1993 Dodge Dakota Problems

I currently own a 1993 Dodge Dakota 3.9 V6.. The problems that I have had with this vehicle are enough to drive anyone crazy. I have had this vehicle for approximatly 6 months. In this time, I have been able to use it for a period of approximatly 1 1/2 months. Yes, you read that right. The current problem with this vehicle began when I replaced a faulty water pump. When we started the engine to make sure that the new water pump did not leak, the engine stalled. This is just the beginning. :confused: At this point we ran codes and found out that the O2 sensor was bad. We replaced it. While doing this my husband accidentally broke the air intake sensor so we replaced it as well. These are just the beginning of the items in which we have replaced on this vehicle. At this point we are becomming very frustrated with the whole thing, so we do the logical thing and took it to the service center at the local Dodge dealership. :devil: The service center is just that. Let me begin from the beginning with them. They cleaned the throttle body and replaced a vacuum hose. This did not fix the problem. They also pulled speaker wires out, YES SPEAKER WIRES. then they replaced the pick-up plate and the crank sensor (the vehicle did not throw any codes). Then when that did not work they told us we needed a new computer. This was replaced. Still have the problem....Oh and yes the fuel filter has been replaced. The vehicle now appears that when it is running it loses fuel pressure and we feel that this is what is causing the problem.If anyone can help please do...E-mail me at vet2b1978@cs.com

have you checked the fuel pump and pick up screen in the fuel tank? I can't recall if this vehicle has a fuel pressure regulator or not, but this may also be the problem. if it does have one it would be near the fuel rail. but i'm leaning more towards the pump being bad or pick up screen being cloged. hope this may help you.

My husband thinks that he finally narrowed it down to the fuel pump but I did not know anything about the screen. And the 93 Dakota does have a pressure regulator we are also looking at that. It has been a very trying process and My dad says why did I buy a Dodge?? LOL Anyhow thank you for the tip and I will keep the post updated as things occur...My husband tested a little valve by the fuel lines after it died the last time and there was very little pressure...this is why he thinks that it is in the fuel system.... Thanks Again....

Yeah, far to many overpriced dealership service centers go by what gos wrong with all they're other vehicles, ignoring common sense and going :confused: well, that part looks expensive, lets replace that.

this vehicle is just continueing to have problems...I am now getting codess 12,33,23,and 14. It is strange how all of the components that these codes apply to have been changed recently HELP PLEASE:confused:

I know you may not want to hear this or have had many tell this to you already; Get rid of that thing and buy a different truck. I hope that everything works out for you.

First let me tell ya'll it has been my experience that the worst thing you can do for a dodge is to take it to a dealership cause they will only make it worse. I wouldn't trust a Dodge service center to change my oil much less work on my truck your better off asking around and finding a competent HONEST mechanic that does not work out of a dealership or if you of someone you know is handy with cars spend an afternoon in the driveway with a repair book(hayes or similar availible at auto zone) and figure out the problem then go back to autozone not the dealer and order the parts you need. However after 6 months at the dealership the truck may take a LONG time to fix because now you WILL have to fix at least 1 problem in every part of the car they touched because it will be screwed up once they messed with it. Dodges are fine cars until they go back to the dealer for service after that well....you get the idea from your own experience. Like my parents for example took 10 trips to 2 different dealerships and several hundred dollars and they still couldn't fix the a/c or the dash lights in our caravan took one other mechanic an afternoon about a hundred bucks and he fixed the valve tapping to.

:flash: I am glad to inform anyone who gave me advice pertaining to this vehichle that the problem has been fixed!!!!

Additionally there were other problems since then that have also been fixed!!!!

I appreciate all of the advice.

Dude, I hope you'll share the fix. It could save your on-line friends here some serious dollars. Was it the distributor? or wiring? The suspense is killing me.

Believe it or not the fix was a few vacuum hoses and replacing the coil and a good tune up and the problem was solved, but I do not know that that was the total fix. Some of what we replaced prior may have helped. I hope this helps ya'll out.:flash:

Im glad to see that you got your truck fixed. Im new to this site as of tonight. I own a 00" Dakota Sport and is by far the best mid-size truck that i have owned. If you want, check out www.speedtweaks.net . Their site it almost totally dedicated to the dakota and you can pick up a lot of awesome tips and tricks to get it running superb. If you need any advise on your truck drop me a line anytime.

I am glad you got you truck fixed I am new to this site but not new to the problems with a certain 1993 Dodge Dakota truck 3.9 liter that backfires and looses power on the freeway and when it does it belches blue smoke(ie oil smoke) but after you pull over to the side of the road and stop for a while or turn off the truck you can pull away. The engine acts like it is blown but it isn't. The truck idles fine starts fine runs fine untill it desides to cough and loose power help me please.

Same problem. New to the site with a 1996 3.9 Dodge Dakota that want to run for around 30 minutes before lossing power. If I pull over for a couple of minutes the truck is fine for another period of time. Nothing turns up on the computer but my local repair shop feels it is the fuel pump. They think there is a problem with it once it gets warm. Did you get your problem fixed?

No I have not resolved the problem with my truck yet. I an basically waiting for it to happen again. I have investigated several auto web sites and asked numerous mechanics what could be wrong. I feel that the answer lies in the Dammable smog control system ie the EGR valve
exhaust gas return valve or some of the various small hoses and lines leading to it from it and to the various places and valves or things that happen to these vaccume hoses and the systems that they operate. I have learned that when a EGR valve is stuck open it is like a large vaccume leak. Could it intermittently stick open from a while a person is driving down the highway, then close when you pull over to the side of the road. and this problem would not manifest itself while idleing in the shop not under any load of any kind like driving at 70 mph? who knows. I have found out this that in california from what I understand that we have a special computer smog control system.ie the california computer vs. the 49 others computer. I have read where a person changed out the computer from a california computer to another computer. The man was living in another state. Most of his friends told him that he would ruin the engine. Well the upshot of the deal is that he did it and the truck ran smoother idled smoother and had better gas mileage. than when he had the california computer on it. I wish to thank anyone who responds to me about this problem. You can reach me at tuftys@msn.com. I am not happy with a Dodge product

Does anyone have any suggestions as to why our 93 Dodge Dakota pickup has lost interior lights, dash lights, backup lights, A/C all of a sudden and all at the same time. Book says it could be #2 fuse but in checking the fuses it's a dummy - no power there. Could it be entire fuse block needs to be replaced or could it be something else causing this? Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated. deem@cfl.rr.com

Does anyone have any suggestions as to why our 93 Dodge Dakota pickup has lost interior lights, dash lights, backup lights, A/C all of a sudden and all at the same time. Book says it could be #2 fuse but in checking the fuses it's a dummy - no power there. Could it be entire fuse block needs to be replaced or could it be something else causing this? Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated. deem@cfl.rr.com

I've had 2 1993 Dakotas with this problem. Bad ground in the interior wiring harness. If driving, I usually just beat on the dash until the lights come back on. (HINT: check this connection)
It could be the ground connection from the harness to the dash OR the dash to the body.

Since I cant seem to find where to start a new thread! I have to turn my key off and on a few times every time to build up fuel pressure. this started after i replaced the fuel pump. its driving me nuts. is their some kind of valve or something that holds fuel pressure?

I have a 93 Dakota 3.9 was driving down the road truck just quit running. I went with what was logical in changing and that was the Fuel Pump. I did this because there was no sound coming from the pump when I turned it on. New Pump still nothing. It will crank (rrrrrr,rrrrr ) but will not continue and start. Any ideas. I am not big on fixing truck and hate to have to take it to a service center if I can fix it myself.

I would check for corrision around the ground terminals. This will cause you to loose dash lights.