I just bought my 07 dakota SLT quad cab a month ago, and so far iv broken a front sway bar link, and now my power steering is toast. The sway bar links on this truck are a joke, the replacement that the dealer put it is allot beefier, maybe il have to do some coaxing with a hammer to snap the other one off while its still under warranty!

Anyway to the real problem, this morning i command started my truck and when i went out there was a puddle of red fluid in the snow, it must have happened over night. I figured it was ATF, so i hopped in to pull it in the garage to check it out. Yeah... steering was rock hard, it did about a 30 point turn just to get into the garage off the street. Once inside before I could do any checking I had to turn on a construction heater and crank the floor heat then go at the under side with hot water and free my underside from the massive block of ice encasing my transfer case, rack, up around my oil filter, under and behind the rad, EVERYWHERE. It was just one solid block of ice.

After getting it all de iced I cant see where it came from. The power steering reservoir is empty. I have yet to fill it up, they say to use ATF, so i gotta get on the old bicycle and brave the cold and pick some up.

Has anyone else had problems with snow build up? Anyone do anything to help minimize it? Does anyone have any ideas of what i could do to help prevent it? im thinking if i take some 16 gauge tin or something and bolt it to the front somewhere then somewhere on the cross member where the rack is, it would help a lot.

This was all caused from POWDER snow, that the heat from the engine turned into ice. So the tin guard would keep the snow out, What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance!

 

so I bought some +4 ATF like it said to use for the power steering went to start the truck to fill the pump, it starts spraying everywhere. It was literally spraying, not just a trickle, straight up high pressure spray. Bringing it in tomorrow morning and let the dealer find out whats going on. There is oil everywhere under neath it now so i cant get under and look myself. I suspect its just a connection that broke off.
I hope i get some replies. Does anyone on here drive in snow???

 

I've never had buildup like you're describing from driving in snow, not really sure what to say about that but that definitely sucks!

 

i got some ****ty pictures, i may put them up if im feeling ambitious sometime soon. i took them just as proof of what happened in case the dealer gets sticky. i was driving in some pretty deep snow, but it was just powder, but it got really caked in there, its the second time iv had to de ice it, and iv only had the truck for a month!

 

I've been driving in snow 5 months or more each year for the past 3 years and I've never had that much buildup of ice or snow, the worst I get is the front shocks go clunk with every bump, until I park it in a warm shop for the day to thaw the ice. the sound goes away after a thaw.
not a pretty sound but it's just Ice build up on the shocks or something,

I'd hate to have to go through that, hope you get it all sorted out and fixed up and back on the road.

My quad gets a good build up of ice and snow from plowing and boy does it get caked in there, so I know exactly what your taking about. you must have got a few good dumps of snow to be deep enough to to that.

 

i have been driving mine in snow for 2 years and never experianced that. I feel bad for you and hope it works out for ya

 

Never any problems in the snow!

 

No snow buildup here, and we had quite a bit last month. How big were the drifts you hit? Were you using the front bumper as a plow or spinning tires while in 4x4 ? I could see it happening if you were playing in the snow and spinning the front tires while turning. Sorry for the luck Karl, let us know how the repairs go.

EDIT: And the forum lives for pictures! Post em up!

 

Iv never had that problem. I have had it caked up tho. I was playing in the snow and when i got done it was packed in completly but it just melted away no problems.

 

You blew the high pressure power steeing hose. I just had that happen on my 2006 Dakota SLT - TRX4. About $200.00 bucks later you're back in business. Not likely caused from ice problems....s**t happens and a bit of bad luck and perhaps a poor batch of pressure hoses that the factory used.