Dodge Ram: Problems & Solutions

emale

so, what we are seeing is that dodge trucks are a little "portly" compared to the competition and thus if dodge wanted to match the payload of the competition, they'd have to stiffen up the springs even more which could lead to greater ride discomfort...and maybe more wheel hop.

is anyone here able to compare the new heavies to the half ton on ride...wheel hop, etc?

cwo2lt

Interesting reading all the comments on my first post. I test drove an '03 Chevy over the weekend and noticed the ride was similar but with a little less bounce. Overall the Dodge is a much more comfortable truck. Much more room in the cab and a whole lot quieter! The steering is far superior too.
I saw on another site someone has changed shocks and gone softer and harder with no change in ride quality. I'm beginning to think there is no cure outside of a design change from Dodge and I think slick1ru2 is right, someone is going to have to die first, any volunteers!?!?
Richieb may be on to something with the stiff springs but I wonder if a shock could cure that by having less resistence on rebound, i.e. extending. Wouldn't that allow the spring to return to it's relaxed position faster and keep the wheel on the road?
Lets keep chewing on this and maybe we'll come up with a cure.

obyone

http://www.velvet-ride.com/leaf_spring_shackle_suspension_about.asp

Made a world of difference.

uncbob

Did you have the hop everyone is posting about and is it now gone
Did you install yourself

uncbob

I went to that site and they do not list them for the 2002 RAM 1500
What model do you have

obyone

You're correct. My bad. There is no solution for this problem. Have you read this?

http://www.dodgetrucksteeringproblems.com/mb/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=78

obyone

Ride related link.

wwhite2

I am curious if replacing the pump solves the reverse whine please update us thanks

mike98ram1500

I bought a '98 Ram 1500 sport, 5.9L, ext-cab, short-box, automatic, brand new. Until recently, (85K miles), it's been a "major-problem" free truck. When driving 40-45 mphs and 1600-1800 rpms, I get a loud vibration from under the truck, (hard to pinpoint as you will see). I can accelerate through the vibration , i.e. it down shifts and it stops. Or I can let off of the gas and the vibration stops. But if I keep "feeding" it, it would probably continue until I fell apart!I'm on my second dealer now and so far they've replaced parts in my transfer case, drive line, serviced the differential, all points tune-up, replace radiator fan clutch, in that order. Luckily I have the 100K power train warranty but they are now starting to point to non-warranty parts in an effort, I think, to avoid replacing the tranny. Anyone have any ideas?

emale

i don't understand your question. are you getting a loud "noise" from under the truck...or are you "feeling" alot of vibration.

based on what you said, i'd really be guessing, but what the hey! have they checked your torque converter? if it generally happens around 40-45 mph, that is when the torque converter clutch tries to lock up. sounds like it is having problems locking up...just a guesss.

dustyk

Not sure about the RPM, but 1600 - 1800 RPM is in the typical range when locking torque converters go into the lock mode. (If I can believe my tach, its about 1400-1450 on my new Dakota with the 545RFE.)

On your vintage RAM can you defeature (switch off) the overdrive? In some systems when the OD is switched off the torque converter solenoid is not energized and the converter will not go into lock mode. This might be a way of determining whether its related to the torque converter lock-up or not.

Good luck,
Dusty

sailboat

Count me in on the truck hop. Really bad at freeway speeds. One particular stretch I drive has seems in it around a curve and I swear the truck is going out of control. Can get hoppin pretty bad on straight road too if its not smooth pavement (freeways mind you!) Several times I've had to slow down by 10 mph or more to get control of the truck! Assumed it was due to a stiff suspension, but this truck gave me headaches from all the vibratin early on. Kinda used to it now, except when I drive my truck after driving my company's chevy pickups. Wondered if the tires were defective (not just out of balance) or if the shocks were not properly installed or sized.

mike98ram1500

I think you guys are on to it!! As soon as I read your responses, (emale and dustk), I went out and test drove my truck for over an hour. I have a favorite spot by my house where I can duplicate the rpm/mph to easily recreate the vibration. (something the techs have found impossible to do by themselves!) Yes, I "can" switch off my over-drive and doing so drastically changes the vibration. For one thing, it is a lot harder to recreate. And it is a lot less extreme. At exactly 1400 rpms and 39 mphs, I hear a fainter and hollower vibration. I do it again with the OD turned "ON" and it's back to the loud grind again. Do you still think the torque converter is suspect?

emale

would seem that way...

mike, you might have em fully drain and flush your tranny (including the torque converter). alot of times this will "fix" tranny issues that might not be major.

dustyk

I've learned a little bit about the Dodge truck transmissions. '98s got a major upgrade internally to supply more fluid to the overdrive section. This especially was done to address reliability problems caused by low-speed high vehicle load use. Also, '94s and up require what is called ATF+4. Mercon is NOT a substitute. Use of Mercon has been attributed to premature transmission failures in Chrysler vehicles.

Have you ever had your transmission serviced (filter change or fluid flush) since you've owned the vehicle? Was it recently?

I've been told that one of the problems that using something other than ATF+4 is torque converter shudder. Now, I think your problem sounds a little more serious, but it might be worth looking into. I know of one person who successfully sued a local 'quick lube' establishment for using Mercon in their Chrysler vehicle.

Draining and flushing might be a worthy suggestion. Your vintage RAM should have what is called a "drainback" valve installed in the return line from the transmission cooler. This prevents fluid from siphoning out of the torque converter after engine shutdown. These are notorious for either failing partially or fully closed. They also cause fluid to freeze under certain conditions, shutting off the flow of fluid to the transmission. Contaminated fluid will easily clog these valves.

The recommendation is to replace or (unofficially) completely remove this valve. If you remove it, you must allow the transmission to warm up a bit in very cold weather before attempting drive away.

Best regards,
Dusty

emale

dusty,

atf+4 didn't come out until around '00. is chrysler now "back" recommending that folks use atf+4 instead of 7176 type 2 and atf+3??

dustyk

I think that vehicles built between '94 and '99 can use ATF+3, but ATF+4 replaces it.

I had downloaded the Dodge truck TSB but I can't find the darn thing at the moment.

Dusty

emale

dusty,

i did some looking around...and it appears the only chrysler vehicles that are not supposed to use the atf+4 are '99 and older minivans. it appears then that atf+4 can be used in place of atf+2 and atf+3 which were the standards prior to model year '00...

dustyk

Okay. Could be. I think I may have looked at something that was specific to trucks, now that I think about it. But I was pretty sure that ATF+4 replace ATF+3.

Dusty

peppe1

A new TSB was released yesterday you can find it here:

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2002/18-030-02.htm

Lets hope that this fixes the idle problem with no loss of power like the death flash of the past!!

wwhite2

Exactly where is that drainback valve located?Thanks

dustyk

...........is located in the cooling return line that goes from the radiator to the transmission. This essentially is a one-way valve that allows fluid to flow in one direction, but not the other. The only one I've ever seen was black, but I have been told that Chrysler changed suppliers sometime back so yours may be a different color.

Regards,
Dusty

wwhite2

What do you know about a Reverse moan/whine when the trans is cold . 97 ram 2500 5.9 I have TSB 21-11-97 here dont know if it will work . I am not interested in doing all that work for no reason

slick1ru2

I was having a vibration and after re-balancing the tires was occurring at 35-40 MPH. Turned out to be one of the tires too out of round to balance. This was a 17" Michelin LTX A/S on a 2003 Quad Cab. If you have this problem, make sure your dealer gives a good look at the tires.

cwo2lt

I had my tires checked for out of round too. Found 2 were as well as the wheels. Fixed it and still makes no difference.
I think we have a couple of problems here, vibration at speed and wheel hop after hitting a bump. I'm not out of control like Sailboat but I have a lot of hop after hitting bumps. I've seen this on other sites and no one has an answer. I've seen suggestions to raise the front end by cranking up the torsion bars, change shocks to a firmer ride, to a softer ride and tough it out! Feels to me like there's too much flex in the suspension somewhere, maybe the shocks are not right but maybe the frame is twisting. I don't know what it is I just don't think it's right.
I've ridden in older Dodges and not felt the same hop. On the other hand I rode in a '03 Chevy and flat did not like the way that handled and the ride wasn't that great either but there was no wheel hop.
I think the only way this will be solved is at the HQ level. I know Dodge is aware of the problem because I registered a complaint with STAR and the operator had the same truck and problem! I urge all of you to register with STAR so our numbers will get them off their butts. Don't let this die! Start threatening lemon law settlements, keep after the dealers. (Anyone have Ralph Nader's phone number?) Sooner or later someone will catch on and solve the problem.
In the mean time if you try something let us know, whether it works or not.

dustyk

You must be use to working with GM dealers!

Just a recommendation. I don't think Dodge dealers are a whole lot better, but with any problem or any dealer I'd give them an honest chance before I brought the hammer down. One you start the threats you begin an alienation process that could be counterproductive for you.

The RAM is an all new platform this year and this problem might be a surprise to everyone, especially the dealers service personnel. I spoke with my service manager today and he said they've sold over 200 RAMs (2002 & 2003s) and so far he hasn't had one complaint of this nature. And I haven't talked to anyone that's complained about it either. In fact, the now more than a dozen RAM owners I've talked to have nothing but praise for the handling and the ride combination.

It sounds to me that this is not a problem that shows up on every RAM, much less every RAM Quad. If that's the case it might take some time to find a cure.

Best regards,
Dusty

uncbob

What is STAR

My wife's RAMQC has the same problem especially going around a bend and hitting a bump
Feels like the truck is going to fly across the lane

Even more so while going 65 around a bend on the PA TPK I had one hand on the wheel and was reaching across for a tape ( road was clear )
an the truck hit the rumble groves they have on the side to alert you that you are on the shoulder and the whole truck felt like it was going [non-permissible content removed] over front and was going to shift lanes
Scared the hell out of me and my wife

I tried to duplicate it further on down the road ( again very clear highway ) but didn't

bc01cls

Just thought I'd add my voice to the discussion regarding 02 Ram QC 1500 handling, which is overall very decent, but...... I want to join those who say QuadCabs get unsettled when hitting uneven pavement/bumps, especially in the middle of a turn (like a sweeper on an interstate). If you don't have both hands on the wheel, you'll find yourself in the next lane... makes towing a thrill. I've mentioned to my service manager that it feels like Dodge needs some kind of steering damper, since the steering wheel will come around real fast if you have only one hand on it (and are applying a little pull either way). Almost like the front is airborne for a split second! I'm going to try improve/eliminate this trait with firmer shocks and anti-sway
bar(s) since I think the 1500 has a tendency to "wallow" a bit too much on bumps anyway. Hope this helps. Otherwise it's a marvelous, roomy, very useful and fairly economical vehicle. While the 4.7 may be small, it does afford decent hiway mileage (3:55's). I just drove 2,000+ freeway miles at 70-75 and averaged 19.4mpg.......not too bad for a 5,000 lb behemoth. Around town I pay the price......best I do is 15.1-15.3mpg. Towing 4,200# is another matter with 9.6-10 the best I can do.

jkulp42757

Hi everyone.

I have had my truck about 3 months and found a problem with the paint on the end of the rear door on my QuadCab. I'm not sure if the paint came off, or what happened. Maybe it was bad from the factory, but I have tried some cleaners and it won't go back to black.

Here is a picture

http://www.investmentforum.net/images/paint.jpg

The picture is off the front of the rear door, and rear of the front door. You can see the fading of color on the rear door.

Will the dealer fix this problem for free?

Thanks

stevbek

I had a 96 Ram that I traded in for the 2002. I wish I had kept it. Only had a few problems with it and the dealer fixed them. My new 2002 5.9L is somewhat of a concern. I too have experienced my life flash before my eyes when traveling down a rough road. I live in Missouri and I understand we have the worst highways in the US. 70 mph is no time to enjoy the scenery thats for damn sure. I found that adding 150 lbs in the bed reduces the hop to almost none at all, but who wants to haul around the weight when these things chug gas the way they do. Don't get me wrong, I like my truck but dont necessarily need the extra expense. I too have had some strange noises emanate from under my truck. A whining sound that seems to come from the transmission when put into reverse when cold. Had the dealer look at it. I was told that the problem was discovered in the 00's and 01's and was attributed to a valve mentioned in earlier messages in this forum but had not been linked to the new 02's. I had it replaced anyway, at least they said they did but still have the noise. I have another noise that occurs also when gong from park to reverse. (Sounds like someone stepping on a plastic cup). The sound also only occurs when the truck is cold or after it has been driven and then parked for about an hour. It is very difficult to diagnose as it will only do it once and then needs to be driven and then parked for about an hour or overnight. Dealer guesses the noise is coming from the exhaust piping and is due to the torque placed on the piping when put into reverse. The noise has gotten noticeably louder and is beginning to do it when accelerating somewhat hard from a stop. Anyone have an answer or a suggestion?

terton

There is a new TSB out for any owners who might be having this problem. Here is the link.

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2002/18-030-02.htm

My truck went dead four different times while sitting at stop signs or traffic lights and the dealership new nothing about this TSB. I did a little research on the Internet and found the cure for the problem so I hope this helps anyone else having this problem.

slick1ru2

Did a search on Michelin LTX A/S and found a Ford board where someone is having a "jittery" ride.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/dcforum/DCForumID93/2279.html

While I no longer have a vibration at 35-40 mph, on a less then smooth road I still have some vibration after one bad tire was replaced. I wonder if anyone here is having the problem with the 20" upgraded tires?

dustyk

On Wednesday night coming home from work I blew a tire on my 2003 Dakota. This truck came with P245/70R16 Goodyear SR/A on road/off road tires mounted on Dodge 16x8 cast aluminum rims.

I obtained a replacement Thursday from Goodyear and guess what? I now have a jittery ride!

Dusty

slick1ru2

Today I notice the tire that was replaced bu the dealer and fixed most of my jitters has got a slice in the slidewall. Probably from a sharp rock I hit during a recent trip to my uncle's in the country. I am temped to find a tire dealer with high speed balancing equipment when I replace it and have all the tires rebalanced for the THIRD time in hopes that ALL vibrations are fixed.

bc01cls

terton..............................the idle problem is most noticed with the air off. Took my 02 Ram in for its 15,000 mile check up and the dealer reflashed it as directed by the TSB. Idles perfectly now.

ramforceone

How devistating to have a paint problem on a new truck.. I've been there... My brand new '02 QC after having it for just
3 days while washing it I noticed what looked like a long rust spot on the roof. I took the truck back to the dealer and
found out that this was where the primer coat was showing through the paint. They repainted the roof and gave me a lifetime warranty on the repair. I'm pleased to report that this was covered under warranty and to look at the roof you would never know that it was repainted. Hope this helps.

c01

It appears the decision makers at Daimler have had a positive influence on the bottom line at Chrysler, has anyone noticed any improvements in product quality?http://www.detnews.com/2002/autosinsider/0210/29/b01-620802.htm

ramforceone

I have an '02 QC SLT+ with dual heating controls for driver and passenger.. I have noticed that when the knob is set for air to come out on the floor only, a significant amount of air still comes out through the defrost vent up top. The dealer claims that this is normal but if you put a tissue over the defroster vent when set for floor only it will raise the tissue when the fan is on medium-high or high. Has anyone else noticed this? It seems odd for this to work like this, especially when there is a specific setting for floor/defrost. The dealer checked the calibration and said all is normal. Thanks for any feed back.

johnnylinc

This doesn't appear to be a very active topic, but I couldn't find another spot on Edmunds to ask the question; any suggestions would be appreciated.

My dad has an '01 Ram 1500 SLT, regular cab, LWB, 2WD that he bought new in March 2001--ordered it, actually. It has the 318 engine with the automatic tranny. He's having a problem with transmission fluid leakage; it isn't much, just a couple of drops per day on the driveway, but that's a couple of drops too many for a nearly new vehicle.

This truck has not seen any sort of severe useage; in fact, it has way under 10,000 miles, and its heaviest task has been hauling a riding lawn mower on occasion--its primary job is around-town transportation. The dealer has attempted to repair the leak more than once without success.

I believe that the transmission pan has been removed & the gasket replaced; I'm not positive, though. (I don't live in the same town where the truck resides, so I don't have immediate access to it.) Has anyone experienced a similar problem with this model/powertrain and, if so, what was the resolution? The dealership owners are family friends, and they've really tried to get this leak fixed, but my dad is getting frustrated. I've checked TSBs and haven't found anything that appears to address such a problem for the '01 Ram.

I'd appreciate any ideas or suggestions, particularly regarding the location of other 'net sites that specialize in Dodge/Chryco problem-solving if anyone knows of such resources.

PF_Flyer

Help!!!!!! by kenm33 Dec 01, 2002 (08:34 am)
Last night my 2002 Dodge Ram SLT 4X4 Sport lost all power to the dash board - no gauges, no interior lights, no turn signals/wipers etc.....
My headlights would come on but only with the ignition switch, the headlight switch had no affect on the headlights at all. The only light that stayed on in the dash was the little red security light. Any answers for what this problem might be?

emale

wow, that's a little disconcerting...! my guess would be the body control module. something similar happened to my father's chryco minivan sometime ago...

ccikel

On carpoint.com under the "consumer ratings and reviews section" I remenber reading a post about how a gentleman was driving down the freeway in his 2002 ram 1500 and all his gauges went to zero and all the lights/buzzers came on. He had it towed to the dealer and they discovered that the radio was shorting everything out. I don't know if this has anything to do with your problem but I thought I should mention it.
good luck!

dustyk

Check all of the fuses, both engine compartment and passenger compartment. If the IOD fuse opens, this will cause all of your gauges to go to zero (non-power state) and all of the indicator lamps to illuminate.

Not sure about the loss of power to the instrument and dash, but this could be a fuse or circuit breaker, also.

Good luck,
Dusty

twinscrew

If it happens again, wiggle the key switch. Had a similar intermittent problem on a '96 Chevy pu and that was the culprit. Changed the switch and the problem was gone.

Recently fixed first problem with my '02 Quad cab 4X4. Rear U-joint went out at just over 45k miles. First symptom was a slight vibration that I thought was due to mud on the inside of the rims. Knew it was a u joint when it would disappear when I took my foot off of the accelerator.

dustyk

Yes! Have always had a the same problem with the ignition switch on our GMs. Our problem has been that as the key is removed when shutting off the vehicle, the switch still allows current to flow in the accessory mode. The symptom is that the clock is illuminated, which it normally shouldn't be when. Just wiggling the switch a little can prevent this.

Also, had a '79 LTD company car that did the same thing.

Good suggestion.

Dusty

kenm33

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I took it in to the dealer and this problem is a new one to them. I will let you know what they find.

sassywop

Can anyone tell me, What the difference is between the
club cab, Ext.cab, Quad cab,Laramie,sport and so on?
Also which type you would suggest for someone
that stands 6 feet 7 in. Tall.?

loncray

Well, I'm 6'5", and I drive a '03 2500 Quad Cab. There used to be 3 cab choices - Regular cab (2 doors), Club Cab (longer cab but still 2 doors) and Quad Cab (Club cab with two small 'suicide' doors behind the main ones). They no longer make the Club Cab (though the Regular cab is bigger than it used to be) and the Quad Cab now has 2 3/4 size non-suicide doors in the back. The Sport package can be added to any truck and gives you body-colored bumpers, foglights, and special wheels (there might be a few other minor things). Laramie is the top of 3 current trim levels, (the others being ST and SLT), and comes with leather seats, still another set of wheels, a different trip computer, and most of the doodads standard (though heated seats are still a separate option). At 6'7 you should fit fine in a Dodge pickup of either cab, though you will still bump your head on the sharply raked windshield pillar!

jnunley

I saw earlier posts about mirrors falling off new Quadcabs. Wouldn't you know it, on my way to work this morning, the passenger side mirror broke. The dealer is fixing mirror, since it's under warranty (I also asked them to fix idle problem TSB 18-030-02). Out of curiosity, I asked what a mirror would cost if it had broken out of warranty. About $180!! Apparently, they've had many problems with the mirrors and Dodge could issue a recall. I hope so.
This has been my only problem since I bought the truck almost exactly one year ago and so far I've got 22,000 miles on it.

peppe1

Here in MD we had our first snow (8") and have noticed a design flaw in the new Rams. After brushing off the windshield and roof the rain gutters on the doors(front mainly) get packed with snow so when you open the door a pile of snow falls in on the seat and the floor. Also the edge of the door when open has a ring of snow around it that falls on the arm rest and the electronic controls. This condition also happens in the rain. These gutters are good for opening the windows a crack when it is raining but also they catch the wind when driving down the highway. There is a TSB about over under flush measurements and they seem to be right but I was wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them?
Thanks
Tom