Hi All

I just bought a 2005 Dakota Quad Cab SLT 4.7 V8.

It's got an arm rest in between the two front seats, which lifts up and then can be used as a third front seat, which the kids think is just great!

However, when this arm rest/seat is in the down posistion, it looks like the top cover of the arm rest should lift up to reveal a storage box area. My "lid" seems firmly shut and I don't seem to be able to open it, there is a kind of large black concelaed lever/button on the front, that presumably opens the lid but I can't get mine open.

I'm in England, so I can't just take to my local dealers 'cos ther ain't too many over here that know about Dakota's, so I'd appriciate it if anyone can confirm that; A) It is a storage box area and it should open, and B) If it's stuck closed, how can I go about opening it up again?

Many thanks

Ray

 

Yes there is a storage area. As far as getting open, you'll have to just keep working at it and get it open. Once you have it open you will want to spray a white litheum grease on the latch to keep it from sticking again.

 

Yes like DakotaJerry said, it is a storage compartment. I had to pry my open, yes it was very hard but it worked. My handle was broken so I just took my handle out.

 

My handle is very hard to pull. In fact, I cant even get in open from the passanger seat due to the positioning. Just put your hand up toward the front of the counsel, wrap your fingers around the black handle and pull up as hard as you can. It might need both hands if it hasnt been opened in a while.

 

Take apart the lock mecanism clean with brake clean, lube and reassemble. MUCH easier!

 

dakotajerry, Backwoods18, rengnath & Cuban11182

You blokes are fantastic, just fixed the lid!! It's now working fine. I was a bit disappointed not to find a roll of $100 bills inside the storage area, but I guess you can't have everything!

Seriously though, without your guidence I wouldn't have given it the serious amount of force it needed, for fear of breaking the plastic housing.

On another point, and sorry for being a pain, but I'm thinking of taking the standard radio/Single CD audio unit out of the car and replacing it with an aftermarket DVD, GPS, TV Navigation system. But I've got a question, is the standard factory unit security coded? i.e. if you disconnect the power from the unit, (say disconnecting the car's 12V battery), will the factory fit head end require a security code to re-enable it's use again? The reason I ask is 'cos I don't know the radio security code (if indeed it has one).

Thanks again to all

Ray

 

Thats what we are here for is to help our fellow Dak owners. As far the radio, If it's like the GM radios it will diable the radio if you disconnect the battery it will make the head usless, But can be enabled at the dealership. It happened to me on my last truck. The dealer called me and asked me what the code was. I didn't have it. I bought the truck used and already had a sucurity code in it. They where able to clear it after 2 days and some paperwork.

 

hmmm .... thanks for that, that's what I was worried about. You see, there aren't any Dodge dealers over here in England that have any access to the American Dodge systems.

Do you know if I could email anyone at Dodge with the VIN number of the car & serial number of the radio, and get them to confirm the code? Any ideas, anyone, please?

Any freindly Dodge technicians on line that might be able to find out form me?

 

if its the single disk (it will say on the unit) that also has the auxilary input (bottom left) then no its not coded. I have had mine out a few times.

 

That's good to know. On the GM it was a pita just to get it reset. Luckly it was the dealership that screwed up so i didn't have to pay for it lol