My 2001 Dodge Dakota has been a great truck and I have not had a single problem with it with the exception of an O2 sensor. I don’t drive it too much, but the last time I had it out, it was a bit embarrasing. It started as a very short honk as I was taking off from a parking lot. I thought I hit the alarm button on the key fob and thought nothing of it.
I drove the truck around town quite a bit that day and over the course of the day, the honking became more and more frequent. It is very random and is always short bursts, the duration of setting the alarm or shorter.
Anyone have any clues on why this would happen? I really got screwed the last time I took the truck to the dealer, so I would like to take it to a small shop and be ready with some suggestions. Thanks
Find And Check The Honking Horn Relay.
The problem could be coming from the honking steering wheel/steeringcolumn area if that’s not it. Is it more likely to honk while turning the wheel?
CSA
Do You Have A Manual Transmission?
Read on.
Automatic? Forget about this advice.
Many 2001 Dakotas with manual transmissions are subject to a recall to repair or replace a “chafing” dashboard wiring harness that causes problems, not limited to, but including horn honking.
A VIN (vehicle identification number) and a call to a dealer (They have records of outstanding vehicles awaiting recalls.) could be the first step to getting it fixed, possibly for free.
CSA
CSA, thanks a ton. It actually is a manual transmission. I’ll check with the local dealer to see if my truck is on the list. I’ve had a couple recalls dealt with, but don’t recall this one.
Regarding the steering wheel column, at the end of the day the honking happened even at rest. Imagine sitting at a stop light and the guy behind you is repeatedly tapping his horn. Also, I forgot to add in the initial description that this even occurs for a short while after the truck is stopped and turned off, but I believe it stopped after I locked the car with the key fob.