Dont know whats going on
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Joined: Dec 2010
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Dont know whats going on
02 dak v6 134k miles
I was having a code P1281 (engine taking to long to warm)...fixed that by replacing t-stat. Code came back. I replaced the coolant temp sensor. Code came back again. Replaced fan clutch. Code came back. Found out new t-stat was bad so I replaced it-- now no code. Engine temp in proper range now.
Now, when I start the engine the fan is loud. The engine is extremely sluggish and the RPMs are 1500-2000k range when driving. I go about a block and the engine smooths out. It seems something opens up, closes or whatever. No codes-- nothing. I'm worried that the engine reving so hard will effect the engine.
No smell from that CAT converter. The O2 sensor are still original--bad me. Plugs replaced last summer. KN air filter cleaned same time as plugs replaced. Oil is changed regularly. I'm wondering if the fan clutch just needs time to loosen.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
I was having a code P1281 (engine taking to long to warm)...fixed that by replacing t-stat. Code came back. I replaced the coolant temp sensor. Code came back again. Replaced fan clutch. Code came back. Found out new t-stat was bad so I replaced it-- now no code. Engine temp in proper range now.
Now, when I start the engine the fan is loud. The engine is extremely sluggish and the RPMs are 1500-2000k range when driving. I go about a block and the engine smooths out. It seems something opens up, closes or whatever. No codes-- nothing. I'm worried that the engine reving so hard will effect the engine.
No smell from that CAT converter. The O2 sensor are still original--bad me. Plugs replaced last summer. KN air filter cleaned same time as plugs replaced. Oil is changed regularly. I'm wondering if the fan clutch just needs time to loosen.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Record Breaker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,970
Likes: 20
From: Clermont, Florida
It's normal for the engine to be loud and sluggish for a few blocks when the engine is cold, especially with an aftermarket fan clutch. A factory fan clutch from the Dodge dealer should do a lot better, but they cost more. I found this out the hard way last year when I put a fan clutch from Autozone on my truck. It howled like a banshee after every time I idled for more than half a minute, like at a long red light or after sitting in the Burger King drive thru. It would always take like a mile or more of driving hard with me gunning the throttle to get that stupid fan clutch to let go so my engine would get back to normal operation. A new fan clutch from the dealer around here runs about $130.00. I put a used fan clutch from the junk yard on my truck, it came from of a wrecked Dakota with about 70,000 miles on it. That was back about June of last year, and it's still doing fine.
The store manager at Autozone was very cool and gave me a 100% refund in cash for the Autozone fan clutch, even though the part was over 90 days old. If my junk yard fan clutch ever goes bad I will just bite the bullet and get the OEM one from the Dodge dealer.
Some say you can run a 3.9 with no fan clutch at all and it still runs OK and adds a little more power. I don't want to try that myself. I figure Dodge knows what they are doing and they put the fan clutch on for a reason, so it's best to leave it on.
Jimmy
The store manager at Autozone was very cool and gave me a 100% refund in cash for the Autozone fan clutch, even though the part was over 90 days old. If my junk yard fan clutch ever goes bad I will just bite the bullet and get the OEM one from the Dodge dealer.
Some say you can run a 3.9 with no fan clutch at all and it still runs OK and adds a little more power. I don't want to try that myself. I figure Dodge knows what they are doing and they put the fan clutch on for a reason, so it's best to leave it on.
Jimmy
