New to the Forum & hard shifting
#1
09-29-2012, 10:18 PM
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New to the Forum & hard shifting
Hello All,
I just picked up my 2003 Dakota SXT 6 cylinder last week and I love it.
I've got an issue I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction.
It's an Auto and it's got hard shifting pretty much between all gears. The truck has 60K miles on it and the fluids are all good.
Also have a faint bit of "burning plastic smell below the bed". it's faint, but can still notice it so I was wondering if it might be related. I just got it so I've got a lot to get familiar with.
If anyone can recommend a good repair manual and good places to get parts I'm all ears.
Thanks
-Dan
I just picked up my 2003 Dakota SXT 6 cylinder last week and I love it.
I've got an issue I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction.
It's an Auto and it's got hard shifting pretty much between all gears. The truck has 60K miles on it and the fluids are all good.
Also have a faint bit of "burning plastic smell below the bed". it's faint, but can still notice it so I was wondering if it might be related. I just got it so I've got a lot to get familiar with.
If anyone can recommend a good repair manual and good places to get parts I'm all ears.
Thanks
-Dan
#2
09-30-2012, 12:02 AM
Professional
Join Date: May 2012
Location: B.C. canada
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#3
09-30-2012, 11:05 AM
Record Breaker
Welcome to the forum...there are a lot of good people here who can help you out. I have no idea about your automatic trans, my truck has a manual, sorry I can't help you there. Maybe it just needs a good fluid and filter change.
Speaking of manuals there are posts up in the sticky topics at the top of the Second Gen page for links to Dodge Service Manuals you can download for free. Buried somewhere in all those posts is a link for a PDF Dodge Factory Service Manual for a 2001 Dakota. Your new 2003 should be pretty much the same info as a 2001. You may have to hunt for a link that actually works. Haynes manuals are good too but I prefer my Haynes over Chilton any day.
As for parts Napa can be good. They sometimes have parts the other parts stores do not carry. Around here Napa is pretty expensive. Carquest is good for oddball parts too but they are also more expensive. If you have time to wait for shipping you can get great prices on good quality name brand parts at www.rockauto.com. I have used Rock Auto twice now and had no problems with the parts or shipping. If you look online Rock usually has a discount code for 5% off. It's not much but it is still a discount. I use Advance a lot, their online discount codes have saved me a lot of money. I used a discount code and saved $40.00 on a set of 4 new shocks for my truck just this weekend. I replaced my alternator about a month ago and saved $50.00 on it with an Advance online discount code. When I do that I just pay online with my Pay Pal account and pick it up at the local store. I have found that a lot of the time, the parts are all exactly the same whether they come from Napa, Auto Zone or Advance. Sometimes with Auto Zone and Advance the parts even have the exact same part number. The only difference is the label on the box.
Jimmy
Speaking of manuals there are posts up in the sticky topics at the top of the Second Gen page for links to Dodge Service Manuals you can download for free. Buried somewhere in all those posts is a link for a PDF Dodge Factory Service Manual for a 2001 Dakota. Your new 2003 should be pretty much the same info as a 2001. You may have to hunt for a link that actually works. Haynes manuals are good too but I prefer my Haynes over Chilton any day.
As for parts Napa can be good. They sometimes have parts the other parts stores do not carry. Around here Napa is pretty expensive. Carquest is good for oddball parts too but they are also more expensive. If you have time to wait for shipping you can get great prices on good quality name brand parts at www.rockauto.com. I have used Rock Auto twice now and had no problems with the parts or shipping. If you look online Rock usually has a discount code for 5% off. It's not much but it is still a discount. I use Advance a lot, their online discount codes have saved me a lot of money. I used a discount code and saved $40.00 on a set of 4 new shocks for my truck just this weekend. I replaced my alternator about a month ago and saved $50.00 on it with an Advance online discount code. When I do that I just pay online with my Pay Pal account and pick it up at the local store. I have found that a lot of the time, the parts are all exactly the same whether they come from Napa, Auto Zone or Advance. Sometimes with Auto Zone and Advance the parts even have the exact same part number. The only difference is the label on the box.
Jimmy