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Dodge Ram - II
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Comments
What do you get for MPG? What rear axle do you have, 3.54 or 4.10? 2WD or 4WD?
Same info requested for the ETC diesel with the 5 speed manual.
Thanks
My truck is a brand-new 2000 QC 1500 w/ the 5.9 V8. 275 total miles. Any time I lift off the gas at speeds below roughly 50 mph, I get the noise--which, at first, I thought was just tire hum that I was hearing only in the absence of engine noise.
It's clear to me now, though, that this isn't the case. My (uneducated) guess would be that something in either the transmission or the differential is out of synch. If I so much as touch the accelerator, the noise stops immediately.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is it a "problem," or is it just a characteristic of a new truck/transmission (i.e., is it something that will go away after 1000 miles)? I've heard of folks having transmission problems with these trucks, and this certainly isn't something I would consider "normal" in a brand-new vehicle...so I'm a bit concerned.
Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated...
I have a 2001 Ram 2500 with the six speed manual tranny and the HO (ETH) engine, 4WD, 4.10 axles and 265x16 tires.
I haven't yet had a good long run on the highway yet, so can't give you a good figure for highway mileage. However, the trip computer seems to average about 20 mpg on straight and level cruise.
Driving around town with frequent traffic light stops, etc., I am averaging 14.7 over the last 120 miles of town driving. You can reduce that a lot by experiencing the fantastic acceleration that this truck has to offer.
I think that the 4.10 axle with this tire size is about optimum. You can cruise at up to 80 without winding the engine up and yet there is a lot of power left for towing, which I haven't done yet.
I hope this answers your questions.
on the trucks. That 20 MPG looks good for a 3/4 ton truck.
I did check with Cummins today, they said the
ETH engine should give me better MPG than the
ETC.
Thanks again.
This is an 2001 ETH/DEE with 4:10 gears.
"It is unclear which Mercedes engine will be used. Mueller said a common-rail diesel injection engine might be the choice. These engines are designed for passenger vehicles and range in size from 2.0 liters to 4.0 liters. But a manager with Dodge powertrain development in Auburn Hills, Mich., said his team has been working on packaging the Mercedes' MBE-906 diesel engine in the Ram. The MBE-906 is a six-cylinder, 6.4-liter, turbodiesel. It is a heavy-duty truck engine available in DaimlerChrysler's Freightliner and Sterling brands. The MBE-906 is larger than the Cummins engine and offers between 190 and 280 hp."
I know nothing about Mercedez diesels other than they have been making them forever and everything they make is super heavy duty. But I wonder how technologically advanced a prospective engine for the Ram would be, i.e. will it match up against the Duramax and the next generation Powerstroke? The article also stated that the move to change from Cummins to Mercedez is at least partially based on cost savings. At any rate, this is a very interesting change of events, especially since the most commited Ram fans are the Cummins fanatics (myself included). Go see the article at www.autonews.com - "Mercedes diesels to power next Ram" (March 6, 2000).
...and to my old aquaintance, kcram, hello!
My 99 3500/Cummins/4x4/QC 24V is running like a dream.
I would like to add the B&D Engine Brake First Level injectors to the engine for a reported 30hp/100 lbs ft increase in torque. I also hear that a 1-2 mpg fuel mileage increase is common among these customers. So I'm inquiring as to anyone's personal experience that has installed these injectors into their 24V Cummins.
Any reports out there?
Thanks,
Robert
The injectors are put out by Diesel Dynamics, not B&D Brake. (Although they also sell injectors)
Sorry,
Robert
Thanks
Mike
Thanks
Mike
Holdback is not part of a sale to a consumer. It is a credit value on the dealer's purchase account with the manufacturer - not unlike getting a gift certificate from a store credit card. This amount is credited no matter who the dealer sells the truck to. At the same time, dealers are extremely reluctant to touch it, because it helps them cover their overhead (you don't EVER want to know what a dealer pays in insurance for all the cars and trucks on the lot).
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
I'm waiting patiently for the Ram redesign, and probably won't get a new one for at least 2-3 years - good thing I splurged for that 7y/100K extended warranty, becfause I will use up every ounce of it. And much to my (pleasant) surprise, it is currently worth twice what I owe on the loan. My payoff is $9400, but its trade-in value is currently $19,500! Looks like I made a good choice of truck this time.
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
I have almost 15K miles on it now, so it should be pretty well broke in. I've used the Stanadyne additive since new, and it runs great. The wife and myself will take it out West this year, from Nevada up to and through Montana, so I'm going to install the Diesel Dynamics Stage 1 Injectors + the K&N Filter. I'm supposed to see 50+ hp and 100+ lbs. ft. of torque increase, and about 1 - 2 mpg increase as well. Checking with the TDR, they come highly recommended by folks who have installed them. With the 3:55 rear end, I have encountered some steep, long climbs that could use just a tad more torgue, so I'm going this route.
I took a friend for a ride in mine last fall, and 2 weeks later he had his own 2500/QC/Cummins with a plow, and he has rewarded me by keeping my driveway clear all winter:-)
A few weeks ago, a guy I was training at work wanted a ride in mine, and lo and behold, picked up his new 2500/QC/360 v8/4x4 last week. (Couldn't afford the diesel as he just got married 2 months before)
I'm sorta feelin' like the Dodge emmisary lately. Probably just people that recognize a quality piece of iron when they see one...
I will say that I'm glad I didn't hold out for the Allison auto, otherwise I'd -still- be waiting, maybe for another year if the rumbles are true.
Anyhow, as they say in flight school, keep the shiny side up.
See 'ya,
Robert
By the way, I (having never owned a diesel) was getting tired of waiting for the truck to warm up, and then waiting for the turbo unit to cool down, which I know we have to do. I invested in the AVISTART remote system (I needed to get some power door locks anyway, since mine's only an ST). so now I can remote start and stop my diesel, along with the PDL, remote keyless and the alarm system. love it so far
It's Chrysler's Total Care Extended warranty.
Generally purchased at the time of sale, but can be added later. There are several different levels of protection.
dtlawle,
Be careful on the warm-up routine. Diesels don't like to sit and idle for long periods.
I would suggest an EGT gauge for the Turbo for shutdown, and when it reaches 300 deg, shut if off.
rlk
A couple of things to remember:
1) The automatic trans is reacting to the engine and the throttle via electronic signals. If you don't have a steady foot, you will get much jerkier shifting. And remember to keep it serviced under the heavy duty maintenance schedule; you will have a much happier tranny that way. I have almost 58K on my Ram oil-burner with no transmission problems at all.
2) As rlk mentioned, idling is a diesel's enemy in light truck applications. Unlike big rigs, both Dodge and Cummins expect you to start up and shut down as you would any other pickup engine, not idle all night at a truck stop. The Cummins will warm up MUCH faster if you actually drive it. If it's very cold, the engine block heater will take care of any starting issues. Don't spend more than 2 minutes idling upon starting it - put it in gear, use a light throttle, and go about your business - the temp gauge will come up much faster. As for shutting down, I stay out of the throttle for the last block or two before both my job and my home. This will help get the exhaust temp down so that you don't have to spend too much time idling parked before shutdown. Basic rule of thumb for shutdown times is:
- very light driving: 30 secomds
- heavy stop and go/light highway: 60 seconds
- road trips/heavy loads: 2 minutes
And as with any turbo, if you have that old habit of revving the engine as you turn the key to Off, break that habit NOW. All that does is reheat the exhaust you just sat there trying to cool off, and will lead to oil coking and turbocharger failure.
Enjoy your new Ram!
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
I usually don't Idle much more than 2 or 3 minutes before leaving for the most anyway, more out of impatience than anything else. good to know this is ok. I'll keep an eye on the shifting thing, maybe I'm just adjusting to it. I'm in Vancouver WA, so cold temps are very rare. Where are you guys at..??
Any thoughts on the front springs bottoming out..??. I was wondering if the manufacturer puts heavier springs on the diesels since they out weight the Gas engines (near as I can figure from the specs) by around 800 lbs.
Later daze
PS. Thanks for all the great info!!!
http://www.dieselpage.com/index.shtml
They have very nice Pillar Mounts for the (your choice) Banks guages or the ISPro gauges. Eliminates the time element in guestimating when to turn it off, confirms what kcram and others have said concerning warm-up time/temperature, and gives you measurable performance that allows you to detect any changes in Turbo output, if a failure should occur. ...and they look cool :-)
rk
Ran into a guy last night at the store with a beautiful black 2500 sport v10. We checked out the springs, and mine springs were alot more compressed than his were. Anyone know how much heavier the Diesel is than the v10..??.
I'm in Vancouver WA (Portland OR metro area). The coldest temp on record here is +7 f. Guess I probably wont have to worry about the cold start stuff
Is yours a 3500..??. What kinda milage do you get..??, Kcram was saying he had seen as high as 24 MPG. I have'nt seen close to that yet. 17.6 hwy was my best, but I just passed 2000 miles. Guess there's a breakin period. Someone in one of these forums was recommending doing some hauling to break in the cummins. Is that necessary..??
http://www.dieselpage.com/index.shtml
These are the folks that supplied mine. I opted for the ISPro set, due to the reputation and color-enhanced temperature ranges. Banks sells a similar set.
I have a 99 3500/QC/4x4/3:54/Auto Trans.
My mileage was about 18 - 20 on trips traveling about 65 - 75, 17 back and forth to work. Mileage questions are a subject all to their own. Some Cummins equipped vehicles came with a CAT, others, like mine, have no CAT, but a straight-through resonator, which helps the mileage a little.
Some people say that when you reach 15K, the engine will be essentially broken in, and you will be at your optimum mileage. Cummins is saying that you will not reach this point until you reach almost 50K miles. The truth is probably a little of both. Mileage is not just an engine issue. At 15K, you have probably reached the point where the majority of your drivetrain mechanical components have worn to where they maintain a comfortable film of lubricant and do not impose any additional mechanical friction when heated to normal operating temperatures. This includes all bearings, sleeves and oil seals. This is normally considered drivetrain "breakin", and has a lot to do with your initial mileage figures when new.
The Cummins engine must go through this same type of normal mechanical wear to reach the same point. Depending on the quality of construction, this can be a significant period to attain proper seating of rings, pistons, and valves, to name a few. If we are to believe Cummins, this point will come farther down the road, but I think that any difference you may see between 15K and 50K will be slight, IMO.
There are many things you can do to improve mileage to your truck. I would suggest becoming a member of the Turbo Diesel Register (TDR),
http://www.turbodieselregister.com/
and you will find a great deal of help whether you seek mileage, power, or some combination of both.
For now, until you decide on TDR, you can go to their website, go into the Discussion Forums, and do a search on whatever subject strikes your fancy, and you will have plenty of material to digest from other Cummins owners, trust me...
I'd offer my suggestions, but this would probably be the best first step. Enjoy...
rk
rk
rk
rmaxwel
Your mileage is excellent, and will continue to improve. I would suggest Stanadyne Fuel additive on every fillup to add lubricity for the Bosch fuel pump, prevent rust and corrosion inside the tank, and it also raises the Cetane, and increases your mileage figure slightly. (I gained about 1 mpg) In the colder weather, it also prevents gelling of the fuel.
Congratulations, you've made a wise investment.
rk
rmaxwel
slt with the plow package and HD service group. My question is do I need to get it the anti slip differental with it. I do plan on plowing with this truck need an answer soon.