Times Have Changed - Rear Diff Bad/Down for Days

[PT02063]

Invoice states the following:

Customer states howl in rear end when on acceleration, test drove vehicle and verified concern. Opened rear end cover and checked backlash and found it to be 0.30 MM out of specification. Adjusted backlash, used gear marker to see if any gears were not meshing but found to be all even. Used new gasket, filled to specification. Test drove vehicle and found noise to still be present. Test drove two low mileage trucks same body style and found them to have the same characteristic. Found it to be normal operation.

 

[PT02063]

For the Water Pump recall, the invoice states:

Necessary replaced water pump. re used coolant, bled system. test drove vehicle to verify proper operation.

Well, this gives me a level of confidence that they used a clean container, didn't get any dirt or crap off the underside as they were draining it, and the "re used" coolant is not polluting the internals. I already know there has to be some on the floor as it isn't full like it was before...then again, thank God they didn't mop it up, use a wringer and pour that back into the radiator too!

 

[Bob4x4]

Invoice states the following:

Customer states howl in rear end when on acceleration, test drove vehicle and verified concern. Opened rear end cover and checked backlash and found it to be 0.30 MM out of specification. Adjusted backlash, used gear marker to see if any gears were not meshing but found to be all even. Used new gasket, filled to specification. Test drove vehicle and found noise to still be present. Test drove two low mileage trucks same body style and found them to have the same characteristic. Found it to be normal operation.

Well that sucks..... Have you driven other like models to compare?

 

[Cummins12V98]

My invoice states two gallons antifreeze. They also gave me 3/4 gallon to take with since I am heading out tomorrow am.

I would contact Chrysler and demand they replace ALL coolant!

 

[6V92TA]

My invoice states two gallons antifreeze. They also gave me 3/4 gallon to take with since I am heading out tomorrow am.

I would contact Chrysler and demand they replace ALL coolant!

why would they have to replace extended life coolant? its common practice to drain and refill using the old stuff, especially when it has a 5 year 150,000 mile life.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Chrysler allows new coolant to go back in. Why would you want them to re use with potentially having crud in the antifreeze?

I have read about ONE case where they reused the coolant. NOT normal practice in this situation.

I am happy that my Dealer did it right and they sent me on my way with 3/4 gallon to boot!

 

[Wayne M.]

there is a shortage of mechanics, so what you find in dealerships is they hire and train their car wash/porter type guys to work as lube techs and they train those car wash type employees to use a few machines and the dealership tolerates these low skilled guys futz ups along the line hoping that over time they can turn these car porters into somebody with a little more skill who might be able to fix a car while at the same time not commanding much money. LOL there is a reason a toolbox has wheels. .

hence the dealership tries to sell profitable transmission flushes and differential services while employing lower skilled guys using machinery instead of tools to do the job. knowing these less skilled employees can't mess it up except if they don't get the fluid level correctly and also with the understanding that most vehicle owners never know the difference.

Total and absolute truth right there! Industry wide, and nationwide shortage of talent and interest. This is something that can’t be seen on a scantool.

Good luck in finding a competent service department!

 

[jgillott]

Total and absolute truth right there! Industry wide, and nationwide shortage of talent and interest. This is something that can’t be seen on a scantool.

Good luck in finding a competent service department!

My cousin's son attended UTI in Sacramento after high school and then entered an internship program with BMW after graduation. Last summer, BMW sent him to a 16 week training program in Orlando. After he completed that program, BMW hired him on as a service tech. He had the choice of 16 dealerships across the country that he could work at. He ended up going back to California and is working there. If I remember correctly, he also had similar offers from several companies when he graduated from the Tech School.

We visited with him last summer when he was in Florida and all he could talk about is how much he liked the program and how well BMW was treating him.

Now Ian grew up as a gear head just like we did, only the stuff that he plays around with is the import tuner stuff instead of the '60's and '70's cars that we grew up with. But the kid knows how to get his hands dirty and is truly good at what he does.

With that all said, they are absolutely working him to death right now. He puts in rediculous hours and is loving every minute of it. At 22, he can handle it. How long will he be able to maintain that pace? I'm very happy for him. But, I also worry about him burning out, especially once he has a family.

 

[KevinChrist]

PTO,
By chance is your truck equipped with the AISIN Transmission?

 

[KATOOM]

Well that sucks..... Have you driven other like models to compare?

Exactly.....

 

[Wayne M.]

It's possible that it's a hub bearing and not the diff. I doubt it's a pinion bearing since that noise comes on at a lower speed. I seem to remember another member here having a hub noise issue with a newer truck.
Bearing quality really stinks nowadays. Even the top shelf stuff is outsourced either completely or in raw material. Add on crummy finishing, and we have problems.
We've been eating Chinese junk bearings for about 15 years at the job. That's Mack's OE, and they won't change it.

 

[6V92TA]

Chrysler allows new coolant to go back in. Why would you want them to re use with potentially having crud in the antifreeze?

I have read about ONE case where they reused the coolant. NOT normal practice in this situation.

I am happy that my Dealer did it right and they sent me on my way with 3/4 gallon to boot!

12v, I don't know what FCA recommends as part of the water pump recall campaign but its not an improper repair practice to re use extended life anti freeze. in fact its common practice.

lets face it, maybe your dealer likes you because you are a good customer and they think you will return to buy another vehicle. so they give you a freebie.. but they have to top off the cooling system when finished either way they do it, and no dealer in the world can sell poortions of unused but previously opened product.

stuff is good for five years , 150k.

I know you don't have much mechanical experience in the real world, but you are good at telling everybody what they should demand and I will give you credit for that

 

[KATOOM]

We've been eating Chinese junk bearings for about 15 years at the job. That's Mack's OE, and they won't change it.

I dont think enough people understand that 99% of any metal components and bearing applications are coming from China. And China has the worst metallurgy so failures of such parts are huge over here. America HAS to start manufacturing against so we can regain some integrity.....

 

[PT02063]

My son has a 2017 Ram 2500 CTD Megacab with 2,000 less miles than mine and it does not howl. Am going truck shopping on Friday afternoon to drive a few more to see if there is anything close to a howl like mine. The good news is my Shoo Manager will be in that day so can take him for a ride in mine...and then a quiet one.

As for reusing the antifreeze, I understand it has a long lifespan but what about the contaminants when draining it? Surely there was dirt and sand on the underside and it wasn’t a sanitary process getting it out thus I wonder how much carp went into my cooling system. A bad way to do business...

 

[sag2]

As for reusing the antifreeze, I understand it has a long lifespan but what about the contaminants when draining it? Surely there was dirt and sand on the underside and it wasn’t a sanitary process getting it out thus I wonder how much carp went into my cooling system. A bad way to do business...

Sorry, there is no reason to throw away perfectly good used coolant, and it has always been the practice of FCA to reuse coolant when performing warranty repairs. This is taken right from the recall procedure.

c. Thoroughly clean a drain pan to avoid coolant contamination.
d. Position a drain pan under the primary radiator draincock.
e. Attach a clean drain hose and open the radiator primary draincock located on left side of radiator and drain the radiator. Save the coolant for inspection (Figure 5).
f. If necessary, open the secondary radiator drain located on right side of secondary radiator access through front bumper.
g. When the pressurized coolant bottle is empty, remove pressure cap.
h. Remove the drain hose(s) and close the radiator draincock(s).


Use the following steps to evacuate air and refill the cooling system.
a. Using Refractometer 8286 or equivalent, following the manufacturer’s instructions, test the coolant freeze point (Figure 11).
 If the coolant tested is between -25°F and - 50°F (-31°C and -45°C) and is free of contamination, reuse the original the coolant.
 If the coolant tested is contaminated, refill the cooling system with new coolant.
 If the coolant tested is not between -25°F and - 50°F (-31°C and -45°C) and is free of contamination, use the chart below to add the appropriate amount of new coolant prior to completely refilling the cooling system with the remaining original coolant (Figure 12).

It goes on to outling the proper fill procedure which is 4 full pages long.

 

[6V92TA]

Sorry, there is no reason to throw away perfectly good used coolant, and it has always been the practice of FCA to reuse coolant when performing warranty repairs. This is taken right from the recall procedure.

c. Thoroughly clean a drain pan to avoid coolant contamination.
d. Position a drain pan under the primary radiator draincock.
e. Attach a clean drain hose and open the radiator primary draincock located on left side of radiator and drain the radiator. Save the coolant for inspection (Figure 5).
f. If necessary, open the secondary radiator drain located on right side of secondary radiator access through front bumper.
g. When the pressurized coolant bottle is empty, remove pressure cap.
h. Remove the drain hose(s) and close the radiator draincock(s).


Use the following steps to evacuate air and refill the cooling system.
a. Using Refractometer 8286 or equivalent, following the manufacturer’s instructions, test the coolant freeze point (Figure 11).
 If the coolant tested is between -25°F and - 50°F (-31°C and -45°C) and is free of contamination, reuse the original the coolant.
 If the coolant tested is contaminated, refill the cooling system with new coolant.
 If the coolant tested is not between -25°F and - 50°F (-31°C and -45°C) and is free of contamination, use the chart below to add the appropriate amount of new coolant prior to completely refilling the cooling system with the remaining original coolant (Figure 12).

It goes on to outling the proper fill procedure which is 4 full pages long.

exactly, back in the day working for a small fleet owner, we'd drain motor oil out of an engine and reuse it, if it hadn't reached the mileage interval for an oil change and nobody running equipment to make a profit who had to pay for coolant would throw it away "just because it might have gook in it" when they knew it was reusable. then again most of the advice you read on this forum is from people who don't have all that much experience in the real world but nevertheless they do have a ton of mechanical advice to offer to people less knowledgeable than themselves..

 

[PT02063]

Test drove three different Ram 2500 CTD today...not one of them made the sound mine does. I went to a dealership that is not the one that did the work on mine, and was up front with the sales manager about my purpose and that I wasn't there to buy a truck. It is "cold" in Houston today and business was light so he gave me a "junior salesman" to go with me. All three were fine with no noise and then I asked him if he wanted a ride in the Howling Dog...he said sure. As soon as we got above 70 mph it started and he looked at me - and smiled. He was polite enough to say he wasn't a mechanic but knew the sound in mind was unlike anything in the other three trucks. When we got back, the service department was closed for the day but I explained it to the Sales Manager and he said they would be more than happy to fix the other dealers mis-diagnosis (and hopefully earn my future business when I need a new truck). Will see... And yes, I had to purchase a gallon of the OAT antifreeze at the same dealer yesterday and it took 1/2 gallon until I was up to the mark. I understood the price is $25 per gallon for the 50/50 mix but I got a jug of the concentrated stuff for $25. Heck of a deal.

 

[Bill Lins]

Please be sure to let us know what the new dealer finds- I, for one, am curious.

 

[AnonEd]

Mag Hytec from Geno's Garage

Yes. And it's exclusive to Geno's.

 

[PT02063]

The Service Writer (Mac Haik Energy Corridor) called me today to inform me he had a raw backside from management because of the FCA Survey I submitted. He said they wanted to have another mechanic look at it to fix the problem. I asked if he read all the issues they failed to correct including failure to reset the oil life meter after changing the oil, and he indicated he did and was very sorry for the mechanic's lack of attention to detail. I was also upset I had to pay $52 in sales tax for the "loaner" rental they gave me for a week so I informed him I had damned little reason to return. He begged me to do so and said he was sending me another survey so I could "fill it out properly." Yeah, I won't be going back and I sure as hell won't be "filling out the survey properly." Will take it into a closer dealer (Gillman) next Tuesday who I've had very good service from with past Rams but their sales folks just couldn't make as good a deal on a new 2500 as Mac Haik did.