2002 Dodge Dakota

20

Asked by Beth Jun 21, 2015 at 10:30 PM about the 2002 Dodge Dakota

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

My truck I believe is bi-polar. My
windows won't roll down the dinger
won't stop dinging my windshield
wipers won't work and my service
4x4 light comes on. I reset the
computer and it's happy for a little
while then it starts all over. So my
question is does anyone have any
ideas I've taken it and had it put on
the computer but it's not showing
any errors. Any help would be greatly
appreciated

19 Answers

20

I'd like serious answers if I could hop in my truck and trade it in it wouldn't be for a Honda I'm parcel to my truck and plan on keeping it till the wheels fall off

2 people found this helpful.
945

Beth, I also have a 2002 Dak but have had zero problems with it. I will research the question and come back as soon as I locate a source that might help you. /r Martin

945

Beth, just a thought, you might also want to go on the Dakota Forum and tell them the problem. Also, do all of these problems happen at the same time, or at different times?

20

All at the same time when I reset the computer the service 4x4 light goes off and the windshield wipers work takes a few mins for the windows to work and the dinging to stop. I have also posted on the dodge forum waiting on a response and Ty for trying to be helpful

20

I pulled all the fuses just a few mins ago and fuse 17 and 23 aren't busted but the prongs looks like the have battery acid corrosion on them so going to pull the fuse panel out and clean out the corrosion before I put in new fuses but I really don't think that's all my issues

20

Ok scratch the fuses if I would have looked at the panel in the first place I would have known the 17 is the cigarette lighter and 23 I'm guessing is an extra fuse cause the panel is blank there

188,355

Your car is not bi-polar, its needs a new computer, resetting it is not going to do anything its about $300.00

20

That is what I thought but just spoke to a mechanic at the dodge company and he told me to check the wires in the doors that he has seen it a lot in the 02 dakotas where the wires aren't getting a good connection and that its causing my issues. He said that the windows and dinger is hard wired and doesn't run through the computer so crossing my fingers and going to work on her

945

If, by some chance, the wiring check does not do the job, check around and see if you can find a used computer from the same type of vehicle in a wrecking yard that may do the job for you. I am still looking for answers to your problems but thought that the computer seems to be the best answer so far. Please keep us posted as you go through the process. /r marten

1 people found this helpful.
20

Well I'm sitting here with the door to my truck in the living room and all wires are fine I started it up and the passenger window won't roll down still and the dinger still dinging with the driver door disconnected so I'm definitely thinking computer

20

Ok motor is out on passenger window now but all seems to be working ok since putting the door back on so keeping my fingers crossed that it just needed me to take it apart and put it back together if this isn't the case I'll go with wiring harness then computer all else fails I'm heading to the trading place I reckon

945

Beth, you are doing exactly the same thing your local mechanic would have to do unless he had the equipment that could isolate the problem and that stuff gets expensive. This about all you can do. Now, if you have a Chilton's Book for your truck, it should tell you how to turn off the chime, I did it in my Durango because the damn thing drove me nuts or you can look on line and possibly get pointers on how to do the job.

20

I just cut that but I just went over to the store and my windows did it again but everything else has been good and hasn't acted up at all so now I'm just wondering if I have a short somewhere because windshield wipers and my 4x4 light hasn't been and issues and by now it would have been

945

Beth, I found this note on another site that deals with Dodges. It might help with your problem. Also, there is a series of codes that you have to look up on the 'net that will allow you to turn off the chimes completely. Now this is what happened. I own a 2002 dakota 4WD 4.7L extended cab. Last sunday I came out from christmas shopping, hit my remote unlock and nothing happened. Unlocked the doors manually (that sucks) and got in to find that my service 4WD light was on. I get home and start pulling fuses but to no avail. Had to do some family stuff, come home and go to lock the truck and find that the interior lights, headlights, parking lights, intermittent wipers, nothing worked. So I get on the computer and start searching. I found some website saying that the automatic door locks are sometimes connected to a CTM or DMT. Search this and find dodge forums link, http://www.dodgeforum.com/m_320311/tm.htmthis points me to believe that the CTM or center timer module may be at fault. I call the dealer on Monday and drop the truck off on tuesday AM and explain all the symptoms and so on. They call me later that day and say it is the PDC or power distribution center which will cost me $2502 to fix. Yes that figure is correct. The PDC is the large fuse box under the hood that controls the entire truck and comes only with the complete wiring harness and costs $1400 for the part alone. Well needless to say I did not have them do this. I went and bought a Haynes Service Manual and started reading. After looking at the wiring diagrams the problem seemed clear. It was the CTM. I also need to thank user CNIII on this site as he had nearly the same problem in the link above and replied to my email with great information.My brother and I picked the truck up on Thursday, went home, and within 15 minutes knew it couldn't be the PDC because there was power to the headlamp switch and the other items. After about an hour of probing, testing and retesting we came to the conclusion that it had to be the CTM. We decided to take a run to Collis Trucks (Allentown, Pa) andsee if they had a used module. They had one from a 2001 dakota 4.7L. $50 took it home with a handshake and guarantee that if it did not work I would get my money back. Got home, plugged in the 3 proms and voila everything worked again with the exception of the key fob which needs to be programmed to this module by a dealer. So a problem that would have cost me $2500 dollars at SCOTT Chrysler and not even fix the problem really cost me $70 ($50 part, $20 service manual) and some time. Needless to say I will never take another vehicle back there again. I am posting this so someone with the same symptoms will know where to look. Now be careful anytime you deal with electrical items on new vehicles be careful to disconnect the battery and avoid electrical charges or static. In my case It was this or throw a boat load of money down the drain, so we took our chances. It would be great to help prevent any similar horror stories. Be careful when using the service department at SCOTT Chrysler in Allentown, Pa.

3 people found this helpful.
Best Answer Mark helpful
945

Beth, here's another note I found on line that may be part of the problem. You might want to check out the CTM before you junk the whole thing. /r marten Cleanliness is next to Godliness!! I removed My Malfunctioning 2002 Dodge Durango CTM unit from the Drivers side Kick Panel, and removed the unit from it's case...Inspected it thoroughly, and found green corrosion on some of the chip-set terminals. I mixed a small amount of Baking soda, and water...w/small med bristle brush, proceeded to clean the corroded terminals, rinsing in the same manner, making sure to blow dry w clean compressed air to dry. I then replaced the unit back in it's case, installed it back where it came from, plugged the connections back in to the proper sockets, and Hallelujah..... Head lamps dash/dome/tail lamps, Door locks, key less entry, The whole 9 yards. So before you give up on the CTM unit give it a thorough inspection and see if that might just be your problem. Or you can just spend big bucks on a new one, and labor to boot :-)

2 people found this helpful.
20

Thank you for all your help I can never tell you in a post how much I appreciate all the research you have done and how much you have helped me I'll be sure to check out the CTM and call a local junk yard and get it and get my truck running right again I'd rather spend the $50 or a $100 before I go spending big money. Again thanks for everything going to get to work on looking around at junk yards tomorrow and I'll post on here as soon as I find out if this has fixed my issues

20

The only thing I see different from thee post then from my truck is keyless entry which I do not have

945

Just clean the present CTM very carefully, replace it and see if that does the trick before even spending the $50-100 on one from a wrecking yard. The terminals may just need a good cleaning. And, if you fail to find one in a local wrecking yard, you may be able to pick one up on line from someone parting out 2000-2003 Dakota. Just make certain that if it does not work, you can return it and get your money back. Oh yeah, you should copy this exchange down and put it in a folder on your computer in case some else has this problem. Then you can trot out the answers. Good Luck. /r Marten

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