Dodge Ram: Problems & Solutions

tomcatbubba

I recently purchased a 99 Dodge Ram 1500 with the Magnum engine. Before my father sold it to me he had the automatic transmission flushed and filled. Since that time it has consumed about 3.5 quarts of oil per 2000 miles. I haven't noticed any leakage and I recently had a smog check done for the state of California, so I don't think it is burning it. Does anyone have any ideas what could be going on?

dustyk

Tomcat,

First, is it engine oil that this truck is using, or ATF?

Regards,
Dusty

tomcatbubba

Dusty,

Sorry about that. It is consuming engine oil.

tomcatbubba

The engine is the V-8 Magnum. I'm at a loss as to where the oil is going as well. My father drove it from Illinois to California, hence the 2200 mile drive where he noticed the 3.5 quart consumption. Basically every fuel stop he had to put 1/2 a quart of oil in. The truck has about 33,000 miles. I am checking under the truck every morning to look for any signs of leaks but can't find any. Also, I don't notice any white puffy smoke coming from the exhaust, and the latest smog check came back good.

dustyk

You can be burning a fair amount of oil nowadays and it not be visible from the exhaust. Catalytic converters will mask oil burning quite a bit.

In my opinion the automatic transmission maintenance and the point where this engine started to consume oil is coincidental. Dodge motors in general, and the "LA" series in particular, do not have a reputation for burning oil.

You could have a stuck oil ring on one or more cylinders if the oil hasn't been changed or maintained correctly. Pretty rare on a Mopar and if it were just one cylinder I'd suspect you'd have a problem with a fouled plug. Next would be valve guide seal and/or excessive valve guide wear, but I can't correlate the long drive to accerating this condition.

However, being a '99 my first suspect would be a bad intake manifold gasket. These have failed on older Magnums allowing oil to be sucked into the intake air stream. There is a dye test for this. A Dodge dealer would have experience in both the symptoms and the test.

Best regards,
Dusty

02ramman

My guess would be the intake gasket as Dusty stated. I've seen other posts similar to yours that was fixed by replacing the intake gasket.
Steve

fangster

Has anyone out there installed a set of "Gibson Extreme Dual exhaust" part # 66500 or know of someone who has, on a 02 or later QC SB?

I'm looking to do this soon. The installer swears that I will be able to keep my spare tire, although Gibsons website says other wise, and the pipe that comes out on the drivers side will not be visible from the rear until it exits behind the drivers side rear tire.

I'm also looking to install a set of 33/12.5/17's.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, especially on the exhaust.

Thanks in advance

Fangster

bmaige

Sounds like you do need a shorter turning radius in a truck if you are going to be pulling a 40' trailer and have to get into and out of restricted areas. You may want to even consider going to a short wheel base truck to make it a little easier. I have a 6'4" son that I haven't asked to try the back seat of a Dodge as yet, but I would want him to be comfortable. That was just an item I noticed in the specs. I, too, sat in the rear seat of a newer Dodge Quad and it seemed to be adequate for me. I haven't tried the rear seat of the Ford as yet.

I like the Dodge mainly due to the Cummins diesel and we have several farmers around here who will use nothing but Dodges.

My use will include towing cow trailers and such, which seems to limit things to a diesel of some manufacture. The gas engines, other than the V-10's, at one time were pretty limited in towing. I looked at a 2003 Dodge 3500 quad cab with a V-8 gas engine, and when I asked the salesman the maximum recommended towing capacity was told it was 10,000 pounds. The diesel in the same truck, with larger transmission, would tow 16,000 pounds. Now it appears the 2004's are showing a little more towing capacity.

bmaige

From your description it sounds as if your Dad was adding oil to keep the oil level to the full mark, although it hadn't reached the "Add" mark. If it was taking 1/2 quart each time I would suggest you try something. Let it go down to the "Add" mark and drive it there a while. Check it frequently to be certain it doesn't keep going down, however. I've had some engines that would not allow oil to stay at the "Full" mark, but once it was at the "Add" mark never lose another drop. And they lasted a long time.

dustyk

Yes, I have seen this phenominum, too, although I think it was attributed or associated with high-speed driving.

I had a Impala with the 305 engine that did this if I pushed it hard. It would drop to just below the "add" mark and stay there...well, until I got to about 40K. Then it just used oil no matter how it was driven.

I think in some cases at high engine RPM the crankshaft turbulence throws excessive oil up onto the lower portion of the cylinder where the oil rings can't scrape it off fast enough. When the oil level drops this ceases to be a problem.

Regards,
Dusty

rboulder

I have been looking for a used Ram diesel for several months now, and finally have found what seems to be a good, sound truck in my price range ('98.5, 24v, quad, LWB, 124k); however, I have noticed a sound coming from the turbo that I have never heard before in any of the other Cummins trucks I've driven: Instead of the typical, high-pitched "whine" coming from the turbo every time it kicks in, I am also hearing a kind of chirping, or tapping. I am quite certain the sound is coming from the turbo, and it has me a little worried. Can anyone offer advise? Thanks in advance.

dustyk

I cannot give you any personal insight. Try this site. I noticed that the "Diesel Engine" link is down today, but try again later. This site keeps Dodge truck Technical Service Bulletins and might have something on your symptom.

http://dodgeram.info/

Best regards,
Dusty

daddyrat

2003 dodge ram 3500 cummins 5 spd 4wd pops out of 5th gear only on deaccelaration looking for any else with the problem

rboulder

About the Cummins turbo in general: is the turbo costly to replace? It seems like, all things considered, I should not let this stop me from buying the truck-- but in the event of replacing the turbo, are there aftermarket turbos that anyone would recommend over stock, or should I stay with stock? appreciate any advice.

dustyk

My first suspicion would be a worn or bent shifting fork or linkage.

I'm not familar with this transmission. Is this a top loader?

Regards,
Dusty

rboulder

About the Cummins turbo in general: is the turbo costly to replace? It seems like, all things considered, I should not let this stop me from buying the truck-- but in the event of replacing the turbo, are there aftermarket turbos that anyone would recommend over stock, or should I stay with stock? appreciate any advice.

wwhite2

You really want to a search and check out the diesel engine forums . Those guys have an incredible knowledge and passion for turbo diesels . I dont know if edmunds allows listing other websites do a search

bucknram

I currently own a 1998 Ram 2500 with 40000 miles on it. It has the 360(5.9) motor with the 46RE transmission. Its been a great truck for me but it has devloped an intresting habbit. No matter where i'm driving, at around 35 mph, the truck shifts into overdirve and stays there. It doesnt matter if i'm climbing a hill or on a level road the truck remains in overdrive unless the pedal is almost to the floor. I have turned the overdrive off and the truck runs fine in 4th gear (up to about 45 mph, dont want to overrev the engine) I did a tranny oil and filter change about 1000 miles ago (bands were not adjusted)and still the problem presists. Any thoughts or advice about this would be greatly appriciated.

Karen_S

Just an FYI...

No, links to other auto sites with forums is not permitted in the Town Hall. Check the Member Agreement (link in the left sidebar) for more clarification.

dustyk

If your symptom description is correct, it can really only be a couple of things.

My first guess is the TC Lock-up Solenoid is stuck. Earlier versions were prone to become magnetized and irratic. If this has been prompted or present since colder weather, it could be the solenoid, and/or the wiring to the solenoid.

I'm spectulating, but I believe if you had a PCM (Power Control Module) issue causing this, you'd get a error code. But I'm not certain of that.

On the 46RE, the TC Lock-up Solenoid is number 2 on the Transmission Solenoid Assembly. Check the wires for corrosion or shorts and/or tap on the assembly with a small tool.

Best regards,
Dusty

dako1

After much deliberation I've decided to put synthetic oil in my '02 Ram with the 4.7 v8. Has about 26,000 miles on it so I hope I'm not making a mistake. I'm going with Amzoil as my synthetic of choice becuase of the 7,500 mi. change intervals. The question I have and perhaps someone can help me out here, for the longer intervals do I still need to change the filter at normal intervals and top off the oil? Also the other day I was checking the pwr. steering fluid and when I removed the cap on the reservoir there seemed to be a considerable amount of air pressure in the reservoir. Don't recall experiencing this previously with any other vehicle including my previous '02 Dakota with the 4.7 motor. Any information on these two subjects would be appreciated thank you.

emale

dako1,

the "right" thing to do is honour what is in your owner's manual in regards to oil changes. doesn't matter if you are using dino oil or synthetic. if you look i'll bet it spells that out right in there...

bmaige

The car we had that would somehow rid itself of any oil over the Add mark, and do it quickly after it was brought to the full mark, I might add, was a family car that we bought new and it wasn't driven hard. My memory is fading as I age, but I believe it was a Plymouth 318 V-8. The engine temp stayed normal, no low oil indication at all, it ran well, but had that quirk for some reason.

bmaige

OK, guys, what's the 600 diesel? Is that the High Output that has been out a while? I had heard there was a newer, stronger version coming out in January, but have seen nothing on it as yet. Is there such an animal coming out, or was that news somebody blowing smoke?

loncray

The Cummins 600 is the new High Output engine. The old Standard Output is gone, since the new engine is 50-state legal. It doesn't have Exhaust Gas Recirculation, but it does have a catylytic convertor. Last I looked, it has 325 hp and 600 fp of torque (hence the name). And it's supposed to STILL get 20 mpg on the highway. It is supposed to be out now, but there may be some distribution problems getting it into dealers. KCRam will have tons of information on it, I'm sure.

dustyk

I agree completely with Emale. Remember, even if you assume that any oil maintains all of its lubrication qualities at 25,000 miles, it still gets dirty and builds up moisture.

My personal opinion is that 25,000 miles is too long to go with the very best oil for that reason.

Best regards,
Dusty

dustyk

I do remember a long time ago a guy buying a used '63 Dodge Dart with a 170 Slant Six. It had just turned 120,000 miles and ran like a watch. It did suffer, however, from the same symptom.

One day he was in the shop for an oil change and after we drained the motor oil I found that three quarts filled it past the "full" mark. Now the Slant Six always took 5 quarts with a filter. I recommended that we pull the oil pan, but this guy didn't want to bear the expense at the time.

About a year later his wife called and said that the oil pressure light would illuminate every time she stopped. Unwisely, her husband had told her to keep the car going fast enough to extinguish the oil light. By the time she got it to me I could hear a rod knock.

Since the car was still in great mechanical condition, it was decided that the engine should be repaired. At tear-down the oil pan was found to have about 6 inches of sludge in the pan. That's why it wouldn't take much more than two-and-a-half quarts. I had to replace the crank on that engine, and of course we installed new bearings. We later found out that the previous owner never changed the oil, just added.

Regards,
Dusty

KCRam

Yup Loncray There should be a 600 in my parking space this time next year.

The Cummins 600, as mentioned with 325hp and 600 lb-ft, replaces three separate engines:
- California Cummins, rated at 235/460
- Standard Cummins, 250/460
- High Output Cummins, 305/555
The Cummins 600 meets CARB emissions standards, and is thus available in all 50 states.

The key change to the engine was the addition of a second pilot injection of fuel prior to combustion - this reduces emissions as well as quiets the engine even more than the 03/04 common-rail engines.

One has to note the power increases, while minimal over the last HO, are substantial for us 12-valve owners. The original 1989 Cummins Ram was rated at 160/400 - we now have the same basic block producing more than double the horsepower and a 50% increase in torque. I'm looking forward to driving my 180/420 Ram back to back with the 325/600 engine... hopefully my teeth won't dry out from exposure due to the permanent smile.

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and FWI Message Boards

fangster

In post #712 I asked if anyone had installed 33x12.5/17's or Gibson Extreme dual exhaust on their 02 or later QC. Well, I received no response and figured what the heck.

So, yesterday I installed a set of 33x12.5/17's and Gibson Extreme dual exhaust on my 02 Ram QC. You have to see this to believe it...

email me at the address listed in my profile and I'll send you some pics.

jhorl

I'm in the process of ordering the above mentioned vehicle as well. I dont plan on doing a lot of towing initially so the only thing I haven't decided on is the 3.73 rear of 4.10. I'm ordering the truck with a 6-speed and cant wait to get it. Any tips on special ordering a vehicle would be appreciated.
John

sebring95

3.73 gears work very well with the six-speed, and I imagine even better with the extra power of the new motor. I went with 4.10's on my HO six-speed simply because my trailer is 12,000# empty and pretty much maxes out near the rated towing capacity of my truck. Plus I'm towing about 90% of the time.

Unless you plan to tow that much weight regularly, I think the 3.73's would be more than adequate. They would certainly pull at the max rated for the truck, just not quite as well as 4.10's. Of course if you aren't doing that very often, it really wouldn't matter much. Theres at least one to two mpg difference when running empty just from the gears, so if empty drive is the majority of your miles the 3.73's make perfect sense.

akangl

When we bought our used 99 Ram 3500 V10 I had the Dodge dealer print an options list and found out it has a 3.55 LS rear end.

I was concerned that it wouldn't be able to tow our big trailer, so I had a salesman check the specs and he showed me the book. At least for 99 there is no difference in towing capacity with the 3.55 vs the 4.10 rear end, both are rated 12,500 lbs. Fine by me, that's exactly what our trailer is rated for so the truck and trailer are a perfect match.

I'd rather have the 3.55 in a dually (maybe that's the difference), its averaging 10 mpg in the winter (driving logging roads in 4x4, running 4x4 on the highway, idling, city driving). On highway trips it gets 13-14 mpg, not too bad out of a V10.

sebring95

The gears were likely rated the same because some other factor of the truck limited towing to 12,500 more than the motor/gears (like the GVWR). That's why sometimes you'll see the diesel is rated a bit lower than the V10, simply because the towing/hauling capacity is directly related to the overall weight of the truck. The diesel is usually a little heavier than the gas motor. You'd be hard pressed to really convince anyone the V10 will outpull the diesel, even though it likely could be rated higher on paper.

The reason you get decent mpg out of the V10 is because of the 3.55's. No doubt either gears will pull the trailer, it's just a matter of which will pull it better. The lower 4.10 gears will always move the weight better, but then you're stuck with lower mpg when not pulling. Dually is just for more stability when towing and would have no effect on gear selection.

It's all about matching the gears/engine/chassis for the job you're doing. Lots of dealers don't really understand this and will defer to the stat sheets without a full understanding of why these choices are available.

jhorl

Thank you all for your input. I'm am definetly getting the manual 4wd shifter. No push buttons here. Once I order I will let keep everyone posted.
John

akangl

Thanks for the explaination.

Having had the chance to pull a trailer with a Cummins and a V10 I can honestly say the V10 was much better and got better fuel economy. That said, the Cummins was in my dad's 2001 Ram 2500, so its the low hp/torque engine mated to the automatic.

We have owned 2 V10's, on a 2002 Ram 2500 auto with a 4.10 rear end and the other our current 1999 Ram 3500 V10 auto 3.55 rear end. The 99 is much better on gas (due to the rear end) but seems just as willing and able to move our big trailer as the 2002 was.

However, would we buy another Dodge, probably not, I think we will go back to Ford. Our 99 Ram has been nothing but trouble, granted some of it was hubby induced, but the steering problems, oil leaks, tcase trouble is all truck related. This truck only has 14,950 miles on it, but its eaten 2 steering gear boxes, the ball joints are bad, its leaking oil, the tcase is noisy and leaking, not too thrilled with it at the moment, it has an appt on 3/16 to visit the service dept for a few days. Glad we bought an ESC when we bought the truck in November (and no, it didn't have a hard life before we bought it, but it did blast through 3 owners in its short 4 year/11,300 mile life). We will keep it until the ESC is up, then dump it and buy a Ford, that is unless it straightens up and flies right. Hubby does love his truck.

sebring95

When a truck has had three owners in 11,300 miles, there is definetely something going on. I'd run from it, but you can't do that at this point! I'd be concerned with odometer fraud myself, especially on a several year old vehicle with such low miles. When you're talking about steering gear boxes, ball joints, etc. those are wear items and it would be awfully hard to wear them out so quickly. I would want to know the full story on how a truck wasn't used at all and managed to need so many parts. Odometer fraud isn't exactly rocket science, either.

My '01 Ram sounds identical to your fathers. I've got 135k miles on it now with ball-joints being the only repair (at 80k miles). My '03 HO six-speed with 4.10's is a completely different animal. I've pulled a stock trailer (maybe 8,000#) with a V10 and it would be hard to convince me a V10 is a better puller. It may have accelerated quicker with such a light load, but it didn't maintain all that well. Even my low-power '01 diesel will maintain without downshifting constantly.

I can't imagine pulling 15,000# with a V10. I can see it feeling quicker than a diesel under certain circumstances, but I don't know how you sqeezed out better mpg. The trip I made with the V10 was about 600 miles and we were getting between 7-9mpg and we stopped for fuel four times as the fuel tank was apparently tiny. My all-time low on the '01 was 10mpg for a leg across OK with killer head winds and about 10,000#. My '03 will get 11-13mpg with 15,000# on. That's usually what most folks I know with V10's get when pulling empty, although I don't think I know anyone with 3.55's on a V10 so that should be good for a mpg or two.

akangl

No odometer fraud on the truck, the mileage is accurate. First owner purchased it 3/18/99 with 10 miles on it, second owner purchased it 2/22/01 with 2,090 miles on it, it then passed an emissions test 6/5/01 with 3,943 miles on it. Third owner purchased it 9/21/01 at 3,950 miles, there is a registration and/or lien change 1/14/03 at 8100 miles. It then passed an emissions test 3/5/03 at 8,973 miles. We purchased it 11/12/03 with 11,300 miles on it.

Why its so low mileage, who knows, its kind of an oddball truck. Its a reg cab, V10, dually, 4x4, fully loaded, and we do know it has, in the past, carried a truck camper. We found where the tie downs and wiring used to be.

Now as far as towing goes, we used my dad's Ram to tow our 5000 lb horse trailer and it averaged 8 mph and seemed to struggle (transmission did a lot of hunting). Our V10 would get an easy 10 mph towing that same horse trailer, why the difference? Who knows, but that's our experience with the two engines.

sebring95

There's something wrong with your dad's truck that's why. I thought you were talking about a heavy trailer. 5,000# behind my '01 is barely noticeable and it would hardly ever need a downshift nor would it burn much less than 15mpg.

I would have him check the lift-pump as it's likely failing and the truck isn't getting nearly the fuel pressure it requires. That's a common problem on that year's Cummins. Put a fuel pressure guage on there and I'll bet it's way below what it should be. Probably working that truck like you were pulling 10,000# instead of 5,000#. If it's not that, it's something else because 5,000# shouldn't even effect that truck in either power or mpg.

akangl

Heck if I know, the truck only had about 10k on it when we used it, was brand new. Just wasn't very impressive to tow with. The truck we owned at the time was a 94 Chevy K2500 454, we didn't use it since it wasn't wired for the horse trailer and dad's truck was. We had owned the 2002 V10 right before the Chevy.....long story there, but had pulled the horse trailer with the V10 and the Chevy, then of course my dad's truck.

wwhite2

I always thought the the manual lever was the way to go . Well, my 04 2500 SLT has the electronic 4x4 engagement and its great .More room on the floor for my gear when I am spending 6-12 hrs snowplowing . I have left the stone age !! I would recommend it ! Dont be afraid of the technology !

jhorl

Does anybody know off hand what the Payload and Towing capacity is for a 04.5 Ram 3500 Quad, Diesel, 6-speed, 3.73 rear, Single rear wheel, Compared to that of a 4.10 rear.
John

wwhite2

Real reliablity for a Dodge 4x4 .....scrap the vacuum front axle hub engagement system for the aftermarket steel cable activation . here is where you will experience the highest chance of a problem

jhorl

I am getting the Long Box. Guess I'll have to make a beer stop then so I dont overload. Thanks for the reply.
John

spdmtr5

I pull 10,000 lbs with my 984WD over Colo.passes all the time.I run in 2nd(auto)near the tops at around 40 mph(3500 rpm).Mileage around 7to8 mpg.City driving,9 to 10,and on the highway can do 12mpg with no trailer.I think the 3.55s do just fine.

wwhite2

I have an 2500 04 SLT Hemi 4:10 axle . Starting at 60 MPH I get a vibration in the steering wheel , seat , floor and it distorts the image in the rear view mirror . First trip to the dealer they balanced the tires . Still have it . The second trip to the dealer they said the vibration is due to the heavy duty nature of the truck and there is nothing they can do . I cant believe that Dodge manufactures a vibration into their trucks . It doesn't seem right to me . It seems to me if rebalancing the tires doesn't do it they dont know how to proceed . Does anybody else with a 2500 experience this same issue ?

dustyk

Just curious but did the dealer or you check the air pressure in the tires?

I have not driven a new-style 2500, but I cannot believe that a steering wheel vibration is normal. I know the 1500s are as smooth as glass.

You may have more of a dealer problem than a truck problem. Keep at them to get it fixed correctly.

Good luck,
Dusty

wwhite2

Dusty
   I have tried pressures at the 40 Psi, recommended with no load and the 65/75 full load pressure I use for plowing for the load range E tires . The vibration is still there . I have started to research this problem and I am finding out it is a problem but sporadic .
 As far as the dealer is concerned ..... There is no reason this truck wouldnt ride smooth as glass at highway speed . They are just seeing if I will go away . I contacted D/C they have opened a file and want me to drive another 2500 to see if I sense the vib . I am guessing they may think I am to picky . No way, this is a distinct vibration . Waiting to hear from dealer

wwhite2

Good ideas, but I pressure wash the truck after each storm and I can store the truck in a heated garage . And its been in the forties the past few days ...... everything is melted. If its a tire problem the dealer would have to figure it out . I am not at the point of trying to fix it myself . Its one reason I bought new . I am getting a sense from a turbo diesel site that the problem is sporadic but out there and the obvious has already been tried . What I want to do is see the reading after each tire is balanced with my own eyes . I dont want to be the victim of "good enough mentality "

emale

have you tried rotating the front tires to the back? tires can be awefully tricky. just ask the guys over at the 300m forum about those goodyears...

some were having trouble with the car pulling to one side all the time...turned out to be the tires!

sebring95

I too have found a lot of problems to be tire related. I've had experience with both out-of-round tires that caused vibrations as certain speeds and I've had a tire that caused pulling. Both were a bit hard to diagnose but it eventually came down to the tires.

Also, I would not always assume a dealer is going to figure it out the first time. I bought a new set of tires once and immediately I had terrible vibration from 55mph on up. After three trips back to the tire dealer who claimed "everything is balanced, it must be mechanical" (what are the odds??). So I went to another tire shop and they left the hood up on the balancing machine and stood back looking at the tire. You could see the tire making an "S" as it spun. Turned out there were three of them like that and it was just a bad run of tires.

Rotating your tires (swap fronts/rears) should help you narrow it down unless you have more than one bad tires like I did! You won't notice the vibration if the bad tire is on the back.