Motter
New Member
I this is a Jeep Liberty forum, but my 2005 Dodge Dakota has the same engine, so I thought I might ask here.
My 2005 Dodge Dakota (3.7L V6) has been acting up the last few months. At first I was getting no symptoms except a check engine light. The code read random misfires, and I was told by the Autozone employee who read the code that it was probably bad gasoline and it would go away. Well it did, for a few weeks. Eventually I kept getting recurring check engine lights (same code), and I noticed the engine would shake while idling. A different Autozone employee suggested spark plugs. I replaced the spark plugs, and thought I had sorted out the problem. Within a week, the engine light was back and the engine continued shaking at idle.
A new problem developed. In addition to the shaking idle, the vehicle does something that is difficult to describe. The first time I start it on a given day, the engine will shake at idle, and for the first several blocks the engine will not rev above ~1000 RPM, not matter how far I depress the gas pedal. The check engine light then blinks for a while, and within a mile, something changes, and the engine seems to work fine. After this happens it does not shake or have throttle problems for the rest of the day, but it will begin again the next day.
I took the car to a mechanic recommended by my coworkers (I'm in a new city). He had it for four days, told me that my alternator was nearly dead, and replaced the alternator. He told me that the misfire was not related to this, and that he could not replicate the symptoms I described. He charged me for the alternator replacement, but did not charge me any diagnostic fees for the misfire, because he could not find the problem. He suggested it may be bad coils, but he said he didn't want to charge me for coils unless he could identify that as the problem.
When I got the car home, I remembered that one of the coils had had an orangered rust-colored stain on it when I had replaced the spark plugs weeks earlier. I replaced that coil but this did not fix the problem. My father suggested that I may have intake or fuel injector problems, so I took apart the intake and cleaned the throttle body. The valve did not appear dirty, but I cleaned it up anyway. I also put fuel injector cleaner into the gas tank. The problems remain, and I'm a bit lost as to how to proceed.
I won't be near the vehicle for about another week, as I am still home for the holidays, but I thought I'd throw this on here to see if I can get a response before I go back to see the vehicle.
My 2005 Dodge Dakota (3.7L V6) has been acting up the last few months. At first I was getting no symptoms except a check engine light. The code read random misfires, and I was told by the Autozone employee who read the code that it was probably bad gasoline and it would go away. Well it did, for a few weeks. Eventually I kept getting recurring check engine lights (same code), and I noticed the engine would shake while idling. A different Autozone employee suggested spark plugs. I replaced the spark plugs, and thought I had sorted out the problem. Within a week, the engine light was back and the engine continued shaking at idle.
A new problem developed. In addition to the shaking idle, the vehicle does something that is difficult to describe. The first time I start it on a given day, the engine will shake at idle, and for the first several blocks the engine will not rev above ~1000 RPM, not matter how far I depress the gas pedal. The check engine light then blinks for a while, and within a mile, something changes, and the engine seems to work fine. After this happens it does not shake or have throttle problems for the rest of the day, but it will begin again the next day.
I took the car to a mechanic recommended by my coworkers (I'm in a new city). He had it for four days, told me that my alternator was nearly dead, and replaced the alternator. He told me that the misfire was not related to this, and that he could not replicate the symptoms I described. He charged me for the alternator replacement, but did not charge me any diagnostic fees for the misfire, because he could not find the problem. He suggested it may be bad coils, but he said he didn't want to charge me for coils unless he could identify that as the problem.
When I got the car home, I remembered that one of the coils had had an orangered rust-colored stain on it when I had replaced the spark plugs weeks earlier. I replaced that coil but this did not fix the problem. My father suggested that I may have intake or fuel injector problems, so I took apart the intake and cleaned the throttle body. The valve did not appear dirty, but I cleaned it up anyway. I also put fuel injector cleaner into the gas tank. The problems remain, and I'm a bit lost as to how to proceed.
I won't be near the vehicle for about another week, as I am still home for the holidays, but I thought I'd throw this on here to see if I can get a response before I go back to see the vehicle.
