another cam bites the dust - I think

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Dodge 1500 4X4

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Been following this thread is it possible #1,7 have a problem and start acting up when you accelerate it, the last video to me doesn't sound like anything is wiped out yet, how about raising the idle on that hot start engine and record it, and see if the noise increases, and it might be time to pull the valve covers.
 

Marshall

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Just looked at the first page, seems to me you are tossing in the towel when you don't even know what the problem is, look at the plugs, do a compression check and see what that shows. try a different coil. could be simple.
 
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gnick

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Just looked at the first page, seems to me you are tossing in the towel when you don't even know what the problem is, look at the plugs, do a compression check and see what that shows. try a different coil. could be simple.
yes - maybe read more than the first page
 

old manS RAM

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I just had the same problem, May 1st. The engine stumbled around on acceleration. 2011, 1500 with 85,000+ miles. It happened on the way home from vacation about 400 miles from home. Went to Peterson’s Automotive (RAM) dealer in Lumberton NC. Misfire #5 Cylinder. They did a tune up and took it for a test run. Computer still showed misfire #5. There was no ‘tick’ since the cam roller froze and was still against the cam; not as if the lifter collapsed. The bill came out to around $5,700. I saw the cam and it was a goner. Luckily, I had purchased a warranty through Zurich American when I bought the truck in 2015. The dealer had permission to repair in 10 minutes over the phone. When I picked up the truck four days later, Zurich had already paid the bill, except for the tune up items of $600. Another 1500 with the same problem was there and they were waiting three weeks for approval to repair. I heard the service manager calling the used car manager telling him to look into switching to Zurich
 

Terry1958

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I've been changing the plugs in the truck on a yearly basis since 2015,so i have it down a bit,but i will admit swapping the plugs in the wifes car is alot easier,lol
I've have a 2005 with 44k miles. I changed the plugs ONE time and I was so stove up (southern talk) neck and back, with cuts and scrapes on my arms. That was 8-10 years ago. Now that I am really old and wore out, I'm not sure if I would pay someone to do it (I don't trust ANYBODY with my vehicles) or would just take a week or two to do it and then another month to recoup. I can't even image doing this every year.
 

boblonben

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long time lurker here

2011 ram
5.7
92000 miles
I've run redline since 40k when I bought it and I always turn the MDS off.

I was driving last night on the highway and the truck started to shudder, and the engine light came on. I pulled over. I happened to have a code reader in the truck, and the code came up as Cylinder 7 misfire. I cleared the code just so I could get home and it started and ran fine other than it wanting to shudder a little bit with light throttle going up a long hill. Regardless, I think we know what's going on. The more I drive it, the more damage I'll do to the cam. So I'm just going to leave it parked for now.

I'd love to just take it somewhere, trade it in, and pick up another vehicle so I don't have to deal with it. However, trading something in with an engine light on seems like a great way to get nothing for the trade in. Right now there is no code since I cleared it, but I'm sure if I drove it around enough it would come back. If I tried to trade it in without a code, I'm pretty sure the dealer can tell that a code has been cleared recently.

I was going to start calling around today to shops and see if they would quote me cam/lifters. I'm sure they'll want to diagnose it first and try coils/plugs etc, but it's likely we'll end up at the cam/lifters. I'm probably looking at a $5-8k repair here on an 11 year old truck. It may make sense to fix it since a comparable truck is probably still ~$25k here right now.

any thoughts on how to approach this?
Thoughts...yep...Stop using redline and turning off the MDS. you are not helping anything. No one has any proof thatg using redline will help anything, and turning off MDS is an old wives tale sort of thing. Ya ought to run the damn motro like it was designed to run and you'd be better off. Cam failure could be, there have been some, just like GM and Ford have had some with their V8's, and even more with their V6's. Sori to hear of your problem but don't paln it off on someone else by trading it in, bite the bullet and fix what needs fixen, you'll be better for it, not richer but better. cheers
 

Wild one

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I've have a 2005 with 44k miles. I changed the plugs ONE time and I was so stove up (southern talk) neck and back, with cuts and scrapes on my arms. That was 8-10 years ago. Now that I am really old and wore out, I'm not sure if I would pay someone to do it (I don't trust ANYBODY with my vehicles) or would just take a week or two to do it and then another month to recoup. I can't even image doing this every year.
Not sure what really old is,but i'm 62 in another couple months,lol.
 

fireflymedic

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i've got the battery unplugged. We'll see what it sounds like in a little bit. It was squeaking like crazy earlier when I was driving it though.

its strange though - everytime I pull the plugs and put a different coil on it runs fantastic, but then gets rough and worse and worse.
I wonder if the unplugging battery is making it run better and not anything you are swapping or changing.
 
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gnick

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anot
I wonder if the unplugging battery is making it run better and not anything you are swapping or changing.
I wasn't disconnecting the battery until I had the plugs out the 3rd time.

I've since disconnected the battery and swapped coils again and it's no longer improving. It's just getting worse. The only way to be sure now is to pull the valve covers, and I'll have someone else do that. I've talked to some local shops that seem competent and familiar with the hemi.

 

Silver21Ram

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long time lurker here

2011 ram
5.7
92000 miles
I've run redline since 40k when I bought it and I always turn the MDS off.

I was driving last night on the highway and the truck started to shudder, and the engine light came on. I pulled over. I happened to have a code reader in the truck, and the code came up as Cylinder 7 misfire. I cleared the code just so I could get home and it started and ran fine other than it wanting to shudder a little bit with light throttle going up a long hill. Regardless, I think we know what's going on. The more I drive it, the more damage I'll do to the cam. So I'm just going to leave it parked for now.

I'd love to just take it somewhere, trade it in, and pick up another vehicle so I don't have to deal with it. However, trading something in with an engine light on seems like a great way to get nothing for the trade in. Right now there is no code since I cleared it, but I'm sure if I drove it around enough it would come back. If I tried to trade it in without a code, I'm pretty sure the dealer can tell that a code has been cleared recently.

I was going to start calling around today to shops and see if they would quote me cam/lifters. I'm sure they'll want to diagnose it first and try coils/plugs etc, but it's likely we'll end up at the cam/lifters. I'm probably looking at a $5-8k repair here on an 11 year old truck. It may make sense to fix it since a comparable truck is probably still ~$25k here right now.

any thoughts on how to approach this?
You were concerned about trade-in value with an engine light on ... but would think it's OK to spend 5,6,7 or $8,000.00 on an 11 year old truck. Really?
No one ever came out ahead spending money on anything that exceeds its real wholesale value.
So after new cam, lifters and God knows what else, what happens when next the transmission quits shifting?
You're too heavily invested to say no.
Gotta keep fixing it.
I wouldn't be thinking about this for more than 5 seconds. TRADE! TRADE! TRADE!
 

Sur5er

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I'd go with a non-MDS reman motor.
 

jws123

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You were concerned about trade-in value with an engine light on ... but would think it's OK to spend 5,6,7 or $8,000.00 on an 11 year old truck. Really?
No one ever came out ahead spending money on anything that exceeds its real wholesale value.
So after new cam, lifters and God knows what else, what happens when next the transmission quits shifting?
You're too heavily invested to say no.
Gotta keep fixing it.
I wouldn't be thinking about this for more than 5 seconds. TRADE! TRADE! TRADE!
I has low miles the transmission will out live the truck hell it will rot before it goes bad... 230k on my 2011 orig trans his truck is in really good shape cam/lifter repair shouldn't cost more then $2000 tops.
 

jws123

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A friend had his Ram 5.7 transmission replaced on a 2019 at 17,000 miles.
Not the same transmission that's a newer truck I personally don't like the 8 speeds due to some issues I have seen. Most people love em factory defects can happen to any brand assume that was the case at 17k.
 

Silver21Ram

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My opinions displayed on this forum are from experiences and knowledge gained over 35 years in the retail automobile business.
I have traded, sold and bought thousands of used vehicles including auction vehicles and have seen just about everything.
Again, no one ever came out ahead spending money on anything that exceeds its real wholesale value.
Sorry, it's just a fact .
.
 
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gnick

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My opinions displayed on this forum are from experiences and knowledge gained over 35 years in the retail automobile business.
I have traded, sold and bought thousands of used vehicles including auction vehicles and have seen just about everything.
Again, no one ever came out ahead spending money on anything that exceeds its real wholesale value.
Sorry, it's just a fact .
.
in the end - I agree with you.

I thought about what was to come. I was already planning to have the 100k maintenance done at the dealership and also planning on refreshing the suspension at some point within the next year or so. It was going to need tires in the winter, a set of brakes soon, it needed the driver-side leather repaired, and a couple of other odds and ends I had planned to sort out. I talked to a couple of shops and the ram dealership. The general consensus would be to put another engine in it. I searched around for trade-in values (off market, Toyota, Chevy, Ram) and naturally, ram was going to give me the best trade-in. They'd take it, throw another engine in there, sort anything else out, and sell it on. I really don't think this would be ******** anyone over, and it leaves me in a much more manageable situation. I'm really surprised at what they gave me for the trade-in. Thousands more than everywhere else.

with all that being said, I'm in a new ram with the pentastar. If all goes well I'll baby it and ill drive it to 200k.
 

Burla

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in the end - I agree with you.

I thought about what was to come. I was already planning to have the 100k maintenance done at the dealership and also planning on refreshing the suspension at some point within the next year or so. It was going to need tires in the winter, a set of brakes soon, it needed the driver-side leather repaired, and a couple of other odds and ends I had planned to sort out. I talked to a couple of shops and the ram dealership. The general consensus would be to put another engine in it. I searched around for trade-in values (off market, Toyota, Chevy, Ram) and naturally, ram was going to give me the best trade-in. They'd take it, throw another engine in there, sort anything else out, and sell it on. I really don't think this would be ******** anyone over, and it leaves me in a much more manageable situation. I'm really surprised at what they gave me for the trade-in. Thousands more than everywhere else.

with all that being said, I'm in a new ram with the pentastar. If all goes well I'll baby it and ill drive it to 200k.
congrats, hope it serves you well.
 
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