Dodge Ram: Problems & Solutions

mullis1

Any help for question 2753, I'm desperate.

For past references see questions
#2749
#2746
#2642
#2609

dogderam1500

Why does my steering not work below 1000RPM.

Ok so the steering is tough below 1000 RPM. No signs of leaks, fluid level checks good, serpintine belt tight. steering makes a loud sound/whinning/straining while idle and putting pressure on steering.
My understanding is the pump is weak and about to crap out. The truck is a 2004 1500 4x4 SLT SB 5.7 with 42k miles no other issue except had the fuel tran. re-calibrated 10k ago.

swahs1

Have you checked your fuel pump. I have a 98 GMC and the thing wouldn't start. It would turn over fine, had spark, and even had fuel pressure. Turns out that the pump wasn't putting out enough pressure to start it (around 60psi). Might want to test your fuel pressure.

Jim

joshstanley

I went to the dodge dealer for a diagnostic test and the guy tried to charge me $1000 for a tune up, throttle body, injector, induction, trans service,air filter, I could go on. I went to autozone and the manager sold me a new gas cap and put it on and switched the light off it came back on and I went back to autozone and the manager gave me a diagnostic test it read "the PCM has determined that a malfunction exsists in the electrical circuit for the purge control valve in the evaporate emission control system"? What does that mean, and can I fix it myself?

wfuller

My truck just died while cranking one morning and now it wont crank at all.. since then i have replaced: Ignition Switch, Ignition Coil, Park/Neutral Switch, PCM (costly..), all the relays have power and i recently had to replace my ASD relay so all the relays are new. I've bench tested my starter and it works. There is voltage to the starter and when cranked there is little to no draw, i don't under stand why it wont start or crank.. any suggestions? I really dont wanna take it to a mechanic, low on funds. It ran great up until that morning, confused .

96dodge1

I have 1996 Dodge Ram. Same symptoms. All seemed ok but the spark at the coil was orange instead of blue. Replaced the coil and the truck started right up. Previous to that I checked fuel pressure, spark, plugs, even squirted a starter fluid in the intake. The coil was around $30-40. I talked to a mechanic friend and he said the fuel pressure from the injectors requires a hot spark to ignite. Seemed to make sense and the truck has been running great since. I also notice more power.

ripleydodge

I sure wish all of you out there that have had fuel injection pumps replaced on your diesels would make a big complaint to Dodge.
We have a 2000 Dodge Diesel 2500 4x4 with 83,000 miles on it.(no warranty because we bought it used with 59,000 miles on it)
We were traveling at Christmas in Washington when our truck just dies. It is 11pm the night before Christmas eve, we are on this very dark rainy country road with NO cell service! I sat in the truck while he went out in the rain walking trying to get some service. I mean while stayed in the truck, scared to death that someone might decided to shoot the truck with a shot gun cause it was just sitting there.. Eventually I would turn the flashers on when a car would drive by. someone did stop, and as scared as I was I talked to him he gave me his cell phone (nextel worked in this dead area). I got a hold of my brother and the rest is history. I was very grateful to the nice man that stopped, but I was also very apprehensive to accept his kindness.
We had the truck towed the day after Christmas to the dodge dealer in Tacoma where they had it until Jan 3rd.
The fuel injection pump went out due to the fuel pump not working correctly. This repair cost us a whopping $4400!!
Dodge is aware of the problem. 6 months ago dodge replaced the old fuel pump with a new one and it is now located in a different place on the vehicle.
I have talked to several people that own dodge diesels, they too have had this same problem. Sometimes the pump goes out under warranty and sometimes after. But the problem lies with the fuel pump loosing pressure. Causing the fuel injection pump to over heat and there for DIE!
Those of us that don't have a warranty are stuck with the bill.
Personally I feel that this is WRONG because Dodge knows there is a problem with this fuel pump and has made modifications to the fuel pump and it's location on the vehicle. 6 moths ago they came out with a new beefed up fuel pump and they relocated on or near the fuel tank.
It's not a RECALL because it isn't a SAFETY ISSUE. I beg to differ with them! They should be out on that dark scary road by their self.,. then tell me it isn't a safety issue!
In the past two years that we have owned our truck we have spent well over $15,000 in repairs to this truck. We bought our truck with 59,000 miles on it. It now has 83,000 miles. We have far to much money invested in it to trade it in or sell it. So we just hope we won't have to bury any more money into it.
We take excellent care of the truck, but still have problems. I will be posting a simular letter to Dodge and some of our local newspapers. I feel dodge needs to reimburse us for this problem. But they have denied not to pay us a thing.

kilster

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I would like to correct a couple of things. First Dodge warranty the diesel engine for 5 years or 100,000 miles, sometimes more depending on the year, does not matter if you are the first owner or 10th, If a dealership tells you other wise then you need to contact Chrysler directly. Second the pumps are warranty thru Dodge by Cummins. The only times that will not warrant the parts if they have been modified or tampered with, or bad fuel. Bad fuel is the most common problem. Cheap fuel/water filter don't help the problem. Mopar filter is made by Fleetguard. I recommend using either mopar or Fleetguard. Yes they sell cheaper ones at other places but you pay for what you get. Cheaper filters let more bad stuff thru and kill the injector pump. I'm not say this is the problem with all the pumps going wrong, its just the most common.

cameron6

my engine light came on 2 days ago. the code when i turned the ignition on 3 times is p 0420. what is that code. i have a 2005 ram with hemi.

jneal

P0420 is "Catalyst efficency below threshold Bank 1"
Many,many things can cause this code to be set. Vehicle is under warranty so take it to a dealer and have them sort it out.

ripleydodge

Thank you very much for your input. I did call Chrysler direct. at 1.800 992.1997 they are who told me that my warranty was only for 3 years 36,000 miles. So because my truck is out of warranty they would NOT COVER THE INJECTOR PUMP.
When I talked to the service manager at Tacoma Dodge she did inform me that the INJECTOR PUMPS had been a big problem for dodge that is why she urged me to call Dodge/Chrysler. The main problem with the INJECTOR PUMPS were the FUEL PUMPS loosing pressure causing the injector pumps to over heat and burn up. The fuel filter or cheap diesel was never mentioned. We always have the truck serviced at the Dodge dealership, I would hope they would use the proper filters. As for the diesel I don't think I have ever gotten bad diesel, but you just never know..
I know 4 people that have Dodge Diesels and everyone of them has had to replace the FUEL INJECTOR PUMP along with the fuel pump, but they were still under warranty..Seems at though this is a problem with DODGE DIESELS and they are taking steps to correct the problem. But in my case I feel they should have done some reimbursement for a well known problem and they refused.
I had always thought the warranty's were 5 years or 100,000 miles, that is what I heard as Dodge advertisement. But apparently that is only for a selected few, not in my case either. Maybe I just didn't talk to the right person?? Do you have someone or know where I can call to talk to someone that would consider taking our problem into consideration? Any information you have would be great and appreciated... Thank You...

cameron6

thanks for the reply. I'll take it to the dealer.

wfuller

My truck (1997 Dodge 318 auto) just died while cranking one morning and now it wont crank at all.. since then i have replaced: Ignition Switch, Ignition Coil, Park/Neutral Switch, PCM (costly..), all the relays have power and i recently had to replace my ASD relay so all the relays are new. I've bench tested my starter and it works. There is voltage to the starter and when cranked there is little to no draw, i don't under stand why it wont start or crank.. any suggestions? I really dont wanna take it to a mechanic, low on funds. It ran great up until that morning, confused . :sick: :confuse:

legendlars

The ABS light and brake light both come on and it gets a soft pedal intermitently. I have done the front brakes, looked at rears and adjusted them, bled the system, and the problem still occurs. Is there a notorious problem with the ABS switch or unit? It almost appears like the system is sucking in air, but there are no leaks to be found. Please respond if you have any info. Thanks.

legendlars

I don't mean to make you sound like an idiot, but sometimes we overlook the obvious (I know from experience). Have you checked your battery and cables to make sure you have a good ground and good battery? If not start there. They always say to check for spark and fuel as your first two things, and it sounds like you have been working on the spark problem, but to initiate the spark we start with the battery. Good luck!

kilster

Honestly I just dont think someone at the dealership knos waht they are talking about or wants to deal with it. I would call chrysle directly again and ask them what the warrenty on a diesel engine. Should be 5/100k for your model year, tell them you dont need to know bumper to bumber which is only 3/36k. Since your truck is a 2000 it will be close. but if you talk to the right person at chrysler and explain your problem and tell them your dealer keeps giving you the run around, they might help you out or see if they will at least meet you half way.
Good Luck

mwhale

Replacing stock mirrors

I'm the new owner of a Ram 3500 that came with stock mirrors. I want to put the Dodge towing mirrors on my truck.

Do I "have to" replace part of the wiring harness to get th epower & hte heated features of the towing mirrors to work?

Thanks

hellasioushemi

I own a 2004 Ram Quad Cab Hemi! Absolutlely love the truck. The only thing which is now very noticable is if you stand behind my truck you can see that it's leaning down like two inches on the drivers side. I spoke to Dodge and they said they have seen this on a few trucks but there's nothing they can find thats broken! Any thoughts?

tarheel0603

I have a 2001 4x4 Ram, yesterday the speedometer stopped working and the ABS and Brake light came on. After about 20 minutes it took a long time to shift out of first gear and the check engine light came on....has anybody else had this experience if so what was the cause??

wfuller

I've checked both the battery and the starter cable. The battery is fine, 12.5v, the cable running to the battery has like 12.3v so very little draw. The starter isn't turning over at all, but it does when i bench test it, so i know it's good. do you think i should just replace the cable? thanks.

wfuller

I did a continuity test on all the cables coming off the battery, the harness is all good, all the cables are good no breaks in the line. Relay is good, i spoke to a semi-mechanic (autozone worker) and he said it might be the wires coming from the ignition switch into the pdc and on to the line to the starter, i'm going to check that later. thanks.

patentguy

I just replaced my tailgate cables and noticed that the hinge on the right seems to have a lot of play in it. This is the hinge that is open to allow you to remove the tailgate. A small plastic piece was broken and fell out.

Is this a washer/bearing? Where do I find a replacement part and what part do I ask for?

mccaslin3

wat up guys im new here but i need some help fast!. my lights switch isnt holding the running and dash lights on anymore, just the headlights. so i cant drive at night without the running lights. one day the rod pulled out so i put it back in and since then they havent worked right.although they will go on if i pull out the rod very slowly, but as soon as i go to headlights they go off. i bought a new swith and nothing has changed. Connections to the plug r good and nothing is burned or melted. does the rod serve as a connection? could it be worn? any suggestions would be great thanks.

joelocal

My 2001 Ram 1500 truck doesn't shift properly about 1/2 of the time unless I let it set in park for 1 - 2 minutes. Sometimes, if I don't let it set, it will will shift into drive until I get up a high rpm. But about 1/2 of the time it will shift fine without setting in park. What would most likely caused this? Any help would be appreciated.

mullis1

I'm considering trading my 2001 Ram 4x4 Sport for a Four Door 4x4 V6 Dakota for better mileage, any considerations I should take before I decide to go through with it?

astrunk3

My problem is exactly like yours and I also have had it to dealers and mechanics with the same results. No one knows what the problem is. I did get a code #p0601. This is all nonsense to me not being auto savy. Did you ever get yuor problem resolved? Short of taking the bulb out??
Any info is appreciated, thanks AHSIII

mac24

P0601 essentially means that there's a fault within the PCM/ECU. You give no information on your vehicle......is it still under warranty?

shadowparks

Looking for help with my 95 ram 1500 qc. Trucks dies after driving it for 30 min. Will not start up after that. Runs rough, backfires a little. If you let it sit for 20 min. or so, it will start and run fine. I only live 5 min. from my job, so as long as i don't drive far, its ok. Dealership says it's the fuel pump module and wants over 700.00 to fix it. Any ideas on what it may be?

wfuller

hey man, try replacing your ASD relay (in the PDC under the hood next to the battery), mine did the same thing.. then it stopped running all together. if thats not it and they really think it's the fuel pump then go to autozone, buy a fuel pump and replace it yourself.. save alot of money.

wfuller

Battery cables (and battery) are good(well the battery have 12.5v and the cables give 12.3 to the starter) new park/neutral switch, ignition switch, ignition coil, PCM, i've done a continuity test on my cables, the relays are all good but the 97 dodge 318 auto wont crank over.. i've tried to by pass it by running two wires off the the terminals on the starter and just touching them together, but the starter turns slow, but i had the starter bench tested and it works great.. it died while half way cranked one morning and hasnt even cranked since.. any suggestions? thanks.

schmedly

12.5v, is, i believe low. It may be a "12V" battery, but I believe that it is supposed to put out initially around 14 or better. My charger is capable of jump starting (if it doesn't take long). If you can get your hands on one of these it may show if it is the battery problem.

carlamigo

My 1995 Ram 2500 V10 will not suck anymore the last 5 gallons of the 35 gallons tank. When the gauge get to E my truck start loosing power and start skipping. I fill the tank with about 30 gal. of the 35 that is suppose to be the tank capacity. Since wen I am pulling my Fifth Wheel I make 8 to 9 mpg those 5 gallons are sure handy to get to the next gas station. Seems to be even worst when going uphill. Any suggestion other than avoiding the tank to go below 1/4 tank. This problem appeared suddenly after spending a winter up north.

jrsidhu

I have an 04 dodge ram 1500. My instrument panel kicks in and out. When it goes out all the warning lights come on and the speedometer and tach quit. Also a "no bus" signal comes on at the odometer. I have taken it in about 6 times in the last month. Dealership has replaced 3 PCM's and 1 antitheft module. And guess What.....NOTHING!!! Help me out if u find anything.

jrsidhu

have u had a "no bus" signal come on??

shokies00

i have the same problem also. did you get any answers. if so what did you find out

jrsidhu

Yes the no bus signal comes on and the gauges go away. they only come back when i take it to the dealer ship. all the other warning lights come on...starting with abs, then brake, then air bag, then gas light.

samigagnon

I drove my truck for a ride the other day on the hyway and my O/D come off, then back on, then come off again for a long periode of time and after that when I hit some hills, the TRANS TEMP LIGHT come on. The change of speed was very ruff and hard too. When the trans is cool, I have no probleme. I had no charge behind my truck. it is a 4/4. Please help me.

roadkingrider

I recently started having an issue with my truck and hope someone can help. At times I can statr up go to take off it starts going then I lose all power. Turn the ignition off , restart and all is fine for a while. Or. Going down the highway at 80mph I lose all power. Truck goes to an idle. It doesn't stall. Can someone help. Thanx.

sammy12

Please SOS,
Crank and drive very well but after 30 min while I try to stop or slow down will stall and idle very bad.
Thanks, sammy12

wfuller

try changing your ASD relay.. mine had the same problems, back firing.. shutting down.. stalling, if it's not your problem its really cheap ne ways and a good place to start.

diesel86

Hey I have an 02 dodge ram 2500 turbo diesel and i will be going down the highway and my truck will cut out, my rpms will drop, ill lose power and it doesnt matter if i press on the gas pedal. This happens at around 80 mph, little over 2,000 rpms. I called the dodge dealership and they said that it could be a bad throttle position sensor, which ranges in parts at around 400 dollars plus labor.If you have this problem as well and if you know any ways of going about fixing this problem let me know. Thanks.

loncray

Well, I've never yet been able to use the last 9 gallons of the 34 gallon tank in my '03 2500 Diesel. But that's okay, because that nice cool diesel fuel is keeping my fuel pump cool. If you use that fuel, it heats up and fails. I wonder if your V10 gasser is the same way? Mine's set up to not use those last cooling gallons - but I guess at 17 - 20 mpg I'm in better shape.

sammy12

which one is the ASD relay ? There are few relay in this box.

Thanks , sammy

ramman124

98 dodge ram 1500 4x4 5.2, vibration/loose feel in brake petal floor board and steering wheel when ever i hit small to moderate bumps have replaced trck bar hub shocks rancho 5000 all inner outer tie rods dampner rancho sway bar bushins and end links i am a mechanic and im baffled so is every one at shop ball joint apeare to be good no sighns of damage is it possible it could be a bad axle coming from front drivers side any comments or segestions welcome :mad:

wfuller

flip over the lid and there should be a diagram on the other side.. it's the ice cube shaped one, there should be three.. one for "trailer," another for "starter," and the last should be the "ASD".. they should all be in a group and look exactly the same, if you have off road lights or a 4x4 there might be 4 there, but there should be a diagram saying which is which on the under side of the lid. later

wfuller

hey, you're a mechanic.. i dont have any solution for you but i do have a question about my dodge if you have time or could help, sorry though - your problem is way to technical for me.

wfuller

my '97 dodge wont crank over.. lights work fine, battery is good and the cables have good continuity with little draw.. when the key is turned it wont crank. i've replaced the PCM, ignition switch and coil, bench tested the starter, replaced the park/neutral switch and all the relays (fuel pump, ASD, starter, trailer).. still wont crank. When i turn the key to start the truck, nothing happens - no starter noise or turning.. and there is no voltage getting to the solenoid terminal (the one not coming directly off the battery), this is confusing the heck outta me and i really need my truck to be running. i do keep getting an MIL code - 12: Battery or computer recently disconnected : : but i dont think that is helping me any? any suggestions? thanks.

leg75he6

My truck runs at normal temperature. Here is the deal the heater gives of hot air, but as you turn up the fan it gets cooler and cooler at each fan level. Also it is much hotter air at an Idol and on warm days than when I drive down the road or on cold days. It was a rebuilder and it has a broken fan shroud and no plastic trim (shields) in the engine compartment. Could it be just getting too much cold air into the engine compartment when I am driving and not allowing the heater core to get hot.

jneal

When you turn the ignition switch to "start" position do your dash lights etc go off??

jneal

I would replace the fan shroud and also the thermostat.