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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
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My turn to give my $0.02. Hate to do it, but I've got to describe my problems and hopefully someone has had them too (fixed of course). '02 Quad, 4.7, 5sp, 5,100 miles. 1) In cool/cold weather, popping noise around the windshield/upper dash. Not sure which. Not checked out yet-not THAT picky. 2) Sucker died on me in a parking lot yesterday. Try steering this behemoth at low speed with no pwr strg! When I started it back up, no stereo. Stereo started working about 30 minutes later, but with no bass-very weak. Got in it this morning on the way to have the dealer check it - of course, it's fine. Dealer ran through everything (so they said), found nothing. 3) On a trip from AZ to TX, warning chime came on along with a warning light for one second, then never heard from it again. Dealer found nothing. I'm just worried that I'm going to have some odd short somewhere that is going to strand me in the desert somewhere. Thoughts? |
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Does anyone have any thoughts on the following condition - I have a 97 Ram with a 5.2 and automatic - when the truck is cold or driving oil pressure is right in the middle of the gauge. But when I come to a stop and the truck is at operating temp the oil pressure will drop. I would say to 15-20 psi. As soon as i hit the gas its right back where it should be. The truck has about 80K miles and this is my first abnormal condition, its been a great vehicle
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Well, I've seen a lot of 318s in the past and quite honestly have never heard of camshaft bearing wear on them. Not that it couldn't happen, but it wouldn't be my first guess. And of course, main or connecting rod bearings could produce the same symptom. Based on my memory the 15-20 psi at idle is a little low for a 318 (or any Chrysler engine for that matter). This would be in spec for many other engines, but Chrysler's always had very good oil pressure by design. My wife had a Dodge that idled at 40 PSI warm even after 120,000 miles. What I seem to recall in the past -- and would be my first suspect anyways -- is a faulty oil pressure sending unit. Another more likely suspect would be diluted oil, either from a coolant leak or some other reason. In the past I've seen fuel pump diaphragms leak and put fuel into the crankcase, thereby diluting the oil. I don't think this is possible on your '97 since it is fuel injected, I think. The oil pump pressure relief valve could be stuck or sticking, although I would think you'd see low pressure at higher RPMs. Or the oil filter could be clogged. You could have a leak between the oil pump head and the main bearing cap. I've seen this on a few Buicks many years ago. Just a few quick ideas. Good luck and let us know what you find. Regards, Dusty |
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| The gear grind that I hear when putting my 02 QC 2wd 4.7L Auto Posi 3.55 into reverse is a driveline resonince because of the higher fluid pressure going into Reverse. It also has to due with the Aluminum Drive shaft. So it seems to be that the gears are ok but it is coming from the tranny. The Chrysler hotline the dealer called said they are awhere of the problem and are investigating the fix. They think it will involve replacing the drive shaft to a composite or steel but that was just a guest from the dealer. Updates to follow. Only found this out because I took it to another dealer to check it out. This dealership was 100 times the professionals the first one was not!! | |
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I have been leaning toward the sending unit. I just haven't seen a sending unit fail only when a vehicle is hot. I would love to hear from someone who may have had a similar experience. thanks for the advice so far, it is much appreciated.
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I went through the loose steering with my 97 Ram 1500 ext 2wd (at 60K miles). Dodge is having lots of problems with these boxes. The usual answer (if your under warranty or extended warranty) is to "adjust" it using TSB 19-10-97. The fact that they have this procedure is what the use to "get out" of replacing steering boxes (never mind the fact that it went from being fine to real loose in 2 weeks, it just "went out of adjustment"). I paid for the adjustment (1 hr labor) and then took it back 2 more times. It would be tight and then loose again in a week or so. Finally I called the Service Mgr and said I wanted it replaced before my extended warranty went out (in 2 weeks) He took care of replacing it and amazingly enough no more problems. On another board I subscribe to some people have been replacing their box with the one for 95 RAMs, it actually has a better feel to it and is a LOT cheaper (when I looked it was about $200 instead of $700) Also the AGR box seems to work pretty well. Lastly Dodge is having lots of problems with Pittman Arms (on 2wd and 4wd - I replaced mine with a Moog Part) and also Track bars on the 4wds that cause loose steering. |
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Well I thought I would chime in on this subject. I just replaced the pitman arm on my 96 1500 5.9l 2wd (93K miles). I did it myself in my Driveway. Not to bad of a job if you have a pitman arm puller.(Don't buy the cheap one from autozone ect... they break. get one from NAPA) Before I figured out the pitman arm was shot I asked a dealer service department what they thought it was because I had no centerfeel. It was like driving a 50 year old bus. The service Dept. told me how to do the Steering gear box adjustment and thank god I never tried it. The part I got was a TRW, the same one the factory uses. I don't know if 93k miles is a reasonable time to where out a pitman arm but I didn't think $62 was to bad for the part. I run LT 265 75-16s with D load range so I guess that may have hastened the wear. Who knows? I also see a lot of people complaining about Tranny problems. I only have 2 minor complaints. Mines has that annoying buzz in reverse and the torque converter drains overnight sometimes. I am not sure if there is any fix for the drainback thou. I have never changed the fluid. It is not burnt, it has no smell and still looks like new red fluid. I know Dodge suggest fluid change every 25k miles but I am look at it like this. Why open the tranny to contaniments by flushing it or pulling the pan??? I live in Eastern NC for the past year where the heat is in the 90's on a regular basis and I moved there from Southern MI where it gets as cold as 15 below. So my truck has seen both extremes. This is just my 2 cents and opinions are like a$$h*les everyones has one And all of them stink.
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I asked a good friend of ours who owns an independent auto repair center, and he said they see some Dodge Rams that need pitman arms, but he also said they didn't seem to be as bad as GMs. I know that GM trucks have a propensity to need idler arms (we've had three in 66K miles, two pitman arms). He did say that the track bars on 4x4 Dodge Rams were a common item up through '98, after which they revised the component and have improved longevity. He says they haven't seen any Dodge Ram steering gear boxes go bad, however those are manufactured by Saginaw Gear and they are occasionally a problem in GM trucks (we've replaced one of those, too). Regards, Dusty |
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| Hello everyone. New poster here. Just bought a 2001 Ram Quad Cab 1500 4x4, 5.9L, 37K miles, SLT Laramie package, manufactured in 4/00 according to the sticker in the doorframe. Love everthing about the truck, but it's been making an odd sound. There's absolutely no rhyme or reason and it's intermittent and unpredictable. I get this <click, pause, click click click click click click> sound (same pattern every time) coming from the passenger side door/footwell. It'll happen at idle, acceleration, deceleration, cruise at random times. Sounds almost like a seatbelt ratchet. Anyone ever experience this or have any ideas what it might be??? I am baffled. Never heard this type of sound/pattern before from any vehicle. Any comments/suggestions welcome. Thanks. | |
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