My story thus far-

I bought my new 2006 Dodge Dakota SLT 4.7 HO V8 at Antioch Chrysler. The truck had no windshield wiper fluid. She had 3 miles on her.

Yesterday, I filled up the windshield wiper fluid reservoir with windshield wiper fluid. I drove her out of her parking spot. Within five minutes, I felt a very strong vibration. The "Malfunction Light Indicator" came on. Then, the "Low Windshield Wiper" chimed and appeared. Her miles totaled by then 102.

So, today, at 8 am I bring the vehicle unto Michael Stead Chrysler. I have just received a call.

Here is the lowdown.

The windshield wiper hose goes from the reservoir into the dispensers. This is the normal way. On my truck, the wiper hose went directly into the engine. When I started the truck and began driving her, the fluid was vacuumed into the engine. The whole reservoir. That is when the truck began to vibrate. It was hydrolocking.

It was discovered when a technician at Michael Stead filled the reservoir and ran the vehicle. The same thing happened. The chief technician said that he had never seen anything like it in all of his career.

My advice is this-
If you have bought a new Dodge Dakota, 2006 year model, and the windshield wiper fluid is low, have the vehicle checked. For, if you don't, you may lose the vehicle.

 

Moving forward-
As we are new to this, what is the next step?

 

Damn, I've never heard of that before. What are they going to do for you? Are they going to replace the engine if it's damaged?

 

thats weird...it probrably didnt harm a thing... if anything it helps stop detonation (remember water injection?) the rough running was not hydraulic lock, but just the air fuel ratio changing due to the methanol/water mixture.....

 

The technician said there was damage to the engine.
He made a call to the Chrysler representative. There is only one representative in the state, and he's a trainee.
There are three options:
a new truck with rebuilt engine
a new truck with new engine
a new truck period

I am not happy with this situation. This is definitely coloring my perspective on Daimler-Chrysler.

 

I highly doubt this is a factory defect, I bet someone was pisses and did this on purpose. I knew someone that had a noise in the fender after a lot of searching they found a beer can in between the inter and outer fender. It had writing on it and said "Ha Ha you found me. F*** Ford." it was an F-150. The guy was pissed but I though it was funny.

 

Uh, no contest. A new truck period. And maintainance for a year for the hassle

 

The sole representative for the state, or the district, hasn't returned the calls placed by the service manager. The dealership, Michael Stead, is working with Enterprise to get us a loaner vehicle. The rental fees will be paid by Stead.

 

Do I ever get the feeling that the company is brushing the customer off? I am getting that feeling big time. We are now into the second day of waiting for a reply from the rep. How hard is it for him to call the dealership with a reply?

 

yea, we had a 93 achieva SC new and always had a dunk and a rolling sound with it after a year of fighting with gm and the dealer they found a lug nut inside the rocker panel...and there is no way to get in the rocker (atleast a lug nut) except before it was assembled... i was pissed becausde their body shop drilled a 1in hole to poke around , and to get the nut out...wasnt happy......also their is the stories with the american automakers in the late 60s stopping their employees from smoking on the assembly lines....they continued to smoke but if they saw a supervisor comming they would ditch the cigarrete where ever...some motors till this day have been dissasembled and found buts in the oil pans, or under carpets, in cowls...etc......