Help!! Brand New 2003 3500

[InThinAir]

I picked up my brand new 03 3500 DRW truck on Friday. Drove it home from Scottsbluff, NE to Denver, no problem. Plugged it in last nite because it was below zero at my place. So this morning I go to crank it up and all heck breaks loose under the hood. I got it shut off quick.



So all it is is that the lower shroud for the fan came loose and the block heater wire got grabbed by the fan and was being whipped around and was hitting everything going around.



So I need some help here, what holds that lower shroud in place? I notice that is has channels to slide into on the passenger side on the vehicle. But what holds the other side. Right now I have it Duct taped in place but what is supposed to be there? And how does the plug heater plug stay out of the way of the fan?



Any help would be appreciated!!!



---Doug

 

[ScottBrown]

If I were You I would cut the cord off to the headbolt heater and drill some holes in the shroud. wire it together, and haul @ss to the dealer to get the whole thing replaced. Under warranty of course.

 

[fkovalski]

Hell, I'd leave as is and make them come and pick it up!!! Flat bed of course! If you start cutting and altering the situation, they could concievably deny any warantee work. Why take that chance?

 

[InThinAir]

Well I think that the fan blades will take care of cutting the block heater wire! That seems like a bad place to the put that... I can't figure out how it stays out of the way of the fan! It doesn't help that it is so cold that the cord won't bend. But I am trying to minimize my dealership experience, so I don't want to be too high impact. I think that duct tape will hold the shroud for the 50 miles to the dealership. But the cord I have no idea how that stays out of the way!



---Doug

 

[Grunt]

I think my heater cord is held out of the way with plastic wire ties... not sure as the wife has it today. Irregardless, you should be able to duct tape or wire tie it out of harms way until you can get it to a Dealer.

 

[ScottBrown]

Doug just do one of 2 things temp fix it or have them pick it up. dont worry about the routing of the wire. let them take care of that. For what you paid for the truck, they should make this right

ASAP. :-{}

 

[fkovalski]

Doug-

What local dealer are you using? I go to BroadWay Dodge in Littleton on Broadway just south of Bellvue. Just a quick jaunt coming in from 285 or 124. Their number is 800. 537. 2927 Jeff is the service manager. Just offering for the taking if needed.

-frank

 

[InThinAir]

The only dealership I trust, still, is John Elway on Arapahoe. Never been to the one on Broadway. I will give Jeff a call and see if they can take it.



There doesn't seem like there is anything to tie the wire to, it looks like it just has a plastic guard on it to keep it out of the way. I think that it just hangs there.





---Doug

 

[Got HO?]

FAN CLUTCH WIRING?

Are you sure its the block heater cord? The 3G's use an electrically actuated fan clutch with its own wiring harness that is routed from the bottom of the radiator on the passenger side. It is wire tied to a plastic bridge inside the fan shroud to about halfway up the radiator & plugs into the front of the fan clutch. :--)

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

Re: FAN CLUTCH WIRING?

Originally posted by Got HO?

Are you sure its the block heater cord? The 3G's use an electrically actuated fan clutch with its own wiring harness that is routed from the bottom of the radiator on the passenger side. It is wire tied to a plastic bridge inside the fan shroud to about halfway up the radiator & plugs into the front of the fan clutch. :--)

Yes this is correct, and their were some problems with the wire routing. Mine was one of them, they had to replace the fan clutch to fix it. The heat chord really is no where near the fan.

 

[InThinAir]

Yes, it definatley is the heater cord. It comes directly out of the front of the fan clutch and is routed down to the lower shroud.



But now I think I understand that it is plastic tied to the radiator and then routed do to the lower shroud? Right? And the ties go around a plastic shield around the block heater cord? Then sandwiched between the lower shroud and the bottom corner of the radiator.



So If that is true then my truck did not have it tied to the radiator to keep it out of the way and the lower shroud was not attached to the radiator.



So after a whopping 100 or so miles I have destroyed my fan and fan clutch and lower shroud and block heater cord.



I guess this is too soon to be my own warranty station?

 

[ScottBrown]

Call them to come get it

 

[fkovalski]

Originally posted by ScottBrown

Call them to come get it

If you have Dodge flatbed it for warantee work, you will have to have it towed to the NEAREST dealer regardless of whom you would like to perform the work. Thus, you might be at the mercy of the "towed to" dealer' timeline rather than whom you find to fit it into your schedule.

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

Originally posted by InThinAir

Yes, it definatley is the heater cord. It comes directly out of the front of the fan clutch and is routed down to the lower shroud.

Well I hate to brake it to ya but that is the wire the locks the fan clutch up when the engine temps get too high. The heater chord goes to a heating element in the engine block.



If the wire is now tied up out of the way it would be safe to drive, it only kicks in when it is real warm out. It may have blown the fuse with it which means that your heater controls will not work. The heater fan will work but you can not switch between heating modes (floor to defrost and such)



Make them put a new fan on, not just splice the wires back together.

 

[klenger]

I've had good service from Broadway Dodge also. Just ordered my '04. 5 from them.

 

[InThinAir]

Well, I got over to the dealer that I usually use and they are gonna replace the shroud and fan clutch which includes the heater cord. They should have everything that they need by this morning as far as parts go and I will hopefully get the truck back today. We will see.



I usually buy my new vehicles in the summer months and can really go over them with a fine tooth comb to find anything loose or not correct. But I didn't get a chance to even get under the truck, I did make sure the spare was tight before I left the dealer but that was all. I hope now my one manufacturing mistake is out of the way and I have clear sailing from here.



I guess I need to update my signature soon, when I actually have the truck!





---Doug