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V6 Dakotas
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jay
Dodge Dakota
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5/15/2002
22:25:18

Subject: pinging????????
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Well, i was out drivin my truck around tonight and what do you know, the thing was pinging on every little incline .... I normally run 87 in it and i have never had a problem, the truck is a 2001 RC V6 5 speed, and i am not willing to let the dealer reflash my PCM because their cure all is " gee let's take all the timing outta the truck so it has no @*lls ".... i know the usual remedies are colder plugs, 180 t-stat , better gas, i just cannot see that after only 15,000 miles it's starting to ping, i really don't think the belly pan gasket has blown, i'm not using any oil but one thing i did notice was that my clutch fan never seems to engage..... I think my clutch fan has come on maybe 5 times since i bought the truck but the electric fan does come on quite frequently.... Can someone clear this up, Is the clutch fan the main fan and the electric is the auxillery or is it the other way around because i'm thinking that the clutch fan is just there in case it gets too hot or is there something wrong with the fan... I also have a clicking sound at idle when the truck warms up it's actually quite loud and it goes click, click, click..... click, click.... you get the idea but i don't think it is right and i do have an appointment at the dealer on saturday but i kinda need to narrow this down a bit.... Any ideas would be helpful



LEWNDI
Dodge Dakota
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5/16/2002
08:31:38

RE: pinging????????
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My 01 v6 started pinging real bad awhile ago after 6000 miles. I had the PCM flashed and it cured the problem with no bad effects on anything.



jay
Dodge Dakota
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5/16/2002
18:11:05

RE: pinging????????
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do you happen to know if there is a TSB on the problem and if so what is the TSB because i found a similar TSB but it's for a 01 4.7... The TSB i found was for a cold start sag / hesitation, rough cold start idle, spark knock, unstable idle after warm up... My truck has exhibited all of these things and the only TSB i found on it is for a 4.7 just wondering if there is a TSB on the same issue for a 3.9...





Garth
Dodge Dakota
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5/25/2002
23:31:55

RE: pinging????????
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I have a 2000 Quad Cab V6 5 Spd and for the last two months or so it has been pinging (sounds more like a cold diesel than pinging) and the dealer says "that it is normal" well if it is normal how come it took almost two years before it started acting "NORMAL" they replaced the lower half of the air intake gasket because it was leaking and they said the intake was full of oil and the engine oil was low and that would solve the problem. 3000 km's later and the ... "NORMAL" ... sound is back and is getting worse and the engine is down 1/2 to 3/4 of a liter of oil and now they say that is normal oil consumption. This truck is the biggest lemon I have ever owned, they have spend $10000 fixing screw ups on this truck so far and the major problems are not fixed yet.



Zman
Dodge Dakota
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3/12/2003
15:59:55

RE: pinging????????
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I have a 2000, 3.9, Sport. Pinging early on. At 6,000 miles, they replaced intake manifold gasket, OK for a little while. Pinging for quite some time, different gases, no matter. Truck in the shop 5 more times. They have twice reflashed the PROM, the second time being a "fix" for Spark Knock. Plugs replaced. They have no idea at this time. They are putting in a "hotline" to Detroit. The truck currently has 30,000 miles and has had this pinging problem since 6,000 miles.



JR
Dodge Dakota
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3/12/2003
21:18:14

RE: pinging????????
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I own a 94 dakota sport 3.9 w/212k miles, it makes all kinds of noises, has been forever.
But I think its time for a motor. If anyone knows where I could get a 3.9 email me at jr_polo@yahoo.com I'm in S.E. Indiana
thanks




Mark d
Dodge Dakota
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3/12/2003
23:28:45

RE: pinging????????
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I cant remember when the pinging started or the loud clacking at idle, but I have just lived with it. It still runs strong with 68,000,I just keep changing the oil and hope the clacking noise doent get any louder. I have only used Mobil1 oil, modified a V8 K&N filter, and power pulleys to add to the power.
Let me know if its something like a timing chain or the dealer really has found a fix.
Have owned it since new-97.



brian220x
Dodge Dakota
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3/16/2003
20:09:42

RE: pinging????????
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Dont forget the purge selonoids also make a ticking noise (sounds like a rod knock) that is normal. Disconnect it on the firewall and see if the noise stops. Dont forget to hook it back up.



newin92
Dodge Dakota
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3/21/2003
17:00:40

RE: pinging????????
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I really get depressed reading all these problems with the new Dakotas. My 92 has been the Prick Of Misery since new. The only saving grace was the 7/70 warranty.
History: Engine bearing job @ 1000 miles.
Distributor @ 45K
Paint Job
More sensors than you can imagine (speed/distance sensor every 2 years)
Computer.
Catalytic converter and oil pump.
Re-occuring sludge problem.
I really like this truck or I would have put it out of it's (and my) misery long ago.



Markford
Dodge Dakota
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5/03/2003
08:28:44

RE: pinging????????
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Sir,
your pinging and all of the problems listed on this page are dure to the plenum gasket on your intake.
The plenum is made of aluminum, and the pan they put on it is steel. the gasket in between the two never has a chance due to dissimilair metals expanding and contracting at different rates.
They sell and M--1 intake for the v-8's and an aluminum pan for the v-6's.
Once you replace this, and decarbonize the engine, your problem should be gone.



aeon_flux
Dodge Dakota
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6/02/2003
09:40:44

RE: pinging????????
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I have a 2002 sxt and ever since I took it to the dealership for a tune up it has had that clicking sound which they said is normal. The power and acceleration have decreased and the clutch is now going all after 29,000 miles. It was bought brand new. They said the clicking sound was the injectors and yes I had the engine decarbonized and the gasket replaced and the fuel systems cleaned but it is still there. It also makes that sound underneath that sounds like it is a diesel engine warming up.



John 93 Dak
Dodge Dakota
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6/02/2003
10:13:54

RE: pinging????????
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Just as a little tidbit, pinging in the engine can also be caused my moisture in the fuel system. I live in Iowa and every spring I have to add something to my gas to help "get rid" of the water content in my fuel system. This is completely normal in this area. Iowa has alot of humidity in the spring. I would try a bottle of gas treatment and see if that helps. Personally I use something called SeaFoam. It is intended for marine engines, but it does a really good job at getting the moisture out of the fuel system.



singingneon
Dodge Dakota
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6/02/2003
14:48:19

RE: pinging????????
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Well, I don't know alot of about dakotas, but a pinging noise in dodge neons USUALLY means detontation, and is normally can be fixed by adding higher octane fuel. I would try adding 91+ octane to remedy the problem. If not, Markford's theory seems pretty logical.

Later Days
Stephen



aeon_flux
Dodge Dakota
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6/04/2003
11:48:42

RE: pinging????????
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Right now im running 92 octane. I used to run 89 octane and then switched to 92. It seemed to sound better. Then the 92 stared doing the same thing. Now its starting to hesitate again and im a little leary on taking back to the dealership again after all they seem to find nothing wrong with it. After all my warrenty is almost up in about 1500 miles. I find it kind of odd that everyone on this forum has the same problems and same responses from the dealership and mechanics there. I have read alot of posts and I felt as if iI was the one explaining the problem and yet I just stumbbled onto this forum for the first time a week ago. Thank you though for the advice I do think that its cool that everyone is explaining what they did to resolve the problem with there truck



Deep Purple
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6/04/2003
12:37:19

RE: pinging????????
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Take your air hat off the throttle body and look down inside with the throttle wide open. If you see a lot of oil, the plenum gasket is shot. The dealer doesn't want to find it, so you may have to pointit out to them. I got a run-a-round on mine till I showed them the TSB on this. Good luck.



Clausen
Dodge Dakota
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6/04/2003
14:25:01

RE: pinging????????
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Take a look at your plug wires and cap. Mine had quite a bit evidence of arching. Replaced them with some thicker ones and that seems to help all around. More constant power and less ping.



Ron T.
Dodge Dakota
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8/03/2003
02:27:11

RE: pinging????????
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Bought a new '01 QC (3.9 V6, 5sp tran) in early
2001, and within the first 3k-6k miles it was
pinging like crazy. By around 9k miles it
sounded like a poorly-running deisel under
almost every condition (high speed, low
speed, etc.). So I took it into the local 5-star
Dodge dealer. The service rep knew exactly
what I was talking about. He said a PCM flash
was the only fix he was allowed to do, but that
it had generated nothing but complaints about
power and mileage loss from other
customers. So he recommended I leave, use
higher octance gas, and learn to live with it.
The truck now has about 29K on it. I used 89
to 93 octane on it since 11/01, and the pinging
was pretty much eliminated. Now a bit of ping
is creeping back on grades and acceleration,
and I'm getting hesitation on starts. I'm
feeding it a couple of weeks of 87 gas so it
pings badly again, then I'm taking it back to a
dealership before the warranty expires.

I see plenty of references to TSB's and other
recommendations about this damn Dodge
pinging problem in this and other threads on
this website. Can anyone pass on the TSB's
numbers and such so that I can have them
on-hand in case my service rep develops a
sudden case of warranty-work induced
amnesia? Also any other tips I can use to
"educate" a less-than-willing service rep on
this topic? I'd greatly appreciate it, and I'll
report back to ya'll what happens at the
dealership.



Deep Purple
Gen III
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8/03/2003
07:24:02

RE: pinging????????
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Look down the throttle body for oil. Blown plenum gasket will cause ping and lose of power. Good luck.



Richard
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11/15/2004
19:47:00

RE: pinging????????
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Just discovered this site and wish I had found it sooner. Have a 2001 3.9 Quad Cab with 5 speed and it pings like a son of a gun. Took it in a few months ago because of this and the fact that my mileage sucks! Was getting 21 brand new and it is down to 12 or 13 now. Was told there was nothing wrong with the truck so I pulled the plugs and found one discolored rusty looking plug and changed them. Still lousy mileage but with some higher octane gas I got the pinging to ease up. A friend said change the fuel filter and that's why I'm here now. Can't seem to find one in my searches. Does this puppy not have a fuel filter?? Am getting ready to look down the throttle body to check for oil, but have always used Mobil-1 and never noticed any oil consumption. Oh well, is any one else having these mileage problems??



J and J Auto
GenII
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11/17/2004
18:27:11

RE: pinging????????
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http://dodgeram.org/tech/gas/Trouble/ping.htm

Larry
J&J Auto

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