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moose
Dodge Dakota
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6/08/2002
17:13:07

Subject: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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After obsessing over purchasing a 5.9, 4x4 quad cab for months I thought I better take a test drive. I figured this would be the perfect vehicle (fuel economy aside) to and from work here in hilly PA. My 150,000 cherokee takes most of the hills without down shifting, however, I thought the 5.9 would handle all of them. So I'm going up this perfect test hill in my 3.8 grand prix (which is quite torque"y" in its own rite) on the way to the dealership and it shifts almost at the top at about 50 mph. I take the quad up the same hill and at the very start it does this huge downshift and about half way up it starts hunting and pecking for the right gear, back and forth it keeps doing it. It was terrible! Please tell me this was a fluke! There aren't any other 5.9 quads or durangos around here to test. This was not the truck I was going to buy, they were going to get me one from about 80 miles away. Oh yes, the test truck was a 3.55 rear which I wanted, I did not want the 3.92. Any comments?










TML
Dodge Dakota
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6/08/2002
17:22:21

RE: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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All Dodge autos in the 5.2/ 5.9 do this. Just turn the OD off when pulling a long hill.



McCracken
Dodge Dakota
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6/08/2002
21:35:13

RE: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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I have a 2002 QC 5.9L 3.92 LSD 4x4. I pull a 2000lb boat, and I never turn off the overdrive, but I use the cruise control anytime I can. We don't have alot of long steep hills here but when I hit one big enough to cause it to downshift it stays there until I hit the top of the hill. No shifting back and forth.



Hersbird
Dodge Dakota
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6/08/2002
22:32:36

RE: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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were you keeping the throttle staedy? If it downshifts and then you let off a little it will want to upshift again, then you have to step on it and it downshiofts. If the rpm is just right then you will be in between the two gears and you need to turn off the overdrive. The other cars you drive have different torque curves, gearing in the axle and transmission, and different trie diameters. Personally I've never had a dakota that couldn't go up just about any highway hill in OD with the truck empty. On a 4x4 I don't know why you wouldn't want the 3.92's. If you have 31" tall tires you really will do better everywhere with 3.92's (towing, off road, even milage around town will improve, maybe even on the highway if there are hills.) Heck I only have 28" tall tires on my R/T and have factory 3.92's but would prefer 4.56 given the choice.



drtswinger
Dodge Dakota
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6/09/2002
03:28:29

RE: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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i got a 5.9 rt and I have never had that problem before.



Jeff W
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6/09/2002
14:26:41

RE: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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I agree with the other posters, turn the OD off & she should cruise up the hill in 3rd unless you mash the pedal to the floor

'02 Sport 4.7 auto, Gibson exhaust, homebrew K&N cold air, 275/60 BFG Radial T/A's, Infinity CD w/Pioneer & Infinity spkrs & Kenwood powered sub.

drews77
R/T
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6/09/2002
19:59:55

RE: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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Never had this problem and I take a steep hill
every day to work... do about 40-50 mph up it...

I do have 3.92 gears... and love 'em

2002 DAK CC R/T

drews77
R/T
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6/09/2002
20:01:43

RE: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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Hmm... Why dont you ask the dealer to check
out the position of the kick down cable?
Maybe it's not adjusted right from the factory...

2002 DAK CC R/T

moose
Dodge Dakota
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6/09/2002
20:42:31

RE: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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I do appreciate all your comments. I think I owe myself and the 5.9s another drive.



jjj
Dodge Dakota
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6/09/2002
21:47:01

RE: 5.9 owners, help, I'm crushed!
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Where in PA?

The 5.9's do need a couple of extra degrees timing to do them justice. Of course this is no biggie.

Mine 5.9 QC w/3.55's climbs about anything here near Pgh. unless you are going 50 or so up big big hills.

If possible get the 3.92's you will thank your self later.

Jeff



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