New Guy Question

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Brad Dickens

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I know I’m new so hopefully my first post isn’t TLDR

I’ve had a 2006 QC 1500 Big Horn 4WD since new. Just a hair over 200k.

I had to have a solenoid or two in the trans replaced at approximately 135k, new engine at 140,901. My client owns a Ford dealership and took a 2014 Big Horn 4WD in on a trade with 80k and looks good.

Here are my issues with my 2006:
1) Overheats within 15-20 seconds at a light, stop sign or drive thru or just going up an incline with just me in it. Goes back to normal almost immediately after taking off.
2) Got the GASCAP light and codes P0456 & P0457
3) EGR P0404 code since 2013
4) Won’t hardly come out of “P” if parked on even the slightest incline.
5) Horrible vibration 61-66mph since new.
6) No heat in the floor vents.
7) some kind of chirp like the rear passenger tire catches rubber when slow turning left or small bumps. Nothing when I turn right, large bumps or take bumps at speed. Applying slight brake doesn’t stop the chirps. I don’t have the “cricket” noise it’s more of a catch rubber chirp.
8) About a quart of oil disappears every 6-700 miles. Doesn’t seem to burn and can’t find a leak.
9) Also have the 2006 lazy tach since 2010.
10) REALLY bad clunks in shifting back and forth between gears if I hover around 45 or 60mph. Seems a bit better in Tow Haul mode.
11) Gas mileage has dropped to just under 11mpg even in best case highway scenario.
12) Keep getting a 5th cylinder misfire that new plugs remedy for a while.


What I’ve done so far:
1) Brand new struts and shocks all around
2) New tie rods, control arms, bushings, etc basically new front end.
3) Coolant flush, then new radiator cap and that evolved into new radiator and heater core/lines.
4) New water pump and clutch fan.
5) Smoke test found no leaks but replaced fuel pump and gasket at top of tank, 3 new gas caps, replaced two parts I think one was called a LDP - one was by the fuse box and one was close to the gas tank.
6) Replaced the EGR 9 times since 2013 and I quit replacing. Might get 3 days tops before light comes back on. Cleaned the throttle body and EGR hose as well.
7) Did the 30 sec fix and the resolder on tach and got about a month of tach use after each fix.
8) Recently got new tires about 6 weeks ago.
9) New plugs, coil packs, plug wires and injectors.
10) All new brakes and rotors (6th set since new) back in July. Also had parking brake done.

So my question isn’t should I get rid of my 2006 and quit dumping money and chasing my tail, it’s should I risk taking a chance on this 2014 and have the same problems in 40-50k? I’ve poured money in it these last 55k miles because my thought was “hey new engine and truck is paid for” so I thought it was worth it, but enough is enough.
 

caulk04

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Sounds like it's time to dump the old truck. 2014 is early for the 8spd though, not that that really means anything.

Take this advice for what you paid for it. I've owned my 2018 for 4 weeks.
 

Travelin Ram

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I would expect the newer truck to also start needing expensive maintenance around 150k and price it accordingly.

If it’s a valuable client relationship it may also be not worth contaminating that relationship by being his customer as well.
 
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Brad Dickens

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Sounds like it's time to dump the old truck. 2014 is early for the 8spd though, not that that really means anything.

Take this advice for what you paid for it. I've owned my 2018 for 4 weeks.

Thank you, I didn’t know it was early for that. My main hope was to escape the tranny woes I’ve dealt with since day one with my ‘06.
 
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Brad Dickens

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I would expect the newer truck to also start needing expensive maintenance around 150k and price it accordingly.

If it’s a valuable client relationship it may also be not worth contaminating that relationship by being his customer as well.

They’re asking $24,000 for the Ram which is probably going to be top end of my budget. I won’t finance a vehicle and I’m buying my wife a new vehicle at the same time.

I’m an outdoors guy and I hunt and fish and although my 06 looks almost brand new I don’t worry about getting a tiny scratch here or there. I wish I could find someone who could definitively fix it because it’s basically a new truck at this point. LOL!
 

caulk04

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Well, it's really up to you. Do you want to chase/fix those problems (in my area, an 06 is rotted away by now anyway) and know the history or do you want to start fresh with a new platform?

Can I ask why the engine was replaced? Did it drop a valve seat?
 
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Brad Dickens

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Well, it's really up to you. Do you want to chase/fix those problems (in my area, an 06 is rotted away by now anyway) and know the history or do you want to start fresh with a new platform?

Can I ask why the engine was replaced? Did it drop a valve seat?

The 15 years I've had the truck I've done EVERY oil change myself - except one. I'm a CPA and it was 9/15/15 corporate deadline day and I was running around like crazy and it was time to change oil. I knew I couldn't go get the stuff and do it before 10/31 and I thought it wouldn't hurt to let the Jiffy Lube do it just one time.

Well, they put in transmission fluid instead of oil and my engine seized. I was just looking at the receipt yesterday, I paid for the new engine 12/4/15 and Jiffy Lube reimbursed me late May or early June 2016. EVERYTHING in my engine was a weird burnt orange color. Weird funky color like someone overdosed on Flintstone vitamins and puked in my engine.

Living in TN I have no rust at all. I always got my underbody treated about twice a year and my frame underneath looks almost new when sprayed off.

I went to test drive that 2014 Ram again today and look it over and noticed something I didn't catch before, it has a 5th wheel ball in the middle of the bed. Not sure how I feel about that on a 1/2 ton and what was the previous owner pulling. Also, there's no pin underneath to flip the ball over it's like it was perma mounted. I have no need for it and wouldn't want it in the bed sliding things in and out and hitting it. Not sure if I removed it it would leave a hole or not.
 
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Brad Dickens

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They start going and all hell breaks loose.

True, my truck never saw the inside of a shop until it did and then wanted to take up residence. LOL!

I definitely got my money’s worth out of this truck though. It has been a great truck. I have some codes that more get on my nerves than affect the drivability. My wife and I took off in it on a trip this past Wednesday-Sunday and it was 434 miles one way and whatever tooling around we did while there.

The odo shows about 195k but it has a few more miles than that. I drove from mid TN to Chicago to see an audit client around 2009 and just outside Chicago on my way home in the evening time I got behind a box truck that lost its load. No damage at all but I wound up with 3 flats. I was in a pinch and the only tires available were a size or two bigger than stock.

They looked great but my mph and odo were off a bit. I have it written down somewhere how many true miles for the life of those tires.
 

rule18

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The 15 years I've had the truck I've done EVERY oil change myself - except one. I'm a CPA and it was 9/15/15 corporate deadline day and I was running around like crazy and it was time to change oil. I knew I couldn't go get the stuff and do it before 10/31 and I thought it wouldn't hurt to let the Jiffy Lube do it just one time.

Well, they put in transmission fluid instead of oil and my engine seized. I was just looking at the receipt yesterday, I paid for the new engine 12/4/15 and Jiffy Lube reimbursed me late May or early June 2016. EVERYTHING in my engine was a weird burnt orange color. Weird funky color like someone overdosed on Flintstone vitamins and puked in my engine.

Living in TN I have no rust at all. I always got my underbody treated about twice a year and my frame underneath looks almost new when sprayed off.

I went to test drive that 2014 Ram again today and look it over and noticed something I didn't catch before, it has a 5th wheel ball in the middle of the bed. Not sure how I feel about that on a 1/2 ton and what was the previous owner pulling. Also, there's no pin underneath to flip the ball over it's like it was perma mounted. I have no need for it and wouldn't want it in the bed sliding things in and out and hitting it. Not sure if I removed it it would leave a hole or not.
The ball in the bed is for a gooseneck trailer, my guess is in your neck of the woods it might have been used for a horse trailer. I suppose you'd need to put in a patch if you remove the ball, but you could always bedline over it.
 
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Brad Dickens

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The ball in the bed is for a gooseneck trailer, my guess is in your neck of the woods it might have been used for a horse trailer. I suppose you'd need to put in a patch if you remove the ball, but you could always bedline over it.

I was just asking my client at the dealership about the ball yesterday and he told me this morning the previous owner pulled a gooseneck trailer with two zero turn mowers every so often.

It’s a local trade and the guy didn’t mow for a living so I don’t know how often he pulled it or why he felt the need to go that route for no more often he used it.

The more I think about this trade possibility the more I think I might just buy the 2014 and make it a daily driver and keep my ‘06 and make it just my bow hunting tournament fishing rig.
 

rule18

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I was just asking my client at the dealership about the ball yesterday and he told me this morning the previous owner pulled a gooseneck trailer with two zero turn mowers every so often.

It’s a local trade and the guy didn’t mow for a living so I don’t know how often he pulled it or why he felt the need to go that route for no more often he used it.

The more I think about this trade possibility the more I think I might just buy the 2014 and make it a daily driver and keep my ‘06 and make it just my bow hunting tournament fishing rig.
Sounds like a plan!
 

Skatulaki

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There is is an old saying about "knowing the devil you got" ! vs "the one you thinking of getting into"

ME, I'd be somewhat suspicious of a Dodge with 80k that is at a Ford Dealership that they are selling for top dollar ! Usually if some one trades in a Dodge at a Ford Dealer, or a Chevy at a Dodge dealer, they are not happy with it, and trying another brand. It could have been used to pull RV as well. You might want to ask the Dealer where its at for the info on the former owner and have a chat with him.
 

Skatulaki

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What oil do you use in it? I find that the modern oil is too thin, and when above 100k I use 20w 50, and over 200k I use straight 40 weight Valvoline ZR-1. That is if you want to make it from oil change to oil change without adding another oil change.
Of course I'm in Florida, I don't have to worry about cold weather, just hot weather.
 
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Brad Dickens

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There is is an old saying about "knowing the devil you got" ! vs "the one you thinking of getting into"

ME, I'd be somewhat suspicious of a Dodge with 80k that is at a Ford Dealership that they are selling for top dollar ! Usually if some one trades in a Dodge at a Ford Dealer, or a Chevy at a Dodge dealer, they are not happy with it, and trying another brand. It could have been used to pull RV as well. You might want to ask the Dealer where its at for the info on the former owner and have a chat with him.

It wound up being a moot point for me. While I was posting about keeping mine and buying that one as a daily driver someone was sitting in the dealership buying it.

They found my EVAP leak and that cleared up all my CIL codes but the P0404 EGR Valve. I've had that since Jan 2014 and put at least 8 or 9 new ones on there and might get 2 days or 3 weeks before the light comes back on. I've bought the OEM from the dealer, Rock Auto, Advanced Auto and O'Reillys and cleaned that tube and throttle body as well. Not sure where to go from there.

If I could figure out how to make an EGR Valve work for a bit, find that annoying chirp in the rear and the vibration from 60-65 mph I'd just drive it until it became a $150 salvage vehicle.
 

Skatulaki

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You must be like my dad. We would go hunting 150 miles away , and he would pull over at least 4 times to restack everything behind the seat because he heard a rattle or squeak. I just tune it out and keep on going. I find at some point in the future I will fix something and lo and behold that other noise went away. Someday you will fix something unrelated and the EGR problem will go away. Me, as long as it runs right Ignore stuff like that, a useless part as far as I'm concerned.
 

Snake15eyes1998

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What oil do you use in it? I find that the modern oil is too thin, and when above 100k I use 20w 50, and over 200k I use straight 40 weight Valvoline ZR-1. That is if you want to make it from oil change to oil change without adding another oil change.
Of course I'm in Florida, I don't have to worry about cold weather, just hot weather.

20w-50?? You own a Cummins ? I'm pretty sure they take 15W-40. Or you talking about putting that into a hemi?
 

Skatulaki

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Ah age 28, I'm 58 been around a lot longer. No i don't have cummins. if I have to put more oil in between oil changes then the oil I'm using is too thin ! Why cannot anyone comprehend this?
 

canadiankodiak700

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Ah age 28, I'm 58 been around a lot longer. No i don't have cummins. if I have to put more oil in between oil changes then the oil I'm using is too thin ! Why cannot anyone comprehend this?
You may be 30 years older than him but you're obviously not 30 years smarter. and based on most of your other posts in the other threads here your intelligence is actually showing. You're stuck in the old ways, the old way of thinking. And no it's not the right way. New oil is not way thinner and causing leaks. A 30 weight oil is a 30 weight oil rather it's 0w30 5W30 or 10W30 for example. In your case if you're having to put a lot more oil in between oil changes it's not an issue with the oil it's an issue with your vehicle. Especially considering you're the only one having this issue.

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Skatulaki

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poo poo, Lets just agree to disagree, First you haven't given me any real convincing argument that your way is right. First of all I never said your thin oil is causing leaks, I never once said anything about leaks, let alone causing leaks. I think its so thin it just gets burned up off the cylinder walls rather quickly. But that is just my theory. I will use want I (expletive ) want to use if I believe it suits me better, and so far it does!
 

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