i'm thinking about buying a fully loaded 1999 dakota 4x4 with 81,000 miles with the magnumV8. are these pretty reliable trucks & is there something special i shoud be checking for. also, i'm guessing with the V8, i should get about 12 miles per gallon. other than power, is there much difference between the V8 & the 6 cyl? i know it depends on how i drive but would that be a rough estimate? thanks for any input you can provide.
the v6 will not save you any at the pump
I have a 2001 dak with v-8 and auto.. great truck..
The v-8 is supposed to get you a little over 1 mpg better mileage, but IMO it's going to be working too hard and might get worse mpg under load or on grades than the v-8.. Mac
I had a 93 with the V6, and got 20-22 m.p.g. It was a 5 speed and 2 wheel drive. Both engines are known for having intake manifold plenum gasket problems.
========== ========== Lee, I second the "beware the tranny" reply.
If it's an automatic, make sure you pay close attention to how the shifts feel to "you". Make sure you're allowed to carry this thing on a fairly good road trip to be sure it still shifts okay once it's hot.
If you get to the point of maybe seriously comitting to the purchase, spend the money to have a "pan drop" done on the tranny, so you can see for yourself if there's anything suspect going on, even if the truck shifts fine.
The automatics in these things take a large amount of abuse and wear, but still shift okay......all the way up to the point of being fubarred. A lot of times you'll have no symptoms, signs, or warning that a problem exists.......untill it's too late. But, a quick look inside the pan, a sniff of the fluid, and you'll have a good idea of how well maintained the unit is.
These trannies tend to hold up good "IF" they're serviced frequently. The ones we're building tend to be "road hard and put up wet". (lack of services, and towing make a bad combination)
any whoooo... jest some insight.
~:~ MarshMonster ~tranny tech~
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