I bought a used 97 Dodge Dakota with 3.9L V6 about 4 months ago. Using it as a work truck for the rental properties I have. The truck has ran and works great up until about a week ago.

We put a old furnace and fridge in the back to scrap and get rid of. When you drop stop off in this yard you have to find a place rather quickly and unload fast. I started backing into a spot and thought the truck had completely stopped. Well it was not, while going in reverse I put it in park and heard a tick, tick, tick, then it locked into park. Great, we unloaded the junk and then started driving away. Right then we noticed a vibration when giving it gas to drive away.

First I thought transmission, driveshaft or what ever else. However, if the truck is in park or neutral and you tap the gas peddle. You still feel the vibration. If you are driving and give it gas, sometimes it will vibrate to the point you can hear parts of the truck rattle. Sometimes it's not so bad and other times its very noticeable.

A friend thought maybe a motor mount? However, that was disputed by a backyard mechanic friend. He thought it was more of a cylinder or compression issue.

Has anyone here had this similar issue before? The truck has newer plugs and wires. Everything else functions good and no check engine or dash lights have come on.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

well definately strange

 

But still wondering what it could be....
I mean if it was a non-firing cylinder the check engine light should cone on correct?

 

I will move this to the 2nd Generation Dakota sub-forum.

 

I bet its your timing chain that is causing the vibration or the crank pulley/damper

 

If you had cylinder issue enough important to cause motor vibration it's almost sure than your check engine light as come.

Your friend's guess ( motor mount) sound more plausible to me.

 

You could be on to the problem. I was watching youtube on bad motor mounts and honestly the engine does not jump like it does when it appears you have bad mounts.

This is more of a problem you can't see,but feel. If I pop the hood, you have to take your hand and actually push down a little to feel the vibration. Then when you give it gas it starts to feel like a back massager or something the shake intensity's, yet still not to the point you can really see it, but you can feel it. I am sure the body of the car amplifies this vibration. I was starting to think maybe a flywheel.

I have not been able to look since it is dark now. Are the vibration damper's on these trucks the ones with rubber between or solid piece?


Thanks,

Mike

 

Did you check the tranny mount?

 

I would check your trans mount and if that's not the problem then either your flywheel is messed up or you messed up the gears when you put it in park and the truck was still rolling. I was told by a machine shop that having your flywheel resurfaced will reduce alot of vibration, especially at higher speed's. when you find out the problem, please let us know what it was, will ya, thanks.

 

If the truck i an automatic the fly wheel is actually a flexplate and can not be resurfaced. to check the flex plate run out if there is a inspection plate remove it and then start engine ,from a didstance see the the plate has excess wobble.

After checking the tranny mount have a look the harmonic balancer