Changing spark plugs 2000 Dakota

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I got a 2000 Dakota with the 4.7 V8 motor. When I bought the truck from my nephew, he told me, you should change the spark plugs. Well I looked at the motor yesterday. I dont see any spark plugs or wires for the matter. One thing I did notice was they really pack the engine bay full of stuff very tight. Maybe I should take it back to my nephew, with plugs in hand and say here you go, have at it. Strange looking V8, but its runs strong, 4x4, auto trans, Quad cab SLT

2

Poster Boy (For What ?), Probably The Reason Your Nephew Told You To Change The Plugs Is Because When He Looked Under The Hood He Didn’t " . . . See Any Spark Plugs Or Wires For The Matter."

I’d have a pro do it. If you know of one who’ll let you watch and learn that would be even beter.

CSA

3

The 4.7L V8 is an overhead cam engine with coil-on-plug ignition. You remove each individual coil pack and the plugs are underneath. They are on top of the engine and go straight down into it. They are actually quite easy to get to on this vehicle, if I remember correctly.

4

I dunno man, if it looks like this one there’s a whol lot of stuff in the way.

5

Once the snorkel and resonator box are off, it’s pretty straightforward. The only thing that throws off most people is the nontraditional location of the spark plugs. The design is the same as the engines in the F150 and Mustang, and very similar the the 427 Cammer of the '60s. It’s not as bad as it looks. It’s actually harder on an F150.

6

This is simple:

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pay someone else to do it for you.

Also, there are car and truck forums out there for just about every vehicle in the US market.
If you search for one of these, you are almost certain to find one that has a step by step set of instructions that includes pictures, so that you will be able to locate the spark plug coil sticks and the spark plugs that are hidden below, and know how to change them.

So, two choices:

Do some research on the internet;
Pay someone else.

Good luck.

BC.

7

That’s good to hear…for the OP’s sake. It didn’t look like ready access from this photo.

8

Thanks, I see my nephew today Ill get the manual he said I could have when I bought the truck. I think he was having fun with me (like go get me a bucket of steam) Im glad there on top of the motor because that is one tight engine compartment. It had a 3" duel exhaust system on it, muffler was blown out, man that thing was loud. So he replaced it with a stock exhaust system,one I could live with. The trucks in great shape with 115k miles on it, I use it to pull a trailer and it does that with ease. Thanks again.