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Dodge Ram: Problems & Solutions

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    larry29larry29 Member Posts: 2
    ok thanks, I'll try that
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    dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    No, your RAM is not typical for either the number of problems and the specific problems.

    The continued inordinate problems with the fuel system indicate the root cause hasn't been addressed or you are having a parts/assembly quality issue. What type of fuel are you using? Have you ever dropped to fuel tank, inspected and/or flushed it? Have you check for pinched fuel lines? Was the inlet screen on the fuel pump replaced along with the pump itself? What brand of replacement parts have been used. Lastly, who is doing the work for you?

    Constant U-joint problems can be attributed to how the vehicle is driven. Poor quality parts or not being lubricated properly can cause premature failure, especially if the vehicle is driven through standing water.

    We sort of need more information in order to offer a more helpful opinion.

    As far as a replacement, if I where going to go diesel the selection for me would definitely be Dodge. Neither the PowerStroke or the Duramax are equal in any way to the Cummins, IMO.

    Best regards,
    Dusty
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    chiefusn1chiefusn1 Member Posts: 1
    I was on the highway going to work this morning when all of a sudden my truck jerks, loses power, check engine light comes on for a second then regains power. It did that to me 3 or 4 times. Yesterday I came to a complete stop and my oil gage goes down to zero then back up again with the oil light comming on. Any ideas, thanks
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    kaufmankaufman Member Posts: 2
    I do use my truck fairly frequently. I sometimes pull my 97 35ft triple slide holiday rambler.....I haul on average forty bails of hay on the bed.....We live at 7000 feet above see level and the last mile or so of the road is 12 percent. Sometimes its fourwheeling in the snow to get home and sometimes its fourwheeling in the mud.....
    Any way,.....I am a mechanic of sorts......more of a fabracator....I know the limits as far as driving goes.....I also drive comercial vehicles.....I drill wells for a living....

    The Local Dodge dealer ship is the one who does all the warranty work....Injector pump turbo etc... I do the U joints. for a reason. On the third set of Joints I took it for warranty and they tried to tell me they were fine that all I needed was a complete 400$ brake job. I asked if that didnt fix the vibration would they give me my monney back? of course not...needless to say I put the joints in and the vibration was fixed and I drove on those brakes till 92000 miles....

    I dont know what causes the u joint failure. they have grease fittings and I grease them every 2500 miles when I change the oil....when they go the needle bearings seem to just turn to a greasy paste. No rust or anything....

    I sure love the way it handles though. Thank you for your support.
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    bunkeebunkee Member Posts: 3
    My Auxiliary Electrical Outlet (AEO) does not have power. Looked at Owner's Manual for fuse location and it doesn't say. Check all fuses and none blown. Does the AEO have an inline fuse? If so, where is it? If not, what is the fuse location or what can I do to get power to it?

    bunkee
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    dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Yes, it is fused. Unfortunately I don't have a RAM manual at my disposal so I can't tell you which one/

    Best regards,
    \Dusty
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    sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Maybe you shouldn't grease the U-joints as often. Sometimes you can overgrease these things and ruin the seals, which would turn them into a greasy paste mess. My '01 Cummins rig probably hasn't had the u-joints greased more than a dozen times in 180k miles and I've not had any problems with them. This truck pulls 7,000#-10,000# constantly. If there's some other problem causing the u-joints to crash, I don't think not greasing them would make much of a difference considering you're not getting any miles out of them when you ARE greasing them.

    The lift pump was replaced fairly early on (i had a Cummins part installed which was supposed to be better than what came with the Dodge's) and I had front bearings replaced at 80k miles. Swapped the pads at the same time even though they were still pretty good. I'm still on the second set of pads. Beyond tires only lasting about 35k miles, It's been a great truck.

    I also have an '03 and had a bad u-joint at 70k miles. The dealer replaced it under the factory powertrain warranty and he thought it was a fluke. He says they have several dozen high-mileage '03's they service and that's the first u-joint. In fact, that's the first repair and this rig pulls 15,000# constantly.

    I'm not sure I would trust your dealer at this point, when you have repetitive repairs it either means things aren't being fixed right or they're using low-quality parts. Once the warranty is up, get it fixed right. Or do it before the warranty is up and eat the cost. I recently had a problem with my Silverado where two dealers couldn't get the rear doors from rattling/squeaking. I ponied up the cash and had a well-known body shop look at it and they had it adjusted and fixed in no time.

    I just happen to have a very good Dodge dealer nearby, but generally I don't find dealerships to be all that great. The GM/Chevy dealers here are pretty bad, as is the Toyota shop. Last Ford I had was a lemon so I avoid them until they build something I can't live without. Good luck!
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    bunkeebunkee Member Posts: 3
    Thank you /Dusty! I looked in the manual that came with the truck and it just isn't in there. Do you think Dodge made a mistake? I'm hoping someone out there knows what fuse it is. If I knew, I could to a check because I looked at all the fuses and none were blown. So it that's the case, then I must have a short and can't really check it without knowing which fuse it is.
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    bunkeebunkee Member Posts: 3
    Thank you \Dusty. I figured it was fused. Is it inline or through the fuse box. Hope someone knows what fuse box and location it is so I can check the line because not one fuse is blown in both fuse boxes. Go figure! I have the manual and it doesn't show it.

    Bunkee
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    dodgewhat04dodgewhat04 Member Posts: 2
    I am having a reoccuring issue with the check engine light coming on. I have taken to dealer 4 different times. Dealer said they have replaced all 4 O2 Sensors and Computer. A Dodge Field Service Tech was brought in and issue still occurs. Happened at 6500, 7087,7782,15500 miles. If you are having this issue please file a complaint so a recall can be started to resolve. :mad:
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    dodgewhat04dodgewhat04 Member Posts: 2
    :confuse: I have a Dodge 1400 Quad 4.7L. Auto When I am accelerating my RPM's drop and my engine gets sluggish at 45-50mph. Dealer says is normal. Anyone else experiance this?
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    cindimccscindimccs Member Posts: 1
    The bed of my 1995 Ram 1500 (Laramie SLT), and cab, are separating. The gap between them is getting worse and the bed shakes and it seems like I'm pulling a trailer behind me! I took it to the Dodge dealer for an estimate to fix it, and got estimates for a oil leaking rear differential among a couple of other things, but nothing at all on the problem I just described. It looks like there are bolts missing
    but the Dodge dealer didn't even hint to that. They seem to have no fix. Anyone have any ideas? I'm at a loss, but know it's getting worse. Any help would be appreciated.
    Thanks
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    dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Bunkee, remember there are two locations for fuses and relays. There is a Power Distribution Center that has a top cover. This houses fuses and relays. There is also a Junction Block that contains fuses, circuit breakers, and the horn and parking lamp relays. For Dakota the cigar lighter/power outlet fuse is number 17 and is a fifteen ampere fuse.

    I do not have a RAM manual, but I believe they use the same design as Dakota based on my foggy memory.

    Bests,
    Dusty
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    joejr66joejr66 Member Posts: 1
    :( My automatic gear shift lever occasionally sticks when trying to come out of park. Has anyone experienced or heard of this problem and solution? Dealership replaced transmission gear shift linkage cable, which they indicated was binding, but did not fix problem. 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 with 18,000 miles!
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    babyboy6790babyboy6790 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Ram 1500 . I am having a problem with it miss firing ,it has been in the shop 19 times since 03 . They have done just about everything you can think of but replace it . The truck has had a short block replacement , tuned three times ,various computer upgrades replacement but I still am having the same problem . i have about 40000 miles on it and it needs to go back in the shop for the 20 th time . :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
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    marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    Our 2004 Ram 1500 (3800 miles) will sometimes stick coming out of park, but I did not think there was a problem...it seems to me that the shift handle is not a loose fit, and so if I pull it at any angle but the proper angle, it will not shift out of park...as soon as I sit up straight and pull it directly toward me, then pull it down into gear, it shifts just fine...it is something I assume WILL loosen up after it is shifted a few 1000 times in and out of park...
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    davidmddavidmd Member Posts: 1
    i have a 95 ram with a 318. It has 130,000 miles on it,and has run great until the beginning of this month, when it started bucking on my way home eventually stalling out i cant find the problem it seems like its not getting fuel so i replaced the pump twice now with a top of the line pump and relay, i can hear the pump turning, still wouldn't go, the test port on the fuel rail had gas trickling out so i hot wired the relay straight from the battery and got a nice stream of gas from the test port on fuel rail, got it started as i depressed the gas, but shutdownit shutdown between 2000 4000 rpms it continues to do this. i found rust in fuel rails cleaned it out. i had the injectors spray tested and they all came out fine om stumped i have no clue of what it could be. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME
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    bigrorbigror Member Posts: 1
    The fuse for the AEO is located in the fuse box in the engine compartment directly behind the battery. Once the cover is removed, the fuse can be found in the lower left corner of the fuse box (as viewed standing at the left fender). Hope this helps!
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    robert944robert944 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab SLT diesel manual transmission pickup. At 5000 miles it already has it's third transmission and second clutch. Has been in the shop four times for repair of transmission and clutch and out of service for 33 cumulative days for this (also an additional repair of the cold start fuel injectors for another 14 days.) My wife and I almost died on the interstate when the second transmission went out at 70 miles per hour. We are scared to death of this truck and Dodge keeps telling us that they have fixed the problem and that we have nothing to worry about. Help!!! They say they do not go to arbitration about lemon vehicles. What can we do??? Thanks
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    sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I'd consult with an attorney. Lemon laws vary from state to state. There's obviously something not put together corredtly to cause multiple transmissions to grenade. I've got over 70k miles towing on my '03 without a hitch. You're the first I've heard of any problems with a six-speed if that's what you've got. Somethings not lined up properly or something. Good luck!
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    utmcd2005utmcd2005 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2001 Ram 1500 5.2L V8 and when I am driving down the highway it is revving the in engine. I will try to accelerate and it will act like it is going to by reaching 2250 RPM but then drop below 2K and then do that back and forth. It is worse going up hills. The dealership replaced the throttle position sensor but it is still doing it. What could be causing this? It has 75K miles on it as well.
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    utmcd2005utmcd2005 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 5.2L 2001 and mine has done the same thing recently.
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    robert944robert944 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for responding. We have checked our lemon laws and they say that there can only be three repair attempts and/or 30 cummulative days out of service. We have followed all procedures , having sent 3 certified letters with our complaints and request for a different vehicle or refund. We can't get pass the regional service rep who basically is just blowing us off. He wo't even call us directly, but only speaks through the service manager at the dealership. We have contacted an attorney, but have been told the reality is that it would probably take two to three years to get through the courts. What would we do in the meantime. The original noise in the transmission that I heard last October before they replaced the transmission the first time is still there. Its a low grinding noise that is there when I change gears, especially in first, sceond and third. I wish we could get in touch with someone higher up in the chain of command, but we can't get past the regional rep. Any more ideas?????
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    utmcd2005utmcd2005 Member Posts: 3
    I know this will work because when I had a problem with a dealership, it was worked out quickly. Contact Chrysler directly, call the main office. Then talk to a supervisor and they will get on their dealership pretty fast.
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    sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    What exactly is failing on the transmission? Or is it just this noise? 1st gear isn't necessary btw unless you're hauling substantial weight.
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    robert944robert944 Member Posts: 4
    Second, third and forth are extremely noisy as if you were in traffic at low speed - not towing or pulling any load. I first noticed this in Sept 04 around 3000 mi. In Nov.04 the dealership agreed that the noise wasn't right and replaced the transmission. The sound was still there and I was told not to worry about it. In Dec.04 is when the interstate problem occured. When they replaced the transmission for the second time, they found that second gear had broken and had fallen down into the transmission and blocked all the other gears from turning. After this repair, the clutch was also damanged and we had to take it back again to get the clutch disc replaced.

    Once while working on a race car, and hearing a similar grinding, grating noise, I found that the pilot shaft bearing had failed completely. I'm wondering if the way my truck transmission sounds if I even have a pilot shaft bearing in the craftshaft.
    It sounds as if the transmission shaft is extremely loose, especially at low speeds. When the truck is warmed up to normal operating temperature, that's when the sound is the loudest. Thanks for all your comments. I'm really frustrated. This truck only has 6000 mi.
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    robert944robert944 Member Posts: 4
    Addendum: We were wondering if anyone knows of any way to contact Doge/Chrysler at a level above the regional rep and above the Customer Care Center? They won't tell us when we ask who is up the chain of command.
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    kwarren2kwarren2 Member Posts: 11
    I just purchased a used 2001 Ram 1500 Standard Cab 4x4 with the 5.9L, automatic, 42000 miles. This is my first automatic transmission vehicle (wish the manuals 360s were more readily available). The O/D off button on the column shifter appears to have no effect: The O/D off indicator does not illuminate and the vehicle does not shift out of overdrive when the button is depressed. I suppose it could very well just be the O/D button on the column but was hoping to find a schematic of the overdrive system (fuses, relays, etc...). Anyone had a similar problem or know where I can find a schematic? Also the fuse box map is a little vague about what accessory goes to which circuit (for example, where is the horn circuit??) - anyone know where I can get a more detailed picture?

    Thanks,
    Kevin
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    dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    The overdrive switch works the same way on all Chrysler rear-wheel drive transmissions. It toggles overdrive off by grounding a circuit from the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The PCM in turn sends a signal via the Programmable Communications Interface (PCI) bus to the instrument cluster to illuminate and toggle the "O/D Off" lamp.

    The PCM controls the engagement and disengagement of overdrive through the operation of the Overdrive Solenoid. This solenoid switches the overdrive hydraulic circuits in the transmission that determine overdrive engagement or disengagement.

    Best regards,
    Dusty
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    grogensuesgrogensues Member Posts: 1
    Recently, my 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad with a 5.9 V8 engine light came on. I call the dealer service and they said check the gas cap make sure its locked down. Remove the (neg) battery post and leave off for 5 minutes to allow the computer to reset. This worked....for about half a day and now the light has come back on. What other things can I check without spending hours at the dealer? The truck runs and starts fine, has no leaks or noises. It's been fine up to now with 47,000 miles. Any suggestions on what else I can check?
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    kwarren2kwarren2 Member Posts: 11
    So if I can find the wire leading out of the column O/D switch I can toggle the overdrive by grounding it to chassis? Does it simply toggle with each high to low transition or is it an active-high/low signal? Is there input protection at the PCM? I would hate to blow an input.

    Thanks,
    Kevin
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    mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    The check light isn't exclusively for a loose gas cap!

    Go to a local AutoZone to have any codes read (free), which should point you in the right direction to find the problem.
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    shineshine Member Posts: 20
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    shineshine Member Posts: 20
    I currently have a 2004 2500 4x4. I have 45,000 miles on it and about ready to trade anyway and wonder if I could see any mpg improvement with small 8 or would I have to start looking at Ford and GM. I really love my QC but 11.3 mpg is just too much. Any help
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    KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Are you familiar with the key-cycling procedure to get codes? Insert the key into the ignition, and turn it as follows: On (not START), Off (not LOCK), On, Off, On. Codes will appear in your odometer reading... trouble codes will start with the letter P followed by a number if any have been logged. You can give these codes to your dealer and they can usually tell you what the issue is before you come in.

    kcram - Pickups Host
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    melonmelon Member Posts: 1
    My 94 1500 stalls Will not start. Leave it 15 min.Runs fine.It stalls at idle.Any ideas?It has 11500 miles and a 360.
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    fuzzysimonfzrfuzzysimonfzr Member Posts: 3
    Hi everyone, I just bought a 96 1500 w/ 112000 miles on it 9 months ago. 3 weeks ago it would not start so it ended up at the shop and somehow it started for the mechanic and ran fine ever since. This morning I had the same problem but manage to start it after accidentally stump on the gas paddle a few times. I am suspecting fuel pump but the machanic put it on the scope the last time and it said nothing is wrong. There is also the strange clicking noise from under the hood,
    sounded like some sort of relay switch going on & off; this clicking noise is very consistant(20-30second apart). Is that clicking normal? Any help would be greatly
    appreciated....Simon :cry:
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    dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Well, I don't know for sure if there's protection on the signal lines, but I suspect so. Otherwise any short would wipe out a PCM. That is too likely a possibility on an automobile.

    The signal in question is simply a toggle. Since it already works against chassis ground I'm sure this signal line is safe to ground out.

    Good luck,
    Dusty
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    amyed137amyed137 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 96 1500 also. The only time I here that noise you are talking about is when
    I have the a/c or defrost on. So, it must have something to do with a relay switch or something when those things are on
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    jly535jly535 Member Posts: 1
    Just started this week, will run for 5 minutes sometimes and 30 minutes sometimes then dies. Have air cleaner off can see gas spraying into throttle body but just suddenly shuts down. Replace fuel filter,and bought fuel pump but don't want to replace it until I narrow it down. Any other suggestions.
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    mnicholsmnichols Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2002 dodge ram 1500 with auto trans and 4.7 v-8. It has a little over 40,000 miles and it is used for a daily commuter and towing a 6000 pound camper with which I've done for about 7000 miles. Mod's I've done are: rear air helper springs, headers, volant air intake and gibson exhaust.
    The vibration starts when I'm accelerating and also cruising on the highway with engine rpm between 1500 to 2000. It's a low level vibration that cannot be dublicated with simply reving the motor. everything seems tight and nothing seems to have fallen off including tire weights for balancing. The dealership has told me that it is just the nature of the truck.
    Any Ideas?
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    KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Since this is the Ram pickups discussion, you'll probably get a faster response over in this discussion: Full Sized Vans

    kcram - Pickups Host
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    jquinnjquinn Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone have winter issues with their brake pedal being goofy during the cold months?
    When it gets cold here in Chicago,my brakes have what I would call an excessive amount of travel at the beginning of the application,I get about 3-4 inches of travel where nothing happens.It can get scary when this happens,my Dodge dealer is guessing at what causes this,I replaced the master cyl and it went away for a while (week),now they think it might be the vacuum booster,also a big money item to change,bad boosters usually give you a hard peddle,right,.. Truck is a 98 2wd V6 with 54,000 on it. Its been doing this for at least 3 years, and at least 3 sets of brakes,,,,,anyone else have a problem like this? :confuse:
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    tullytully Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1999 quad cab with the 47re Transmission wile towing my trailer i tried to put it in 4 wheel drive and the main shifter hung up in second gear, the transfer case shifts fine but i can't get this thing into park. Help
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    jenslilhemijenslilhemi Member Posts: 1
    Hi I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Hemi (Jenny's little Hemi) I love the truck my only encounter with trouble has bee the engine light coming on. Called the dealer told me to check the gas cap and that light would go out in a day or two. Well it didn't so I pulled the battery cable... that reset the light but two days later it came on again. Called dealer by this time it had started to drop RPM when foot was off the gas and stall if you weren't paying close attention. Made appointment for truck to go in told them it was the EGR Valve there is a service bulletin about this problem. Know a couple other Dodge fans had the same trouble. Anyway dealer fixed it for free but I think part of that was I knew the problem and told them of the service bulletin before they even looked at the truck.
    :O) Happy again with my flaming red baby!
    http://www.alldata.com/TSB/17/021777F0.html this should give you a list of service bulletins wasn't sure if you had the 4x4 or just the Plain Jane.
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    mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Clearing the code like that works ok, but reading the code to see what the problem might be is a better course of action. Autozone will do it free.
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    fuzzysimonfzrfuzzysimonfzr Member Posts: 3
    You are correct on the A/C, as it turned out. It is the a/c unit kicking in & out. Have you any idea on how to test the relay?
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    fuzzysimonfzrfuzzysimonfzr Member Posts: 3
    Hey Dusty, the toggle that you are talking about is a relay right? Do you have any
    idea on how to test the relay?
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    mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    It's probably kicking in and out because the thermostat is telling it to. Turn it fully 'OFF' in the cab and see if it still does it.
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    dodgeboy1dodgeboy1 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same issue with my 01 truck 4.7 liter w/45rfe trans. I have asked the guys in the trans lab here at chrysler and awaiting feedback.
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