Intro to the 4th Gen Ram (Looking for one spot for common problems)

[mjbrox113]

I just picked up a 2014 1500 Laramie, Longhorn, Limited (tripple L if thats a thing)
Anyway, it is the fanciest car Ive ever owned. I just replaced a 2000 Mercedes e320. Oh, this is the first American vehicle ive owned since I was 17 (nearly 25 years ago) and I never take my cars to mechanics

Most websites like this have "sticky's", FAQ, Common issues etc. I cant seem to find that on this page. So im going to make a one stop shop asking all the common things a new owner to a used 4th gen should be asking.

Parts:
With all my european cars I buy parts from FCP or Pelican Parts. What are the best sites to get Ram parts

Oil:
I know I know, this question is the bane of all automotive forums. That said, Ive read around the web all sorts of theories around the HEMI tick. I feel like it would be smart to add zinc but I dont know. I live in Colorado and Im thinking 5W20 Shell Rotella Gas Truck Full Synthetic is the way to go. Is Lucas good to use?

Fluids:
Im going to change all my fluids including diff, transfer case etc. Are there any fluids to go for or avoid?

Computer:
Im going to do my own maintenance, diag and repairs. I have a VEEPEAK with OBD Fusion. Will this let me diag most items including Air Suspension. If not what computers do yall recommend

Air Suspension:
My truck has the air suspension and it currently works great. It seems that all the problems are related to moisture getting into the system and then freezing in cold weather. Colorado is Cold, but its also dry. I am hell bent on keeping this system running and read up on it, but there is not one central place that explains how the system works or how to fix it, most people just give up and add coils. I think that adding an inline dryer would solve most of the issues. Where can i learn more about this system. Oh, and when people put coils in what do they do with their old parts? Cuz Ill take them

Interchangeable parts:
How can I tell what parts are interchangeable. For example, I want to buy some used side steps. Would side steps from any 4th gen work?

4WD vs 4Auto:
I assume 4 Auto is just RWD and kicks in the front tires if it detects slip. Is this the preferred mode when its a bit slick out but you are still doing 40 MPH+ on the highway

Big Fail Items:
Is there any preventive maintenance I can do prevent big expensive failures. For example, on my BMW, the coolant system is know to fail and take out the motor at 100k miles, so pre emptily replaced it all for $500 in parts. On the RAM there might be some grease port that needs to be serviced more than the factory says..... I dont know

Interior:
The leather in this is really nice. Im going to get some conditioner, but is there anything particularly good?

Headlights:
Mine have almost no chips. should I protect these with a film? Come to think of it, the hood doesn't either. I wonder if it was protected with a film and then removed.

Off Roading:
I have an old Land Rover for real off roading but there are definitely some "roads" Ill be able to take this truck that the Mercedes Wagon could not go up. What are my major off road limitation going to be. and why dont I have front tow hooks

Cheap/Easy/Fun mods:
Is there anything that is cheap and fun to do?

What else am I missing?


Oh, and maybe this is the wrong place, but it has a camper shell and decked drawers. I love both options, but Im not sure how Im going to carry 4 bikes like this. I may put my roof rack on the cab or suck it up and buy a hitch rack. Does anyone know what the load rating of that Leer shell might be?

 

[DILLIGAF]

Oil: the oil thread is pretty clear that 5w20 is junk.

Fluids: Amsoil / Redline

Computer: Alpha ODB / HP Tuners

Air Suspension: Junk Delete it.

Interchangeable parts: Depends , so google it

4WD vs 4Auto : 4wd Auto is junk if you actually use your truck as a truck.

Big Fail Items: MDS delete / Cam swap / Solid Lifters and the POS electric steering rack that fails for no reasons... lol..

Off Roading: The 1500 is junk off-road plain and simple. No locking front diff and to top it off that Gen 4 front diff is a POS. You also need a Truetrac in the raer to have any fun on the mountains.

Cheap/Easy/Fun mods. No such thing in a HEMI

 

[NETim]

Mostly the effort in a Ram is correctlng flaws, such as the 3rd brake light leaking water, cab vents leaking water, GPS antenna leaking water, exhaust manifolds leaking.... that sort of thing.

The oil filter and oil threads here will help you decide what oil and filter to use. Mainly change the oil often and use oil that has a high moly content.

Generally most here will advise to keep idling to a minimum with the Hemi. Avoiding the dreaded Hemi tick is the thing.

 

[tron67j]

Parts-depends on what you need. You can PM vendors in the vendor section; All Mopar Parts, Benny can help. For aftermarket, again vendors or just do diligent search on Internet.

Oil - answered above. I use Pennzoil Ultra Premium.

Changing fluids - follow manufacturer recommendations and save your money.

Computer, see above

Air suspension - if it works fine don't mess with it. You say it is dry there and then want to add a dryer. If you open system you introduce a variable. Let it be.

Interchangeable parts - best way to know if something will fit is check part number online. If you can't do that, you may find a deal or bust. There are too many parts, you will do better to ask specific questions at the time your are considering.

Big fail items - read specific threads for information, but generally follow manufacturer recommended service and schedules. Oil seems a big one, read about Redline

Interior - visit the vendors. Keeping things clean and not stressing fabrics is the simple thing to do.

Headlight and front end protection - if you want, go ahead.

4wd - see above, read threads

Easy fun mods - depends on your budget and desire. Read the threads, check the under $100 thread.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[RamDiver]

There's lots of cool tips here.

Best Mods for Under $100

And...... GO! So far I've debadged, added black badges, tinted my stock tails and 3rd brake light, and plastidipped my rear bumper. I have less than $100 in it and it's looking great. What are some of y'alls favorite mods for under $100?

www.ramforum.com

I would definitely read a volume of the oil thread and skim the remainder.

Ignore the user manual for the oil change interval of 10,000 miles, that just silly. Many users choose 5-8K with full synthetic oil and a quality aftermarket synthetic filter.

I believe the recommended change interval for the transmission fluid might be wacked out too.
There should be many threads discussing that topic.

Enjoy your new truck and post here often.

.

 

[mjbrox113]

Air Suspension: Junk Delete it.


NO!, I am hell bent to make it work well in a cold environment.

I really think it comes down to keeping moisture out of the system

 

[chri5k]

I think there is a thread or two on adding big rig air brake antifreeze to the air suspension system to help with moisture issues. The upper right corner of the form page has the search function.

 

[mjbrox113]

I think there is a thread or two on adding big rig air brake antifreeze to the air suspension system to help with moisture issues. The upper right corner of the form page has the search function.

Yea, I tried. I guess Ill spend more time in the search. Im finding this forum difficult to navigate

Also most of the threads just get overrun with people saying to delete the system

Its interesting though..... when you look at peoples location it seems that there is a combination of humid summer environments combined with super cold. For example, it gets cold here in Colorado but its super dry and I dont see many people from Colorado complaining about their system. That is why I keep thinking the inline dryer is the way to go

 

[schnepper]

Big time fails? I got one for you.. 2015 Ram crew cab sport 5.7 “does that thing have a POS Hemi in it!?” Yup, sure does, The biggest, baddest POS I’ve ever owned… Say you’re lucky enough to keep the hemi tick goblins away through religious oil and filter changes, prayer/voodoo/luck and whatever else it takes…and let’s say you make it to 100,000 miles with only 3 or 4 snapped off exhaust manifold bolts. You just might have one of the rare “good” hemis since it hasn’t eaten its own camshaft yet. You roll 110,000 and start to think there’s some small chance you might get to 200,000 miles- Then you notice every light on the dash is lit up, and the truck isn’t running….and then reality smacks you in the face…. Just like your pistons slapped the **** out of your valve train when the POS timing chain snapped at 112,000 miles. (it’s not one part, the entire system is a weak link) so… $55,000 truck, catastrophic engine failure at 112,000 miles. Because of a part that was recalled on challenger/chargers BUT not the trucks (same part # though)

If this happened to you too, iwith a 5.7 send me a Private message, I’d like to bring a class action federal suit against Chrysler for this nonsense

 

[TotallyHucked]

I'm fairly new to the Ram world too, done a lot of research but still learning as well. These are overall great trucks with just a few issues in a small number of them.

For parts, I'm not really aware of one central place for parts. RockAuto is good for maintenance stuff (axles/hubs/control arms/etc), otherwise I just google what I need and find a site I like.

After reading through the Oil Thread I run 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum, a Royal Purple filter and a bottle of LubeGuard. My truck was noisy on 5W20 so I switched and it's been silent since.

I haven't done any other fluids but the engine since my truck is only at 84k but I plan to use Valvoline MaxLife in the trans @ 100k with a PPE finned pan, the thermostat mod and a fresh filter.

Part interchangeability depends on what you're talking about. Most body pieces interchange from '09-23 (side steps for example) but there are a couple different bumper styles (horizontal fog lights from '09-12ish and regular chrome vs urethane sport bumpers). Also when talking stuff like side steps, the HD trucks still use the 4th gen cab, so many accessories are the same. Interior wise, they updated it for '13+ so the dash/radio/controls/console are different. Drivetrain wise, I think the Hemi got an update somewhere along the '12-13 mark and they went from the 6-speed to the 8-speed in '13.

Can answer about the auto4wd function. My old GM trucks had that (NBS, 99-07 style) and you stayed away from it if you wanted your Tcase to last. We don't get slick roads but a couple days a year here so it's not used.

Big fail items are the Hemi itself mainly. Don't let it idle a lot, they have an inferior oiling design and don't get enough oil to the top end at idle. Here's a good video to watch that explains why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI93-Zdx_nY
If you start to hear the "Hemi tick", start saving your pennies. It could be an exhaust manifold bolt has broken/the manifold has cracked or it could be a failed lifter and/or flattened/flattening cam lobe. If you catch it quick enough, you can do the lifters/cam/upgrade to the HellCat oil pump and be ok. Or you could be like my dad and drive it ticking like hell for 2 years and need a whole engine. Also, the front diff is not the best/strongest. A common swap is to put in a Gen3 front diff. I don't know much other than that, I have no plans to do so since I don't do much off roading besides on my property

Interior, I like Chemical Guys stuff for all my detailing need inside and out.

Idk why Mopar didn't give us towhooks, mine doesn't have them either. But you can buy them in the aftermarket and just cut/remove your plastic plugs in the bumper.

Best cheap/semi-cheap mods I have done are LED low/high bulbs and LED foglight housings and the Vararam CAI cuz it looks like an oldschool 6-pack intake. Also found a bolt in muffler on Amazon for $140 from Northeastern Exhaust that's perfect, sounds good but not obnoxious and very little drone. 5" exhaust tips were $110 on Amazon. Then more expensive stuff, the Bilstein 5100 leveling struts set at 2.8" ride great and got me clearance for 35s. Also paired those with some Rough Country forged upper control arms to correct the balljoint angle. That's about the best bang for your buck leveling combo.

 

[WWlorodd1]

Big time fails? I got one for you.. 2015 Ram crew cab sport 5.7 “does that thing have a POS Hemi in it!?” Yup, sure does, The biggest, baddest POS I’ve ever owned… Say you’re lucky enough to keep the hemi tick goblins away through religious oil and filter changes, prayer/voodoo/luck and whatever else it takes…and let’s say you make it to 100,000 miles with only 3 or 4 snapped off exhaust manifold bolts. You just might have one of the rare “good” hemis since it hasn’t eaten its own camshaft yet. You roll 110,000 and start to think there’s some small chance you might get to 200,000 miles- Then you notice every light on the dash is lit up, and the truck isn’t running….and then reality smacks you in the face…. Just like your pistons slapped the **** out of your valve train when the POS timing chain snapped at 112,000 miles. (it’s not one part, the entire system is a weak link) so… $55,000 truck, catastrophic engine failure at 112,000 miles. Because of a part that was recalled on challenger/chargers BUT not the trucks (same part # though)

If this happened to you too, iwith a 5.7 send me a Private message, I’d like to bring a class action federal suit against Chrysler for this nonsense

I have to say I must have gotten lucky with a good Hemi...205800 miles and my first major issue just happened. Transmission is acting up. Won't go in D...only can drive around if I shift it manually.