New to dodge! Couple questions.

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Hollabakzach23

Hollabakzach23

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That's great. After reading your post, I'm going to finally try it this week

I would def recommend it to anyone that has the sloppy steering issue because my wheel would bounce all over the place but I wouldn't actually turn or anything and this little adjustment tightened up the wheel and it turns as it should. Only issue I've run into was I can't remember if the wheel would bounce back on its own after I turned the wheel while diving but now it does for the most part so everything worked well for me!
 
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Hollabakzach23

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Nice I think this steering box tip may apply to my 99 Durango that has a ton of play.

Probably! I cannot speak from experience but I would imagine its the set up! Mine had a ton as well so I adjusted it this morning with a 5/8s wrench and a 4.5 Allen wrench in a little under a half hour. It was worth it and best of all it was free! Lol
 
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Hollabakzach23

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Waiting to get her aligned today just to have it done with. I've noticed driving it the last few days I'll start my truck in the morning and let it warm up for ten or fifteen minutes and then drive it across town to class everyday. With that my temp gauge will stay between the the cool zone the whole drive and it may go into the bottom of the normal operating zone every once in awhile. No over heating or check engine light. The heat still works and gets warm. Radiator and The upper radiator hose gets warm like it should but the lower one does not get near as hot as the upper. I am thinking the thermostat? Would that be the right direction to go?
 

rambob

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I was concerned about mine running cool as well.
it stays around 170 all the time. never up to 200-210.

my dad said his did that also.
I thought maybe someone put a cooler tstat in it. idk
 
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Hollabakzach23

Hollabakzach23

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Yeah I kinda wondered if that was the case in mine but I wasn't sure. I mean it's running fine but I don't know if I need to be concerned or not
 
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Hollabakzach23

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Also when I chopped the muffler off last weekend since the cat is gutted my check engine light went off today :(. Is there any way around getting it to go off or should I just throw a glass pack or something on it to create some back pressure for the o2 sensor?
 

Mopar1973Man

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Also when I chopped the muffler off last weekend since the cat is gutted my check engine light went off today :(. Is there any way around getting it to go off or should I just throw a glass pack or something on it to create some back pressure for the o2 sensor?

Regardless of the light the error codes remain for 40 warmup cycles. So even though the light is off get the error codes read because it might hold a clue to your problems.

Mopar1973Man Site said:
Warm-Up Cycles

Once the MIL has been extinguished by the Good Trip Counter, the PCM automatically switches to a Warm-Up Cycle Counter that can be viewed on the DRB III. Warm-Up Cycles are used to erase DTCs and Freeze Frames. Forty Warm-Up cycles must occur in order for the PCM to self-erase a DTC and Freeze Frame. A Warm-Up Cycle is defined as follows:
  • Engine coolant temperature must start below and rise above 160° F
  • Engine coolant temperature must rise by 40° F
  • No further faults occur
 
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Hollabakzach23

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Oh thats interesting! Thanks for the info bud, I had the codes scanned today and it had to do with the o2 sensor and that was the only code that was thrown so I figured it was muffler/exhaust related.
 

Mopar1973Man

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Oh thats interesting! Thanks for the info bud, I had the codes scanned today and it had to do with the o2 sensor and that was the only code that was thrown so I figured it was muffler/exhaust related.

Nope... The sensor is screwed up... Exhaust configuration should change that fact really... Its the fact that the sensor is off the scale hi or lo most likely...

Post the code number I'm post the diagnostic to it!
 

Mopar1973Man

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DTC P0135: 1/1 O2 SENSOR HEATER FAILURE, DTC P0141: 1/2 O2 SENSOR HEATER FAILURE,
DTC P0147: 1/3 O2 SENSOR HEATER FAILURE, DTC P0155: 2/1 O2 SENSOR HEATER FAILURE
OR DTC P0161: 2/2 O2 SENSOR HEATER FAILURE

Monitor & Set Conditions

Heated Oxygen Sensor (HO2S) heaters are monitored when battery voltage is greater than 9 volts, at a cold start, engine coolant temperature is less than 147°F (64°C), battery temperature is within 27°F of engine temperature and engine has been idling for at least 12 seconds. DTCs P0135, P0147 and P0155 will be stored in Powertrain Control Module (PCM) if HO2S voltage is greater than 3 volts for 30-90 seconds. DTCs P0141 and P0161 will be stored in Powertrain Control Module (PCM) if HO2S voltage is greater than 3 volts for 60-240 seconds.

Possible Causes
Intermittent Condition
O2 Heater Element
O2 Sensor Heater Feed Circuit Open
O2 Sensor Heater Ground Circuit Open
O2 Sensor Heater Control Circuit Shorted To Ground
PCM

Testing
1. Turn the ignition off. Wait a minimum of 8 minutes to allow the O2 Sensor to cool down before continuing the test. Turn ignition on, engine not running. Using the DRBIII(R), actuate the O2 Heater test. Using the DRBIII(R), monitor O2 Sensor voltage for at least 2 minutes. Does the voltage stabilize between 0.4 and 0.6 volt during the O2 Heater test? If yes, go to next step. If no, go to step 3 .

2. The conditions that set the DTC are not present at this time. With the engine running at normal operating temperature, monitor the DRBIII(R) parameters related to the DTC while wiggling the wiring harness. Look for parameter values to change and/or a DTC to set. Review the DRBIII(R) Freeze Frame information. If possible, try to duplicate the conditions under which the DTC was set. Refer to any Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) that may apply. Visually inspect the related wiring harness. Look for any chafed, pierced, pinched, or partially broken wires. Visually inspect the related wiring harness connectors. Look for broken, bent, pushed out, or corroded terminals. Were any of the above conditions present? If yes, repair as necessary. If no, test is complete.

3. Turn the ignition off. Allow the O2 Sensor to cool to room temperature. Disconnect the O2 Sensor harness connector for sensor that applies to the specific DTC. Measure the resistance of the O2 Sensor Heater element at the O2 Sensor connector (component side). See HEATED OXYGEN SENSOR
HEATER ELEMENT RESISTANCE table. Is the resistance within specifications? If yes, go to next step. If no, replace the O2 Sensor.

4. The O2 Sensor Heater Feed circuit may be a fused ASD Relay Output or an O2 Sensor Relay output, depending on the O2 Sensor being tested. Turn ignition on, engine not running. Using the DRBIII(R), actuate the O2 Heater test. Measure the voltage on the O2 Sensor Heater Feed circuit. Is the voltage greater than 11.0 volts? If yes, go to next step. If no, repair the open in the O2 Sensor Heater Feed circuit.

5. There are two types of O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuits used on this vehicle. O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuit may be controlled by the PCM or connected to chassis ground. Verify which type applies to the O2 Sensor being tested. See WIRING DIAGRAMS article. For O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuit (O2
Sensor Heater Control circuit) that is PCM controlled, go to next step. For O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuit that uses chassis ground, go to step 7 .

6. On models with PCM controlled O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuit, turn ignition off. Disconnect PCM harness connectors. PCM is located at passenger's side rear corner of engine compartment. Measure the resistance of the O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuit from the O2 Sensor harness connector to the PCM
harness connector. Is the resistance less than 5.0 ohms? If yes, go to step 8 . If no, repair the open or high resistance in the O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuit.

7. On models that use chassis ground for the O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuit, measure resistance between ground and sensor ground circuit at O2 Sensor harness connector. Is resistance less than 5 ohms? If yes, go to step 9 . If no, repair open or high resistance in the O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuit.

8. Measure resistance between ground and the O2 Sensor Ground circuit at the O2 Sensor harness connector. Is the resistance less than 100 ohms? If yes, repair short to ground in the O2 Sensor Heater Ground circuit. If no, go to next step.

9. Replace and program the Powertrain Control Module.
 
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Hollabakzach23

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So is there a way around the o2 sensor being triggered? Because it was fine before I chopped off the muffler? I'm almost positive it was triggered because of no muffler and the gutted cat. Or it needs to be replaced? But I don't wanna replace it just so it can be triggered again?

I guess I at least know how to go about checking it first though thank you for all the info.
 
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Well I started my truck this morning and the check engine light didn't even come on? Is it going to turn off and on periodically now? I have an old glass pack I was thinking of throwing on there of it will help but I'm not going to bother if the light will stay off
 

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try putting a muffler or even just a tailpipe on it, clear the codes, and see if it returns.
if not, maybe the o2 sensor is bad.

there is away you can test them. i dont know how though
 
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Hollabakzach23

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Just run it the way it is.

That's what I'm planning on doing I just didn't know if it needed time to get used to the set up and the light finally shut off or what. I just don't want it to come back on in a few days and then turn off a few days later.

I may put a muffler back on eventually but I wanna redo the whole system eventually just gotta wait for the funds to cooperate lol
 
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Hollabakzach23

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So I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on my leveling kit and new shocks since i got an early xmas present and can start doing the work. But i am thinking of replacing the tie rods as well but I'm not sure if they are still needed to be replaced yet. I do know that there is some play in them and i can rock them back and forth and not sure if they should be tighter. Should there be that much play in them? Sorry for the weak description of them but thats all i can really say about them!
 
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welcome to the club op. good looking truck you got there. my personal experience with exhaust systems is the following. when i bought my truck, it had straight pipe from the exhaust manifold all the way back. on take off the truck was super slooow, the exhaust was ridiculously loud and the exhaust smelled awful. i was told by a few people that the reason for this was because i had no back pressure at all. not only this but my check engine light was on. on top of this, my gas mileage sucked baaad. i grew tired of them problems and decided to do something about it. i had a universal cat installed and replaced both o2 sensors and now, no more check engine light and my truck is faster than before. i also just tuned it up with new plugs, wires, cap and rotor. the exhaust is not as loud anymore and better yet, it actually hauls.
 

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it is true that the rams thrive on back pressure.
 
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Hollabakzach23

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Hm i figured the whole strait pipe from manifold back like i am running would have something to do with it. I am going to redo the exhaust eventually. It is super loud! But the check engine light has turned off for now! I will finish it once i do this suspension work i want to level but need to test it for tie rods! Thanks for the compliment though i love it!
 
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