took me 15 minutes to do my cap and rotor. even re-routed all the plug wires one by one. im a big guy and had no problem getting in there to do it either. my arms didnt get cut up or anything. although this guy does have 80+ pounds on me. i even did my crankshaft position sensor without getting cut up and y'all know how tight that area is to get to...

 

Not to mention, the CPS mentioned in the original post is the crank sensor. The cam sensor is CPK, hall effect, or pick up coil.

 

If I remember right, I used a straight screwdriver type 1/4" socket with a 5/16" bit, but it's been a while since I had a 2nd Gen.

I musta been lucky, my 2nd Gen never had a single issue, not even the infamous plenum gasket in the 4 years and 68k miles I had it.
My 3rd Gen has only been back for warranty once, for a busted stock shock, and that was after a day of hog hunting off-road though.

I am **** when it comes to routine maintenance and always replace a stock part with a "mod" whenever possible though...

 

I disagree because, my truck has been treated very very well for a truck. The worst thing it's done is haul a fourwheeler around on a trailer. It really has had a great life. I've always been very picky about maintenance on anything and always done it on time or before. Yet I still have all of these problems, and when I come on the forums it seems that 95% of the other posters are having the exact same problems with the exact same parts broken the exact same way. That shows me it's a design flaw, not a case of abuse.

My 96 Accord on the other hand has 272k miles and is just starting to have issues. It's literally had the **** beat out of it for over half of it's life. It's been to the drag strip several times, and just really driven hard it's whole life. We also lived up a long steep rough dirt road for a while, and this thing was driven up and down it everyday which is really hard on any vehicle. It's why it's had several sets of brakes and the exhaust had to be changed. It's had a few axles changed, a few sets of brakes, an exhaust or two, and a few hoses. That's really it and this car has just had a really rough life. It's overheated several times from our own stupidity. Once a hose busted going up that mountain road and we didn't notice until it started getting hot. We have had one two times like that where we just didn't stop in time. Just recently it's started acting like it has a head gasket blown as the anti freeze is leaking, but it's not coming out anywhere that's visible. Like I said, this just happened and it's got 272k miles and rough miles at that. That's not a cheap fix, but it's not that major either.

Also have a 06 Accord with 91k miles. No issues with it either other than one set of breaks, and a battery. I did have a few service bulletins performed, but they were all done free, and were not really any problems so if they hadn't been done, it wouldn't have really mattered.

My grandmother also had a Chevy Caprice she has babied and had since new. Always serviced on time, waxed every month or two, and probably never been over 55. It gave her problems all the time. She had several computers put in it, it often wouldn't start, etc. She kept it for about 10 years and was dumping money into it all the time. I liked the car even though it wasn't the most reliable. So when she finally got fed up she gave it to me free. I've also had several issues, but by the time I got it it was pretty old, but low miles, so I can't say too much. However, even when it wasn't old with her it had tons of issues. It's only 2 years older than the 96 Honda and has 72k miles and it's had about 15-20x the repairs.

My truck has 130k miles, and has been having one major problem after another since 90k miles, and it had quite a few smaller issues that added up long before that. Sad to say, but it's been treated way better than the Honda's and had way way more issues. I mean hardly anything other than the body on this truck is original and the body is rusting at the bottom of the doors and paint is not looking the greatest. It just really is a POS. I've also got several friends with American vehicles, most of whom have grown up with them and will probably always have them and every since one of them is a piece of **** and has a ton of problems. There is one exception I can think of to that, but the rest have been pieces of crap. A few of them have even traded them in and ended up with a Honda, or Toyota.

Honestly, quality wise the American cars aren't on par and never have been. The Japanese cars seem to have dropped in quality the last few years, but they are still light years about the American cars. However, you will always have people who have grown up with American cars and will defend them to their death no matter how many problems they have. Most of my friends that have them are exactly like this, as are most of the forum. They also seem to think that they are supporting American workers, and keeping jobs in this country, yet don't seem to realize or care that most of the cars and trucks are made in Mexico, while Honda's and Toyota's are made right here in the US.

 

Where do you live Home ? I'll come take that POS off your hands for 2500 bucks, as is ,no questions asked. That money should buy you a nice used Tacoma , that will never break and is very easy to work on if it does.

 

It wont by a Tacoma as all of the ones from 2000-2002 I've seen start at around $7000 for a base model and go as high as $11000 for a nice one. At least in this area. I've tried to sell my truck several times with an asking price of $7500. Then the APS transmission died and I had to put another $2800 into a transmission to get it going again. That's why I refuse to sell it for $2-2500 that people want to pay. If someone offered me anywhere close to $7000 this POS would be gone, but unfortunately these trucks have absolutely no re sale value at all or so it seems. I literally put about 10k into repairs 2.5 years ago and haven't drive it much since, then another $3000-3500 in the last year. Which is why I refuse to sell it for $2500 which is about all people seem to be willing to pay. I wish I hadn't fixed it a couple of years ago, but since I did, I had a ton into it and when the transmission went out again I realized not only could I not drive it and use it when I needed it, but I couldn't even sell it for $2500 then as I tried. So I went ahead and fixed it, and at least I can use it when I do need a truck now, but I really don't want it, I just can't see selling this for $3000 and then adding another $7000 to it and having another truck that while better, is just as old as this one.

I've also looked at getting a new one, but I really don't see having a new truck when all I use this one for is when I need 4wd in snow or similar situations, and when I need to tow something. Just seems like no point in having a new truck to use a few times every couple months.

 

well that subject was live while I was working lol.......

Guess what zman?? I BROKE A GOD DAMN.........nah just kidding lol...it took all the patience in a rolling paper that I had, but the darn thing is off the truck....now to get a new rotor and cap tomorrow after work ...I wasnt planning on doing them...but after this it's gonna be new or nothing lol. You're right, I was talking bout the camshaft sensor and not the crankshaft sensor. Hope that's not next in line for me.....

Thanx Maxx Magnum for pointing out a few things for me...and all others who contributed...now let's hope she starts when I put everything back together tomorrow.

I used a 7mm socket and had to tap on the extension to get the socket in place due to rusty bolts.

On the other subject that arose from this post, (and my anger), I love Dodge...I think they are the greatest thing, just not exactly geniouses when it comes to placement of things....Look at my sig....I BREATHE Dodge..but sometimes they make it real stoopid for the average joe like me to keep on the road....

Again...thanx!! I will post tomorrow when I'm done...

 

I understand why you are being stubborn, but you'll never get what you want for it. Nobody cares how much money you've spent on it. So you might as well keep it,use it,fix it and stop bitching about it!

 

Yes dodge has there problems but so does every other manufacture, now heres my defense for my truck, 170,000 miles on it when i drive home today, It has stock motor, tranny, rearend, pcm. Driveshaft exploded, waterpumps galor, radiator, (wires, cap, rotor replaced once), AC compressor just went out at 169,500 and it wasnt the compressor but the clutch that broke.

Not bad for a 1996, that towed a 26' foot boat with no trailer brakes for the first 7 years of its life, and has been lately abused by me on road and offroad, and yes its seen its fair share of the 1/8 mile drag strip, and backcountry roads to leave black marks

My boss drives a 04 tacoma with 150k and that thing sucks a**, they had to redo the whole electrical system, one of his leafs is shot, he has a leak from the emissions system that smells like a**, it needs wheel bearings, has replaced AC, has had a whining noise from rear end for awhile

 

my dads truck has 135,000 on the oringal motor trans rear end the only thing has been done is a water pump, ratatior,tune up, plenum gasket,and regular fluid changes,and it is a farm vehical and it tows trailers most every day and its a 2001