Coolant Leak

[BHiggins]

I love my truck, I really do. But all the problems I've had with it are starting to wear thin. I now have a coolant leak at only 30k miles. Add to that the clutch (after the dual-mass flywheel failure at 22k miles), two batteries at 24k miles, three recalls, numerous mysterious no-starts, exhaust brake problems, anti-theft problems... It never seems to end. I had two Cummins 1st gens before this with a combined total of over 400k miles, and this truck has them BOTH beat with the shear number of problems, and it only has 30,000 miles... Now that I've vented, anybody suffer any coolant leaks from around the AC compressor area? It's leaking down from somewhere above, and dripping off the ac compressor. I can't see where the actual leak is coming from, so I'm HOPING someone else has already dealt with this. It might be coming from the water pump is, but I don't want to assume. Thanks for any insight.

 

[PFranzese]

Yes, that is the water pump. It drips from the front corner of the block by the ac compressor.

 

[BHiggins]

The truck is a 2008, so the 3-36 warranty is up... Would the water pump be part of the 10-100 power train warranty, or is it considered an "accessory"? (I have a sinking feeling I already know the answer to that, but had to ask anyway).

 

[JJPage]

The truck is a 2008, so the 3-36 warranty is up... Would the water pump be part of the 10-100 power train warranty, or is it considered an "accessory"? (I have a sinking feeling I already know the answer to that, but had to ask anyway).

I am not sure the Warranty will cover it or not, the good news is they are inexpensive and easily changed.



IIRC they are around $65 exchange at Cummins. Two bolts holding them in place with an o-ring seal. It will take you longer to drain the coolant and remove the serpentine belt than it will to change the pump. The easiest and safest way to drain coolant is to loosen a lower radiator hose, I wouldn't mess with the supplied petcock, it may come apart and not go back together. .

 

[PFranzese]

Mine leaked at 42k, it was covered under the 5yr/100k warranty.

 

[BHiggins]

I spoke to Dodge today, they are going to cover it... These Dodge/Cummins trucks aren't what they used to be, I miss my 1st gen trucks more and more every day.

 

[rscurtis]

There was a '93 for sale in my neighborhood a couple of weeks ago with 187K miles on it, and some performance accessories, but I don't know what they were. It was a very clean 5-speed 4X4. Asking price was $14,500. It's gone.

 

[Prairie Dog]

My first gen (93) was a nice truck and had the best seats I've ever found in a vehicle but the rest of the trk was garbage. I fully utilized the extended warranty on it with little junk like a trans that wouldn't shift, speedo quit, numerous eng leaks, collapsed rad. support, cracked cowl, defective door panel, failed oil pressure sender, bad throttle linkage and the list goes on and on. Oh and the paint fell of it ~ I paid for repaint.
My 03 is legions beyond in quality, has twice the HP and gets the same mileage even though it weighs a ton more.

 

[BHiggins]

I did replace the water pump in one of my 1st gens, but that was when the odometer was north of 200k miles. Other than that, neither truck gave me an ounce of problems (unless you consider the rust, which was problematic of 1st gens). Also, I did a rear main seal on my 1990 truck at over 200k too (and while I was in there, I replaced the clutch. It didn't NEED a clutch, but it's cheap insurance when you have the transmission out). As I said earlier, those trucks had a combined total of more than 400k miles. My new truck has only 30k, and yet it's WAY ahead of both my 1st gens COMBINED as far as problems/break downs. I love the power, I love the look, and I love the ride (which are ALL improvements over my 1st gens), but it's just not reliable. It leaves me with the feeling that if I were to take it on a long trip, it would let me down.

 

[Bob4x4]

Buyers have always asked for more power and convenience/creature comforts. We have sacrificed some money and # of repairs to get what we have asked for

 

[BHiggins]

Yeah, but a clutch at 22k miles and a water pump at 30k miles is a little too much "sacrifice" for me... I'm seriously thinking of selling it and either going back to a 2nd gen truck, or maybe a Chevy/DuraMax. I have two friends with them, and they've BOTH been utterly reliable for over 100k miles. It would KILL me to buy a truck that isn't a Dodge/Cummins, but as I said earlier, apparently these trucks aren't what they used to be.

 

[jelag]

Brian

Over the past almost 20 years I've owned 10 trucks that I used in business. I can tell you that out of the Fords and Dodges the Dodges were the least expensive to run. I'd keep them for 500K miles, I never put a water pump on a Dodge or an injector, but did a lot of them on the Fords...

From the problems with the Fords I've learned that a 10 micron primary and a 2 micron secondary fuel filter was the best way to protect the fuel system...

My newest was an 08 5500 that we sold when I closed the business with 150K miles. We had on sensor go out under warranty. . my current truck an 05 as I remember has never been back to the dealer, but does need the charging circuit ECM program update.

Just my thoughts... .