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1994 Dakota 2wd 3.9L
As far as I know the diagnostic machine at the service shop is limited to reading codes and seeing the PCM’s readings of other values in the running engine and on some possibly being able to change factors that affect those readings.
Nothing in my understanding of how such tools work says that just hooking the vehicle up and reading the results will lead to exact diagnosis.
How do I evaluate the assertion by a service guy who made his living working for Chrysler before he opened a shop when he says emphatically that my problem is not what I think it is (transmission) and that he will tell me “exactly” what is wrong by hooking it up to his machine?
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Here is a link to pull the codes. Post them here and we will help
from there. 🙂I had an earlier thread about my RPM’s in which I was trying to figure out why they are so low. http://www.ericthecarguy.com/kunena/8-Service-and-Repair-Questions-Answered-Here/52434-why-are-my-rpm-s-so-low-even-under-load
I have no codes per my own checking and the dealer checked them when looking to see if there were any flash updates for it that might explain the problem. NO Charge on that one BTW since they found nothing to update.
I had the idea to switch to a manual transmission for a while and I was talking to a recycler about getting one and he said it was too much effort and money to change the wiring and PCM to do it unless I really loved the truck and asked me why. I told him about the RPM’s and what I have done since owning it. He is the stranger who suggested I talk to the service guy he described as “Chrysler line mechanic for years” whom I am asking about in this thread. Which leads me to my question about how to determine if the guy is hyping himself to get me in the shop, which is my take, or is it possible to do what he all but explicitly guarantee’s he will do which is diagnose my problem exactly by hooking it up and reading the readings.Issues
RPM’s stay low and drop fast if I punch it.
Jumps when I start especially once it is warmed up.
When I put it in Reverse there is a kind of delayed reaction and the motor seems like if is revving without going into gear then it is in gear. If I were to gas it it would jump that way too.I have had the oil changed twice since purchased September 2013. 139K miles. The first time improved it a lot. The second time the AAMCO guy was supposed to be adjusting the TV cable and the bands. I noticed no changes after that AAMCO service and the TV cable was where it had always been. In fact I adjusted it myself (away from the TB) afterward and improved it.
Maybe I am being too verbose and confusing the issue.
I want to know; Is it legitimate for the service man to assert as if it were absolute fact that hooking my truck up to his diagnostic machine will produce the diagnosis that I am missing to solve the running issues I have?I would love it to be true but can’t afford to buy this guy a boat just so he can fiddle with things that can be improved but won’t actually fix the main problem, response and reliability of power delivery to the wheels issues this truck has.
From what I’ve seen electronic aided diagnostics are not fool proof. They can help point you down the right road (or even sometimes lead you down the wrong path if you’re the type who just likes to throw parts at codes) but are not an exact diagnosis. For instance a code could point to an issue with a transmission solenoid but it doesn’t tell you if it’s maybe a wiring problem or a bad solenoid. So while they can help you still have to have critical thinking and diagnostic skills.
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