19 3500 HO Cummins No Throttle Respons

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Blazin383

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I recently purchased a new 2019 Ram 3500 Limited SRW with the HO Cummins. My first towing use of the truck was last week when we loaded up my 11,500 lb tow behind toy hauler and drove the 2,000 mile round trip to Moab UT from WA. The truck pulled the toy hauler effortlessly and nearly silently! Really impressed with how quiet these new Rams are. My previous truck was a 2015 Ram 2500 with the 6.4 Hemi and 4:10 rear.
Last year I towed the same trailer on the same route with close to the same weight (maybe 500 lb lighter) with the Hemi. The Hemi towed the trailer well, even though the gas engine obviously had to wind up a bunch more on the many steep long grades, but it towed the trailer just fine overall. The Hemi netter 8 mpg (per the computer) for the trip, and this year the Cummins netted 11 mpg for the trip (the Cummins only had 1000 miles on the odometer at departure).

I experienced an issue with the new truck twice on the trip. The first was while towing the toy hauler. I pulled out of a parking lot onto the highway and was probably doing 10-15 mph when I figured I'd better get moving because traffic was approaching. I gave it a bunch of throttle and the truck didn't respond, as in, it just didn't really recognize the throttle input. So, I gave it all the throttle and the truck just sort of shook and shimmied, making an odd groaning sound, but never really accelerated. I backed off and eased into the throttle and it finally reacted.

The second and similar issue came a few days later when I was pulling a small single axle trailer with my side by side on it, maybe 3,000 lbs total. I again pulled out of a parking area heading up a grade. Just to see how the truck would react, I gave it 100% throttle and...nothing. The truck didn't respond at all. Again it was like it didn't even know I'd mashed the throttle. I had time to look over at my wife and tell her I had it floored and her to say no way, before I let off the throttle! No shake or shimmy this time, just no response.

Another thing I thought odd is that in the 1900 mile trip the truck went through almost 2 full tanks of DEF! Is that normal? Seems crazy, and adds a significant cost of operation, especially when buying those stupid 2.5 gal jugs at truck stops for $18 ea.!

The truck is scheduled to go in for evaluation tomorrow, but the next day I heading back to UT to pick up a new 15,000 lb 5th wheel, so I hope they figure it out.
 

mtnrider

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Yep, common and known behavior with the Ram cummins. My 2016 does it as well. It's the torque management doing it.

I've learned to "drive around" it so it's a non-issue for me any more. You cannot give it a little throttle, let off and quickly get back on it again. It will fall on it's face every time. Smooth steady throttle works fine, just doesn't like the quick on-off-on of the throttle. Torque management is trying to save the transmission.

DEF consumption seems high to me? With that said the truck doesn't have many miles on it and is still breaking in. MPG should get a little better (not a lot) with break in as well.

.
 

tjfdesmo

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There was a reflash for excessive DEF use, depending on your build date. Super Tech DEF at Wally World is $7.88/2.5 Gal. If you are going to truck stops, why not buy DEF at the truck pumps?

Dead pedal is a thing. The ECM does not like snapping the throttle, or on-off-on inputs, and it will just lay down. Rolling into it gives the best results.
 
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Blazin383

Blazin383

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Interesting info!

I bought the DEF at the truck stops/fuel stations cause I didn't expect to need it twice during the trip, and my options were limited at the time. I was under the assumption that since you typically need a commercial account to buy fuel at the big rig pumps I would also need a commercial account to buy DEF from their pump. Not true? I bought 3 jugs from Costco last night for $9.99 each since I'll be making a run back to UT this weekend. What a pain having to use the plastic jugs without making a mess!

As for the throttle, is it typical to get the "dead pedal" when just laying into the throttle hard? It doesn't seem like I was on/off the throttle, just laid into it hard from a roll. I was wondering if it might be a transmission programming issue and maybe it had already up-shifted once or twice and couldn't figure out that it needed to drop gears to meet the demand.
 

Ajs76

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I have a 2020 diesel and it sounds exactly the same. Getting started off the line is also awful.

i think it’s a Combo of that dead pedal issue that so many ram owners talk about mixed with hilariously bad turbo lag.

I’ve towed about 5000 miles on it now and it seems better and more broken in now that I’ve run it some.
 

sandawilliams

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That's the crazy thing I see with the high torque diesels. Why have 800+ pds of torque and not be able to put it to the ground?
 

Groo

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Maybe 5 years ago, I drove a heavy garbage truck from Vegas, with an Allison and a 12L Cummins, back to the UP of MI. I was 10:1 fuel:def. I had to fill the DEF tank with every other fuel fill (fairly small fuel tank on that truck). So I guess what I am saying is that when you complain about DEF usage, it could certainly be worse.
 

Firebird

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You do have to learn how to drive around that programmed in throttle lag. That and get a Pedal Commander
 

Rken1288

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I added a Banks Pedal Monster and it fixed the throttle problem for my 2500.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Rob Templeton

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Banks pedal monster. It works awesome. It also uses 12v from the obd and if something goes wrong it reverts back to stock.
 

Billet Bee

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Maybe 5 years ago, I drove a heavy garbage truck from Vegas, with an Allison and a 12L Cummins, back to the UP of MI. I was 10:1 fuel:def. I had to fill the DEF tank with every other fuel fill (fairly small fuel tank on that truck). So I guess what I am saying is that when you complain about DEF usage, it could certainly be worse.
All of our garbage trucks drank the def like cool aid also. Also averaged 3.2 mpg of fuel. Yikjes
 

Billet Bee

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I'm also considering the banks pedal monster for$295. I also like that it doesn't leave any foot print. I've almost gotten in numerous accident because of pedal lag. I'd be sitting at an intersection trying to turn Lt, when my time came to go and i went to go, it wouldn't go. My wife started hollering, told her it just won't take off. I've read lots of good reviews on the pedal monster
 

RAM-pagingMN

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All of this dead throttle talk makes me happy i chose to stick with the 6.4 hemi a 3rd time! what's the point of 1075 bs of torque if my truck can smoke it off the line and pull harder up top? if i towed regularly then ok, but empty the Hemi is a beast.
 

Billet Bee

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Definitly sucks off the line, takes about an extra second to get going, but when she does, hang on. I mostly feel the tq while pulling fiver and i go to pass. Its like nothing literally there
 

Timsdually

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No dead pedal whatsoever on my 2020 HO, 4:10.
My '17 had the lag but was easy to manage once I got use to driving the truck after the first couple weeks.
 

chri5k

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All of this dead throttle talk makes me happy i chose to stick with the 6.4 hemi a 3rd time! what's the point of 1075 bs of torque if my truck can smoke it off the line and pull harder up top? if i towed regularly then ok, but empty the Hemi is a beast.

All of those Hemi's eating cams threads makes me happy I chose the Cummins. :D

https://www.ramforum.com/posts/2429669/
 

star_deceiver

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All of those Hemi's eating cams threads makes me happy I chose the Cummins. :D

https://www.ramforum.com/posts/2429669/

How do those turbo actuator and dpf failure threads make you feel?

I have personally never owned any vehicle that didn’t have some fear inducing failure issue, regardless of brand.

Oh, the ‘brand X’ is a good car... just watch out for this nagging issue that will leave you stranded, cost you thousands, your wife will leave you, your dog will run off with the mailman, all because you didn’t hear that hiccuping from your turbo-encabulator!
 

RAM-pagingMN

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All of those Hemi's eating cams threads makes me happy I chose the Cummins. :D

https://www.ramforum.com/posts/2429669/

Im not ******* the cummins, just couldn't justify paying the premium and wanting to ruin warranty right away by tuning and deleting. I've owned 4 different 6.4 hemis (granted I trade in every 2 years lol) and had not a single issue on any truck. Ram is king, no matter the engine! if we are talking straight power stock for stock, the Hemi is faster than the cummins.
 

Walter Conrad

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2020 Ram 3500 6.7 SO 4.10 axle.
No dead pedal problems here, towing or empty.
about 400mpg on the DEF
 
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