2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission What Kind of things have you seen go bad..

[FireHouseBBQ]

I have to say I just bought this 2001 QC 4x4 a month ago and then joined this group at that time. But I have to say I don't know if I have bought that right truck or not. I was so excited getting this truck. I have owned Toyota's all my life and I really rode them hard but had no balls. Don't get me wrong I like the Truck alot but the steering is really bad on this thing for 36,000 miles on it. I have been reading alot of post here and see alot of problems with these trucks. It seems like they can be a real money pit. That is not why I bought this truck I was looking for a truck that had BALLS and that would last me a long long time. But it just seems like that transmissions, lift pumps, steering go this all can add up to be alot of cash. Maybe I am wrong this is my first Dodge truck. I have never seen a group so in love with thier truck besides that Saturn lovers my wife us to hang out with. I just got a TDR mag in the mail today and I just could not believe that they would let a guy in there telling everyone how good FORD, Chevy, Nissan come on. Please let me know what kinds of miles you guys have on yours and what kind of problems I have to look forward to seeing.





Thanks,

Craig

 

[BarryG]

BBQ:

One thing you have to remember is that one of the reasons the TDR is here is to help solve problems. So that is what a lot of the questions are about. Kind of hard to post a question just to say my truck kicks butt (even though it does). With 15000+ members there are bound to be some issues brought up and if it is a common issue it will be brought up all the more. Does the Dodge have a few problem areas sure . Steering is one of them at least for some of them. I put a DSS on and got a good alignment and my steering is not an issue at all anymore. My lift pump went out at about 57k covered under warranty. My fuel sending unit went out at 57k not under warranty and my vp44 went out at 62k covered under warranty. I am quite sure that my dying lift pump and running out of fuel due to the bad sending unit trashed my vp44. I just replaced my stock shocks which I think 90k on a set of OEM shocks is not bad. Except for fluids and filters that is all I have had to do. Some others here have had less problems than that and others more. I have owned and driven a lot of vehicles in my life so far and I can honestly say that this vehcile does make me smile when I drive it. I don't mean to sound like a cheerleader for dodge because I am far from that but I am happy with my truck and no matter what brand you get they all have some quirks and common issues.

 

[Rob Thomas]

Craig,



Congrats on the new ride!



There are several reletively small "imperfections" in our trucks, but if fixed before they break, less headaches.



Here is a small list to get you started, and others will give you more feedback as well.



With your steering complaints it would be a good bet that your track bar is shot (very common), but a simple and cheap fix. There are several options, the cheapest being a "Luke's Link", for less than $60 and an hour of time your set.



Next would be to get a fuel pressure gauge to monitor the lift pump, (if it was me, I'd dump the lift-pump altogether and go another route, skip all the headaches).



You'll get plenty of comments on your transmission, I can hear them typing already.



Change the fuel filter regularly, and get fuel at a reputable, well used diesel station.



If you take care of the things DC didn't, you'll love your truck, if you don't you'll hate it.





Rob

 

[barbwire]

Problems

First of all Craig, welcome aboard. Secondly, I believe that since you bought your truck, that you could'nt come to a better website, to assist you in the ownership of the rig. Third, sure they have their downfalls. But I believe that they outperform all the trucks in their class. That is one reason that I bought mine.

As far as the steering. Did you do any reading up on the track bar? I had to have the one on my 99 replaced in it's early mileage. I was fortunate enough to have the extended warranty, though. And it covered all but the $50. 00 deductible. I now have 100,000 miles on it and it(track bar) is still in good shape.

I believe that if you bought the truck to perform a certain task, that you will not be disappointed in it. Mine shines in most areas.

Happy motoring, and do not be afraid to ask for assistance on this web site. I think it is one of the best groups of guys & gals on the planet.

 

[FireHouseBBQ]

How do I do away with the Lift pump totally? And how hard is it to put a gauge on the lift pump if I decide keep the lift pump?





Thanks,

Craig

 

[dvaughan]

BBQ, I will send you my e-mail address and when you send a reply back i will send you some pictures on the fuel gauge.

 

[Rob Thomas]

Originally posted by FireHouseBBQ

How do I do away with the Lift pump totally? And how hard is it to put a gauge on the lift pump if I decide keep the lift pump?





Thanks,

Craig

Craig, you can use another fuel system alltogether, PE4200, FASS, there are other options, use the search feature for more. The gauge doesn't go directly on the lift-pump, but in-line, or on the fuel filter housig. A tapped banjo fitting would replace the stock fitting, and thread the gauge line inot that. Again, using the search, you'll have more of an idea.



Rob

 

[y-knot]

Hello and welcome... ... for the record I like Toyota truck too. I can not tell you if you made the right decision or not, that is something you will have to address. I ordered my truck and have had it with me 100% of it time. Truly the only item I HAD to replace was the Vacuum motor that opens and closes the defrost/vent doors. I replaced it twice, they a just cheap parts that give out. That is it, I have done alot of things, but those were all voluntary, not because something broke. Hope this helps somehow?

 

[Sticks]

Also bear in mind that all trucks have problems, it's just that ours are cheap to fix (compared to Ford and Chevy), and the expected life expectancy of our Cummins is 400k before rebuild/replace, where as the Ford and Chevy are more like 150k.



Fuel system - Either buy a new kit as mentioned above ($200 - $500) or just relocate the OEM lift pump on the frame rail by the tank where it's supposed to be ($50 - $100).



Gauges are a must in any diesel. Fuel Pressure, Exhaust Gas Temp (EGT), transmission Temp and/or Boost. You can get a good 3 gauge kit for under $300.



The most common problem with the 24valve trucks (in order of frequency)

• 
  
  Lift pump failure (most common)
  
  Fuel sending unit
  
  Injection pump (VP44) failure if the first two are not caught in time - Performance fueling box attached (mostly on the earlier models)
  
  OEM shocks
  
  Steering
  
  Oil pressure sending unit
  
  APPS/TPS sensor/unit failure
  
  Vacuum pumps
  
  Crank or Cam position sensor (hardly ever)
  

If you had even half of these things happen to your truck, that would be uncommon.

 

[RustyJC]

Craig,



If it helps, my first Chrysler product was a 1996 3500 V-10/47RE that we used to tow 5th wheel RV's. The sum total of failures (not normal wear items) was:



1. Two failed OEM batteries - internal open circuits



2. Oil pressure sending unit



3. Front brake caliper and disk - stuck caliper



On our 2002 (delivered August 15, 2001), I have had no failures whatsoever. None. Nada. Zip. Bear in mind that 90% of the miles on this truck are towing a 13,500 lb 5th wheel that puts us on the road at 21,180 lbs GCW (21,500 lbs GCWR), so it works for a living.



Count me as a satisfied Dodge/Cummins customer.



Rusty

 

[JPLB22]

Craig



Finding this site is a great thing for almost everybody who does. But I think it also scares some people. You just have to realize that most of this site is dedicated to fixing problems. When it comes to overall build quality, it will be hard to beat Toyota or Honda.



You should check these websites also



www.thedieselstop.com Check the 6. 0 forums ( Ford's )

www.thedieselpage.com ( Chevy's )



When you come back here from those sites you will probably breath a heavy sigh of relief.



One more thing. My Fiance has an uncle with a '98 12 valve. I talk to him all the time. He has never heard of the TDR, has no idea that anything like it even exists. I asked him one time if he changes his own fuel filter or has the dealership do it ( robbery ). He told me that he had the dealership do it a month or two ago. At the time he told me that he had 106,000 miles , I was like , the fuel filter on that truck has only been replaced once in 106,000. He also never ever lets the truck cool down before shut off, I asked about his track bar and he looked at me like . He hasn't had so much as a hic-up from that truck, he just gets in it every morning and drives .



Sorry for being so long I am just saying that you have found the ELITE in Dodge Cummins diesel owners. Most trucks on this site are over maintaned. So just enjoy the truck.



Good Luck !!



Jeff

 

[David Wheeler]

Craig,



Welcome to the TDR! Congrats on your new truck.



I personally purchased a Cummins TD... . it came with a Dodge wrapped around it. Just as easily could have been a Chevy or Ford. This engine is a real beast. Decades of engineering and proven reliability. The difficulty arises when you put it in a PU and ask it to act like it does in the rigs it was designed for.



Some examples:



1) Engine pushing the max weight for the front suspension

2) Asking a lift pump to "pull" fuel a long distance instead of "pushing" a short distance (what pumps are designed to do).

3) Creates more power than a stock PU transmission can reliably support for a long period of time (generally speaking).

Etc, etc... .



On the other hand, it is an absolute joy to drive. If the muffler falls off (another thing that frequently happens that I didn't mention) the sound is like music.



Bottom line, the combination of the Cummins and the Dodge has its problems. Fortunately, most all of them are well documented here and with the help of your fellow members, you will get through them too! Good luck!

 

[ntillm01]

I'll second Mr. Wheeler's thoughts. Considering the powerplant installed in a pickup chassis, there is a lot of grunt in a sleeper package for these trucks. How many of us have seen the total surprise on another driver's face as they pull out around us, to go for the "easy pass around the slow truck", only to learn that we're accelerating better than their SUV? And we're towing something!



Anyway, all vehicles have their issues. The difference is in how catastrophic it is when things go wrong. Many of the things I've read since joining had me questioning and scared of my purchase as well. Overall, though, these are things that can be fixed and the words "bent all the valves in the engine" aren't as common here as you may find elsewhere.



Some things are irritating. Some thing are inexpensive. Other things are real expensive. Considering how special and unusual these trucks are, compared to most of what's on the road, I consider them awesome vehicles. Because I own a "specialized" piece of hardware, I expect to have more "specialized" issues in maintaining it too. Kinda of like owning an F-14. Expensive at first, needs non-mainstream care, and just might be expensive to fix if something goes wrong. Trade-offs I'll take to own one kick-butt truck though!



my 0. 02

 

[kentdiesel]

Craig,

Don't let the forum scare you. I doubt you will have all the problems you read about. My truck is a few years older than yours with more miles and is my first Dodge. When I bought it there were 86,000 miles on it and now there are 104,500 miles 11 months later and here is alist of the actual problems/failures I've had:



1. Computer for seat belts failed, $260. 00 installed by dealer



2. Rear Pinion seal had slight leak when I bought truck, $21. 49@ NAPA . Drove it 10 months like this, replaced when #3 was done.



3. Both Rear axle Seals started leaking and saturated the brake shoes so I did a complete rear brake job along with replacing axle seals and two wheel bearings:

$275. 00 including synthetic gear oil.



I can not call a wearable item like front brake pads a failure but I did have to replace them and then the truck started pulling when braking. I replaced the front calipers but I think cleaning the caliper slides is what fixed the pulling.

total for Carbon Metallic pads and calipers $175. 00





I have always thought my truck drove fine. As far as Steering problems I have not had any, my truck did develop a intermittent pull that turned out to be a tire.



I replaced the steering box, got a new one cheap on ebay, I thought with 90,000 mine had to be worn. Did not drive any different than the old box did. Should of saved my money.



I knew a 5 year old truck would need a few things, so none of the above surprised me.



What does surprise me is the Ford Powerstroke guys that see the 4" exhaust on my truck and ask me what they need to do to increase their power, :--) yeah right, like my 12V Cummins is the same why don't they ever want to race?

Kent

 

[RJOL]

Originally posted by FireHouseBBQ

Please let me know what kinds of miles you guys have on yours and what kind of problems I have to look forward to seeing.

Craig... My signature tells you what I have, and it may be similar to yours.



I have about 39K on mine and it has been a great experience. I use mine for everyday driving and some trailer towing in the summer. I don't use it off road. I have never had any of the steering problems, or "death wobble" some have had, and the only dealer maintenance on it has been to replace the fuel lift pump (at 21K) and replacing the rear differential pinion seal (at 21. 7K), both under warranty. I did replace the front brake pads (mainly due to squealing) at 32. 5K and they were about 2/3 gone.



Remember, Craig... For every single problem that gets written up on this site... there are hundreds of others that have had very little problems. Enjoy your new ride...

 

[krs]

If Toyota ever builds a full-sized pickup with more than a 1/2 ton rating I'll probably buy one. Tundra isn't full size no matter what the little people say. I commuted 80 miles a day for 25 years in their cars and I trust them. But they don't make such a truck for export here. Dodge with Cummins is the best alternative.



My '01 has only 21,000 miles and nothing has gone wrong with it. I was and am dissapointed in finding out too late about the propensity of the vp44 pump to fail without warning and I might sell the truck because of that (the liftpump stuff doesn't bother me because I can do something about it). But my one issue shouldn't be enough to condemn the make at all. Most people drive merrily along - some never have an injection pump fail, some just accept it as a lesser evil than all of the trouble they'd have driving fords or gm trucks and they're right. I've got a long standing dislike of electronic system controls is all, and hate being helpless before them. It's a personal thing.

 

[2ndgen2500]

these trucks are money pits, but they will last a long time if you take the precautionary measures, ford, chevy, and dodge trans suck, with the acceptions of the allison (IMO), the fuel delivery system is hit or miss, i have had good luck so far, but am also counting my blessings. right now i have a very server suspension noise that i need to investigate further, i have had one caliper stick and need replacement, my trans gave out at 60k, my dash went out at 50k, but besides that nothing other than that, nothing serious, i use all syntheic fluids. i like the truck, i just wished toyotas had cummins in them.

 

[KIseminger]

Good Choice!

BBQ-



Don't be dissapointed in your purchuse, I will be honest they probably will not be as maintenance free as your Toy, but you'll be alright.



I have a 02 QC Sport HO 6-Speed and have had to replace the injection pump and the lift pump (again, bad lift pump probly caused the injection pump to take a crap), a track bar (they are notorius), and also a ball joint. I have heard of aftermarket ball joints for these trucks that are adjustable (they normally are not which can cause a stansard alignment to get pricy). All this in about 60k. Oh, and I might have a bad u-joint or wheel bearing too.



Suggestions:

1) Use some sort of synthetic oil in all devices that need lubrication- it will greatly increase the life of the truck and you can go at longer intervals. I am an amsoil dealer so let me know if you are interested ( I know, shameless plug)

2) Get gauges; they will tell you a lot about how the engine is running and may save you some costly repairs (i. e. injection pump)

3)As far as the steering goes here are 2 good products

http://www.dtprofab.com/dodge.htm

http://www.solidsteel.ca/Stabilizer.htm

Everyone raves about these, and I plan on getting some

4)There a lot of good aftermarket parts out there just be careful not to go overboard and do it wrong. Remember for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction . Point being if you do one thing (chip) you will probably need to do another (aftermarket turbo to handle the increased fuel and put more air in with it).

5) Look at it as a good thing that there is a sight like this. You have a lot of different people from a variety of backrounds. Dodges have their faults and will not hold up to a Toyota as far as reliability. And they certainly are'nt any worse than a Ford or Gm Product.



Ok, I'm done on my soapbox. Hope this helps and good luck.

Are you a firefighter somewhere? Just asking because of the name.