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Dodge Ram (2001) - Part II

meredithmeredith Member Posts: 575
edited March 2014 in Dodge
This topic is a continuation of Topic 1268....

2001 Dodge Ram. Please continue these discussions
here.

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  • leed2leed2 Member Posts: 1
    My 2001 Ram SLT Regular cab short bed 5.9 3.55 with everything, but the seat heaters and tow package ordered on Jan 14, 00 delivered Feb 14, 00 in flame red. It makes a whorling, pulsating sounds in the morning when I put it in rev and back out of the garage. Also makes the sound in Neutral. I took it in the Dealer and they upgraded the transmission with a valve guide. This has now caused the truck to not start unless I move around the shift lever to get it to start. Into the dealer twice to get that fixed, and now the shift indicator in red doesn’t line up in the openings. Scheduled to go into Dealer on Aug 3, The truck starts fine, the indicator acts up as said before and the noise in the transmission in reverse and neutral is still there. Any helpful advise out there that I can use to talk with the Dealer before Aug 3rd would be appreciated. I have read and enjoyed posts and responses at this site for some time and I know truck enthusiasts have or will research good answers.
  • terra8terra8 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 2500 Quad, 4x4, V10, 4:10. I have had a recuring problem with suspension/body noise. I went to my local "5 star" dealer and they fixed the noise and told me that my step rails (after market) were installed incorrectly and that was the problem. I believed them and called the accessory shop where I purchased the steps and blessed them out. Two weeks later the same noise came back. This time out of frustration I removed the step rails myself at home. To my disappointment the truck still made the noise. I took it to the dealership today after 3 unreturned phone calls and they want to keep the truck overnight to fix it. This is the second time my 3 month old truck that I NEED to make a living will be down for repair. Not what I expect when I spend 30K on a vehicle of any kind!!
    That said I still love it when all is working well. I'm not sure if I'll buy another one or not next year though.

    Also, in case anyone is interested. My mileage is not what some people are claiming on this site. I personally don't care what the mileage is because the truck makes great money for me but it is as follows.

    No trailer Hwy. 12 mpg
    4000 Lb. Trailer Hwy 8 mpg
    Same trailer in Atlanta traffic 4.5 mpg
    No trailer in Atl. 8 mpg

    These numbers have been consistent over the past 8,000 miles. Does anyone have comparable numbers?
  • zcarzcar Member Posts: 1
    I'm considering ordering an'01 Quadcab with leather seats. Does anyone have any opinions pro or con? Also anyone have any pictures or info on the changes for the '02's? Will the '02's be available Jan. '01???
  • nascar6nascar6 Member Posts: 113
    Go with the leather, and make 'em heated too If you get cold weather.
    I'm glad I did. I got a '01 QC 2500 4x4, LWB, Cummins, Red Sport. You only live once, so enjoy the ride.

    nascar6
  • RichinKsRichinKs Member Posts: 412
    Towed my 5th wheel (8000 +) to St. Louis and back this weekend for a rifle tournment. I have the 4.10, LT265's, auto and V10. Truck ran fine. Between Matfield green and Emporia on the turnpike (i35) I put it in 3rd and ran 62 (67 rest of time). It maintained speed up the long hills of the flinthills fine. Accross Missouri on I70 is a little hilly and it wanted to down shift more than I liked in cruise control. So I ran hills with cruise control off and it stayed in overdrive. Coming back Sunday evening I pushed a little harder, about 70. Had a 1 ton ford diesel pulling a horse trailer at a little faster speed try to pass me. But when he got about even on the hills he would lose speed while I could maintain and pull ahead. Honest I would normally slow down and let someone like that pass, but I just put it in cruise and blow him away on hills. Finaly after the 4th hill we hit a flat strech and he got ahead. I'm lucky he didn't pull a gun and shoot me(G). Returning through the flint hills last night I left it in CC and could hold 70 up the long hills. Oh well, back to driving like an old man. ... Rich
  • RichinKsRichinKs Member Posts: 412
    Finally got around to checking my mileage for last weekends trip. 2500, 4x4, V10, 4.10, Auto towing 8000 +. 934.7 miles, 120.806 gallons for 7.73 MPG. I expect this to be as bad as I get as I was allowing it in third more than normal. From overdive, when it shifts to third I see the computer drop about 2 mpg, so its in my interest for more than one reason to stay in OD. ... Rich
  • tmigueltmiguel Member Posts: 33
    Been off page long time. My 2001 2500 V-10 4x4 5 speed, Reg cab is quiet, smooth, gets 14.3 @ 65mph, gets 10.2 towing 6500# @60 mph, not one problem! Of course I baby it through the gears, broke it in slow, and give it loving care. It has more power than I ever will need. Visibility is good because of the reg. cab and being so high off the road.

    If you are thinking about a new truck, my combination is sure nice...its red too! When I searched out to buy a V-10 or diesel, there were lots of war stories out there. If you drive your truck hard and have a auto trans, you will get milage under 10 and non optimum power. If you were brought up with a stick shift, youwill never be satisfied with the performance of any auto. I think the above applies to any make of truck.
  • tmigueltmiguel Member Posts: 33
    I left out that the above has a 3.54 rear end and 265 tires
  • 2248loneranger2248loneranger Member Posts: 2
    Happy at this point with my new 01 3/4 ton Quad SLt 4x4 Cummins 24 valve diesel in the med. bronze pearlcoat. I ordered it from the dealer on 7 August and picked it up on 26 September. I have 600 miles on it and am getting 15 mpg with both town and hwy mileage combined. I will be taking a trip this weekend pulling a 16' flatbed trailer with a 47 jeep on it and was wondering if I should kick the od off or leave it on. I have auto trans with 3.54 diff. If anyone has a response let me know your opinion.
  • vlkswgnvlkswgn Member Posts: 1
    I have had the same problem as terra 8 (27jul). Another appointment next week - the 4th time - to get it "repaired". 1st time they thought it was the gas tank (did not replace it after waiting 2 weeks) then decided it was related to the leaf springs (did not replace any parts, just lubed it up, after waiting 10 days), then replaced some spring parts. Started making "the noise" within an hour of leaving the shop. getting real disgusted with the dealership. Now it idles rough, especially in the morning. They say they will not have a fix until November and are not notifying owners. You need to call in and see when the fix will be available !! A friend has a 1999 long box, V-10, got 13.1 mpg @75-80 mph on a hunting we went on. Mine currently has the same mileage and I'm lucky to get 10.
  • warfishwarfish Member Posts: 117
    I have almost the same truck but it's a 4x2 in white. I tow a 30 ft 9000 lb fifth wheel and stay in OD except on the big hills. At first I was unhappy with the way it towed in OD, but after a few thousand miles it started to come into it's own, and now, with over 5K on it it's great.
    If you get into the hills and it starts to hunt in and out of OD, just stay in third until you top the hill. Running at 65 in third for very long would get on your nerves quick and your mileage would suffer. I get just over 20 mpg running empty now and about 13 towing. I did make one change on my truck, I got rid of the hard riding Michelin 265s and put on Laredo 245s and I'm much happier with the way they ride and handle, and the traction is much better in the wet.
    Good luck, and I hope you love your truck like I love mine.
  • 98dodge98dodge Member Posts: 3
    I have a 98 2500HD w/ 47RE and NV241HD running 35" BFG M/Ts with 4.10 axles. I don't pull anything with it, but have a camper shell. I average 12 MPG @ 70MPH (corrected). Combined hwy/city driving is around 10 MPG. Love the truck! Just wish DC had put a real D60 on it.
  • 2248loneranger2248loneranger Member Posts: 2
    I just got your response as I have not checked in for a while. I have been enjoying my new truck. I now have 2500 miles on it and got 18.2 mpg on last trip of 456 miles using cruise control about 50% of the time. On the fill up before that I got 17.5 mpg and that was town and highway mileage combined together. I do not feel the roughness of the Michelin 265's, maybe because I have the camper package on my truck. We are experiencing a very smooth ride and satisfied at this point with the Michelin's. I am very satisfied with the performance of the cummins diesel and the ride of my new truck. I get a lot of compliments on it also.
  • warfishwarfish Member Posts: 117
    I have the camper package too with the helper springs and roll bar, and when the truck was new it would rattle your teeth out. Getting rid of those Mich's helped a lot, then I took it to a spring shop and had the rear end softened up a bit, now it's great. My fifth wheel has 2000 lbs of hitch weight and it still sits a little bit higher in the back when I'm hooked up. It took a little fine tuning but now it's just where I want it.
  • ram1220ram1220 Member Posts: 10
    If you don't mind me jumping in here. I just bought a 01 Ram Quad cab. The truck does have the Michelin tires. I have found that the truck has a shake/vibration at highways speeds but only on concrete highways. On black top the truck is as smooth as a Cadillac. Is this the same roughness that you guys have been talking about? I just traded in a 00 Shakerado that was really bad on any road surface. I really hope I don't have to go through this again. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

    Bob
  • warfishwarfish Member Posts: 117
    You didn't say if you had a 4x4 or 4x2, but the Ram 4x4s do sometimes have front end problems right from the factory. My own experience with the Michelins was extremely poor handling, wandering all over like a Ford with the old twin I-beam front end. The ride was also harsh, I could feel every little bump and crack in the road. My previous truck was a '98 1500 quad that came with Goodyears, and they were excellent tires. If you have ever looked at the "tires, tires, tires" subject in Edmunds the "tireguy" expounds to great length on the superiority of Michelins and how almost anything else is junk.
    I strongly suspect he has an ulterior motive, possibly financially connected to a Michelin dealership. All of my friends who tow campers feel the same as I do, avoid Michelins if you want to keep your rig on the road.
  • ram1220ram1220 Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the reply. My truck is a 2 wheel drive. It's definitely better than the Silverado I had but there are times on concrete roads that it shakes pretty good. The best way that I can describe it is if I'm talking, my voice sounds as if I'm pounding on my chest at the same time. I just got the truck out of the shop for an alignment problem. They did a 4 wheel alignment and now both outside mirrors shake at highway speeds. It's going back in this week for a squeek either in the dash or the driver's windshield pillar. I'll get them to balance the tires and wheels.

    Bob
  • jcmdiejcmdie Member Posts: 594
    OEM shocks are not that good. Replacement may take care of that situation.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    best place to have any front end work done. They are a jack of all trades and master of none. I would go to a reputable front end alignment shop top verify alignment and tire balancing...preferably with a Hunter machine. This is speaking from experience and worth only $.02.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    previous post should read "alignment shop to verify"
  • dean52dean52 Member Posts: 12
    I have a 2001 QC off-roader with a 360. Anyone out there tell me what kind off gas mileage your getting uot off your 4x4 rams
  • jwg_aggie03jwg_aggie03 Member Posts: 6
    I bought my Ram 2500 4x4 diesel the last day of
    march so I've had it about 7 months and have
    almost 23,000 miles on it. A little over a month ago, my wheels started to get stiff when I was at slow speeds or stopped. Now, especially when stopped, they don't turn at all. I took it to a local Dodge dealer to get it fixed and they replaced everything but the steering wheel and the linkage, still the problem persists. Chrysler now tells me that it is a normal condition aggravated by my one size bigger than stock tires and my aftermarket bumper (which weighs less than I do), and they won't fix it any further, sounds like an excuse to get out of fixing it. Now my question, is anyone experiencing these kind of problems, and how do I go about getting this resolved. I have already returned the tires to stock size and no changes were noticed, but Chrysler still won't deal with it or me.

    Jon
  • joe3891joe3891 Member Posts: 759
    Sorry about your problem,i am surprised the dealer gave up.I was wondering if your truck has the speed sensitive steering that gets stiffer at high speed for better feel.If it does it may be on all the time.
    Joe
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    If you're having problems with your Dodge Ram, or have insights/direction for participants with Ram problems, please visit Pickups Topic 2441, Dodge Ram Problems (topic consolidation). Thanks for your participation. ;-)

    Pocahontas,
    Edmunds.com/Roving Host
  • redramredram Member Posts: 1
    I have a little over 99000 on my Ram, bought it new have not yet had the rough idle or tire problems first thing I did after 20000 was change shocks to Monroe senso-track the goodyear tires lasted 62000 miles. Ride is a little stiffer but keeps the tires on the ground.
  • gohokiesgohokies Member Posts: 1
    Hey Dean-I've got a 2001 1500 w/ the Off-Road package and 360 w/ an auto tranny. My Mileage has been around 12 average, w/probably 11 around town and 13-14 on the highway (at 75 mph). I had one highway trip where I averaged about 60 mph and I got a little over 15 mpg. How about you?
  • lariat1lariat1 Member Posts: 461
    I have a 2001 ram w/360 and I get about the same gas milage I get 12 in the city and 16 or 17 on the highway when I keep it below 60mph. The difference is probably the off road package which I do not have.
  • dodgeramdodgeram Member Posts: 202
    Banged up Ram, need advice! (dodgeram) Tue 12 Dec '00 (05:45 PM)

    I have 2000 ram 4x4 qc diesel, auto. The problem
    is a week or so ago, I started the truck let it
    warm up for a few minutes temp -3celcius around 26
    F. Anyway I put the truck into gear and proceeded,
    but the steering would not work and the brakes did
    not work either. It was like the truck wasn't
    ruinning, but it was, It;s a diesel. After ten 15
    minutes, Of checking for leaks etc, I reved the
    motor up to 2000-2500 rpm, and the steering and
    brakes started to come back. I took it too the
    dealer but by the time I got there the truck was
    running fine. So he looked it over but didn't fined anything wrong. He said if it did it again then come back. Today after this snowstorm (I live in ontario Canada), I started plowing the snow, but on my first reverse I backed right in to a wood post damaging the tailgate and bumper,and bent the tailgate brackets and hinge. The brakes would not apply, I didn't hit it very hard but enough to cause $1900 worth of damages.

    My question is the reason I hit the post was because the truck malfunctioned (no brakes), Can I get chrysler to repair the truck or AM I out of luck.

    P.>S the truck started to work fine after a couple
    of minutes. And it's the second time it froze up on me in two weeks, Whats going on with it.
  • shantyshanty Member Posts: 3
    did you check to see if the belt is tight.
    the power steering, par. brakes, and other accessories run off of the drive belt.
    if you do not have enough tension, these accessories will not function.

    Shanty
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    If you're having problems with your Dodge Ram, or have insights/direction for participants with Ram problems, please visit this topic: Dodge Ram Problems (topic consolidation). Thanks for your participation.

    Pocahontas,
    Edmunds.com/Pickups Host
  • dean52dean52 Member Posts: 12
    Hey Sean, I checked my 01 Off-Roader when I first got it. First 2 tanks around town 12-12.5
    I haven't went on a trip on the highway yet. I figured my gas milage would be a little lower with 17" tires and 4.10 rears. Hey I don't buy trucks for gas mileage or car like ride. What a lot of TRUCK!
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    main Dodge Ram pickups discussion: Dodge Ram (Part III).

    Thanks for your participation. ;-)

    Pocahontas
    Host
    Pickups Message Board
This discussion has been closed.

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