I went to the shop today and norma was there from 8 am to 7 pm, for a coolant line and o2 sensor out. the coolant line under the radiator, i was told this had to be replaced by the dealer, the hose seal had a leak, is this true? and how much am i looking at? he told me its 3 hours work

 

Coolant line? 3 hours? Is it a radiator hose or a transmission fluid line? Thats really all it could be, but I dont see how it would take 3 hours to replace either one?? I think all daks have a transmission fluid leak from the lines to the cooler. Mine leaks (more like seeps, it never drips, just stays wet all the time), but I just wipe it off every time I do an oil change, it's really no big deal to me.

 

Transmission fluid line it's the one with the metal to hose to metal in the front, he said they come in pairs, and the hose is under pressure so it just can't be replaced itself, you can notice a drop in fluid with the transmission shifting, so I've just been filling it with more fluid to keep it normal. I don't see why you have to replace both if only one leaks

 

Unless both of the lines are leaking from the fittings or they're both rusted out, you can replace or repair what's broken and leave the rest. You need to find where it's leaking first and then go from there. From my research and personal experience with this Dak, having one or more leaks at the hose crimps is common and if it's this, you don't need to remove the metal tubes. You can cut out the hose that has the leaking crimps, put a flare on the steel tube ends, put a new piece of 3/8" transmission hose over the flared ends and add some good clamps to hold the hose (I recommend 2 stainless clamps on each end) and you should be fine after you top up the fluid to compensate for what you lost in the fix. When you have the truck rolling again, drive around and find yourself a new mechanic. If you don't want to do this fix yourself, go to a reasonable transmission shop & have them fix the problem.

If the lines are rusted out in spots, then you do need to remove and replace them, but a shop that knows what they're doing can easily change them - no need for the dealership. If you do need to go to this extent, you might as well add a fluid and filter (there are 2 of them under the pan) change to the "to do" list.

 

thank you very much, i thought it was quite ridiculous when he said you cant replace those lines, worst thing is that it was like a big chain type place. i know whats leaking, ive cleaned the area and its one of the crimp ends. but from this post ive learned its common to leak

 

My wife's 2006 Durango with the 4.7 has an extremely slow leak from the same place. (95k miles on it now.) I keep an eye on the fluid level. Its been doing it for at least 20k miles now, probably longer, and I haven't noticed any change in the fluid level. Even had a reputable Meineke shop change the lines when we first bought it, and it still drips extremely slowly. Paid just under $200 for the parts and labor to replace them. Meineke said they'd fix them with another new set of lines at no charge after I reported an extremely slow leak (my shop stands behind their work), but after I got online and read about all the issues with the standard parts, I didn't bother. I'll get around to fixing them someday, or it'll just stay that way until we trade it off, five years from now.

 

at this point i think im just paranoid haha but ill give them a shot when i get a day off some time in the future

 

you paid under 200? lucky i paid $300 and i got the lines myself, meineke told me they markup parts from the dealer 2.5x the price, but it was worth it, friday night norma was stumbling thro the gears and i immediately stopped and got fluid, then they got replaced saturday