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Old 08-12-2015, 07:22 PM
MRX37 MRX37 is offline
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Working on my 92 Dodge Dakota

I'm about to get some work done on my truck, a 1992 Dodge Dakota, 3.9 V6, 4x4, automatic transmission. I figured before I took it into the shop, I'd get a better idea of what's going on with it.

The transmission is currently having trouble shifting correctly.

Some back story on this: The transmission is almost new. It's a NOS transmission from a 1995 Dakota that I had put in. When the trans shop put it in, they reused my old governor and the shift points were all screwed up. I told them to replace it with a new governor. 2 days later they tell me that they cleaned my old governor instead of replacing it. Needless to say I haven't done business with them since.

So the truck has been shifting weird ever since, but recently it's gotten worse. Fluid levels are where they should be according to the dipstick. It's taking longer to shift from first to second, and from second to third. Once in third it rapidly shifts into fourth, then it works fine. Also when it's in first and second, when I let my foot off the gas it makes this weird growling/sputtering noise as the RPM's wind down. It does not do this in third or fourth.

This is difficult to explain, so I shot a short video as that will explain it a lot better:
https://youtu.be/sIeP_U3iOLw

Some things to note before watching: My gas gauge reads empty because of a bad sending unit. I have a new fuel pump with new sending unit ready to put in.

The truck needs a new muffler and exhaust. I have the replacement muffler, will get that put on as well.

At the end of the video you'll see the battery gauge moving when the turn signal is engaged. I wonder what's drawing so much power to make that gauge move like that.
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Old 08-12-2015, 07:51 PM
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Eric H Eric H is offline
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Possibly the Throttle Valve cable is misadjusted.

there's a rather out of focus video on how to adjust it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nral3oYui_w
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Old 08-12-2015, 08:03 PM
MRX37 MRX37 is offline
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Interesting, but I don't think the throttle cable is at fault here.

Sometimes the transmission shifts fairly close to normal, other times it gets up to 4,000 RPM before it will finally jerk into a higher gear. I'll keep that in mind however.

Still wondering about the growling/sputtering, like you can see about 30 seconds into my video, and that weird turn signal issue.
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Old 08-12-2015, 08:23 PM
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The growling & popping I heard was from the exhaust leak, not sure if that's what you are talking about though.

I wouldn't worry too much about the volt meter bobbing with the turn signal, it could indicate a weak battery or a charging system that's not up to snuff but more likely it's just the gauge being over sensitive to a slight voltage dip, if the turn signals are working normally it's not an issue.
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Old 08-12-2015, 09:33 PM
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When my 96 Dakota was somewhere around 80-100k miles I had to have some device on/in the transmission replaced. I don't know if they called it a modulator or something else, but it cost me a few hundred dollars. It was causing very odd shifts, maybe some skipping around between gears? Hard to remember, that was a long time/many miles ago! Never had any trouble since. Mine always has had a thing where it will occasionally downshift for a second when it shouldn't, under light acceleration. I'm not complaining, this has been a great truck. I do get some needle bounce with the turn signal, but only sometimes...sitting at idle, in gear with the AC on would likely do it. I wonder if new battery cables might take care of this on mine, as the whole system seems to be getting pretty marginal.
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Old 08-13-2015, 08:13 AM
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Hi !

I got an '88 with 3.9 and 3 speed auto with OD, I'm pretty sure it's 3 speed.... Do you
really have a 4 speed...? Do you have the OD defeat on the dash...? Anyway, I gotta
check my book, but I think the OD has it's own decision making on the engagement.
OD is the only part helped by the computer If I'm not mistaken....

I also think it's probably the governor unit as you suspect, as the rest of the unit is
NOS.... Battery gauge could be cables, bypass resistor, battery, But I don't think it's
part of any trans related problem.... Does the headlights blink or dim significantly
with the blinker if you do it at night....?

The stumbling at deceleration has been written about quite a bit on these vehicles. Mine
has often got strange behavior related to idle, taking your foot off gas, and strange
returning to idle behavior, especially when in drive and moving. Online forums seem
to tie this to the computer..... And like many, I also got relief removing power from
the computer for a few seconds, then turning it back on. Works great long term after
a power recycling.... Cool you have a rpm dial, I got a big gas gauge in that spot...

Mine is 2WD 120K Miles all original 3.9 V6 Throttle body injection, possibly
original spark plugs too.... Regular 3K oil changes & Filter.... And The trans
oil gets changed every few years..... PS Check your rear end oil's they
have a rubber plug on them....


.
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Last edited by Username1; 08-13-2015 at 08:17 AM.
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Old 08-13-2015, 10:55 AM
MRX37 MRX37 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Username1 View Post
Hi !


a power recycling.... Cool you have a rpm dial, I got a big gas gauge in that spot...
Wouldn't that make your truck a 4 cylinder model then? I've poked through a lot of Dakota's at the pick & pull yard, only ones I've seen without a tachometer were the 4 cylinder ones.

Headlights don't dim while the blinker is on. Battery cables are in excellent shape. (replaced the terminals myself a few years ago)

OD only kicks in at highway speeds, and having it on or off makes no difference in gear shifting for 1st and second Also it only "stumbles" when revving down from 1st and second, especially second. Third gear and higher? No problem.
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Old 08-13-2015, 02:29 PM
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There are several years between our two vehicles, If you believe what is online, the
3.9 V6 I have was only in the 87, and 88. My speedo also only goes to 85 mph.
My OD will kick in at 40-45 or so like GM cars of those years. It also will hang in too
long on long slow upgrades so I often turn it off as the truck slows down on the hill, it
then drops to 3 and keeps speed very well... I found the build sheet to mine, under
the seats, it's a Heavy Duty option, stiffer springs and brakes, 15" dog dish hub cap
plain jane steel rims, while most have 15" alloy rims. I have the 3.9 that was
supposedly the 318 with 2 cylinders cut off... I remember the commercials for it.
Then came a redesign.... I couldn't believe they made an engine for just one model
and only for one or two years.... But it's not my job...
PS The only ones I have seen with techs are the Sport models that were 4 cyls.....

The stumbling I was having was around 30mph, driving around a corner, slowing for
something, stop sign. It seemed the engine would want to go below idle, and make
the gears lock up and clunk a bunch, then stepping on the gas just a little, it
would clunk again, hesitate and go. Online forums say it could be the idle motor, I
have one, you may not. Some replaced the computer, and a bunch had said a computer
reset did it, so I tried it...... Check your computer codes... You know how on yours...?
It may or may not be the 5 key -on - off trick like mine... It should be, I think it
changed in '95 96.


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Old 08-13-2015, 08:03 PM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MRX37 View Post
Interesting, but I don't think the throttle cable is at fault here.

Sometimes the transmission shifts fairly close to normal, other times it gets up to 4,000 RPM before it will finally jerk into a higher gear. I'll keep that in mind however.

Still wondering about the growling/sputtering, like you can see about 30 seconds into my video, and that weird turn signal issue.
I had a '91 with a 318 and a 4 speed overdrive transmission. There was a recall on it for inadvertantly going into gear or ????. Long time ago, don't quite remember. The service writer came out and said, I had other problems.
My downshift rod assembly was rusted and prevented the transmission to come out of downshift mode. It was shifting rather harshly. They ended up freeing up the problem for just the labor charge. I'm sure the '92 isn't that much different.
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Old 08-13-2015, 09:22 PM
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My '87 was a V6, optioned up pretty well but crank windows, no tach. My '96 V6 has the tach. The first year V6 was carbureted and that thing was always causing me trouble. About the time I had it adjusted right, the season would change and throw it off again. Rebuilding it helped a lot, and took care of an odd stumble it had. I considered upgrading it to fuel injection but ended up buying the '96 instead. I still miss the old one.

The "new" V6, the Magnum, is still a lopped-off 318, but it's a lopped off Magnum 318. I think at some point the 4 cylinder switched from being a Mopar design to the old AMC design which was deemed to be better. I've also got a little addendum to the owner's manual warning about it going into gear. I think it must have been one of the last vehicles that you could put into gear without having your foot on the brake, and that might have thrown some people.

I've been thinking of selling mine; it doesn't get used much anymore. How about this deal, open only to VK members: $1500 cash, and I'll pack it full of old radios and TV sets!
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Old 08-13-2015, 09:55 PM
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I don't drive mine much, and not at all in the winter.... I got no rust on anything important,
but it does have the delux paint that comes off in the wind. So there is surface rust
but no rot anywhere.... Frame is clean. I use it for home improvement projects, coal,
steel getting, trips to the dump, big tv's landscaping around the house. I can't imagine
not having it, so I'll always keep it, it's paid for and no trouble. Dakota's are good
vehicles, reliable, and almost full size. Good offer, but I don't need two HA HA !

If I did think about getting another it would be this one: http://elmira.craigslist.org/cto/5162116498.html

This guy has been trying to get $4K FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL low mile '89 for
more than a year.... Now he's at $3K.....


I got crank windows too...... It don't bother me any.....

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Last edited by Username1; 08-13-2015 at 10:10 PM.
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Old 08-13-2015, 11:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bgadow View Post
My '87 was a V6, optioned up pretty well but crank windows, no tach. My '96 V6 has the tach. The first year V6 was carbureted and that thing was always causing me trouble. About the time I had it adjusted right, the season would change and throw it off again. Rebuilding it helped a lot, and took care of an odd stumble it had. I considered upgrading it to fuel injection but ended up buying the '96 instead. I still miss the old one.

The "new" V6, the Magnum, is still a lopped-off 318, but it's a lopped off Magnum 318. I think at some point the 4 cylinder switched from being a Mopar design to the old AMC design which was deemed to be better. I've also got a little addendum to the owner's manual warning about it going into gear. I think it must have been one of the last vehicles that you could put into gear without having your foot on the brake, and that might have thrown some people.

I've been thinking of selling mine; it doesn't get used much anymore. How about this deal, open only to VK members: $1500 cash, and I'll pack it full of old radios and TV sets!
That would be darn tempting if I had a bit more dough, and was not trying to reduce my unnecessary stuff in prep for a possible move.
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Old 08-14-2015, 10:33 AM
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Hey EM ~ A pickup would be a big help if you needed to move..... I think I hear
it calling your name....... Plus it comes pre loaded with more E-Crap !
Another reason to keep mine.... I got a LOT A E-Crap ! !

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Old 08-14-2015, 02:54 PM
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I've been wanting a pickup or other appropriate console hauler/beast of burden, but if I buy that before I get a job I won't be able to pay the insurance on my Lincoln, or get any for the truck for that matter...Or even buy gas. I love E-crap, but I may have to move in the next 4-12 months....I have more than I had last move, and that was NOT a fun move....Thus I've been dumping my crappiest E-crap, and trying to sell as much of the rest as I can without incurring deep regret...
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Old 08-18-2015, 02:17 PM
MRX37 MRX37 is offline
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Quote:
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I had a '91 with a 318 and a 4 speed overdrive transmission. There was a recall on it for inadvertantly going into gear or ????. Long time ago, don't quite remember. The service writer came out and said, I had other problems.
My downshift rod assembly was rusted and prevented the transmission to come out of downshift mode. It was shifting rather harshly. They ended up freeing up the problem for just the labor charge. I'm sure the '92 isn't that much different.

My 92 is certainly different. The transmission is a NOS unit from a 1995 Dakota. The engine is from a 94 or newer... The truck is a bit of a Frankenstein.
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