Oil leak from front differential vent?
Your diff may be overfilled or there's insufficient anti-foaming agent in the oil. Also, water in the diff from a deep water crossing can cause this.
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Leaking from the vent has been mentioned on the board numerous times, must be a generous grease monkey on the assembly line, or the front diff is lubed before it's actually installed allowing overflow.
You check for overfilling by pulling the rubber "fill" plug from the diff while parked level (be sure to have a catch pan in place.) The oil level should be at or just below the opening. If some drains out, it's too full and when it stops you should install the plug.
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Dodge has issued a TSB (03-04-99 Front differential vent leakage) to address this problem on vehicles where the diff is "not" overfilled but still leaks. It replaces the original vent tube with a new one containing an anti-leak valve.
Axle ratios - what do they mean?
Axle ratio is the rotational speed difference between the driveshaft and axle (actually the tire, as tire size affects the overall ratio.)
A ratio of 3.55 means the "OEM" size tire would rotate once for every 3.55 turns of the drive shaft while a ratio of 3.92 means it'd rotate once for every 3.92 turns of the driveshaft. However, tire size also plays an important part in this equation in that larger than OEM size tires would effectively "lower" the axle ratio while smaller ones would "raise" it.
Higher ratios mean more pulling power, quicker acceleration and, usually, slightly less gas mileage because the engine will have to run at slightly higher RPMs to maintain the same speed. One owner (Matt D) on his second D original had a 5.2L engine with 3.55 axles. His second D has a 5.9L engine with 3.92 axles and he said there's a significant difference in performance.
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We got a 5.2L with 3.92 axles because we have a 25 ft, 4500 lb travel trailer. Had I know the mpg difference between the 5.2 and 5.9 was so small, I'd have gotten the 5.9L instead.
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The consensus is, unless you plan to tow something large and heavy, go with the standard 3.55 axle. If you want more "zooooom" from the factory, get the 5.9L with 3.92 axles but be prepared to pay a little bit more for gas.
The ride is very bouncy & squishy in corners, what can I do?
The OEM shocks are "very" soft and the primary cause of this condition. The best way to eliminate, or at least reduce this bounce, is to install some good quality aftermarket shocks. Your choice of shock depends on what type of driving you plan to do.
For "street" use - Edelbrock IAS, Monroe Sensa-Trac, Rancho 9000 or Bilsteins.
For "off-road" use - Rancho 9000, Rancho 5000 or Monroe Reflex
The Rancho 9000 shocks are listed twice because they have a 5-way "softness" adjustment that can be set for all types of driving - if you're willing to crawl under your D to adjust the knob.
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Check your tire pressure - too high a pressure can cause lots of bounce! The "recommended" pressure for day-to-day driving in an unloaded D is 30-35 psi for all 4 tires. You should only go above this when towing or heavily loaded.
Front-end rattle on washboard roads?
I remember somebody mentioning the Rams Head plastic inserts in the wheels were causing an annoying rattle. You might try removing them to see if the rattle goes away. I don't recall what they did to make the inserts tighter so they wouldn't rattle.
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Check with your dealer as a few different TSBs have been issued by Chrysler for this problem. One mentions a rattle or squeak when going over bumps which goes away when the brakes are applied and there's two for brakes on 98/99 D's (one for chirping or squealing and the other for brake errrt or grunt noise when stopping)
Clunk in the steering?
I had a clunk when turning/accelerating and a general steering rattle/looseness in the middle tilt position. Yesterday I had the "latest" parts for the steering clunk and shift click TSB's installed as suggested by the district truck tech rep.
Intermediate shaft: 55351171AB
Steering shroud: SCT42JX8AC, 5CE58JX8AB
The shaft has been available since May and was see-sawing back and forth between the AA and superseded AB versions (7/26 was the last AB supersede.) The shroud is in a TSB for a click when shifting and is relatively new (May or June?)
Observations:
The new shaft is visually identical to the old one (May 17 build date) and, I suspected, is actually the same part. Prior to replacement, there was a bit of deflection (bending) at the upper u-joint at the firewall end when pulling on the shaft and the new one is the same.
The only thing I noticed different on the shroud was a rubber panel just under the ignition so your keys won't bounce/scratch the shroud (nice attention to detail!)
The results:
The steering immediately felt a little tighter when turning. To be honest, I haven't felt the clunk in some time and don't now so, unfortunately, I can't say this fixed it. The rattle or looseness in the wheel, which is getting worse and more annoying, is still there in all its glory, and may be masking the clunk, so there was so change there.
IMHO, the shroud change was useless! Although they did manage to keep my steering wheel perfectly straight through all this (hurray!)
Now that they've replaced everything from the firewall to the steering gear, I'm going to ask them to replace everything from the firewall to the steering wheel. Actually, I'm planning to do a little investigative disassembly myself first. I suspect the component containing the tilt mechanism is what needs replacing.
So, for those of you with steering clunk, the new shaft "might" fix it.
Adjusting front suspension height on 4x4's?
Here's the procedure for 98/99 4x4 D's from the service manual. It should also apply to newer 4x4 D's that use torsion bars but, since 4x2 D's don't use torsion bars, won't apply to them.
To measure suspension height:
- Park the vehicle on a level surface.
- Bounce the front end of the vehicle a few times.
- Measure the distance from the ground to the center of the lower suspension arm rear mounting bolt head.
- Measure the distance from the ground to the center of the front wheel.
- Subtract the first measurement from the second. The difference should be 2.9" ±0.12" (73mm ±3mm.)
- Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 on the other side.
To raise suspension height turn the torsion bar adjustment bolt clockwise. To lower it, turn the adjustment bolt counter-clockwise. NOTE: ALWAYS raise the vehicle to the proper height! NEVER lower it to obtain the correct height! If the suspension height is "too high", lower it below the correct height and then raise it to the correct height.
Once you've make the adjustment, bounce the front end again and remeasure both sides.
Tires squeal when turning at intersections?
This happens a lot, especially with the 5.9L engine and 3.92 LSD (Limited Slip Diff). While some of it may be caused by the extra torque of the larger engine and some may be the Goodyear tires (which are notorious for slipping in turns - especially if the road's wet), most of it is probably caused by the LSD; which will cause some tire chirping on tight turns, especially when new.
Don't worry about it.
Correct tire pressure?
Per the owner's manual for 98/99 tires - 235/75R15 or 31x10.5R15 - 30/30 psi for light loads and 35/40 psi for medium to heavy loads.
Alignment Specifications?
Per NHTSA Service Bulletin # SB602906
2WD Durango:
| Caster | 3.31º | ±1.00º |
| Camber | -0.25º | ±0.50º |
| Total Toe | 0.10º | ±0.10º |
4WD Durango:
| Caster | 3.31º | ±1.00º |
| Camber | +0.38º | ±0.50º |
| Total Toe | 0.10º | ±0.10º |
Maximum RT to LF Difference
| Caster | 0.50º |
| Camber | 0.50º |
| Total Toe | N/A |
Replacing wheel studs?
Here's the simple way to replace a stud.
- If the stud's not already broken, remove it's lugnut while leaving the others in place.
- Using a flat punch or straight bar the same or slightly smaller diameter as the lug stud, place it against the end of the stud and tap with a hammer until the stud pushes back through the hub and comes loose. Keeping the wheel on protects the wheel bearing as the wheel will absurb most of the shock.
- Jack up the D, remove the wheel and reach in back of the hub and pull out the old stud. On the rear wheels, you'll need to remove the brake drum to get to the stud.
- Place the new stud through the hub and use the lugnut and a spacer to "start" pulling it back into place.
- Replace the wheel, lower the D and finish pulling the new stud into place by "fully" tightening the lugnut (no more than 110 ft-lbs of torque)
You should remove the wheel when done to check that the stud has completely seated into the hub. It's also a good idea to "re-torque" the lugnut on this particular stud after about a week or so of driving to ensure the stud is fully seated.
Brake errrt or grunt noise when stopping?
This has been a characteristic of Chrysler/Dodge vehicles for many years and it seems they've finally admitted it's a problem as they issued some TSBs for it. The 2 brake TSBs for 98/99 D's are; 05-05-98 (grind or growl from front brakes during low speed braking) and 05-06-98 (rattle from front brake caliper) Check with your dealer to have these fixes applied to your D.
The other solution is to get some better aftermarket brake pads.
Does 4W-ABS work in FT4WD?
I just drove to the Texas Panhandle and used FT4WD during much of the trip. The weather was wet & icy and we were pulling a trailer. My 4W-ABS performed flawlessly on several tricky stops and, in combination with the FT4WD, greatly enhanced the safety of the trip. I don't know why it would be disabled in PT4WD either as 4W-ABS is designed primarily for steering control during panic stops.
2W-ABS, also know as RWAL (Rear Wheel Anti-Lock) and standard on most trucks - including the D, compensates for the fact the rear axle on trucks normally has very little weight on it and the rear wheels tend to lock up "very" easily.
Power front seat rocking?
I only notice it while driving if I have the seat adjusted a certain way. Otherwise, I don't feel it at all. I can, however, get the seat to produce a slight rocking if I'm not in the seat by pulling up and down on the front bottom edge of the frame below the seat cushion.
Several others have reported the same symptom and no one has yet had it fixed even after several trips to a dealer.
Rear latch movement on lock/unlock using remote?
Today I took the rear hatch apart to get a better look at the latch and I was right in thinking that even the small amount of movement was enough to rub the paint away. I had 2 small spots where it was worn down to the primer - which I'll fix later.
For now, I solved the latch movement by wedging a small block of plastic between the latch and the metal part of the hatch. I also tightened the bolt pretty good and it doesn't move now.
Heater fan noise?
When I put the heater control on floor and the fan on high, there's a lot of fan noise in the defrost/windshield area. Initially I thought the defrost was actuated but it isn't. If I back the fan speed down a step, it's more reasonable but still louder than I think it should be.
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The heater fan "is" noisy! The intake is right at the base of the windshield and many have said they thought it was loud, especially at the 3d and 4th speed settings.
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The heater fan in my D also made a lot of noise at the 3rd and high speed settings. In addition to the noise, a vibration could be felt in the dash. Try operating the fan at high speed and place the palm of your hand on the top of the dash. If you feel a vibration, the problem is most likely an "out of balance" heater fan (the vendor supplied Chrysler with some fans without balance weights.)
It's a common problem and the cure is replacing the blower fan, which the dealer will perform under warranty. I did mine myself but I wouldn't recommend others attempt it unless they're mechanically inclined as access to the blower requires removal of part of the dash. Good Luck!
Snowflakes on the HVAC controls?
Early 1st year D's (until about Jan 98) had a 3rd snowflake at the bi-level position but those produced since Jan 98 don't. Some have been able to order the "old" part number for the HVAC control and get the third snowflake while others haven't.
Basically, the A/C compressor runs in "every" position except 4 (vents) & 5 (floor.) I don't know of anyone who's been able to run in position 3 (bi-level, no snowflake) without the compressor running.
By the way, Chrysler runs the compressor in defrost modes to help dry the windshield.
Is the headliner suppose to be Tan or Gray?
It actually comes in both colors depending on your interior color scheme.
Programming a 99 D?
Automatic Door Locks at 15 mph (on/off)
- Close all Doors
- Place key in ignition and cyclefrom OFF to ON position a total of 4 times leaving it in the ON position(don't start the engine)
- Press the driver's side power door lock to lock the doors within 30 secs
- You'll hear a single confirmation chime when programming is completed
- Repeat the above to toggle this feature
Remote Keyless unlock all doors on the first press
- Same as 1 & 2 above
- Press driver's side power door lock switch to unlock the doors then lock the doors within 30 secs
- You'll hear a single confirmation chime when programming is completed
Horn Chirp on/off
- Same as 1 & 2 above
- Press and hold the UNLOCK button on the remote for 4 - 10 secs
- Press the LOCK button on the remote and then release both buttons
- You'll hear a single confirmation chime when programming is completed
Can the 98 be programed to horn chirp?
Yes but the dealer has to do it for a 98 (you can do it yourself on a 99 - see above.) Your Horn Chirp options are a long or short tone. I'd suggest the short tone as the long one is a honk! Also, don't let the dealer try to charge you for doing this as it only takes 5 mins.
Some Ds have the EVSII security upgrade where the lights flash, horn & siren chirp and there's a shock sensor that, in their option, makes it much better than the stock alarm!
Looking for 8 Infinity Speakers? You'll only find 6!
The speakers in the rear doors are "coaxial" and evidently Dodge counts them as 2 separate speakers. So, 2 in each front door and 2 in each rear door makes 8.
CD-R Media for OEM CD Player?
Use Verbatim "silver/blue" media. They're vastly superior to gold media when it comes to audio applications as the gold ones have a higher reflection rate and the laser has a hard time calibrating itself causing lots of tracking errors (usually present on higher track numbers.) Gold media also tends to heat up much faster which leads to skipping and tracking errors. Verbatim does not "resell" their media so they're the only source for silver/blue media.
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The only problem I've encountered was using Maxell media. It simply won't work in any Chrysler CD player. I took one to the dealer and tried it in several vehicles, including a new 300M, and it just wouldn't play. I've burned several CDs on Imation, Memorex and Sony media, some with as many as 18 tracks and filled to within a few secs of 74 mins and my D plays them just fine.
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If your burner doesn't come bundled with decent software, check out Adaptec's EasyCD Creator Delux and Nero Burning ROM. The latter is more advanced but the Adaptec is easier to use and offers a lot of extra features like jewel case designers. Nero demo copies can be downloaded here.
Always burn your CDs in Disc-At-Once (DAO) mode, if your CDR supports it, as that mode doesn't put the 1-2 sec gaps between audio tracks.
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If you crave advanced audio burning, check out Sonic Foundry's CD Architect. It's a bit pricey but nothing else compares for creating audio CDs.
Where are TSB's listed?
NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - Only shows TSB titles on-line. Printed copies of TSBs can be purchased.
Look at the TSB number. If the last 6 digits are a valid date (in DDMMYY format) it should be a valid TSB.
Alldata - Only shoes TSB titles unless you have a valid Alldata account.
DodgeRam.org TSBs - On-line "full text" versions of the TSBs but the database is incomplete.
While this site is mainly geared toward RAM trucks, a lot of the TSBs are also applicable to the D/Dak. They also have a section showing TSBs for "other" vehicles conatining some D/Dak specific TSBs.
What to do if I have a bad dealer?
I was having problems with my dealer and the District Manager ignoring problems and not returning my calls. This went on for two weeks until I finally called DC's Customer Care Center 800-992-1997.
I got through immediately, explained my problems to the agent for Chrysler and he put me on hold while he called the dealership and talked to the service manager about my complaint. He then gave me the service manager's name, the complaint file number and indicated he'd be expecting a callback from me.
If my problem still wasn't resolved when I called them back, they'd use the file number to call up my complaint and take matters into their own hands. The agent I talked to was very nice and made me feel like someone really did care about my problems. So there is hope for those of us with the unfortunate experience of hooking up with a bad dealership!!
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