Just Bought Used 2015 2500 Power Wagon. Now What?

[JDE117]

Hi All, I have been using this forum pretty heavily as a non-member to gain knowledge about my purchase, and now that the deal is done, I figured I would join. This is the first valuable vehicle I have owned; prior to this I was leasing trucks.

I just purchased this used 2015 Ram 2500 Power Wagon with 94000 miles and it is in stellar condition. Mild paint chipping on the rocker panels and the very beginnings of surface rust near the front of the panels, all of which I plan to fix. Other than that, immaculate. What I would like to know is what do you suggest I do next in terms of preventative maintenance on the vehicle? I see that some guys here are changing the Dif oil or doing a half-trans fluid change but could that cause more problems to arise? This is the first time I have owned a truck like this and I would like to keep it in tip-top shape. If you were me, what would be the first steps you would take with your used truck?

Side note: According to the Carfax, the truck has its transmission and driveline serviced at 78k in late 2019 and the suspension and steering system serviced at 82k in early 2020.

Thank you all in advance for your help.

 

[Livinalittle]

First of all congrats. I love power wagons, they're amazing trucks and if I could justify the purchase I'd go buy one tomorrow.

It's always tough with used vehicles, some owners are extremely good with routine maintenance and others not so much. I envy whoever gets my truck when I'm done with it (if that day ever comes) They're going to get a very detailed list of everything that's been done to it.

Based on your mileage I'd probably take a look at your spark plugs. Platinum plugs or not they're likely due for a change. Diff's are an easy DIY job, and if you swap to a high-quality oil like Royal Purple you won't have to worry about it again for quite some time. I like taking the cover off the rear so I can clean the magnet, the front I just did a drain and fill.
Down the road, you could look at flushing your brake fluid, but that's a DIY job if you're handy, and not urgent. Always keep an eye on your coolant. When it goes it goes quick and the damage could be catastrophic.

Finally, you can probably download a PDF Owners Manual which will include your maintenance schedule. It's probably a good thing to reference now and again.

Cheers man, welcome to the forum.

 

[MADDOG]

Welcome to RamForum.

I'd service the differentials, drain/flush/refill the coolant, change out the brake fluid & PS fluid, check the belts for age & cracking, do the same for your coolant hoses, change the oil & filter & give the truck a good inspection.

 

[JDE117]

Thank you both for the welcome, and for the great feedback. The truck was a *barely* justifiable decision but im so glad i did it.

 

[Loudram]

Congrats on the truck. Now let's see some pics.

As far as maintenance goes, +1 to what was said above.

Sent from my LG-V60 using Tapatalk.

 

[Travelin Ram]

Congratulations on the new ride. You’re ready for anything now, as long as it’s not a gas shortage.

Changing trans oil will not cause problems, it’s going too long on old fluid that causes problems. A pan drop with new fluid and filter is the way to go. Not the flush machines that purge the system with foreign cleaning agents.

Depending on your usage of the vehicle, more frequent diff oil changes are not a bad thing if you’re off roading much in dirty environments.

Because I do use my PW quite a bit on dirt, I follow the severe service maintenance schedule. YMMV

 

[caulk04]

Brake fluid. It's one thing that most people, even ones good with maintenance, neglect. I just did the fluid in my 18 and I was surprised how dark it was. Every 2 years is my interval.

Depending on what information you actually have on that Carfax, I'd say you're probably ok to trust it but that's up to your sensibilities. My personal schedule is every 40k for diffs/t-case/power steering and every 50k for trans. +- a little of course.

 

[thkbaron]

Also start posting in the Power Wagon section for most of your PW questions. You'll get PW owners that'll help you out. All of these are general maintenance questions so this section is fine too! All prior advice is good advice. Not sure of tire condition etc on yours but if an alignment is in the near future get the specs on Thuren's website. I'm going through poor tire wear right now. Wish I would have known about their specs before I got mine aligned this summer.

 

[Big Cheddar]

Hi All, I have been using this forum pretty heavily as a non-member to gain knowledge about my purchase, and now that the deal is done, I figured I would join. This is the first valuable vehicle I have owned; prior to this I was leasing trucks.

I just purchased this used 2015 Ram 2500 Power Wagon with 94000 miles and it is in stellar condition. Mild paint chipping on the rocker panels and the very beginnings of surface rust near the front of the panels, all of which I plan to fix. Other than that, immaculate. What I would like to know is what do you suggest I do next in terms of preventative maintenance on the vehicle? I see that some guys here are changing the Dif oil or doing a half-trans fluid change but could that cause more problems to arise? This is the first time I have owned a truck like this and I would like to keep it in tip-top shape. If you were me, what would be the first steps you would take with your used truck?

Side note: According to the Carfax, the truck has its transmission and driveline serviced at 78k in late 2019 and the suspension and steering system serviced at 82k in early 2020.

Thank you all in advance for your help.

Congratulations and Welcome ! I read, and ask questions more than I speak on this forum . A lot of good information here. I like to change all fluids IE Diff, Oil, Coolant, Trans. If I'm buying used, and don't know the last time it was done. That also gives you a chance to crawl around , and look at Tires, Belts , Hoses, Battery Cables etc . While checking for various fluid leaks , or anything else that has the potential of leaving you stranded. Don't forget to make sure your Winch is in good working order. To find out it's not when you need it .Isn't a good time.

 

[FlameThrower]

If it was my truck I would baseline all fluids and change the spark plugs. That means change all fluids so you can start from zero miles on them. You will have peace of mind knowing that you have quality fluids in there and can decide when you want to change them in the future. On the trans fluid, did the Carfax show it was changed at a dealer, quick lube or some place else?