Hello,

I was recently screwed when I bought a 2001 Dodge Intrepid 2.7 (yeah, I know all about the 2.7’s AFTER I bought it). Now, I have little money to get it fixed and my fingers crossed to at least get some insight on the problem.

Not long after I bought the car (within 30 days), my car wouldn’t heat. I purchased a thermostat and had my brother who knows what he is doing install it. When he had it taken apart he found that I had purchased the vehicle sans a thermostat and noted that there was oil on the radiator. After he replaced it, the heat worked great, however the check engine light came on.

At this time, we filled the coolant and checked the oil (which was the right color and full). I drove the car about 250 miles straight, parked it overnight and then took it on a short trip running errands. It died on me twice when shifting from drive to reverse. I got home and noticed the coolant overflow tank was near empty and the oil was very low and a deep dark brown color (almost black). Also, there was coolant near the oil cap.

I was told that it was either a blown head gasket or a crack somewhere. I have read your instructions on the additive (however I live in MN, it’s 0 degrees and I have no garage to keep it from freezing). I have not looked at the exhaust.

Does it sound more like a blown gasket or a crack?
Can I drive this vehicle without causing more damage until I can afford to get it fixed?
Thank you so very much for your advice!

Have a great day,
Kristi

Hey there Kristi,

So the check engine light was NOT on before your brother replaced the thermostat? If so, I would HIGHLY suspect that he has left something unplugged, or loose or broken etc. etc. and that is why the check engine light came on. I would get him to triple check the area around the thermostat to make sure no electrical or vacuum hose connections got left loose or unplugged. You really did not mention anything to me that sounded like a blown head gasket or anything related to engine overheating or internal engine damage.

You should not rely on the coolant level in the plastic overflow tank, you have to check the level inside the radiator as the level on that plastic tank will change with engine temperature. If coolant was inside the engine oil, the oil would look like a chocolate milkshake, not black in color. I would expect to see lots of white smoke out the exhaust system as well.

The dying while selecting gears is most likely related to the problem as to why the check engine light is on. First thing comes to mind is a vacuum leak under the hood somewhere from the thermostat installation.

I would also recommend cleaning the throttle body and idle air control valve, both of which can be done at your local fast lube place or regular mechanic and this should be done as part of your regular maintenance anyway. here is more about that.

Engine Dies At Stops

To make you sleep better at night have your mechanic or fast lube place perform a cooling system pressure test on your radiator. This test is cheap (under $50) and can be done while you wait and will tell you if there are any coolant leaks, either internal or external and if there is a head gasket problem.

–
Blessings, Austin Davis

To Whom It May Concern:

I own a 2006 Dodge Slt 4×4 Megacab pickup truck, and am having an AC issue. My AC is cooling ok however from what i can tell there is a flap held up by a spring that allows the air to blow thru the vents.

This flap has either broke or the pin and or spring has gave out. Does this sound logical? If so can you better tell me what this part may be called and where I can get it. The air is blowing barely out of my vents even on HI and in South Texas this ain’t gonna fly. Any help you can give me will be appreciated.

Sincere Thanks!

Jennifer

Hello Jennfier,

Yes there is an A/C diverter blend door inside your dash that directs the air to the desired location as you tell the system to do so from your dash controls….I.E. defrost selection to defrost ducts on top of dash. This can be tricky to diagnose though. Yes, I have seen issues with the blend door motor itself going bad, and I have seen a pencil fall into the dash and block the blend door operation as well.

BUT, the system is controlled by the dash control head, so you really need to check the control head first to make sure it is sending the proper signal to the blend door motor, then check the blend door motor operation to see if is getting the signal from the control head and make sure the action of the blend door is not restricted. I would also make sure the blower motor is working properly and is creating enough air volume.

This repair is probably best left to the experts….taking the dash apart can be tricky if you have not done so before.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

I have a 1995 Dodge Caravan. I have recently rebuilt the transmission due to a leak and then burnt it out, put in a new radiator as it was leaking?, new hot water heater as the car was still over heating and new belts and distributor cap.

The fan wasn’t working so a new switch as it only worked with air conditioning which I never use. The car is still over heating. I keep putting water in the radiator and it is going somewhere.

The over flow level never moves, I had the engine pressure tested and it held I believe 13 lbs. There is on water in the oil. There is no moisture inside the car. The mechanics have mentioned a head gasket as the problem…Would this make sense? Is it okay to drive the car as long as I check the water in the radiator and it doesn’t over heat.

I appreciate any help,

Heather

Asheville, NC

Hello Heather,

If you are experiencing an overheating problem AND you are continually adding water to the radiator….you MUST have a coolant leak somewhere.

Sometimes the leaks don’t present themselves right off the bat during a pressure test…but from what you tell me, I would be highly suspect of a coolant leak somewhere.

I don’t think you have a costly head gasket leak from what you tell me, at least not yet anyway…if you over heat this little engine though you could very well damage the head gasket or the engine itself.

I think I would get a second opinion, and have another mechanic perform the pressure test. Tell them what the symptoms are, and what you have done up to this point, but don’t try to diagnose the problem for them.

Ask the new mechanic, why is the engine overheating and why do I continually have to add water to the radiator….and let them do their job. Also go to a real mechanic, not a tire or oil change place for this kind of diagnosis.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

The front wipers in my 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan have that GHOSTING problem were they work whenever they want when off. I replaced the multifunction switch (wiper/directionals), replaced the wiper motor and replaced both relays and still cannot get them to stop doing it.

Hi there,

I have seen this once before in our shop….but its been awhile. I think you have a bad BCM Body Control Module, which if I am not mistaken is located on the kick panel of the driver side on or near the fuse panel. it will have lots of wires and 2? large wire connectors attached to it.

If a new one is too expensive (since this is just my guess without testing) you might find a used one at a junk yard.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

It ran fine ever since until yesterday morning. Then it did the same thing – only this time it didn’t start at all until later in the day when it started just fine and ran fine again. I could turn it off and let it sit and it would start. Then this morning – once again – it won’t start.

It did rain the past two nights, but it has rained before and I had no issues so I doubt that is the issue. It just will not catch and actually start. All the power is fine – battery is fine. This is frustrating because I am a widow with two small children and really need this dang car – plus I just bought it – have made only one payment.

Thank you in advance.
Heather

Hello Heather,

These kinds of starting problems can be a real pain to track down and repair. You have to rule out what the missing ingredient is as to why the engine will not start. Is it not getting enough fuel, or is it not getting spark to the spark plugs. Is there compression…are the pistons moving up and down inside the engine, or did the timing belt break?

Unfortunately both of these items are not very easy to check yourself….things are just too complicated these days to do much at home.

I would suggest you do a few things, just to rule out the very basic stuff (you might get lucky)

1. Open the hood and look for anything that might have broken off or is hanging loose….follow the spark plug wires from the spark plugs back to the top of the engine…are they still attached to something at both ends?

2. Does the engine sound funny when you try to start it? If the timing belt broke, the engine will spin over MUCH faster than normal and will sound like there is no resistance to it …which there is not anymore if the belt broke.

The timing belt is located inside the engine so you can not see it. You can remove the oil filler cap on the top of the engine and have someone crank the engine over…you should see things moving up and down inside the oil filler cap area. If you do, the belt is OK, if you don’t , the timing belt might have broken.

3. Have someone bang on the bottom of the fuel tank with their fist or a rubber hammer AS you crank the engine over…this can help jump start a weak electric fuel pump which is located inside the fuel tank.

4. Check for spark at the spark plugs. Remove a spark plug and hold it close to the metal engine with the spark plug wire attached AS someone cranks over the engine.

CAUTION use a set of rubber coated pliers or something with wood or plastic to hold the spark plug….it WILL shock you!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really don’t recommend you do this……but if you want to, this will help you determine if you have spark or not.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

My father’s Dodge Dakota 1996 model has been strangely running hot and not losing water, I use it for driving around town (going to work and the local college).

First off the radiator’s only a year and a half old so I’ve come to a decision (or rather my dad has) that its not an issue with the radiator.

It started to run hot when I was on my way to the college, the first thing I noticed was that the heater was running cold, but the fan was still blowing, and it was slowly raising in temperature.

I left it alone when I got to the college, it did not run on the H, I was always told never to let it get to the line before the H. I went to my classes and return several hours later and attempted to drive it home.

After I got stuck outside of town coming home from the interstate, I phoned my father and explained what happened. He brought the truck home after I left it at a local bar.

My father flushed the radiator (All the pipes are at their correct tension; not squishy and stuff) noting that there was rust in it and replaced the radiator cap (which was corroded) and the next day I drove it.

It ran hot again. So he took the thermostat out the next day, found it all gunky and nasty… So he replaced it and again flushed the radiator.

…Again the same problem, it ran hot. So he flushed the system yet again and flushed out the bottom radiator hose.

I drove it today, and the same thing happened, it ran hot yet again.
My Algebra teacher suggested that it could be the head-gasket, but my father said that it shouldn’t be as he has driven many other vehicles many more miles than we’ve have with the dodge… None the less he’s stumped and I’m becoming more and more concerned with the issue of an ill-feverish-dodge dakota! Please help!

-Dana

Yo Dana!

Have you read my article on overheating? I think you should do that first, and see if you can narrow things down a little bit.

Engine Overheating Article

The first thing you should do is get a cooling system pressure test. This will check for a coolant leak somewhere in the system, which I suspect you have….a coolant leak or a coolant restriction in the system somewhere like a clogged up radiator.

Read the article, get the cooling system pressure test and if you still have questions email me back with your findings and I will try to assist.

I don’t suspect a blown head gasket at this point, since you did not mention anything about the engine running bad, white smoke out the tailpipe or a check engine light that is on…all of which are symptoms of an internal coolant leak like a head gasket.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Oh boy.

I think I was just taken really bad by a transmission shop. Yesterday, my car was slipping. I was driving and the car kept feeling like it was in neutral. I stopped checked the transmission level and there was next to no fluid. I put some in, in the proper place and it worked fine for about 4-5 minutes before the problem happened again.

I stopped at the nearest Speedy, I told them I think I had a loose or broken hose and my trans fluid was leaking out. They couldn’t find the problem, so they gave me the name of a transmission shop and tow service and I had my car towed to this shop.

My car is a 2003 Neon with 84,000 miiles on it.

Anyhow, the transmission shop told me my radiator had an interior break or problem…. and it had leaked radiator fluid into my transmission. They said I might need a rebuilt or new transmission cause that was a bad problem.

After calling my exhusband who is a mechanic, he told me not to get work done on the trans, to tell the shop to fix my car up in the cheapest fashion so that I could drive it to his house so he could look it over. He even spoke on the phone with the mechanic.

I relayed to them that I just wanted them to do the cheapest thing possible so that my car would be safe to drive to my ex husbands house 20 miles away, so I could have him look at it.

They put in a transmission cooler to the tune of $350 and then told me the good news is, there was no damage to the trans and that I didn’t need a new trans. BUT, i would need a radiator ASAP.

When I called my ex up this morning he was floored. He said they should have put a new or rebuilt radiator in and that I didn’t need a Transmission Cooler at all. That the radiator wouldn’t have been much more than the Cooler and if I needed a radiator, they should have put THAT in, not this cooler thing.

I just lost my 20 year old son this past July and have NO extra money at all. I live paycheck to paycheck, literally, because it was VERY difficult for me to work after losing him and I worked as much as i could, but it wasn’t enough to sustain my living expenses.

Therefore, i used my savings to cover what I didn’t make working. I have NO savings left now and barely can afford to make ends meet and now I just spent $350 on a transmission cooler, yet I STILL need the radiator.

My ex feels that this shop should have put in the radiator not some cooler as a band aid, because if (according to them) I STILL need the radiator, THAT would have solved the whole problem. The problem WASN’T the transmission cooler !!!! Or better yet, they should have put some hoses together so I could drive it 20 miles.

I am sure without seeing the vehicle, you can’t give much as far as answers go, but, from what I have told you I am hoping you can give me an idea of whether or not this shop did the right thing by putting in a Transmission Cooler for $350.

I told them I wanted to be able to get it 20 miles away so my exhusband could look at it. I can’t help but feel I was taken advantage of and now I am left needing a radiator ON TOP of what I just spent yesterday. I have NO extra money at all !!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for listening, I do appreciate it.

Cathy

Hi there Cathy,

I do agree with you about the shop installing the radiator instead of the cooler IF your vehicle is equipped with the transmission cooler inside the radiator. Some vehicles have an external transmission cooler separate from the radiator, and some coolers are part of the radiator itself. I don’t recall if this model has a separate cooler or an internal radiator cooler or not, you will have to ask someone who can look and see for me.

You might want to take the vehicle to a radiator shop or another mechanic in your area and have them inspect the radiator and see if it really does need to be replaced, because you did not mention anything about the engine overheating….and I would expect that to be happening if you in deed do need a new radiator.

I can only assume they told you about needing a new radiator because the internal transmission cooler inside your radiator is bad BUT since they added an external transmission cooler…I don’t think you have to worry about it unless your engine is overheating. I would get clarification from the transmission shop….but you might be OK just the way things are.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Hi, I have an 02 dodge neon and the engine light is on. The code came up as a p0420 i think, the description was

-catalytic converter

-engine misfire

-large vacuum leak

-engine oil leakage into exhast—valve guide seals, piston rings

I believe it’s the last one because I have oil in my driveway. What is the best way to figure this out other that taking it to amechanic? And how much of a problem is this? The car runs fine but I know I need to get it repaired ASAP. thank you

Leann

Good day to you Leann,

That code is going to have to do with the Catalytic converter system….either there is a problem and the converter needs to be replaced, there could be something wrong with the oxygen sensors causing the engine to run “rich” and use more fuel than needed, or there could be a misfire, like from a bad spark plug wire that is causing the engine to run rough and not burn all the fuel inside the engine…thus sending too much unburned fuel out the converter.

I would rule out, bad spark plugs and spark plug wires first! That is about the only simple thing you can do yourself. If the wires and plugs have more than 75K miles on them…..you MIGHT want to replace them as maintenance anyway…..and pray that also solves your other problem.

A muffler shop can test your converter for you, relatively cheaply. I would also get a mechanic to reset the light for you and see if it comes back on, there is a chance it might not…..unless the problem continues and your computer sees the problem again and sets the light to warn you about a problem. Things like this are just too complex without the proper tools and training.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

I have 2001 Dodge Dakota 4.7L Club Cab. The last snow we had I went to use 4 wheel drive and got some grinding from the forward differential. I went to the first garage I could find put it on a lift and checked the fluid. It was about 1/2 quart low.

After adding fluid, the grinding stopped but now there is a squeal almost like a loose belt. I can’t tell if its coming from the transfer case or the forward differential. Have you had this experience before, or does it even make sense?

The squeal occurs loudly under acceleration, not so much when cruising and then comes back slowing and braking. Any thought would be appreciated. Thanks, Tim

Howdy Tim

I am afraid you got me on that one….without listening to it myself. Are you sure this noise is not coming from the fan belt? Maybe you can take the belt off and see if the noise goes away…sometimes locating and pinpointing noises can be tricky! The belt would also squeal louder under heavy acceleration. You might want to at least rule that out before you went any farther.

You might also want to post this on my free car forum board to see if anyone has experienced this issue before.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

I have a 2000 Dodge Intrepid and have owned it 3.5 years. It seems i am always fixing a fron end issue.

I have replaced the tire rod ends, struts, strut bearings and rotors…i can’t seem to find the problem.

I initially heard a “crunching” type noise when I turned the wheel. I replaced the struts then while driving down the street, one of my strut bearing snapped, so i replaced both strut bearings,,,i continued to hear a rattling sound from the passenger side. I deal with that for a while and now another problem. We recently had a bad snow storm and the car got stuck when getting out the end of driveway, now when i’m on the highway i have an incredible vibration so that if you hum loundy you have the sound of yelling through a fan that is on. it feels like its in the front end. Could something have snapped in the front end because of being stuck in the snow and the tires spinning to get it out? it almost feels like the tires do not have constant contact with the road.

I’m sorry I’ve written an book but i’m very frustrated with the front end problems i’m having.
I hope you can give me an idea of what to look at.

Thanks,
Carrie

Hi there Carrie,

I would have a mechanic look under the vehicle and see if the plastic splash shield under the engine and around the tires might have torn loose and is rubbing on the tires. If you don’t see anything rubbing on the tires, make sure that the tires are still in good shape and a piece of the tread has not torn off and is causing the noise you hear.

Your previous rattle noise could be due to a worn out strut mount, or a stabilizer rubber mount that has deteriorated and is causing the stabilizer link to come in contact with the body of the vehicle. I would look at all the front end parts to see if there is a shinny spot on the metal where it has come in contact with another metal object….to produce the rattle.

Keep me posted as to what you find out please.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Hi Austin,

Thank you for your reply, I did bring the car in and have the tires rebalanced and rotated, that helped the shaking problem on the highway for 2 days, we recently had another storm and again this morning the shaking again. I did speak to a mechanic here in town, he thinks it ice getting stuck on the front mechanic parts.

The rattle noise thing started when we installed a new strut mount, the only thing I can think is maybe I damanged the strut when it snapped in the first place ( the mount) I will let you know what happens, I will bring it to the local shop next week after the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

Thanks for the follow up Carrie

If the rotate and balanced help the vibration, but has returned with the new snow storm…..I wonder if ice is forming on the tires between the tread. If so, this could be dangerous as the tire is basically “slick”. The added weight on the tire from the ice will cause the tire to be out of balance.

You should be able to run warm water on the tires to melt of the ice that has accumulated on them….if that in deed is what is happening. If this is what is happening, you should look into installing snow tires or tires that will channel away the ice/snow better than what you currently have.

Have a great holiday as well

Blessings,
Austin Davis