I am new to Dakota's as well as trucks in general. I used to drive a focus(Needed the gas mileage because i drove the width of missouri almost every day). Well the other day i got T-boned by a lady running a red light and uh oh...no more focus. So now I got to buy a used car. I have always wanted a truck, and now that I can really get one without worrying about the gas too much I am looking at dakotas. I found a 98 that is really nice. It looks like it was driven off of the lot yesterday. It is the V6 magnum with an automatic transmission.

The only problem with it is that when it shifts, it shifts really hard. It doesn't slip or skip. It is just, when it goes....it really goes. The guy selling me the car told me that he thinks it had a shift kit put on it at one point and the detent cable is just not adjusted right. Me knowing nothinga about trucks kinda nodded my head and walked away. Now my question is....Does that make sense? Or is there probably a deeper seeded problem here. He said he had it for a while and ever since he got it, it has been doing this. It is always the same too. Every gear, every acceleration, and always the same feel...never softer or harder. This has me concerned, but this is the only truck within 100 miles of where I am that is inside my price range. If it is an easy fix or can be adjusted by a mechanic, I wont worry too much about it. But if this guy is full of it, I would like to know that this can't really be a cause. Thanks for any advice, tips, help, you can give.

Also if this does work out I was curious what you thought about putting cold air intake as well as a throttle body spacer in it to try for just a little more power/ gas mileage.

Thanks!

 

oh ya, I forgot to mention it is a 4x4 as well.

 

It also has 128,000 miles on it so maybe a Transmission fluid change is in order. (I don't know when the last one was done)

 

throttle body spacer is worthless for the holley's (what our trucks have OEM). CIA will get you some but nothing like your focus. All dodge engines like gas and lots of it, my V6 gets about 16.5 avg over 2100 miles so far for the summer for a 2 wheel drive (HEMI gets about 17-17.5)

You didn't say what year it is, but I'm guessing the TV cable was pulled too much, there might be a shift kit as well. How bad does/did it creep while holding the brake in gear (like a stop light)? I've pulled my TV cable 2 or 3 clicks and want to pull it another few, but after so far, it will start wearing the clutches inside the transmission because they won't fully disengage when you brake, and it'll want to creep.

When the TV has been pulled, it increases line pressure. Basically, instead of the transmission thinking the engine is idling at 850 RPM, it thinks it's closer to 1000 or 1200 RPM, so it engages the clutches more than what it would at stock idle. So when you go WOT, the transmisision thinks you're at 150% throttle, so it doesn't realease the clutches to shift until red line or never....I actually have to lift the throttle if I'm doing a WOT pass for it to upshift back to 3rd gear.

I'm guessing it's a combination of both in your case

 

Its a 98, sorry about that. I don't notice the creep when the brake is engaged at all. So you think it may be an easy...ish fix if that is what it is? After that I am just looking for some less costly upgrades for a few more horses or MPG. I will definitely look into it. I am not nieve enough to think it is gonna get as good of gas mileage as my focus, but any little bit helps.

Thanks for the input! I really appreciate it.

 

Sounds like the transmission has been rebuilt and beefed up a bit which isn't a bad thing. Harder shifts are actually better for the tranny because the clutches aren't slipping as much between shifts. The factory purposely builds slippage into the tranny for those nice soft shifts most people like. Only possible downside with the harder shifts is it's a bit harder on u-joints and the rear gear. If it doesn't pull hard at a stop the TV cable is probably fine. An automatic getting rubber in second gear is a good thing third gear even better!

 

what he said.

I have my TV s far as I can really eel comfortable...it doesnt creep hard with the brake on, but by no means will it sit there if i let off. If i go from drive to neutral at a long stop, RPM's come up about 200.

 

Thanks guys, I really do appreciate the help a lot!