Just got my 2017 3500.... what should I know about it?

[RSchwarzli]

Just got my 2018 3500.... what should I know about it?

So the 2018 3500 SRW 4x4 mega has arrived. Nice looking truck. Has the air ride, aisin, Laramie..... Coming from the 2008, this sure is a much nicer interior. No more rat fur grey.

Next question: All trucks have quirks. So did the 2008. Anything special I should be watching for, or anything that should be modified -laf yeah I actually asked that on here lol) for better longevity?

Thanks.

Robert

 

[Ram4Sam]

First and foremost.......RTFM...... (read the friggin manuals)....:-laf Call FCA, and request the rest of the owners manuals, there are 3 or 4 of them, about a 1000 pages. Forget most of what you learned with your 1st and 2ng gen trucks, the new one is from another world compared to them.


Enjoy
Sam

 

[spoon059]

My suggestions are to turn on tow/haul and exhaust brake every time you drive. I do it to save on my service brakes, but I've heard that using the EB helps exercise the variable vanes on the turbo as well.

I do tow/haul to adjust the shift points slightly. The Cummins is geared for "best fuel economy", but I find that it shifts through gears pretty early and ends up lugging if you are driving at slower speeds. Tow/haul makes it change gears slightly later, reducing or eliminating any lugging of the engine. It also helps make the EB a little more effective.

 

[Killer223]

here we go.. the most important filter is the AIR filter, keep it a stock one, and change it when it should be.
oil, diesel rated, of the correct grade for the climate you live. changed when it should be. all of them.
Filters, changed when they should be.
If you are now wondering when they should be, fallow the advise of the posts above, and read the manual. you'll know .
Enjoy the truck.

 

[kthaxton]

Be sure to stay awake at night, dwelling on DEF, fuel additives, capless fuel tanks and the water pump recall.

 

[Jim W]

So the 2017 3500 SRW 4x4 mega has arrived. Nice looking truck. Has the air ride, aisin, Laramie..... Coming from the 2008, this sure is a much nicer interior. No more rat fur grey.

Next question: All trucks have quirks. So did the 2008. Anything special I should be watching for, or anything that should be modified -laf yeah I actually asked that on here lol) for better longevity?

Thanks.

Robert

Robert, Just enjoy your truck and stay current with the quarterly publication from TDR. I would read Joe Donnelly article in issue 86 of TDR magazine again if you have not done this as yet. This explains what he is monitoring on his 2013.5 truck with the Edge Insight starting on page 106. I provided this same information to my younger son's who as a 2013.5 truck.

 

[Cummins12V98]

"So the 2017 3500 SRW 4x4 mega has arrived"

OK i am confused. Looks like you ordered this truck based on your above statement??? If so how can it be a 17 and not a 18?

OK buy ONLY Mopar, FleetGuard or Raycor filters for your truck and service as listed in your manual. I would drain the front and rear diff's at around 5k and replace with AMZ/OIL SevereGear 75-90. If you tow heavy run the 75-110 in the rear. Factory fill is
****!

YES run TH and full EB ALL the time!

 

[Deleted member 995608]

All you need to know is that its Bad A $ $. Congrats!

 

[RSchwarzli]

First and foremost.......RTFM...... (read the friggin manuals)....:-laf Call FCA, and request the rest of the owners manuals, there are 3 or 4 of them, about a 1000 pages. Forget most of what you learned with your 1st and 2ng gen trucks, the new one is from another world compared to them.


Enjoy
Sam

Good call. I forgot they still had m,y bathroom reading material available. I will call them. And yeah.... this thing is a world of difference to the 1st gens. :-laf

My suggestions are to turn on tow/haul and exhaust brake every time you drive. I do it to save on my service brakes, but I've heard that using the EB helps exercise the variable vanes on the turbo as well.

I do tow/haul to adjust the shift points slightly. The Cummins is geared for "best fuel economy", but I find that it shifts through gears pretty early and ends up lugging if you are driving at slower speeds. Tow/haul makes it change gears slightly later, reducing or eliminating any lugging of the engine. It also helps make the EB a little more effective.

Thanks for that. And you are correct. Bought my old 2008 Mega new, and always ran EB and TH and got 230,000 towing miles (90% of the miles were towing) out of my first set of brakes. Also much better for the transmission for sure. Hoping this new one works better transmission wise too and I dont have to manually downshift when it is lugging...

here we go.. the most important filter is the AIR filter, keep it a stock one, and change it when it should be.
oil, diesel rated, of the correct grade for the climate you live. changed when it should be. all of them.
Filters, changed when they should be.
If you are now wondering when they should be, fallow the advise of the posts above, and read the manual. you'll know .
Enjoy the truck.

Thanks! I am a big fan of factory filters so we are on the same page.

Be sure to stay awake at night, dwelling on DEF, fuel additives, capless fuel tanks and the water pump recall.

LMAO :-laf Yes that is all true.

Robert, Just enjoy your truck and stay current with the quarterly publication from TDR. I would read Joe Donnelly article in issue 86 of TDR magazine again if you have not done this as yet. This explains what he is monitoring on his 2013.5 truck with the Edge Insight starting on page 106. I provided this same information to my younger son's who as a 2013.5 truck.

Good call. I will revisit the article. Thanks for that reminder!

"So the 2017 3500 SRW 4x4 mega has arrived"

OK i am confused. Looks like you ordered this truck based on your above statement??? If so how can it be a 17 and not a 18?

OK buy ONLY Mopar, FleetGuard or Raycor filters for your truck and service as listed in your manual. I would drain the front and rear diff's at around 5k and replace with AMZ/OIL SevereGear 75-90. If you tow heavy run the 75-110 in the rear. Factory fill is
****!

YES run TH and full EB ALL the time!

Son of a sea cook.... you are 100% correct. Im sorry. Total brain fart. It is a 2018. (I was really checking to see if you were on your toes? )

Good to know about the fluids. I do 90% towing so that I will follow up on. Out of curiosity, what issues have come from the factory fluid fill that gives that feedback? You have my attention now! lol

All you need to know is that its Bad A $ $. Congrats!

Haha. Thanks.

 

[gsbrockman]

Be sure to stay awake at night, dwelling on DEF, fuel additives, capless fuel tanks and the water pump recall.

#ad

 

[kthaxton]

What? Me? :-laf

 

[Cummins12V98]

"Out of curiosity, what issues have come from the factory fluid fill that gives that feedback? You have my attention now! lol"

When towing taking off from a stop turning the rear would grab. I did run mine a bit longer than I should have and did a oil analysis, it came back destroyed. I ran the AMZ/OIL 75-110 SevereGear longer than when I first noticed the OE lube grabbing with ZERO issues.

 

[RSchwarzli]

"Out of curiosity, what issues have come from the factory fluid fill that gives that feedback? You have my attention now! lol"

When towing taking off from a stop turning the rear would grab. I did run mine a bit longer than I should have and did a oil analysis, it came back destroyed. I ran the AMZ/OIL 75-110 SevereGear longer than when I first noticed the OE lube grabbing with ZERO issues.

Interesting.... like it lacked limited slip modifier grabbing? That type of feel?

 

[mwilson]

No more rat fur grey.

Best description of the 3rd Gen interior EVER!!!!

Mike.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Interesting.... like it lacked limited slip modifier grabbing? That type of feel?

Exactly, disregard # 2 and 3pics.

 

[RWills]

I just got my 2018 Ram/Cummins 3500 Laramie a couple of weeks ago, after having traded in my 2015 Ram/Cummins 2500 Laramie.

An esthetic change: I preferred the grill available with the Longhorn, which is not available with the Laramie. I found the grill advertised on eBay for around $700, bought, and installed it in 30 minutes without any problem. I think it looks better.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2018-RAM-2...ash=item3f8fa966dd:g:G1gAAOSwvApaPTT-&vxp=mtr

I have the stock grill that I removed upon delivery from the factory: $300 plus shipping from 98072.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Are you serious? $700 for a LongHorn grill????

 

[RWills]

My Ram dealer told me that the Longhorn grill at that dealership was just shy of $1,000 plus 10% sales tax = approx. $1,100.
Same grill on eBay is just shy of $700 with free shipping and no sales tax.
Note: this is a grill for a 2500/3500, not for a 1500.

 

[kthaxton]

Damn.....I don't think any grill would make my driving experience $700 better.

 

[RSchwarzli]

Lucky you arent in the market for a 1991-1993 Ram grill. Those are $2000 on ebay if you can find them.