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Rapid Responce Recall on 600

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Just talked to Kelvin at Wayland Chrysler Dodge in Wayland, MI and he told me that this is for real for you doubters out there.



He had trucks there today that he was testing and some had developed leaks during the test.



He told me that the procedure was to replace all the leaking plugs on the engine and then let it sit for at least 8 hours, then test it again. If there are leaks after the plugs have been replaced then they replace the engine.



He also told me that the test was to start the engine cold, and yes, WOT for 3 minutes.



BTW, Kelvin (thats how he told me he spells it) was extremely friendly and took the time to answer all of my questions when I know he was busy. A super nice guy, but then again what else would you expect from a fellow TDR member.



P. S. Thanks for the info JTadra



P. S. # 2 I called the service dept. where I purshased the truck and they did'nt know what I was talking about even after I gave them the Rapid Response No. 04012. Then I called Dallas Dodge and they didnt know what I was talking about. I don't get it. I may go to Michigan to purchase my next truck.
 
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He had trucks there today that he was testing and some had developed leaks during the test



I wonder how many is some? It will be interesting to see percentages. I will call my dealer next week to set up an appointment. No one has called me... . :(
 
I should have mentioned that I gave Kelvin my vin # and that my truck is not on the list even though I have a build date of 1-14-04. He said that maybe they build them (Cummins engines) at different plants. He also said that he has vin #'s with build dates ranging fron 1-17-04 thru 3-02-04.



swexlin, he did tell me the exact number of trucks he tested today and how many of them had developed leaks, but I could'nt remember the exact #'s he told me so I really did'nt want to mention it for fear of misquoting him. I THINK he told me he had tested 12 trucks and that 3 had the leaks.
 
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P. S. # 2 I called the service dept. where I purshased the truck and they did'nt know what I was talking about even after I gave them the Rapid Response No. 04012. Then I called Dallas Dodge and they didnt know what I was talking about. I don't get it. I may go to Michigan to purchase my next truck



That's what has me concerned. If this is such an IMPORTANT issue, they need to do a written recall. Having worked in retail in my youth, I can tell you right now that most of these phone calls are NOT going to get made. :mad:
 
I should have mentioned that I gave Kelvin my vin # and that my truck is not on the list even though I have a build date of 1-14-04. He said that maybe they build them at different plants. He also said that he has vin #'s with build dates ranging fron 1-17-04 thru 3-14-04.



Interesting. My engine build date is 1/13/04, so I *should* be in this. It appears that it was a manufacturing issue at one plant.



I THINK he told me he had tested 12 trucks and that 3 had the leaks



1 in 4 truck is a SIGNIFICANT number. :confused: And that's just one dealership. We'll have to see how this plays out.
 
I wonder if Tomeygun (Tomey, are you reading this) could get us the list of VINs, then we could be proactive about this.



Helllooo..... Tomey... ... :D
 
Not sure about my build date but it went status KZ March 6,2004. I received the truck March 29th. last six of the VIN # 221335. Dealer is Palmer Dodge, Roswell, Georgia. WCPoe
 
Swexlin, what gives? You quoted MVaden's dates as 1-17-04 through 3-14-04 but his are 1-17-04 through 3-2-04. My engine build date is 3-11-04 and my truck is 3-19-04 so you see my reason for concern?
 
Double checked the RRT and it says unsold trucks that require more than one plug replacement will require engine replacement and diverted to auction to be sold. The reason for selling the truck used at auction is so the engine replacement ($10,000+) can be disclosed properly. Most if not all states have major damage laws that require repairs over a certain threshold to be disclosed in writing to the customer before the vehicle is sold. By sending the trucks to the auction, the manufacturer can be certain that THEY properly disclosed the replacement. What the dealer does from there is the dealers responsibility.

As for the procedure, it says the thermostat has to be completely closed for the test to be valid. I assume that keeps the cooling system pressure up so it will push out the offending plug. And I also assume they are not worried about a little leakage, they are worried about complete push out that will cause the coolant to exit the engine pronto.
 
Crobertson1, it was my screw-up, not swexlin. I caught the mistake and edited it a few minutes later, swexlin just posted between my original post time and edit time.
 
I'm not positive, but I think the build date that DC is reffering to is the truck build date, not the engine build date.



Here is the quote from DCTECH on another thread concerning this issue.



Originally posted by DCTECH

Dealer's have a VIN list of affected vehicles. The ones we have are built from 01-07-04 to 03-02-04.
 
My truck was in to get the shifter boot replaced, warranty work. Before they finished, a service guy informed me that a "freeze plug test" needed to be performed on my truck and needed it to stay the night because it had to be done on a cold engine. They gave me a van for the day. They never told me what would happen if the truck failed.



Well, my truck passed the test,so I guess I don't have to worry about it now. Hope everyone passes the test too
 
With all the good news about the 600, I'm having second thoughts about the truck I ordered (ordered on 29 Mar 04).



Needed a 3500 dually to tow a fifth wheel... we haven't bought yet, still looking for the right coach. Thinking I should go cancel my order ($500. 00 loss is nothing compared to problematic truck) and buy a used 2003 - 2005 305/555.



In fact, I've been searching, but they want as much for the used as I'm paying for my 600. Has the world gone crazy?



Any more bad news and I'm ditching the 600.
 
Another thing that this effects (for those trucks affected) is resale value. As was stated earlier, any unsold trucks which required an engine replacement must be sold at auction, because they are essentially, under law, "substantially repaired vehicles" even though they are brand new, with a brand new engine.



While that would be a GREAT deal for a bargain hunter, I would think that the resale values of affected trucks would also take a hit. Am I right in this thinking?
 
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