Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) The last Dodge for me

[diesel DOG]

I like the truck and love the engine but the problems are a PITA now another Lift pump at 70,000 Transmission problems. Roof leak never fixed. Wires rubbed and shorted so it would not start and towed. Lift pumps go at the most horrible time for my business. Now I have to beg the dealer to fix it fast or take it some where else and just pay for it. Lucky I have a fuel pressure gauge to warn me I'll be getting stuck again. What does it cost to pay some to buy and install? I guessing 350-400? I don't have time to do it myself and it would probably screw up my back reaching in there to swap it.

 

[Grizzly]

You better hold out the Heavy Duty Toyota because Ford and Chevy don't even come close to the quality of Dodge. Toyota may be better. Incidentally, my 95 Dodge/Cummins was great and was never in the shop. So far my 05 is also great. Grizzly

 

[Casey Ray]

Diesel Dog,



I have the FASS II, did the install myself, not that difficult to do yourself. I must say the hardest part of the install was getting the oem connection off of the fuel tank. Real pita for me! An angle drill will help with the bracket install. I was on pump #3 and feel confident in this pump, as people have mentioned in other posts, it is electrical so it could fail, but I purchased additional brushes as this is something that will wear and I can replace myself. As for the RASP which is mechanical, well it is built by man, so it can fail as well, but I doubt it would, costs a bit, well quite a bit, more than the FASS II. I'll bet that if you purchased an after market pump, someone in your area would help with the install.



Good luck,



Casey

I like the truck and love the engine but the problems are a PITA now another Lift pump at 70,000 Transmission problems. Roof leak never fixed. Wires rubbed and shorted so it would not start and towed. Lift pumps go at the most horrible time for my business. Now I have to beg the dealer to fix it fast or take it some where else and just pay for it. Lucky I have a fuel pressure gauge to warn me I'll be getting stuck again. What does it cost to pay some to buy and install? I guessing 350-400? I don't have time to do it myself and it would probably screw up my back reaching in there to swap it.

 

[diesel DOG]

Won't buy a forgein vehicle or a Mexican 3500 I'll be back at the new Ford or Chevy 3500

 

[Grizzly]

Won't buy a forgein vehicle or a Mexican 3500 I'll be back at the new Ford or Chevy 3500

Dodge/Cummins built in Mexico are a lot better then those built in St. Louis. Both of my trucks were built in Mexico. I wouldn't have it any other way. Maybe that's been your problem all along, since your was built in St. Louis. My other car is a Toyota Avalon, built in Georgetown, Kentucky. Do you think all Ford and Chevy's are built in the USA? Oo.

 

[bmoeller]

Won't buy a forgein vehicle or a Mexican 3500 I'll be back at the new Ford 350

Have you read up on them over here? They (the 6. 0L PSD) are a crap shoot, at best. Might get a good one, might not. MUCH harder to work on.



My truck was built in Mexico. I bought it with 139k. Nearing 200k now. Virtually no problems at all. Just a few wear items, outside of routine maintanance and consumables.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

My '02 is probably MY last Dodge too - it's been absolutely trouble free and a pure joy in routine driving and RV towing - I love it!



My brother in law just bought a new '05 Ford Super Duty 2500 - really overall inferior in general component quality, and ride/handling quality - nothing radical, just not quite the same level of overall quality as my '02.



Dunno about the GM stuff, rather than steady inprovements in engine reliability - the rest seems to be typical GM...



Yeah, my current Dodge is my last one too...

 

[Todd T]

Dont do it! I threw a fit like this about 2 years ago and sold my Dodge and got a 7. 3 PSD in an Excursion. it rode like it towed... ... aweful! they're junk, two CPS sensors failed in 44K, water pump at 68K and it was eating oil when i traded it.



this will be my last Dodge too... cause I learned my lesson and I'm keeping this one

 

[diesel DOG]

Maybe but I'd rather walk. They don't put made in Mexico stickers on them do they? Wonder why if they don't. Just the way I feel and I am not trying to be nasty. I couldn't undersatnd when my mother bought a VW in 1966 after being bombed in Ireland.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

It sorta helps that I'm nearly 69 years old, and with our recent relocation to eastern Oregon, don't drive the truck nearly as much as before.



Still, even my sister in law commented that their new Ford was not as "fancy" as my Dodge - and they had traded in a '94 Dodge/Cummins for the Ford, mostly for the 4 full-size doors, and because they no longer needed an RV tow vehicle since they also bought a new Ford based Winnebago Mini motorhome with the V10 gasser engine - an absolute SLUG for power, and eats gas like there was no tomorrow! If a hill simply APPEARS on the horizon, it shifts down 2 gears and raises the RPM near redline.



The new Ford is also a gasser, the 5. 4 V8 - it too is powerless and a gas hog - my brother in law jokes that it barely makes it to his house from the gas station and then back to the station on a tank of gas - a FAR cry from the 20+ MPG he was getting with the '94 Dodge.



You live, and you learn - maybe...

 

[diesel DOG]

I have an 04 Excusion and with 25 on it no problems, plenty of power and good mileage towing my race car. About the same as my 01 but tons more power. know it is a newer model. I don't need a rocket I need something dependable. I basically like the truck just sick of the problems. This lift pump deal is rediculous with every one having problems. My friend had some 12 valves and put 400,000 on both of them. Dodge should come up with a permenant fix instead of continually replacing them. I had hoped to keep this a while longer for work and get a new truck also and use this for my masonry business. May have to go with a Fass if I keep it. I have oil spots all over the driveway and not from the oil breather which I dump and clean. I lkie the sucide doors as I just put crap back there and it is easy to look in without the door being in the way. I had the oil tested and the motor is doing great wear wise with 15/40 Valvoline. Gassers are gobblers and have no power. It goes to the dealer Thursday. I will know more then. I don't expect anything to be perfect but I don't want to have a ton of crippling out of service problems where I am going to get stuck on the road.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Good luck with whichever decision you make, but you're not going to fool me on the power comparison between the Dodge and Ford diesels. I've owned both and every contractor I work for has had Ford diesels. Even they are starting to see that the Fords just aren't worth it and are converting to Dodges. You say that yours has 25 on it and no problems, just wait, the money you've spent on your Dodge will look like pocket change. Anyway, it's your decision to make, wish you the best. Mike

 

[CyberRanger]

DieselDog, have you considered that maybe the problem isn't your truck, but the dealership. If a problem is persistant, then they aren't fixin' the actual cause. I happen to live about halfway between what may be the worst & best Dodge dealers in the Western U. S. One couldn't fix a leaky diaper & the other seems to fix stuff before it is ever a problem. It may pay to research some other dealers/shops & let them have a go at your problems.



FWIW!

 

[diesel DOG]

Good luck with whichever decision you make, but you're not going to fool me on the power comparison between the Dodge and Ford diesels. I've owned both and every contractor I work for has had Ford diesels. Even they are starting to see that the Fords just aren't worth it and are converting to Dodges. You say that yours has 25 on it and no problems, just wait, the money you've spent on your Dodge will look like pocket change. Anyway, it's your decision to make, wish you the best. Mike

I know I am comparing an 01 vs 04 the Excursion is fast the new Dodge is fast I'm sure. Even if I buy something else and it's a bomb it's better than two of the same bombs in a row. I like the truck physically and power is not the most important thing. It's is my transportation to work.

 

[diesel DOG]

DieselDog, have you considered that maybe the problem isn't your truck, but the dealership. If a problem is persistant, then they aren't fixin' the actual cause. I happen to live about halfway between what may be the worst & best Dodge dealers in the Western U. S. One couldn't fix a leaky diaper & the other seems to fix stuff before it is ever a problem. It may pay to research some other dealers/shops & let them have a go at your problems.



FWIW!

Herbbie Dodge has been decent and I feel they are qualified and attentive. They don't make the parts or design them they just swap them out. The short under the dash was my dime of 600 by the time they found it. Pump will be thier dime. What if it is damaging the Bosch pump and at 100,000 I have to eat it :{



I may have to go to a Fast but it is sad I need to mod a trucks design to get fuel to it. It's paid for and I wanted a rest or to start payments on a Medium Duty 28,000-33,000 something. Surprised there is no suit for this. If I had no Knowledge from this forum I never would have put a fuel pressure gauge in and I would be getting towed every time. The oil anylasis all showed below normal wear so the motor is good and I was told go 8500 on the 15/40 Valvoline.

 

[CyberRanger]

Herbbie Dodge has been decent and I feel they are qualified and attentive. They don't make the parts or design them they just swap them out. The short under the dash was my dime of 600 by the time they found it. Pump will be thier dime. What if it is damaging the Bosch pump and at 100,000 I have to eat it :{



I may have to go to a Fast but it is sad I need to mod a trucks design to get fuel to it. It's paid for and I wanted a rest or to start payments on a Medium Duty 28,000-33,000 something. Surprised there is no suit for this. If I had no Knowledge from this forum I never would have put a fuel pressure gauge in and I would be getting towed every time. The oil anylasis all showed below normal wear so the motor is good and I was told go 8500 on the 15/40 Valvoline.

If damage is done while under warranty & its not found until after the warranty expires, a good dealership will still take care of you. You say you ended up payin' for the short repair b/c they didn't find it until after your warranty ran out. Did the problem exist while it was still under warranty? Its not your fault they weren't competent enough to find while it was under warranty. It sounds to me like they're more concerned with covering their butts when it comes to warranty repairs than takin' care of you, the customer.



I've found that many dealers don't have techs or service writers competent enough or honest enough to determine what actually falls under warranty & so their solution is if they're in doubt, put the screws to the customer. I've personally been down this road with more than one Dodge dealer. I had two separate dealers tell me there was nothin' wrong with a '99 1500 auto transmission when I absolutely knew there was a serious problem(s). Turned out I barely made it to yet another dealer who found that the transmission had had issues the day it rolled off the first dealer's lot. Only a complete incompetent could have missed the problems it had. Ironically, it was either missed 4 different times by 2 different dealers or they simply were blowing me off. The kicker is one of these same 2 dealers tried to sell my neighbor 4 new tires, a complete rear axle wheel bearing replacement & a rear brake job on his '03 3500 CTD Ram when all he needed was a single rear driveshaft u-joint.



What I'm sayin' is maybe there is another problem that is aggravating your lift pump issue that they aren't addressing, say a pinched fuel line or blocked inlet screen. It sounds as if they made you pay for an electrical problem that should've fallen under warranty--they weren't competent enough to find it in a timely manner.



Having worked at both Ford & GM dealerships & dealt with many other dealerships over the years, something sounds fishy w/ your dealer. So-so & bad dealerships will often pass off their own shortcomings as deficiencies in the vehicle quality or engineering. Try another dealer before you sell your truck short.



You'll find Ford & GM dealers can be equally bad or good & just switching brands may not solve your problems.

 

[testraub]

I live 5 minutes from a dealership I wouldn't take my truck to on a bet. I'd rather drive 3/4 of an hour or more to find a dealership that has a clue of what may be up with the CTD then leave it in the hands of a bunch of gasser monkeys!



Tom

 

[diesel DOG]

The latest news is that after making an appointment they look at the truck a 3:30 and tell me it's the lift pump. Then they tell me they are on national back order. I ask him how long till they get one He said I am now #12. I said what does that mean one day, one week or two weeks. He said it could take two weeks. He said you haven't gotten stuck yet take it. I ask why can't they get one from NAPA or a Cummins dealer and they are not allowed. Another dealer has one but won't let them have it.



I ask for DC # and they give it to me. I call and explain the situation to the rep. He said he will try to expedite a pump. He ask where is the truck now I told him I am driving it. He tells me he can't help me because it is not on the dealers lot. I told him the service rep told me to take it. He keep saying I apologize. I told him I need my truck not apologies. He said there is nothing he could due. I told him would he like it parked in front of the dealer with some lemons and a sign this truck is junk. He said he would call the dealer.



The next kick in the butt was when they told me I had to pay for a new fuel filter to be installed because it had metal fillings in it :--) I told him Dodges pump failed why would I pay for a filter that I just put in 2,000 miles ago. They did one the last time and raped me like 90 bucks I ask the rep to look at all the problems the truck has had and days in the dealership. I said if the motor blew up do I pay for an oil filter?



Then I ask if they want me to take them to small claims court over this and that they are failing all the time. He denied knowing anything about this being a problem so I told him he must have started working there today. I told him the dealer told me it was a problem and a band-aid fix and I would probably have to buy an injection pump after it is out of warranty like so many other. I told him to click on TDR and take a look at the problem. No service, no real fix, and no parts great company to deal with. They never called back so now I will start writhing letters.

 

[Texas Diesel]

He denied knowing anything about this being a problem so I told him he must have started working there today

:-laf



I know the feeling too well.

 

[CyberRanger]

DD, sounds like you need to find a different dealer. They sound like one of the really crappy dealers out here. They constantly give their customers the run-around on things that should be a slam dunk. Their sales department might be good, but their service department is screwed. I bought an Intrepid at a dealer where the service department was great, but the sales department was a cluster.



My suggestion is to make some phone calls & get a hold of the regional Chrysler Service Manager & explain to him (patiently) the entire process you've gone through.



When I had my lift pump replaced out here 3 wks ago, they asked me how often I replaced the fuel filter. I told 'em every other oil change & they didn't replace the fuel filter, nor would they have charged me for it. They have replaced injection pumps beyond 100K b/c the damage sustained was prior to 100K (not on my truck, but on trucks of other customers).



You sound like you are havin' a worst-case-scenario w/ that dealer. Sorry to hear that!