Whoohoo! Finally here!

[Sregorb]

As I know y'all are just as anxious as I was on the status of my 'baby' P) I figured I'd find time between sleeping and driving to hop on the web and say.....



IT'S HERE!!!



I finally know what you're talking about with the power and sound of the Cummins... And after several months of membership I can tack on the title of owner



Now to find out how to 'tinker' without voiding warranty...



Have noticed the following and wonder if there are 'quick/easy' fixes.

1. Lighting is abysmal. Are there replacement bulbs that are better for headlights? Even with the fog lights it's dimmer than I'd like.

2. Needs cupholders in the backseat. Experiences?

3. What is the tube on the drivers side of the engine that looks like it just drains onto the pavement? (not anchored or anything, just ends above differential).



Brian

 

[LSMITH]

Congrats Brian!!! Agreed the lighting sucks. Short of HID conversion there is little you can do for full time use. I put in the Xenon ultra white bulbs and it helped some, about $8 each. I also have fog and driving lights that I added, helps a ton but cannot be used in traffic. My 99 has cupholders under the console for the rear passengers, yours does not? The tube you are asking about is the crankcase vent tube. It will blow a little oil out onto the components under the truck with the blowby from the crankcase. This is totally normal. You can either put some hose on the end of the tube and extend it back under the truck to get the oil away from the front and onto the ground or you can clean under the truck occaisionally. Whatever works for you. Congrats again and good luck with the new truck!!

 

[Sregorb]

Kool, I'll check out the Xenon bulbs tomorrow.

Ahah! So that's the crankcase breather bottle mentioned in the owner's manual. They tell you to check every oil change but don't show a pic of where it's located... . now I know.

No on the cupholders!! Wah! I thought I had everything on the truck but I guess not I saw in the manual where 'some' models offer it but apparently not mine. I'll have to go aftermarket add-on I guess (I'll look at Autozone tomorrow while checking on bulbs,lol)



Brian

 

[RJOL]

Brian,



Welcome to the club... About your dim lights, try the following:



With the headlights in high beam, pull the high/low beam selector back and hold it. This will give you an idea of what it looks like with both filaments of you headlight bulbs on. If you like it, you can modify your lights with a "Brite Box" (see Geno's catalog), or if you handy with electrical work, build the relays to keep both lights on... HAVE FUN!!!

 

[EricBu12]

Brian,

To make the fog lights stay on when on high beam, look for the fog light relay under hood. Take it out and put it in the glove box for a spare. .

Then take a short wire like 2-3" and put a blade connector on each end and bend wire into a "U" connect wire ends to the two largest terminals where the relay was and presto! fog lights on when low or high beam HL is on. this helps my close-in lighting.



Another trick is to look into the small fuse panel on driver dash and find 2 metal circuit breakers. one is the breaker for the seat power which is all the time, the other is the window --switched power... . Take out the window breaker and wire in the load side of the power seat breaker to the load side of the window breaker. now window will work without the key. on the wiring, you have to use the blade connector as before but you also have to modify the breaker for the power seat. Take off the cover of the breaker, drill a hole the size of the wire in the cover on the load end for the breaker and solder the wire to the terminal for the breaker. slip cover back on. now you have 2 items on 1 breaker. no problems on either one of these tricks for me.

Happy bombing!



On the breather hose, just run a Heater hose from the stock bent hose down farther to so that all fumes go back under truck. once in a while, a drop here or there will drip but nothing like what would collect on the truck as it is now. also, tie the hose back so it won't hit the fan.



On the cup holders, see if you can get the origional part from the dealer, I am sure it bolts up. maybe someone forgot to put it in at the factory.

Ok, now go out and play ! lol

Eric

 

[KMeek]

For what it is worth I would not be too concerned about the rear cupholders. I have had them in my 98 V-10 and my current truck (see signature). I have 3 kids ages 6-10-12 that always ride in the back when we travel and we have NEVER used the rear cupholders. Although I would keep mine in the unlikely event they ever get used I would never go out and buy them. Maybe installing the cupholders will make you feel like your truck is complete. Otherwise I would place obtaining the cupholders (unless they are given to you for free) at the bottom of your wish list. I would be surprised if many members feel much different about the rear cupholders except for those who like to whine about the changes in the newer trucks even if the change is to delete a relatively useless feature.

 

[Dave MacArthur]

Brian-



I think you have the cupholders. I didn't notice mine for a long time. Look on the rear of the center seat console. All the way down on the carpet. There is a very thin tray that slides out and the cupholders pop out.



Dave

 

[Thomas]

3. What is the tube on the drivers side of the engine that looks like it just drains onto the pavement? (not anchored or anything, just ends above differential).

I'll give you a different answer: it's the drain tube from the water separator/fuel filter. It is on the driver's side of the engine at the water separator/fuel filter, more than halfway from the front to the back of the engine.



The Crankcase vent is on the front of the engine (driver's side however) and ends in a bottle that is anchored to the engine.

 

[ftb87]

Sregord,



The drain on the drivers side of the truck should be the fuel drain hose (you should replace with a longer tube). That way when you change your oil... you can check for water in the fuel.



The frount of the engine is the blow by tube.



FYI



Frank

 

[Doc Tinker]

Congratulations Brian, and happy BOMBing



Doc

 

[chuck3]

Congrats. Brian have fun and enjoy the new Ride.

 

[Joe Mc]

Brian,



Congrats. As far as the hose - as in previous posts indeed if it's coming form thte fuel filter area it's the drain. Suggestion, replace it with about 3 - 4' of tubeing and extend it back to somewhere more objectionable. This way you can place a bucket under it when you check for water in fuel etc. and keep the front differential/engine compartment clean.



If you haven't done so yet, let me suggest reading your owners manual front to back. Pay special attention to the last page and do yourself and your new baby a favor, purchase the shop manual it's well worth the $90.



Good Luck!



BOMBS AWAY!!!!

 

[Wheaties]

Congrats Brian

Get that sig block up and tell us what you bought!



If you think those headlights are bad, you haven't tried backing up yet!



I got mine in the spring, and it just keeps getting better (knock wood). Mileage has been creeping on up, power improves a little as the Cummins breaks in, and I just enjoy the ride more and more each day.



Hope you have yours for many, many happy miles.



. . cup holders? . . we don't need no steenking cupholders!!!!



Matt

 

[Sregorb]

Thanks!

Owner's manual read cover to cover now! Now waiting for the service manual to arrive ($110+S/H--ouch!) as my next reading assignment.

I've searched under the center console, nope, no holders. Ah well, as said before, we don't need no stinkin' cupholders... . Maybe teh kids will feel different but they'll improvise with a center console on top of the seat or something.

I'll have to get the hose somewhere to extend that. Already has splattered front diff (oh well). Any recommendation on size/heat rating/etc? and where? Home depot?

Confused on last post. is the sig not showing?



Has anyone told you how awe inspiring it is to fire up the cummins in a garage???



Brian

 

[Wheaties]

Bob,



It wasn't showing for me at least. Now I can say NICE!! Forest green is probably my favorite color for this truck. Did you go auto or manual?



Matt

 

[redneckdr]

new truck

those of us who watched you agonizing over your choice are delighted you like your new ride. congrats, enjoy.

on the lighting, all will agree. one thing which will help is to rewire the lights with heavier wire. 18 and 20 ga wire??, gimme a break!! i used 12 ga wire, changed to a switched 12v+ with relays, and grounded to the batteries with 10 ga. voila, more light. i chose a different route for the fogs, rewiring them with heavier wire, and a relay, and switch so that i can control them indepently of the headlights. the bright box from geno's will work, but for about $12-15, cna accomplish the same thing, if you're not squeamish about wiring.

agreed, one awsome ride!! BOMBs away!!!

 

[Sregorb]

Agonizing... . hmmm... . agonizing, yea that's probably the best, most to the point, way of describing the past several months I've heard yet!



I'm almost tempted to write an article just for the fun of it on all the research/comparing/test driving/wishing/balancing/crystal ball gazing/etc. I did in preparation for ordering the truck. LOL! There was ALOT of rational debate in everything I settled on. (BTW, it's an automatic, in answer to a question).



The wife has also unintentionally named the new family member upon seeing it in person for the first time..... The BAT.



And that would stand for Big A$$ Truck! LOL! Hmmm, forest green... . the BAT... . I think we've found a winner. I present "The Forest BAT"!



Brian

 

[CReinhardt]

Congradulations on your new truck! Just wanted to mention that your not the only one that bought a truck without cupholders. I know they are pretty much the most useless item for the driver but the kiddys will miss them. Mine do.

 

[redneckdr]

new truck

brian-----if you haven't already done so, remove the silencer ring in the neck of the turbo. you may really like the sound of the turbo, i do. also remove the "snorkle" from the airbox to the right fender. i then took the airbox out, and drilled about six or eight 1 1/2-2" holes in the bottomn part of the box . gives the truck more breathing room. i'd suggest you locate the breather bottle on the front corner, driver's side, and remove it. it will drip oil down directly on one of the transmission lines. i thought my transmission line was leaking. i ran a piece of heater hose back on the left side of the engine. if you do that, be careful not to have any low spots in the hose. not much oil comes out, so you can just dump it somewhere. extend the fuel filter drain hose, so that you can put it in a bucket, when you drain the water out. hose is just vinyl or the like. no reason to buy any fancy hose. if you hang out here much, you are bound to get the BOMB bug, and the Forest BAT will never be the same... .....