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My New(Used) 2004 Dodge Durango SLT!

19K views 253 replies 5 participants last post by  Ronbo 
#1 ·
Just picked up this clunker today.

A high mileage 2004 Dodge Durango SLT. 4.7L V8. A little over 170K miles. Runs great.

Leather, OTIS, 2WD, Class III Tow Hitch, 3 Row Seating and Front/Rear A/C and Heat.

Gets almost as good Highway Mileage as my 2002 300M Special !







 
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#2 ·
Interesting that it came with Steel Wheels and Wheel covers as it's a more "Upscale" trim level SLT. Needs a replacement tire for the Drivers Rear.

Interior is OK. Carpet stains. Leather is good. No NAV. An easy add-in.

Exhaust leak on passenger side. Most likely broken manifold bolts/studs which apparently are common on the 4.7L. First order of business.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Titled, Insured, Registered and new Tag today. Got a Spiffy Veteran Tag at no extra charge.......



Taxes and Fees totalled $88.83
 
#4 ·
New Mopar Exhaust Manifold, Gasket and Bolts/Studs ordered from RockAuto for the Exhaust repair.

Probably won't need the Manifold but figured I would order it to have in case it was cracked. It was under $100 so will be good to have around.
 
#5 ·
Insurance was about the same cost for Full Coverage as my 2002 Special. Figure I can do a lot more damage with the Durango!
 
#6 ·
New Fog Lights ordered. Drivers side Fog Lense is broken. Slowly pulling everything together to get this Puppy looking/running better!
 
#7 ·
Ron-Rango!!

Good, reliable vehicle overall really; moreso than the LH cars!

Nickel and dime crap for the most part; nothing serious. Those 4.7's will do well over 200k; good maintenance is a must....
 
#8 ·
Will maintain 4.7l engines for beer!

First up is an oil/filter change to synthetic oil. Coolant change. Check hoses etc.

It runs good right now and I intend to keep it that way. Actually runs well for a $1500 ruck with 170k+ miles.
 
#9 ·
It's surprising how well it rides on the Highway and City driving. Guess I'm so used to getting beat up with the Special suspension. It has the Heavy Duty suspension according to the Build Sheet I downloaded. It does have the "Floaty" ride of a Body on Frame truck. Similar to my old Ram 1500.
 
#10 ·
27 gallon fuel tank. I should be able to cruise for well over 500 miles on the highway!
 
#11 ·
Will pick up a couple of new tires for the rear later this week. Haven't decided whether Firestone or Goodyear. The driver rear is the spare in the picture.
 
#12 ·
Now i finally have something with enough cargo space to get the harbor Freight Tool Cart I've been lusting after for years!

 
#13 ·
Fleabay OEM style Fog lights for a whopping $29.25/pair.

 
#16 · (Edited)
Front Air Dam has a large chunk of plastic missing from the center. Retails for $120..can get one for around $92 online but they want $55 to ship! WTF?

Guess that'll be a local dealer item. Even paying tax it'll be less than buying online!

 
#17 ·
Score! Found a new OEM Front Air Dam from a Dealer on Ebay. $105.45 with free shipping. Much cheaper than buying from a local dealer or the usual assortment of online wholesale dealers with their high retarded shipping!
 
#18 ·
When I'm done with getting replacement parts, maintenance items, and consumables I'll be at the $2000 price point. Still not bad for an decent SUV.
 
#19 ·
Just got a message from the Ebay Seller for the Air Dam that cancelled the order! WTF. Claims my ship to address had a problem. Well it's been the same for over 5 years and verified by Ebay and PayPal.

I suspect this Clown wasn't an actual dealer and didn't have the item!

Found another Seller that's an actual Dodge Dealer that has the air dam for a few $$ less. $103.25 shipped. We'll see how that goes.
 
#20 ·
Grrrr! Front Fascia has to come off to replace fog lights! And the Grille and Headlights need to come off to get the front fascia off! WTF?

And to replace the Air Dam ...same...Front Fascia has to come off. Guess I'll wait until the Air Dam gets here next week and replace the Fogs and Air Dam at the same time.
 
#21 ·
Got a UPS tracking # from the Georgia dealer so the replacement Front Air Dam is on the way.

Avoid the Ebay Seller "Worldpartshop" that tries to pass themselves off as an OEM dealer.
 
#22 ·
Bought a pair of Remote Key Fobs off Amazon for $15.95 and had them cut locally for $5.45 for a total of $21.30.

Now I just need to get them programmed for the RKE function. My SLT only came with RKE and not SKIS/SKREEM anti-theft. Only had one metal key without remote when I bought it. No Remotes.

A little research over on 'Rango forum showed 2004 Durangos built before May 2004 had issues with the WCM (Wireless Control Module) not being able to program additional key fobs. Have to get a new WCM. The WCM module in the Durango is the equivalent of the Sentry module in our LH cars. New WCM module is around $120 online then there's the Dealer programming.

Locksmith that cut the keys today said $30 to program both keys. Might have him try it in case the WCM has already been replaced. Still cheaper than the Stealership by far!

 
#23 ·
Think I can get by with removing the headlights only for the Front Bumper Fascia removal. The big thing on the fascia removal is several tabs that need to be released under the headlights and grille. I think I can get that accomplished by using a trim removal tool under the grille.

We'll see this weekend. Replacement Fog lights are already here and the Front Air Dam is due to be delivered tomorrow. Wish me luck!
 
#24 ·
I need to see if this heads Up Display I bought for the Magnum works in the Durango. Worked fine and fully functional in the Magnum. Only partial Functional in the Special. Connects to the OBD port.

It was only $60 and actually worked great in the Magnum.



Basically you set the panel on the dash and it reflects on the windshield.
 
#25 ·
Seemed to have no problems with the CAN bus but very limited functionality with the PCI Bus. Seller claimed it was just OBD-II compliant but obviously not!
 
#26 ·
Decided to check all the exterior lighting tonight and found the following were out:

Drivers Side H13 Headlight bulb
Drivers Side 3457AK Parking Light bulb
Drivers Side Fog Light bulb.

The Fog light was a given as the lense was broken and i already bought a pair of OEM type replacements with bulbs.

I bought these for headlight bulb replacements. We'll see how they do. Also bought the CAN Bus anti-Flicker kits just in case.

 
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