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Dodge Ram
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Comments
My truck is the same as yours except I have the 5.2L, and now I don't feel so bad - your mileage is worse than mine! Even though I'd like it to be better, though, I'm not REALLY complaining. It is a truck, after all, and I didn't expect economy-car numbers.
Tell your wife I said "happy trucking." Once she gets used to it, she'll never want to drive anything else. At 5'3" I find it a kick to be that high off the ground. And don't burst her bubble - let her think they're lookin' at her! :-)
SUNNY DAYS AHEAD
it keeps the engine in a more efficient spot (rpm-wise). Engines that are installed for heavy trucks always have a third line on the power graph - fuel consumption measured in pounds of fuel per horsepower-hour. This line actually goes down, then back up. Slightly above the torque peak rpm is usually the engine's most efficient rpm. If overdrive has your engine turning too slowly, then yes, you will actually be using more fuel.
Glad your enjoying your truck. Thanks for the info on the setting on the climate control panel, was wondering why the air seemed so much colder than what it should be on that setting if it was vented air. I am getting about 12.5 on avg, but I only have 422 mi. on it so far, mostly city driving, so hopefully it'll improve as the truck settles in.
The question is, what things do I need to pay attention to on this vehicle, especially concerning the diesel? Any advise?
thanks,
rk
I have a 98 Ram1500 Club Cab 4x4 wit the 360 V8 Auto. I now have 10,000 miles and the truck is great. I am avg around 13.5-14 cty/hwy. I just bought a boat and have some ?? regarding overdrive and towing:
My boat is less than 1000 lbs. Should I always tow with o/D off?
Around town I will surely leave O/D off, but if I am crusing on a flat level highway can I use overdrive? Will I hurt my auto tranny?
With overdrive off the rpm's are about 500 RPM higher.
Please comment. Thanks Rich
Landyblue, fownd some Westin nefr bar's last night, and i installed them my self in about a hour, i hope they don't fall off" ha" ha" i did endup paying $303 for them, but they sure make the "she" look goooood!
SUNNY DAY'S AHEAD
PS: steel looking for a name for "she"
1. remember pre start checks
2. hold down warm up time
3. use progressive shifting
4.use the surrounding terrain to your advantage
6. keep your speed down
7. don't shIft too early when climbing grades; plan ahead for downgrades
8. anticipate slowdowns and stops; learn to coast in gear.
9. use the highest gear possible at all times
10. eliminate unnecessary idling.
intown driving try to stay off the brakes as much as possible, coast to a stop if you can, and try to time the stop lights so you don't have put so much fuel out to get the big lug going again,
I have 5.9l gas eng. with auto, and last night it hit 15 mpg in town but you have to be thinking about it all the time and looking at the oppertunitys of were you are able to let the weight of the truck get you that extra fuel saveings
on my 99 SYRAM i have 450 miles
SUNNY DAY'S AHEAD
Welcome to the 3500 Club! The single best recommendation I can give you is, follow the heavy duty maintenance schedule in the owner's manual. It seems like a lot of work, and it comes up fairly frequently, too, but my 3500 Cummins has been trouble free for 35 months and 47,000 miles. If you're mechanically inclined, a lot of it can be done in the driveway.
Other important notes:
- stick with top-brand parts and fluids. Personally, I only recommend three brands of motor oil: Valvoline/Mopar Premium Blue (what I use exclusively), Shell Rotella, and Chevron DELO - all 15W40. Use only Cummins, Mopar, or Fleetguard filters.
- find a relaible source of diesel fuel. Many stations sell it, but if it soesn't get sold much, it will become stagnant in the underground tank and develop impurities. Find a station with high truck traffic and a reasonable price, and stick with it. Unless I'm on a road trip, I stick with the same 2 stations. Remember, diesel fuel is an oil (close cousin of home heating oil), and is quite sensitive to outside elements that will stay in suspension.
- pay close attention to your tire inflation. If you are running empty most of the time, make sure you reduce the pressure in the four back tires. After 3 years, I have discovered a very good "empty truck" inflation of 67psi up front, and 40psi in the 4 rears. As your loads increase, increae the pressure in the 4 rears, but remember to deflate them if you go back to empty for extended periods of time. Get yourself a dually tire gauge and valve cap extensions (the kind you don't have to remove to check pressure) - they are sold at most good auto parts stores, they're about a foot long, and you can easily check the inside tire pressure by sliding the gauge through the wheel holes (make sure they are lined up between the two wheels).
- spend extra time getting used to the width (if you haven't driven 8-foot-wide vehicles before). The passenger's side mirror on a 3500 is the opposite of almost every other mirror on the road. Usually, the passenger mirror is convex, with the warning "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear". The passenger mirror on a 3500 (unless you got the camper mirrors) are actually a slight magnification, i.e. "objects in mirror are further away than they appear". I use this to my advantage when making right lane changes - if I can see the whole grille of a car in that mirror, I know I have plenty of room to make the change.
- let the diesel warm up and wind down. Diesels run on heat, not spark plugs, to achieve combustion. It is very important that you give the engine time to warm up sufficiently to avoid smoky exhaust from poorly burned fuel. Also, because it is a turbocharged engine, give it time to "spin down" at idle before shutting it off. Usually 30-60 seconds if it was a short trip, or 2-3 minutes after an extended run. Do NOT rev the engine once you're in park. Shutting off immediately will cause motor oil to burn in the turbine and develop buildup. As you idle, the turbine has time to slow down and the flowing motor oil can dissipate the heat through the rest of the engine preventing this problem.
If you have other questions, please ask!
Enjoyed reading the diesel tips in your note to rk. I would appreciate any other tips that you might have as this is my first diesel and I want to make sure that I take care of it correctly so that it lasts a good long time. I would be especially interested in cold weather tips (it's still snowing here!!)and any thoughts you have about extended periods of idling (I frequently have to sleep in my truck). Thanks
Both Cummins and Dodge do not recommend extended idling with this particular engine. The reason being, as it is installed in the Dodge Ram, the Cummins is overcooled - it uses the same radiator as the V10, but there's a lot less engine to cool (359 inch six cylinder vs. 488 inch 10 cylinder). Diesels act almost as heat pumps - because of their efficient combustion, there is very little opportunity for the engine to generate heat, and the fan and radiator will just keep it cooler still. Even in summer stop-and-go traffic, my truck has never exceeded 190 degrees. If you really must idle the truck for a snooze, make sure the grille is covered (including the bumper grilles, except for the topmost inch of grille (that's the intercooler intake). You will also need to change your fluids and filters more often to prevent the effects of breakdown.
When you are at home, always use the engine block heater if the temperature will stay below 40 degrees. Cummins recommends it below 40 and requires it below 10 degrees. If you're in a location where you can't plug in, firing the engine heater grid twice can help (turn key to On, but not Start - wait for "Wait To Start" light to go out, turn key to Off, then On again and cycle the "Wait to Start" light a second time before cranking). Also, be sure and use an anti-gel if the temp stays below 32 degrees - this will keep the diesel fuel from gelling in the tank.
If either you or rk have anything else, please ask!
I wouldn't worry too much about a firm shift - it's the slushy shift that needs attention. When you have your trans serviced, they should check and adjust the bands along with changing the fluid, filter, and gasket - this should return your trans to "like new" condition.
No steering pump leak here - definitiely bring that to their attention. Only leak I ever had was a rear seal at around 40K miles that they took care of at the trans service - free of charge, no less.
Honest answer: no, we can't.
Here's why. Only you will know how comfortable you are behind the wheel, how easy the controls are to reach, how the engines and transmissions respond to your way of driving. The appearance is extremely opinionated; since I am a "hardcore trucker" (only had 1 car in my life), I liked the big-rig look of the Ram. If you're more of a traditional/conservative, you might like the tamer lines of the Chevy better.
Best advice - go drive them both and make the call yourself. Physically, both trucks will do exactly what you want them to in terms of load carrying and towing. Price is definitely competitve. It's the "personal debatables" that will make the difference.
Thankyou for your good advice. I've never ordered a vehicle before, and the waiting seems like the hardest part of this whole purchase. It also is the first time I have used the information found in Edmunds to assist in the purchase negotiation. It worked very well. As a point of interest, I received the Edmunds Fair Market Trade-In value for my 94 Ram, and purchased the new one for 2% over dealer invoice. Dealer invoice, I was surprised to find, was exactly as quoted by Edmunds save for the advertising costs, which Edmunds did include as an unknown.
It was an interesting experience. It was so much easier to go into a dealership with all the numbers, and tell them what I was willing to sign for, rather than go through the traditional haggling myself and others have had to do in the past. I ended up peddling the same deal to three dealers, and although each new I was working with two other dealers, I never shared another dealers quote among any of them. Our only requirement was that they be a five-star dealership, as I don't want "on the job training" going on using my truck as todays "lesson plan".
As a observation from both myself and my wife, it was humorous to observe the reactions by one dealer who was surprised, to say the least, at the accuracy of our numbers. We thought we were being questioned by the FBI at one point, as they were very suspicious at where we "obtained" this information. Welcome to the 20th Century folks...
All in all, it was a pleasant experience, and I am chomping at the bit to get that all-important phone call. Especially to you, kcram, thankyou for your help.
rk
You're very welcome!
I found when I ordered my 3500 three years ago, dealers were beginning to recognize the advantages of customers who were armed with information. The sales rep that I \eventually made the order with had told me a few months earlier, he had been at a Chrysler sales training seminar where internet and other electronic means of shopping were thoroughly discussed. He then went back to his sales manager and said, "any requests that come in by mail, fax, or e-mail - I want!" He said people who are armed with this kind of information are ready to buy, and generally know what they can spend. It cut down on his time determining what kind of vehicle they want, test driving various types, and haggling over $$. My order consisted of 1 letter, 1 fax, and just 30 minutes on a Saturday morning to sign the papers.
The Silverado has gotten some excellent reviews and I did stop to look at them before I had firmly decided on the Ram. Unfortunately for Chevy, they do not have a quad-cab. They do have a third door, but it is located on the passenger side. I didn't look any farther than that. That was something that I knew that I could not live with.
Can anyone tell me what the contents of the TSB are, the title is (Overdrive Unavailable in Extreme Cold Temps)
Assuming you have eliminated the speedometer cable, I had exactly the same problem. I even had to take the service manager for a ride to make a believer out of him on this one. Regardless of the speed, as soon as you backed off the accelerator so the engine was under no load, the noise appeared. We initially thought it was a bearing in the auto transmission, but the service manager had the mechanic go into the engines computer and "reloaded" the program, or so he said, and the problem has disappeared. I couldn't believe it myself, as I would have bet it was mechanical. Go figure...
rk
Please let me know the results. I took the Service Manager at his word on this, but I will be interested in the outcome. He never did explain exactly what was causing this. Perhaps he was not sure himself, who knows...
rk
I towed my boat with my new Ram 2500HD about two weeks ago and obviosly the Cummins did just fine with a 3000 lb boat. However, I did notice something that I would like you to comment on.
I was experimenting between having O/D on and off and noticed the following:
O/D off at 60 MPH the rpm = 2500
when O/D was enableded the rpm whent up to 2650 for a second or two and then dropped down to 2150 where it stayed for 30 or 40 seconds and then dropped down to 1700 rpms.
Since then I have noticed it also does this going from second to third but not as pronounced.
Can you tell me whats going on with the transmission and torque converter?
Thanks in advance to your input.
Re the transmission: this is completely normal, and here is what is occurring:
When you have the OD off, the torque converter locks in third gear. When you turn the OD on, the torque converter must unlock to make the shift. This is the quick increase in rpms. The shift is made, the rpms decrease a few hundred from the gear change, then the torque converter re-locks, and the rpms drop further. When the torque converter is locked, there is no slippage between the engine and the transmission; it is a direct connection just like a manual transmission. When it is unlocked, there is slippage, which results in the engine turning slightly higher rpms for the same speed.
If you (or anyone else) want to experience this, turn your OD off and accelerate from rest. Even though you are limited to third gear, you will feel three "shifts": 1->2, 2->3, then the lockup in third. Turn OD back on, and you will experience the quick rise in rpm (the unlock), the shift, and the relock.
As for the mirrors, there are various sizes of "clip-ons" out there. While I can see over my dually fenders with the stock power mirrors, a boat is certainly further back, and I can understand your wanting more rear vision. The one criteeria which is limiting you is your desire for a temporary mirror - in that case, you might want to check with a place like and RV dealer, U-haul, or Ryder and inquire about the extended mirrors they provide for cars when they are towing. These clip to the hood and fender and resemble the factory camper mirrors you could get from Dodge.
I called my Service Mngr today and queried him about my vibration similar to yours. He said that he reprogrammed the SEMC Module, which is a flash EProm, which wiped out all existing program memory and reloaded new software. Hope this helps for you.
rk
Concerning the 3500/Cummins, is there a Chilton Manual or something similar available for this?
Can I follow my truck through the manufacturing process on my own computer?
thanks,
rk
I have a couple of other questions concerning long idles with the Cummins. You mentioned a grill cover. Are you referring to the vinyl grill covers that are often seen on the big rigs and do you know if they are available for the Ram? And at what ambient temperatures will I have to worry about using it? I'm also wondering about snoozing in the summer with the air conditioner on. A difference of 60F seems like a lot to us humans, but to an engine that's compressing to 1000F, it's not all that much. Thanks!
There is a Chilton for it, but most of us that bother tend to get the Dodge factory manual.
4myjob,
Correct, that is the cover I am referring to. Dodge sells one for the Ram through the dealer parts department as an accessory, but there are others out there equally suitable. Those are generally in use if the temperature will remain at or below +5 degrees.
As for idling in summer with the AC on, make sure both your transmission and transfer case are in their neutral position, and the parking brake is set. This will prevent their fluids from heating up with the engine.
Another helpful hint is using recirc (Max AC) over normal AC - this puts less of a load on the engine because once the air has been cooled, the compressor has MUCH less work to do to maintain the now cooled air. In normal AC, you are constantly reintroducing the heated outside air into the system, and the compressor must constantly work to cool it down. The Max AC setting actually allows you to raise the temp setting from its coldest and even cut down on fan speed as well, yet it will remain comfortable. In these situations, I would also highly recommend portable window shades to reduce the sun load.
Just curious, 4myjob - what is your occupation that puts you in these situations (living in your truck) so frequently?
One (final???) question. The instructions when starting the engine below an ambient temp of 68F say to start it, bring it up to 1000+ rpms, then back off and let it warm up for 30 secs or so. I'm assuming that that is triggering something and was wondering what it is.
As for what I do, I work in the oil field as a petroleum engineer. It's a 24/7 job and I spend a lot of time at the rig. Ya sleep whenever and wherever you can. That's why I got the Ram, it has the largest interior so I can carry all my stuff and still have a place to stretch out for a nap. I'm just finishing graduate school and haven't tried it out yet...give me a few weeks!
Back to the service dept. this coming Wednesday to have them check out the doors on my quad cab AGAIN. Not only are they still squawking at every little bump in the road, but the passenger side now has a 3/4" gap where the doors meet. The driver's side is only a little better. No matter how hard I slam the doors to close them, or how gently I close them, I can't get them to line up.
Also, I'm going to mention to them about the loud metallic "clank" that happens when I put the truck in reverse. Sounds kinda like hitting a pipe with a hammer. I plan to keep track of all this in case they can't or won't resolve these problems.
Other than that, the truck is running great and the gas mileage has improved. Still getting tons of compliments on its looks. KC, you were right about using the glass cleaner on the chrome. Whooeee! Lots of sparkle and shine!
The 1000rpm startup is to make sure the Cummins is getting proper flow of fuel, air, and electricity. If you just crank the key and let it run on its own, it will stumbl as it tries to get to normal idle (750-800 rpm). The heater grid is operating during this period, and does sap electricity and rpm for a couple of minutes.
By the way, the Ram seats (both front and rear) are 5'7" across - I don't know how tall you are, but that should enable you to stretch out rather comfortably. I've caught naps in there, and I'm a 6-footer
ladyblue,
Sorry to hear about the doors still misaligned - sounds like a door hinge may be out of line - that would require removing and reattaching the doors to spec.
Windex is a wonderful thing
I hear ya! My Ram has gone from Intense Blue to fuzzy matte chartreuse from all the pollen.
I did some off-roading yesterday up at Swartzwood Lake in Sussex County. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the truck performed tremendously. Luv that 4-wheel drive!
I haven't posted in awhile since I didn't have any news or comments, but I have continued to read. Thought I'd let you know...my truck is in transit. Was shipped by rail to Texas 3 days ago. Don't have any idea where it is now. Does anyone know of a way to track it. I don't know the railroad co but it will be coming to N. Ca. by rail.
I don't know if this works or not (I'm still waiting for my D&@#! GMC to get built, but give it a try and let us know...
http://my.uprr.com/pub/autos/ (UPRR-Automotive Rail Transport Trace) - look under the heading "Features and Services" at "AVR Equipment Trace"
thks
bigj1
You should try reading some reviews. There's a good comparison test on wwww.trucktrend.com and a Ram review on www.ncdt.com.
Obviously there's pro's and con's to buying a pickup in general compared to other vehicles, but compared to other pickups, here's what I think of the Ram.
Pros: -torquey engines with tried and true designs
-live front axle
-wider and more comfortable cab
-handles like a much smaller truck
-rides and feels like a truck
-holds its value
-looks awesome (sits taller, looks brawney, etc.)
-availablity (dealers had them on the lots, at least where I'm from)
Cons: -torquey engine, but it doesn't "feel" peppy(maybe that's because I have the 5.2 not the 5.9 or because I usually drive pretty nice to squeeze as much mpg as possible)
-poor fuel economy
I thought the pros outweighted the cons, in my view, that's why I bought one. I enjoy the truck immensly and, at 1000 miles, haven't had any problems.
I've posted in two topics with no responses. If nobody has any first-hand knowledge of my troubles, could someone point me to a source that might be of some help?
Thanks,
Greg
I looked at the UP site suggested by another reader, but I am wondering why you need to go this route. I also have a vehicle in transit and my dealer is able to give me daily updates if necessary once it is loaded on the railcar. Have you asked your dealer if they have this tracking capability?
glengle,
I certainly would not consider your request either controversial or redundant. I would suspect that the primary reason you have not received a response is because no other reader has had a similar problem. You can assume, however, that others with this vehicle/engine configuration will probably be interested in the outcome, so please share the results if you can.
rk
Ladyblue: 3/4"? That's huge! In my opinion, this is not something to be taken lightly. Those doors have special features to protect you in an accident. They should line up to the correct specs. 3/4" means that if a passenger leans up against the seam, there is a good chance that the doors will open. :O
Odd, very odd.
Lohengrin: great post, very informative
Matt D
http://members.xoom.com/99overNvoice/Index.htm