuel system related...filter, line, etc... could it be a switch stuck open or shut, or am I going to have to replace the alternator?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
John
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RE: Need some help on 01 Dakota
ORIGINAL: jthampt
Hello All,
I have a 2001 Dakota in really good shape. V6 4WD. It needs brakes. I use the truck for hunting, fishing, hauling wood, it's not my everyday vehicle. Since it needs brakes, I haven't been driving it for about the last 3 weeks and I guess I hadn't started it since then either...
So, I got in it today to move it and the battery was dead... no big deal, I jumped it with the wife's car and it started up.... but immediately died (I did have the jumper cables set up correctly -- not backwards). This repeated about 4 more times, so I let it charge while hooked to the wife's car for about 20 minutes. Started it again, same result... it fires up, I give it gas, it revs, then dies... never makes it to idle. Now as long as I give it gas it runs, but will NOT idle, just dies.
I removed the jumper cables and tried starting from the battery, which it did... but I ended up draining the battery in my subsequent attempts to keep it running so I gave up.
The only thing I've had to replace or repair since I've owned the vehicle was an O2 Sensor and well the rotors and pads on the front need replaced (why I wasn't driving it).
I checked the P codes and get nothing... just "P Done" displayed.
I'm hoping it's not the alternator... it won't even run off the charged battery, like I said, it just dies... could it be fuel system related...filter, line, etc... could it be a switch stuck open or shut, or am I going to have to replace the alternator?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
John
Hello All,
I have a 2001 Dakota in really good shape. V6 4WD. It needs brakes. I use the truck for hunting, fishing, hauling wood, it's not my everyday vehicle. Since it needs brakes, I haven't been driving it for about the last 3 weeks and I guess I hadn't started it since then either...
So, I got in it today to move it and the battery was dead... no big deal, I jumped it with the wife's car and it started up.... but immediately died (I did have the jumper cables set up correctly -- not backwards). This repeated about 4 more times, so I let it charge while hooked to the wife's car for about 20 minutes. Started it again, same result... it fires up, I give it gas, it revs, then dies... never makes it to idle. Now as long as I give it gas it runs, but will NOT idle, just dies.
I removed the jumper cables and tried starting from the battery, which it did... but I ended up draining the battery in my subsequent attempts to keep it running so I gave up.
The only thing I've had to replace or repair since I've owned the vehicle was an O2 Sensor and well the rotors and pads on the front need replaced (why I wasn't driving it).
I checked the P codes and get nothing... just "P Done" displayed.
I'm hoping it's not the alternator... it won't even run off the charged battery, like I said, it just dies... could it be fuel system related...filter, line, etc... could it be a switch stuck open or shut, or am I going to have to replace the alternator?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
John
I am guessing IAC. TPS works because you have the throttle going. Maybe even a clogged vaccumm somewhere. Does it run smooth when you have the gas down?
Chris
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
RE: Need some help on 01 Dakota
ORIGINAL: varsis
Were has it been sitting outside? Lots of rain? In a garage? That would help a little.
I am guessing IAC. TPS works because you have the throttle going. Maybe even a clogged vaccumm somewhere. Does it run smooth when you have the gas down?
Chris
Were has it been sitting outside? Lots of rain? In a garage? That would help a little.
I am guessing IAC. TPS works because you have the throttle going. Maybe even a clogged vaccumm somewhere. Does it run smooth when you have the gas down?
Chris
It has been sitting outside in a sloped driveway and we have had an above average amount of rain since it was last started... it rained every day over the holiday weekend.
It runs smooth when I have the gas down, but if I take my foot off it dies immediately... no sputter or knock... just dies.
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Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Clemson, SC
RE: Need some help on 01 Dakota
Sounds like the battery to me. I always have a really hard time to get the truck to run off a dead battery, how old is it? I would first have the battery tested and go from there. On my truck when you jump it you have to run it for at least 10 minutes to get the battery fully charge and can not let of the gas(my sister had to have it towed in columbia because the battery died do to something left on and it is hard to drive an auto though a city keeping the rpms about 2k)
What rmp's is the motor at when it will die?
What rmp's is the motor at when it will die?
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From: Clemson, SC
RE: Need some help on 01 Dakota
Yes and no, the way these trucks are the alternator charges the battery and the battery runs the car. I would recomend replacing the 7 year old battery, it may just be worn out or may have lost a cel. Like i said these trucks run like **** on dead batteries. A battery that is that is will likly die soon if it is not the problem.
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6
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RE: Need some help on 01 Dakota
I agree that the battery likely needs to be replaced... it's led a long and reliable life up till now. I'm still not convinced that the battery is causing the stalling when I don't give it gas... why would it work while I'm revving it but not work to idle the truck?
After reading other forums it seems that the likely problem is one of: IAC, clogged vaccum or possibly need to reset the PCM... any of that make sense?
Thanks for the continued responses.
John
After reading other forums it seems that the likely problem is one of: IAC, clogged vaccum or possibly need to reset the PCM... any of that make sense?
Thanks for the continued responses.
John
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Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Clemson, SC
RE: Need some help on 01 Dakota
It could be one of those but it is also likly problem with a bad battery in the 97-04 dakota and 1st gen Dorango's. Like i said i would change the battery and then go from there. From what i can tell at idle the alternator does not run at full output so there is not enough amps to power the truck. I have no proof but that is the only thing i have been able to come up with.
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2008
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RE: Need some help on 01 Dakota
Ok, well I got home from work and jumped it again and it died like before ( I guess I could hope that doing nothing would have changed the problem!) Anyway, I decided I would hold the RPMs at around 1500 until the truck warmed up. So I did that and let off and it died. So I decided to look at the air intake... took off the connector hose from the filter and tried again to fire it up... it gave a pop and fired up!!! I took out the air filter and replaced the connector hose.
Anyway, it's running now. I had to have the brakes worked on anyway so I drove it the half mile to the shop and parked it in their lot... I'll go back in the morning and give them and idea of what has gone on and hopefully it's just me being an idiot and not replacing the air filter at last service.
I also shut her off and restarted her 3 times in the lot, which makes me feel better about the battery... I'll have them check it too and probably replace it since it is 7 years old.
So that's a bit of good news, at least for now.
John
Anyway, it's running now. I had to have the brakes worked on anyway so I drove it the half mile to the shop and parked it in their lot... I'll go back in the morning and give them and idea of what has gone on and hopefully it's just me being an idiot and not replacing the air filter at last service.
I also shut her off and restarted her 3 times in the lot, which makes me feel better about the battery... I'll have them check it too and probably replace it since it is 7 years old.
So that's a bit of good news, at least for now.
John