SimmZ
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2019
- Posts
- 115
- Reaction score
- 53
- Location
- Quebec, CAN
- Ram Year
- 2019
- Engine
- Pentastar 3.6
I have published my very bad story about my nearly brand new (5 months old) 2019 RAM Classic 1500 I purchased at the end of last summer on a Canadian RAM group a few weeks ago but I decided to publish here too to see if someone may have experienced a similar issue.
After 3 visits to my dealership before Christmas, where they did a stunning number of checks on my car and keep it over one week, they can't figure out where the VERY strong smell of burnt rubber coming from the engine bay and entering into the cab by the vents when the heater is running. I first noticed this issue by the end of November when I first turned on the heating as the winter arrived in Canada because during the summer I drove the windows open like 99% of the times. So just after the holiday break (Friday, January 10th, 2020) it was warm outside and my truck smelled so strong the burnt rubber that I had to keep the windows open or shutdown the heating. So I went straight back to the dealer and after doing new test drive with the workshop manager and one senior mechanic they realized that this smell is absolutely crazing and it's going worst than even. So they kept my truck and lend me a New-Body 2019 Tradesman 4x4 and they told me that they will have no other choice that opening a special ticket with the engineering department at FCA Canada because they have not a single idea what can cause this nasty, crazy, burnt rubber smell, considering that this is my 3rd visit for the problem and that they checked everything like 10x already (like any liquid leak, something that rubs on the exhaust, any overheating wiring, etc.)
Three days later, the engineering department of FCA Canada sent my dealer a list of like 20 rubber hoses and elbow and whatever, that they ask to replace on my truck since they are made of rubber as well and located under the hood of the truck. Some of the hose were out of stock and took a few days to be delivered. That is a fairly rational first diagnosis, but I obviously have a doubt that a rubber cooling hose can overheat and smell that bad.
To be continued...
Yesterday (Jan. 20th) where the 12th days since my RAM was at the dealership so I call them for news and after receiving all hoses and elbow and replacing everything made of rubber under the hood last week, unsurprisingly, it didn't change anything and it still smell as strong as before after just a few minutes of driving.
Then FCA Canada came back with a second/new theory (currently under investigation) according to which a clutch inside the transfer case would not disengage properly and would overheat since the problem occurs when I am on 2WD (however I did not not tried in 4WD to see if it smell). I was still a little surprised since I have the base transfer case (BW 44-45) and I don't remember having heard that there was a clutch in this T.C. but since I have not found any technical diagram of this T.C., I can be wrong.
Anyway, do you believe this second theory? Any other suggestions?
Unfortunately please note that we are not protected by any "lemon law" in Canada such as in the US, if someone think about it...
After 3 visits to my dealership before Christmas, where they did a stunning number of checks on my car and keep it over one week, they can't figure out where the VERY strong smell of burnt rubber coming from the engine bay and entering into the cab by the vents when the heater is running. I first noticed this issue by the end of November when I first turned on the heating as the winter arrived in Canada because during the summer I drove the windows open like 99% of the times. So just after the holiday break (Friday, January 10th, 2020) it was warm outside and my truck smelled so strong the burnt rubber that I had to keep the windows open or shutdown the heating. So I went straight back to the dealer and after doing new test drive with the workshop manager and one senior mechanic they realized that this smell is absolutely crazing and it's going worst than even. So they kept my truck and lend me a New-Body 2019 Tradesman 4x4 and they told me that they will have no other choice that opening a special ticket with the engineering department at FCA Canada because they have not a single idea what can cause this nasty, crazy, burnt rubber smell, considering that this is my 3rd visit for the problem and that they checked everything like 10x already (like any liquid leak, something that rubs on the exhaust, any overheating wiring, etc.)
Three days later, the engineering department of FCA Canada sent my dealer a list of like 20 rubber hoses and elbow and whatever, that they ask to replace on my truck since they are made of rubber as well and located under the hood of the truck. Some of the hose were out of stock and took a few days to be delivered. That is a fairly rational first diagnosis, but I obviously have a doubt that a rubber cooling hose can overheat and smell that bad.
To be continued...
Yesterday (Jan. 20th) where the 12th days since my RAM was at the dealership so I call them for news and after receiving all hoses and elbow and replacing everything made of rubber under the hood last week, unsurprisingly, it didn't change anything and it still smell as strong as before after just a few minutes of driving.
Then FCA Canada came back with a second/new theory (currently under investigation) according to which a clutch inside the transfer case would not disengage properly and would overheat since the problem occurs when I am on 2WD (however I did not not tried in 4WD to see if it smell). I was still a little surprised since I have the base transfer case (BW 44-45) and I don't remember having heard that there was a clutch in this T.C. but since I have not found any technical diagram of this T.C., I can be wrong.
Anyway, do you believe this second theory? Any other suggestions?
Unfortunately please note that we are not protected by any "lemon law" in Canada such as in the US, if someone think about it...