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Dodge Ram: Problems & Solutions
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Comments
After driving on the highway for at least 10 minutes at regular speed (60 mph or up), and I come to a stop, I get this sound coming from the rear end when I take off. I can also feel it when it happens. It almost feels like I'm hitting ruts in the road when I take off, but only the rear tires are going through the ruts. It only lasts for about 20-25 feet then stops. It also only happens if I make right or left turns, never when I go straight after the stop.
It started doing it about 10K miles ago but wasn't nearly as frequent or pronounced as it is now. It used to actually feel like there was something heavy (like a cinder block) in the bed of the truck that slid a couple of feet and hit the tailgate when I took off.
I occasionally tow a 6,000 lb. trailer but have ALWAYS had my tranny and diffs serviced at 20K miles! My dealer could find no problems with it the two times I've taken it in. They will do "exploratory surgery" on the tranny and diffs if I want them to, though.
I don't want to take it back to them for that and would rather have a trans specialist look at it at this point.
Has anyone had similar experiences or know anything about this??? ANY help you can throw my way would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
email: trt67@att.net
Do you regularly drive it with moderate acceleration or heavy acceleration? If you do (mod or heavy)most of the time and then go to a slow acceleration you might get a rough shift. I had this with my old 02 QC auto and now with my 03 QC 5.7/auto. It has to do with the transmission "adapting" to the way you drive.
For instance, under heavy acceleration it will shift quicker/firmer and if you do this most of the time it will "learn" how you drive. Then later if you are gingerly accelerating it will Shift a little too hard until it can learn a new style.
Mine was shifting hard after it was bought.... i'd had it out several times in the floor for the test drive. After purchase a few days had went by and it was still shifting a little rough. I disconnected the battery for a few minutes, re-connected, and drove easy. It shifts smoothly now, but I can tell it drags the shifts out a little longer than it used to.
hope this makes sense
That makes a lot of sense. Being a new truck and enjoying the power of the Hemi, I do tend to kick it in a lot. My salesman told me he thought it might be the "computer" getting used to how I drive. I'm going to try unplugging the battery and see how it responds. Thanks.
It should re-learn after a while, however, without disconnecting the battery.
Dusty
Been very busy at work and have had a major lifestyle change, so my access to the net has become limited. Good to hear from you.
Bests,
Dusty
Earlier differentials made by American Gear did have some problems, but your's would be the first '98 that I've heard that's had a failure of that nature.
I'm not sure what engine you have, but I've not heard one thing about warped or cracked heads. I checked with my local Dodge technician and he said he's never seen a failure of this type on any Dodge engine.
Dusty
Thank you for any advice. No disclaimer necessary. Not looking for a warranty from you. Just looking for experienced RAM owners to chime in, hopefully some with experience with all three models under consideration.
-V
as for the steering problems....i've never heard of any steering problems with dodge trucks other than track bar problems which were fixed in the late 90s, but that would never affect the new 1/2ton since it has an independent front suspension...
First, I don't think the 45RE is available behind the 360 (5.9) engine, if it ever was. The base transmission in the half-ton RAMs with the 360 should be the 46RE. I think, and I could be wrong, that the 47RE is available in the half-ton series as an option, but that might be 4x4 only.
All of the 4-speed "RE" series transmissions received a number of design changes to increase longevity starting in the '98 model year. This includes significant increase in oil flow to the overdrive unit, one of the most common problem areas before '98. There's also improved fluid drain-back protection and new shift solenoid packs, also problem contributors pre-'98 versions.
The current "RE" series is based on the older A904 and A727 TorqueFlite transmissions, one of the most robust and durable units ever built. The addition of the overdrive unit in the '80s, really a modification, was a marginal design brought quickly into production. Most people never had a problem in this area, but snowplow operators and those that towed heavy loads often did have problems. Cold weather areas actually had higher failure rates.
For your purposes I would agree with Emale, the 5.7 Hemi and 545RFE combination is a rugged combination. The 545RFE is a very new design and more than adequate behind the 5.7 Hemi. I'm not aware of any common maladies with the 545RFE. As far as I can tell, there have been exceptionally few incident reports of problems and especially failures. The Dodge techs that I've talked to have never seen one apart, except in tranny school. I've heard of one failure on a '98 Grand Cherokee, but owner abuse was likely the cause.
I have never heard of a steering related problem with the new RAM series.
Best of luck,
Dusty
I only have 550 miles on the truck and there is a ticking sound that has developed when I accelerate. I am not sure if it is coming from the exhaust or a valve. It almost sounds like a diesel when I take off. When I am in park and give it some gas I don't hear the noise. This leads me to believe that maybe it is an exhaust issue. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks.
Now my real question. I also told him that I was not happy with the mileage. AVG 13 mpg while doing 75 on the open highway for 200 straight. He said that it probably needed a tune-up. He said it is recommended every 15,000 miles. Not a major tune-up with plugs, just a adjustment for $85.00. Does this seem like I am getting hosed? What do you guys think.
Thanks
Chris
sounds to me like they told you to "bend over" and take it like a man!!! 85 dollars to adjust what?? ask em' that and see what they say...!
The first real service event associated with 287 (4.7) engine tune is at 30,000 miles (48,000 km), which is replace engine air filter, replace spark plugs, and clean/replace PCV valve.
Regards,
Dusty
the 4.7l doesn't have 100k mile plugs in it???
Regards,
Dusty
Thanks,
Dale
First, is the charging voltage now in the normal range?
Dusty
If you have the need for the kind of horsepower that the Hemi can deliver, than the Hemi most certainly is one sweet motor. If your towing or heavy hauling requirements are little or seldom, in my opinion the 4.7 is more than adequate and you won'y have to feed all those ponies when you're not using them.
One nice thing about a "free society" is that you get to chose without having to justify it.
Best regards,
Dusty
Yes, the charging voltage is in the normal range now after replacing the battery. Everything seems to be operating normally, i.e. no problems with ignition timing or anything electrical. The transmission is still shifting differently. It shift from 1st to 2nd around 3K rpm, from 2nd to 3rd at around 4K rpm, and into OD a few seconds after going into 3rd. Thanks for the reply Dusty!!
Rick
I recently purchased a 1990 Dodge diesel. It has only 54000 miles on it. It is an automatic. I just returned from my first short trip pulling my 5th wheel which weighs approx 10000 pounds. Compared to my 1986 Ford with a 460 it seemed to lack power and tended to run hot (between the high normal range and the extreme hot mark on the guage)while pulling some hills. The outside temperature was in the 60's. Do they tend to run on the hot side and how hot is too hot? I have been told that it is possible to increase the horsepower by doing various things to the engine, has anyone else had this done and how successful was the upgrade. This is my first diesel so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I notice that the back window and "front"/top of the box is somewhat curved. Have any of you tried to mount an aluminum cap on this? Does the curve result in a huge space between the cap and the cab? Does it look o.k.?
Thank you.
Regards to all truck loving people.
Andy
babyboomer hotrodder
I have noticed that if the load on the engine is such that the gas used causes pinging, a higher octane has made it better. Based on the location of the gasoline store (definitely not a "service" station) and the price, it was likely less octane than indicated on the pump. Altitude seems to be a factor as well, or I may have been trying to "justify" the extra expense of the HighTest Stuff.
Bottom line of post? Not all octane measurements appear to be equal. Let your ear tell you when it's time for higher octane.
Enjoy the miles of scenery slipping by...
I was wondering when to change the oil. I was thinking of using Mobil 1 10-30. Summer here near California desert can reach 108 deg F
Regards to all Mopar lovers,
Andy
babyboomer hot rodder
PS had a ticking sound at 280 miles. Then it disappeared..
I read there is a Kenne-Bell supercharger that bumps the HP from 345 to 519. Saw it in TRUCKIN mag.
"Your engine is designed to operate on high-quality unleaded gasoline having an octane rating of 87 (NOTE: The 5.7L engine is designed to operate on fuel with an octane rating of 87 or higher, however, 89 octane is recommended for optimum performance). Poor quality gasoline can cause problems such as hard starting, stalling and hesitation. If you experience these symptoms, try another brand of gasoline before considering service for your vehicle.
The use of gasoline with a higher than specified octane rating is not generally recommended, and in some circumstances may result in poorer performance.
When pulling a heavy load or driving a fully loaded vehicle when the humidity is low or the temperature is high, us a premium (high-octane) unleaded fuel to help prevent spark knock."
Sounds to me like finding the right gasoline depends on your engine size, what your towing, temperature, humidity, etc. I have the 3.7L V6, and plan on using 87 (except for the above conditions). I've always heard that you should use the lowest octane that doesn't result in knocking/pinging.
almost all engines these days have knock sensors. the thing i'm not sure about is whether the knock sensors on the hemi can take advantage of even higher octane than 89. i know chrysler does employ dual stage knock sensors (is that right terminology dusty?) on some vehicles. what that means is the electronics can take advantage of higher than recommended octane fuel to produce more engine power/torque.
Thanks for the information.