Speaking of old trucks.....

Donald Lehman · Dec 14, 2015

My Dakota won't pass inspection. The converter won't pass. Have dumped three cans of the "cat" juice through the tank over the last couple of weeks. Almost had it back to passing and the miserable thing started skipping again. Sounds like another valve lifter...................So it's loading the converter up with unburned fuel again. It's a good thing my wife and I refuse to go into debt for Christmas. By the time I get this piece of dog crap fixed it will take me til July to pay off the credit card. And no I can't afford to pay $18,000 to $20,000 for a used truck with 70,000 miles on it to replace this one, so I have to fix it.

About one more round of this and I'm gonna drive it out behind the barn, dump ten gallons of diesel fuel over it and light it off anyway. Lol!

This thing hasn't been the worst truck I have owned, but it's sure a close second. The ironic part is that the best pickup I've ever owned was also a Dakota.

dhermesc · Dec 14, 2015

I'm on my 4th 3.7 engine in a Dodge product with less than 100K miles. Never again.

buickanddeere · Dec 14, 2015

That is why it's cheaper to drive new vehicles that are still under warranty .

MN Scott · Dec 14, 2015

Maybe cheaper to drive with no repair costs but you gotta come up with that initial 50 to 70K to get one in your garage and most warranty's only last 3 years.

CenTex Farmall · Dec 14, 2015

I disagree with you. It's far cheaper for me at least. Numbers do not lie.

MarkB_MI · Dec 14, 2015

Hmm. What state is this in, how old is the vehicle and how many miles? Most states with emissions inspections put a limit on how much you have to spend to pass the emissions test.

Part Time Pete · Dec 14, 2015

Old trucks can be a pain, but I'll live with the $1,000 maintenance cost per year on my 86 F-350, vs. $6,000/ year payments and an extra $2,000/year insurance

rrlund · Dec 14, 2015

I almost said 60 years of living and I never had a Chrysler product,but I had that Dodge grain truck in a previous life as a grain farmer. It went down the road the same time the combine went when I decided the only way to make a living farming was with livestock. It all just seems like a bad dream now.

Ellis Kinney · Dec 14, 2015

I have driven the same Ford F 100 for the last 35 years. Bought it new. I am on my 3rd 300 inch 6 cylinder and almost 600 k miles. I have replaced every moving part on the truck at least once. But I think I am ahead in dollars. Also, my taxes on this truck are $40.00/year, and insurance is less. Ellis

Married2Allis · Dec 14, 2015

It's a pain to keep older vehicles going. My'02 Dakota cat (had just one, yours may have two) was going bad so I faked out the powertrain module by returning the normal voltage back so it thought the cat was fine. Instructions are on the web in the Dakota forums.

Bret4207 · Dec 14, 2015

(quoted from post at 12:38:35 12/14/15) Hmm. What state is this in, how old is the vehicle and how many miles? Most states with emissions inspections put a limit on how much you have to spend to pass the emissions test.

He's in NY. They say that after you spend $500.00 they will pass it, but my mechanic who does a LOT of inspections has seen exactly one car they did that with and the lady spent over $2800.00 according to him. In know I put over $1K in an F150, still couldn't get it to pass and there was no way he could do anything about it. So now I drive an pre 97 vehicle which doesn't have to pass an emissions test and my 97 vehicle is over 8500lbs GVWR and doesn't have to pass them either.

Bret4207 · Dec 14, 2015

(quoted from post at 12:13:52 12/14/15)
That is why it's cheaper to drive new vehicles that are still under warranty .

Right. So having a monthly payment of somewhere between $300 and 1500.00 vs either driving an older vehicle and repairing it once in a while or buying a pre emissions vehicle (pre-97 in my state) is going to be cheaper how? I haven't had a car payment since 1995 and I don't intend to ever have another. Yeah, stinks when I have to fix it, but I'm tens of thousands of dollars ahead over the long run. To buy a new truck like I have would run upwards of $50K. I paid $4K, cash.

Brent Zappe · Dec 14, 2015

Hey Bret I have an Dodge dakota here in the back yard. The person that owns it can not get the truck to run. Hes had the computer brain checked and it is good. They have now told him there might be a short some where in the truck. He was talking to me about selling it as is. I live here in Riverside Ca are you any where close to me? Do you need or want another dodge may I ask..If you want a picture of it just let me know okay Brent.

gab · Dec 14, 2015

Just walking down the street back in the 60s, hearing one of those Chrysler reduction starters screaming was enough to turn me off for 50 years, never had anything but GM, the only two dogs were a 92 olds and 97 GMC Jimmy.

Married2Allis · Dec 14, 2015

Funny, I always liked the sound of the Mopar starters compared to the GM Delcos. Sounded good before the rumble of a 426 hemi, which sounded even better.

Pair-a-dice farm · Dec 14, 2015

(quoted from post at 11:13:52 12/14/15)
That is why it's cheaper to drive new vehicles that are still under warranty .

That's a laugh. I used to only buy trucks that were 8 years old with 100K on them. I always got along fine with few repairs. My last 2 trucks I bought new. Never again even if I could afford one. Sales tax alone will more than buy a new motor, Having a $5-6000 a year payment is a deal breaker. Somebody has to buy new in order for me to buy used but there is a fool born every minute.

daisyman · Dec 14, 2015

I guess it depends on the usage. I bought a 97 Ford F250 with a 4.6, 2WD a year ago last summer. 95K miles. Nobody wants a 2 wheel drive, so $4000. It'll do!!

w1ebb · Dec 14, 2015

I have a 1962 GMC short bed stepside 1/2 ton pickup truck with the original 305 V6 and 4 speed with granny gear. I am its 3rd owner. The original owner drove it daily and took really good care of it. Its second owner drove it to Caldwell Parish Louisiana from El Paso in 2005. He had plans to really do it up but got really sick and sold it. I bought it from him 5 years ago.
Its had several belts, several batteries, several sets of brake shoes, drums, and wheel cylinders, and several sets of tires replaced according to the original owner. My wife and I drive it to McDonalds on Saturday nights, to church on Sunday evenings, and ride the grandkids in it on pretty days to scare the daylights out of them!
I haven't driven it in two weeks because it now needs a new brake master cylinder!
My wife's daily driver is a 99 Yukon at 195K miles and my vehicle is an 07 GMC Sierra Classic with 150K miles. We love the old truck with its original tube(but retubed by me) radio!!!

Scott

dhermesc · Dec 14, 2015

Nice looking pickup. Those 4.6s will run a long time.

Bruce from Can. · Dec 14, 2015

I have had a lot of different trucks , GM, Ford and Dodge, we even have a Nissan now. They all have good ones and lemons. I right now have a Ford , F800 A GMC livestock truck , a 2012 nissan Frontier and a 2015 Dodge 1/2 ton. All of these trucks preform as they should , and are very little trouble. I will buy any kind of truck if it is priced right . I own no shares in any auto company , so feel no brand loyalty . When possible , I prefer to buy new, and those who think it is better to buy used , well every one who buys new is counting on you. Of course have boys like I do, you don't have to worry about wearing them out , boys will kill them for me .

L.Fure · Dec 14, 2015

(quoted from post at 16:22:08 12/14/15) Maybe cheaper to drive with no repair costs but you gotta come up with that initial 50 to 70K to get one in your garage and most warranty's only last 3 years.

There are a few people out there that can buy a new truck and only make one payment, the purchase price.

farmer boy · Dec 14, 2015

Show me the math. I don't believe you.

Areo · Dec 14, 2015

How much do you drive that truck? I that problem for a number of years.
Then one year by pure coincidence I made a 60 mile each way trip just
before getting it checked. Passed, no problem. They always say to you to warm
it up good,but never say anything about taking a long trip to clear things
out.

Andy Martin · Dec 14, 2015

I've trained several young engineers (who could buy new), to buy used. They get to talking about needing a new vehicle, maintenance is eating them up. So I tell them if you want to just spend the money, go ahead, but if you think it is an economic decision, pick out your new one, figure out the payments, and start putting that in a separate account. Any repairs comes out of that account. Within a year there is always a lot of money in the account. Repairs don't come as often as you think, but the monthly payment sure does. Company vehicles are a different thing, downtime can be very costly. Used vehicles are cheaper but there will be some down time.

jimg.allentown · Dec 15, 2015

It sounds to me like you need to spend a little time to get it straightened out and running right. As long as you have a miss (skipping did you say?), it will trigger a misfire code. Cat code is P0420 and P0430.
I don't know much about "cat juice," but sounds to me like the "mechanic in a can" thing.

On average, of the several cats I have had to replace, cost runs from about $300 to $600 - or about a month's payment on a new truck. It might be worth it to spend a bit of time and money to get it fixed up to last a few more years.

bobs old iron · Dec 15, 2015

if you know some one with a welder, i would/have takes the guts out of it and weld back together, emmisson places won't know the difference if they look under to see if it's there. make sure it isn't the o2 sencer sending false singals to fuel computor making extra fuel to over load engine...my $02

Blackhole49 · Dec 15, 2015

It took 4 to figure that out? Now that's persistence.

Speaking of old trucks.....

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads