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NHTSA Investigating 2500/3500 Ram

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Rough Idle

Injector issues

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From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

Date Investigation Opened: MAY 19, 2014

Date Investigation Closed: Open

NHTSA Action Number: PE14013

Component(s): POWER TRAIN

Manufacturer: Chrysler Group LLC

SUMMARY:

ODI has received three vehicle owner complaints (VOQs) alleging incidents of engine crank or start when the clutch was not engaged due to clutch interlock switch failure. The complaints involved 1 model year (MY) 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 truck and 2 MY 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 trucks equipped with manual transmissions. One complaint (VOQ 10566076) involved an incident that occurred when a child was able to enter the vehicle and start the ignition without depressing the clutch. The vehicle then moved forward striking another child resulting in a fatality. A second complaint (10533996) described an incident that occurred when the engine was cranked without the clutch pedal depressed while an individual was standing directly in front of the vehicle performing work under the hood. The clutch interlock failed to prevent the engine from cranking, which resulted in vehicle movement into the pedestrian performing work under the hood. The individual was knocked to the ground, but did not report any injuries. A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to ***** the scope, frequency and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect. VOQs associated with the opening of this investigation are: 10585619, 10533073 and 10533996.
 
Pushing in the clutch and having the trans in neutral when engaging the starter would eliminate this issue.
Standing in front of a manual trans truck as it's started isn't showing much common sense.
The complaint needs to be investigated and corrected if valid but a little personal responsibility goes a long ways.
 
little personal responsibility goes a long ways.

Good luck with that. What the article didn't point out is that most, if not all, of these trucks would have been equipped with the Cummins engine. What makes this particularly dangerous is that once started, that truck will drive through a house in first gear without stalling.
 
little personal responsibility goes a long ways.

Good luck with that. What the article didn't point out is that most, if not all, of these trucks would have been equipped with the Cummins engine. What makes this particularly dangerous is that once started, that truck will drive through a house in first gear without stalling.

I mentioned that a few years back when a small faction on here were boasting about bypassing the clutch safety switch in order to start the truck by reaching in to hit the key. Really scared me, the Cummins is not going to stall out in a lower gear or reverse.
I wonder if any of these failures were caused by a previous switch bypass.
 
Guess no one remembers when there was no such thing as a clutch interlock so people have come to depend on it.

When I owned manual transmission vehicles, I never left them parked in gear. Engines have been known to start on their own without any human assistance. I personally have witnessed two separate incidents where that has happened. Both were diesel powered, one was a truck tractor and the other one was a dozer.

Bill
 
AMEN!!! Too many things that protect ourselves FROM ourselves! Just like the BLADE BRAKE on rotary lawn mowers. Seems likt two knotheads were trying to use a rotary mower to trim the TOP of a hedge. One guy held the RUNNING mower, OVERHEAD, on each side od the hedge. One guy slipped nd the guy lost a hand. They sued and won!
 
I'm not afraid to admit making a mistake. Couple of winters ago I just about put my truck through the side of a building. Got in to start it with a ton of snow on my boots. My foot slipped off the clutch and it took off forward. Stopped it immediately but was within a foot or so of putting it right in to the wall. Took me a few minutes to get my heart out of my throat after that one. Just a friendly reminder to myself not to start the thing in gear.
 
AMEN!!! Too many things that protect ourselves FROM ourselves! Just like the BLADE BRAKE on rotary lawn mowers. Seems likt two knotheads were trying to use a rotary mower to trim the TOP of a hedge. One guy held the RUNNING mower, OVERHEAD, on each side od the hedge. One guy slipped nd the guy lost a hand. They sued and won!

Here's a true story, going back about 20 years or so. One winter day, a woman came into my rental store with a almost new (at the time) Buick Riviera. All four corners were knocked off in a recent crash. I asked what happened, and here was her reply: "I spun out on the Roslyn Viaduct, I'm accident prone". She then took her hand out of her pocket, and it had four missing fingers. "I'm the reason you have all those warning labels on snow blowers".
 
Got to work this morning and put the transmission in neutral, shut the engine down, let the clutch out and the starter engaged and the engine started. I looked at the switch and it was connected. Y'all should test yours....
 
When I owned manual transmission vehicles, I never left them parked in gear. Engines have been known to start on their own without any human assistance. I personally have witnessed two separate incidents where that has happened. Both were diesel powered, one was a truck tractor and the other one was a dozer.

Bill

Snow country you don't use the parking brake when you don't have to because the cables freeze up. Never mind GM's recalled non-working parking brake issues in 1999+ MT models.
 
Got to work this morning and put the transmission in neutral, shut the engine down, let the clutch out and the starter engaged and the engine started. I looked at the switch and it was connected. Y'all should test yours....

The question is will it do that while in gear.
 
Got to work this morning and put the transmission in neutral, shut the engine down, let the clutch out and the starter engaged and the engine started. I looked at the switch and it was connected. Y'all should test yours....

Hey ManiacMike, welcome to the board, Please fill in your signature so we know what truck you have. What year truck did this happen with?

I put mine in N before shutting down, and don't think I ever clutch it after it's off.
 
My Toyotas had a clutch switch override, and I installed one in a ford ranger I had. I have wanted to put one in my truck for years, just never got around to it.

One shouldn't rely on safety features, and should ensure safety on their own. I don't point a gun at someone just because the safety is on, and I wouldn't leave the key in ignition with a kid in the cab while I was wrong on/around it.
 
Hey ManiacMike, welcome to the board, Please fill in your signature so we know what truck you have. What year truck did this happen with?

I put mine in N before shutting down, and don't think I ever clutch it after it's off.
I thought I had my info filled in, I will double check now. My truck is a G56 in an 06 2500 4X4
 
Well I am one of those people that disables the clutch safety switch. I have those things. I also don't let my kids play around in my cars.
 
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