Heyall
hopes yee all haveing a good year so far.
me not so much.
quick question -
(1)
could be a quick fix-
My heat is not working in my 07 dodge dakota - i notice the engine coolant is empty- is it as simple as refilling that?
for a while a couple weeks ago it would get hot for a bit then stop and blow cold air! now it just aint pumping any thing remotely warm and i am in newfoundland and we just got 60cm of snow.
+ my temp gauge LIGHT comes on sometimes while driving - my temp GAUGE seems to be working and is usually half way..
THANKS

another question ***important
(2)***i have had an exhaust leak for the better part of 4-5 months..It has not gotten worse - so i am told it is the manifold - dealership tells me 4hours work - $120 an hour plus parts- looking at 1-1400?
i have a referral for a great private mechanic who charges $25 an hour plus parts..SUGGESTIONS? INFO ? THOUGHTS? ANY CONCERNS FOR ME?
THANK YOU
last question if anyone is still reading
(3) I have full brakes re done in AUGUST-every spec to do with brakes + more. since then i had a crack in a line on back left wheel - i brought it to shop that did the work and they fixed it on spot. ordered a part had it dropped off the same time i was there waitin to get it fixed . a month ago i had to slam on my breaks as somoene came to an abrupt stop aahead of me and i slid about ten feet.after that my ABS lights have been on and my breaks are not performing as they should. the mechanics i went to before were closing up shop after the last job i had done there-? my best bet bringing my truck into a shop and gettin a one stop shop for everything?
THANK YOU
-NOOB

 

1) Low coolant will make your truck lose cabin heat and the engine will run hot. So definitely fill it up, but you have to figure out where the coolant is going in the first place. It's leaking somewhere, so fill it and keep checking the coolant level. Zerex G-05 is a good coolant to put in.

2) By all means, go to an independent mechanic for the repair, the dealer will always charge more $$$.

3) Ask the same mechanic to check on the brakes, once you get a good mechanic, stick with em.

Best of luck.

 

thanks a-lot boss-
going to hit up the engine coolant tomorrow..hopefully I can find what you suggested at canadian tire - or NAPA or princess auto or another auto parts store.
and I will be calling my indie mechanic tomorrow and book an appointment . sincerely calix -
will let yyall know how I make out.

 

DO NOT drive the truck with coolant low. You can do much worse damage. Find the leak and fix that asap. Take your truck to a couple of places for the manifold leak. Dealer will rob you blind. Did you receive any kind of warranty on the brake work done by the shop that is closing? If so, how are they honoring that warranty? If no warranty was offered, your best bet is to take it to wherever it is you folks up north take your vehicles to for repair. In the states, we have Midas, Merchants, Meineke, and tons of other places that do automotive work. I always get a couple of quotes from different places for things I can't do myself. Good luck!

 

At the moment, it appears that you need coolant. You can go to Canadian Tire if that's close to you and get yourself a gallon of good brand name pre-mixed for that truck (they'll show you what they have) and add it to the fill jug up to the full line and then run the truck to warm it up - there are 2 jugs, one is for coolant and the other is for the windshield, don't mix them up. You'll most likely need to watch this and add fluid until it stabilizes at the full line. Download yourself an owners manual so that you can see where all the fluids go and what you need to use.

Watch for a leak, and if there is one, get it fixed. When things warm up, do a coolant flush and replacement - no much sense in adding an expensive or hard to find product until you have your problems repaired and the system flushed.

 

thanks all...i got the engine coolant and filled it up, heat is working fine and there does not seem to be a leak.

i am going to get the brakes checked next and then then the manifold..
****************
however another question
this first happend 3 days ago
and one more time since
i turn the ignition and the truck isnt starting its just trying to turn over and turn over. usually i turn the key a half an inch AND the truck auto turns over on its own withought holding it
at first i was in disbelief its the first time it wasnt turning over and i had tohold it. after a fewminutes ofsaying WHATTHE **** i piumped a little gas AS i turned it and she fired up.
this has happened twice now. since before i got the coolant..
why is this happening??? first time its happened since i owned the truckfor 10 months.

 

Sounds to me that you may have a cracked head or blow head gasket. This would explain the loss of coolant and the fact that now it's hard to start because anti freez has enter a cylinder while sitting.

 

sdsdsd maybe on to something especially if its gotten hot enough for a temp light...

As far as the truck rolling over on its own, these trucks have a bump start feature. You bump the key it rolls over until it starts or it hits the threshold of a failed start, which I forget the number of seconds it takes for this state to happen.

 

SO UPDATE
i got a mechanic to look at my manifold
he is going ahead with the work
this is whats going on!
before he can get the manifold off he has to get passt the engine mount and get it let go to jack it up he has to diss engage the upper control arm to move it
has to get the manifold off and put two new studs and new gasket
2 studs are cracked off he said

how doees all this sound to you guys??? im no mechanic, but this is what i got transcribed to me through the phone about what he has to do!
thanks guys!

 

SO UPDATE
i got a mechanic to look at my manifold
he is going ahead with the work
this is whats going on from what i understand over the phone 0 just want to know if this makes sense to any of you
before he can get the manifold off he has to get passt the engine mount and get it let go to jack it up he has to dis-engage the upper control arm and move it
has to get the manifold off and put two new studs and new gasket
2 studs are cracked off he said

how doees all this sound to you guys??? im no mechanic, but this is what got transcribed to me through the phone about what he has to do!
thanks guys!
hes also going to check out my brakes for me too -

he said its going to be about 400 bucks an itll be a day an half of labour. parts he said ill need are only like 20-27 bucks.
replys would be greatly appreciated from you vets or anyone whos had work done on their manifold in there dakots!