Hey all, new here and have a few small (hopefully) problems with my new dakota.

gotta say im a little scared because i had a grand prix that cracked a block in the winter (all coolant no water was the cause supposedly.) than replaced that motor and the next one threw a rod. after replacing that, the transmission started slipping so I dumped it. needless to say I really dont want to screw my new truck up so any info to keep her running let me know. btw, I am a total idiot that needs everything explained to me!

ok I have a few questions that I will lump into this one thread.

first some info: Just bought the truck last week, its a 2001 3.9slt rwd with 45,xxx miles on the odo. automatic with AC. drive to college and work everyday.

-first question/problem: ok she is running a bit rough, not horrible just a little eh, lumpy is the only way I can describe it. when i shift sometimes (especially into neutral or reverse) it goes low on rpms and feels like its going to stall, in fact It did once. I shifted into reverse and it tried to hold on but stalled out. started it back up and ran fine after that. autozone guys said to try replacing sparks? should I even be too worried? I plan on using some stp injection cleaner, and replacing sparks. any other Ideas

-second: the belt squeaks when first starting in the cold mornings. I let it warm up and its fine. do I need to replace the belt right away or can I hold off for a while? if so how long?

-third: also when first starting the truck from cold. when I accelerate, the engine gives more vibration than normal. it smooths out as it warms and then purrs like a kitten. should I be worried?

and lastly: how the heck do I keep the paint looking good? it has swirl marks from a bad buffing job someone must have done so I hand polished, have yet to get direct sunlight on it so cant tell if that worked yet. after I waxed and polished it looks great until the next morning when all the condensation and sprinkler water dry and gets water spots everywhere! should I get a whole bunch of quick detailer and wipe daily? no garage just parents driveway!

thanks all!

 

Welcome.



The IAC might need to be cleaned. You could do an early tune-up on it, low miles for the year. I had low miles on my Durango when I got it, did a tune-up, it ran better.


If the belt looks bad, replace it, otherwise it can be normal in most situations. Try using WD-40 on the pulleys as well.



Do you just start it up and go? IMO this isn't real healthy for it. I always let my vehicle run(no matter the temperature) for a minute to let the fluids to start flowing through.



Zaino makes a scratch/swirl remover that works great with a buffer. Go over it with that. Then, you can just wax it with regular Turtle Wax. After it's waxed, if you get water on it. I always carry a clean rag and detailer spray to clean it right up.




Hope this helps.

 

Mexico,
As far as running "rough", I have no Idea. I dont think you would need a tune-up already, but try it, it may help. I discovered the belt squeal in a similar way that you did, on cold mornings, it squealed until it warmed up. For me, It was the belt tensioner and idler pulley. Check the belt for wear and tear before you replace. Often it's a temporary cover to a problem that will resurface. If someone did a bad buff job, the only thing I can suggest is to have someone look at it. If they burnt too far into the clearcoat, you may need some work done to have it fixed. As far as something to get by so there aren't water spots, I dont really know what to tell you.

 

Welcome to the forums. previously from what "onebadkota" had said i would definately look into. mine ideled really bad and then i changed the spark plugs wires and cap and rotor and all has stopped. I in the same boat as you mine sits out on the street and the sprinkler system sprays my truck and then the mext morning i have spots and after i have waxed the truck after 4 hours. you just got to kinda live with that. you might want to try clay baring the paint i have not tried it but some have and said that it works so you may want to look into that. good luck

 

You can also try Meguiar's Scratch-X for the swirl marks. It is applied by hand and works great for removing light scratches and swirl marks.

Jimmy

 

so when you talk about adding v8 tb do you mean like the first or second one? does it matter what v8 (4.7,5.9 etc.?)
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You would need a TB off a 5.2 or a 5.9 to use on your 3.9. Make sure to replace the TB gasket and transfer all your original sensors to the V8 TB.

Jimmy

 

you need the throttle cable too, the v6 one is different from the 5.2/5.9s

 

uh oh, throttle cable. is that tricky to install? is it a precise science or does it kind of slap on there? doing the ignition next weekend when I get paid! what sort of wires should I use?

 

it's just like a bicycle brake cable, runs from the throttle body, to the firewall to the throttle (gas) pedal. should be a 5 minute job. just have chilton or factory manual on hand, makes life a hell of a lot easier. the donwload for the factory manual for the 01's floats around on the sticky on top of the 2nd gen main page. someone may have to re upload it for you