Dodge Dakota (1997-2011) firing order — diagram & guide
As a model that went through the highly competitive pickup truck market, the Dodge Dakota has remained a great all-around option for decades. It’s a car that always received positive remarks regarding the reliability of its engines, and it’s a convenient model for DIY enthusiasts to work on themselves.
If you are among these and you are experiencing any sort of engine-related issues, our guide on Dodge Dakota (1997-2011) firing order should help. We’ll give you all the instructions you need along with the firing order specs for each engine and cylinder layout accordingly.
| DAKOTA YEARS | ENGINE | FIRING ORDER |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Gen (1997-2004) | 2.5L | 1-3-4-2 |
| 3.9L V6 | 1-6-5-4-3-2 | |
| 5.2L V8 | 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 | |
| 5.9L V8 | 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 | |
| 4.7L V8 | 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 | |
| 3.7L V6 | 1-6-5-4-3-2 | |
| 3rd Gen (2005-2011) | 3.7L V6 | 1-6-5-4-3-2 |
| 4.7L V8 | 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 |
Second-generation Dodge Dakota (1997-2004) firing order
The second-gen Dakota model was powered by several different engine options, from the base four-cylinder engine to the V6s and V8 engines. It’s also the generation with the most diverse engine options, so we’ll go through the firing order of each.
Dodge Dakota 2.5L firing order
The Dodge Dakota 2.5L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and it’s the only four-cylinder engine offered for this pickup truck. It’s the AMC-based four-cylinder with the first engine cylinder being on the right side, which is not so often the case for engines with four cylinders.
Other cylinders from 1 to 4 spread toward the left side of the engine, so it’s always good to consider the unique configuration of this four-cylinder.
Dodge Dakota 3.9L firing order
The 3.9-liter is the first V6 engine offered for the Dakota and the firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2. The engine features a standard Dodge cylinder arrangement of that time since the first cylinder is on the driver’s side along with cylinders 3 and 5 front to rear.
On the other hand, you’ll find cylinders 2, 4, and 6 on the passenger’s side, so it’s easy to do the cylinder numbering for this V6.
Dodge Dakota 5.2L firing order
As the first V8 engine option for the Dakota, Dodge featured the 5.2-liter engine in the second-gen model. It proved to be one of the most reliable engine options, and this time the cylinders were divided into two cylinder banks, both containing four cylinders each.
The first cylinder is once again on the driver’s side, but now it is placed along cylinders 3, 5, and 7 front to rear. Passenger’s side cylinders are numbers 2, 4, 6, and 8 also ordered front to rear.
Dodge Dakota 5.9L firing order
The Dodge Dakota 5.9L firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 and this one was the largest V8 engine used in high-spec trims of the Dakota for higher towing power. Once again, the cylinders were ordered like for the 5.2-liter V8 engine.
So, the odd cylinder numbers 1, 3, 5, and 7 were on the driver’s side, with even cylinder numbers 2, 4, 6, and 8 being on the passenger’s side.
Dodge Dakota 4.7L firing order
As the final V8 engine option for the second-gen Dakota, we’ve got the 4.7L engine. The firing order for Dodge Dakota 4.7L is also 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 and the cylinder arrangement was once again the same as for the previous two V8 engine options.
Odd cylinder numbers from 1 to 7 are arranged on the driver’s side front to rear, while the passenger’s side even cylinder numbers are ordered front to rear also.
Dodge Dakota 3.7L firing order
Finally, we’ve got the 3.7-liter V6 engine used in the Dakota as the second V6 option besides the 3.9L engine. This time, the Dodge Dakota 3.7L firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2 and the cylinder arrangement once again matches the one of the 3.9-liter engine.
So, cylinder numbers 1, 3, and 5 are on the driver’s side, while cylinder numbers 2, 4, and 6 are on the passenger’s side ordered front to rear.
Third-generation Dodge Dakota (2005-2011) firing order
The third-gen Dakota came right after the generation model with the most engine options, and this time these were cut to just two remaining engines. The 3.7-liter V6 and the 4.7-liter V8 were the only available options, so Dodge ditched all the previous engines.
We’ve already discussed these two for the previous generation, so the Dodge Dakota 3.7L firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2, and the firing order for the 4.7-liter V8 is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. There were no new engines added for this generation, and it seized production in 2011, so you shouldn’t have an issue differentiating between the two options.
Our take
So, now you know all the firing orders for different Dodge Dakota engines, and you’ll have no trouble narrowing it down to your particular engine.
Using the firing order can greatly help with your maintenance and upkeep of the engine, so hopefully, our guide will help you keep it running smoothly.
