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Pickups Dodge Ram Dodge Ram: Problems & Solutions 
3275 messages, Last post on Oct 18, 2006 at 8:20 PM
You are in the Dodge Ram Forum. Your Host is kcram
 Hi I have a 1996 dodge ram 1500 pickup truck with 160,000 miles on it. I hooked it up to my 2 horse bumper pull stock trailer about a week ago and went on a 6 hour trip up to a campground in NY. It was fine the whole way but when I went to leave after a couple days of camping it would not start. Some campers tried to jump it but the battery was fine so someone hit the starter and it started right up. I noticed there was smoke coming from the tail pipe but it seemed to be running ok so I figured the starter was gone and I would try to make my trip back home without turning off the engine. After a couple of minutes it felt like the trailer brakes locked up so I pulled over and jiggled the connection and it seemed fine so I continued. Then I had to go up a steep hill and the truck started to over heat so I turned the heat on full blast and once I got to the top of the hill I pulled over and turned off the engine. When I opened the hood I noticed that there was no antifreeze at all so I put some more in. A couple of people pulled over to help me and one guy tried banging on the starter again but it wouldn't start. So I had to get it towed but after I unhooked the horse trailer I tried starting it again, just for kicks, and it started right up. I had them tow it anyways because it was obvious it wouldn't make it home. I don't know much about trucks but the repair guy said I have blown a head gasket and he refuses to replace the head gasket. He also says it has been overheating for a long time but I watched the temperature gauge my whole trip and it only overheated that one time, for less than 5 minutes. He wants to put in a used engine with 70,000 miles on it and a 6-month warranty for $2000. Is that a good price? Is it really a blown head gasket? Oh and he told me that I shouldn't be pulling a horse trailer with my truck because it isn't strong enough. Is that true? Also I saw this stuff online and I was wondering if anyone has tried it >> http://www.rxauto.com/index.html
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Replying to: ramem (Jun 29, 2005 11:29 am) Without knowing the type of equipment on your RAM, it should tow approximately 2000 pounds without any trouble at all. More with the V8. Regards, Dusty |
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Have a 2002 ram 1500 quad cab. At 70,000 miles noticed rpm surges when going up inclines with cruise on. Shortly after had tuneup and problem was gone (along with other old problems such as problem downshifting when putting the pedal down to merge in traffic and truck lurching until you would let the pedal up to allow it to shift). Mechanic said we had a bad plug wire from day one. Anyway, problem is back. Started at 105,000 with rpm surges when going up inclines when using the cruise at highway speeds ( 70). Got more frequent and now does it with and without cruise when holding at steady highway speeds, incline or not. From what I have read online, may be TPS, may be torque converter, or what? Of course, just out of warranty. Please tell me it is something simple!
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Replying to: mpjmpj (Dec 02, 2001 8:14 am) Thanks Mark
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Hi all! I just bought a low mileage 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab at a dealership in Colorado last week. I needed a bigger truck to pull an 18' camp trailer. I had a 2002 6-cylinder Ford Ranger and it just wasn't able to tow the trailer properly even though my camp trailer is rated as a light-weight for mid-size cars to pull. Anyways, my problem started when I made a trip to Boise, Idaho this past weekend in the Dodge Ram....I'd only bought the truck last Tuesday night so I'd only owned it a couple days. We got to Boise fine, spent the weekend with my mom and then my boyfirend and I headed back to Colorado on Sunday. We got about 50 miles from my mom's home and the check engine light came on and the oil pressure went down to zero. We stopped immediately and checked the oil level and it was just under the fill line. We were in Mountain Home, Idaho at the time it happened so we went and bought some oil and topped off the oil in the truck. Started driving again and all went well until we hit Salt Lake City in the afternoon. The light came on again, the oil pressure went down to zero again and we pulled off the freeway to check the oil. It was at the fill line this time so nothing we could do. I have AAA towing so all I could do at this point on a Sunday was to get it towed back to Grand Junction, Colorado. It went right to the dealer on Monday, I had to drive it there about three miles from my house. During the drive, right before I got to the dealership, the light came on and the pressure went down. There has been no noise, no smoke, and it hasn't overheated when it did this any of the three times. I just got off the phone with the Dealership, they told me last night it was just a plug in the oil pressure line and they'd put on a new oil pump and have it fixed by today. Well, now all of a sudden it is the Crankshaft and Bearings that are bad and I have to wait until Tuesday to get the part and get my truck back. Any suggestions of comments on similar problesm? I do like the way the truck handles on the road and I really do need something that will pull my camp trailer. As it is, we won't have the truck now for this coming long weekend so we won't be going camping. I didn't expect a vehicle with less than 50,000 miles on it to have any major problems. I'm about ready to ask for my Ranger back. I had a 1998 Dodge Ram Dually 3500 prior to the Ranger and I just loved it but I didn't like the high price of diesel so I sold it last year. I've read some things this morning about Dodge motors and tranny's though that have me worried! Thanks! Janine GJ, Colorado
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Replying to: janines (Jun 30, 2005 9:07 am) Loss of oil pressure can quickly damage a crankshaft or connecting rod bearing on any engine. I am not terribly surprised that you've encountered that kind of damage with a plugged lubrication system. Once repaired correctly you should realize thousands of trouble-free mileage. Best regards, Dusty |
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i have a 96 dodge 1500 and what i was wandering is has anyone out there bypassed the catalyst converter , i mean take it off and put a straight pipe there mine has an o2 in front of it and behind it , will it affect it in anyway, ive also had a problem with it being hard to start after it is warm, when it does start you can smell the converter any ideas out there ?
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Replying to: 96dodge (Jun 30, 2005 4:50 pm) Regards, Dusty
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Replying to: janines (Jun 30, 2005 9:07 am) |
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Replying to: dustyk (Jun 30, 2005 4:55 pm)
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