Bad lifter To end a bad summer

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

justintyme01

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Posts
65
Reaction score
30
Location
Pa
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 Hemi
I’ve read a lot on here about bad lifters and other noises everyone’s truck makes but to top off a bad summer I end up with a bad lifter in my truck. I thought this issue was addressed by now. I only have 24,500 miles on my truck and it’s been exclusively maintained by the dealer.

I took a video of the cold start this morning and took the truck in. He confirmed that it sounded like a bad lifter and I’m supposed to drop it off next week but they might not have a loaner car for me.

I was hoping to hear from some of you that had this happen and hear what your experience was like during the whole process from the day you heard the noise until the warranty work was completed.

My truck is a 2018 that I bought new so I don’t see how any warranty work could be denied.
 

crzyamerican

Junior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Posts
27
Reaction score
14
Location
Florida
Ram Year
2018
Engine
3.0 Ecodiesel
I had to have half the lifters in my 2013 wrangler Pentastar replaced. It wasn't a bad experience for myself. They got me a rental (thats how this dealership does "loaners") It took maybe 2 days I think. I think it was done in less time but I couldn't pick it up until after work.

I had complained about the tick before, twice. They said it was normal. Then I had to have front main seal replaced and the alternator. While some components were off the engine and they had it running, they said they could definitely hear the lifters and that I needed all the lifters replaced on the drivers side.
 

Tim Garceau

Banned
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Posts
2,090
Reaction score
2,408
Location
Eagle River
Ram Year
2014 Sport Quad BSP
Engine
3.92 8 Speed 5.7 4X4
Keep us posted, most likely a manifold bolt...

What oil are your using along with filter, interval?
 
OP
OP
justintyme01

justintyme01

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Posts
65
Reaction score
30
Location
Pa
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 Hemi
Interval is every 5k miles and oil and filter are factory. Only 24k miles on the truck and I’m not gonna do anything to void the warranty for as long as possible.
 

Pull Ya

U.S. MARINE VETERAN
Supporting Member
Military
Joined
Jan 16, 2012
Posts
15,787
Reaction score
23,056
Location
Cedar Creek, Tx
Ram Year
2015
Engine
5.7 Hemi
I think I read somewhere that there was a back order on some of the internal parts for our engines(Hemi). If this is true I'd make sure they have the parts before taking your truck in, especially if you have to rent a car yourself.
Jay
 

Tim Garceau

Banned
Joined
Jun 29, 2018
Posts
2,090
Reaction score
2,408
Location
Eagle River
Ram Year
2014 Sport Quad BSP
Engine
3.92 8 Speed 5.7 4X4
You can share videos on here for the experts to take a look at when they show up :)
 
OP
OP
justintyme01

justintyme01

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Posts
65
Reaction score
30
Location
Pa
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 Hemi
I’ve seen people add them to YouTube them post them on the forum but I don’t have a YouTube channel and don’t want to make one at the moment but I might eventually. Even the head mechanic at the dealership agreed to it
Being a lifter but if I make a YouTube channel I’ll post my video.
 
OP
OP
justintyme01

justintyme01

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Posts
65
Reaction score
30
Location
Pa
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 Hemi
I think I read somewhere that there was a back order on some of the internal parts for our engines(Hemi). If this is true I'd make sure they have the parts before taking your truck in, especially if you have to rent a car yourself.
Jay


Thanks, I’m hoping they aren’t back ordered right now if they don’t give me a car. I wish I could get a truck as a loaner since mine will be out of service. I heat with wood so this is the time of year I need it the most. Lots of wood being moved and split and trees to be cut up.
 

Burla

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Posts
23,114
Reaction score
44,458
Ram Year
2010 Hemi Reg Cab 4x4
Engine
Hemi
Sounds like you have one of the good dealers that actually will do something about it. Obviously, they will never fix this issue at the manu level, just aint gonna happen. Funny truck of the year 2019 :)

Only Titan and Ridgeline sales are down across the truck sales board. So it is no suprise that Ram is in the same class as Titan and Ridgeline. FCA just don't get it. Ram's will likely always be a distant 3 because of stupid stuff.

2018
Ram sales down -7%
Tacoma up 22%
Chevy up 10%
Ford f150 up 4.9%
 

Billyo

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2019
Posts
39
Reaction score
38
Location
New Jersey
Ram Year
2017 ram 1500
Engine
5.7
sorry to hear that...
please keep us posted.
my short of it is this.
had a 15 on lease with gradual increase in ticking louder and louder and to boot crazy piston slap. dumped it at 27k.
bought a 17 as a leftover in 4/18. dumped the stock oil at 1,500 miles. been on redline 5w30 ever since due to Burla's excellent advice. so far so good. not a start up tick nor hot tick at idle. i have 13,500 miles on it now. i did end up doing a couple of those start up and move across the driveway (30 sec.) run time then shutoff for 2 days in a row. was having a patio put in. anyway- no restart tick either....
i'll keep all posted if i have an issue in the future.
best of luck to you with your truck.... please let us know.
 

TXCOMT

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Posts
1,159
Reaction score
1,536
Ram Year
2016
Engine
Hemi 5.7
So it is no suprise that Ram is in the same class as Titan and Ridgeline.

Think you meant "sales slump," Burla...no way a Titan is anything close to being classy as a Ram and that goes twice for a Ridgeline!

TXCOMT
 

buddy guy

Senior Member
Joined
May 22, 2019
Posts
2,559
Reaction score
2,116
Location
alberta
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 hemi
very interested to find out what this is for sure as there are some posts where people thought that a lifter change in 2016 made this a problem going back from there, not on the more recent 5.7s.
 

Burla

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Posts
23,114
Reaction score
44,458
Ram Year
2010 Hemi Reg Cab 4x4
Engine
Hemi
Think you meant "sales slump," Burla...no way a Titan is anything close to being classy as a Ram and that goes twice for a Ridgeline!

TXCOMT

Personally I think Ram is better then all the other brands, Ford a close 2nd, and clearly not in the same class as ridgeline as far as trucks, I don't even like calling a ridgeline a truck. But the fact is as great as these trucks are, FCA is blowing it on a lot of levels. I'd rather have a 4 gen ram built new then a 5th gen ram, I'm not sure I like a single thing better in 5 gen then 4 gens, not that I have looked at everything, but so far what I've seen I'd pass on. And clearly the market is thinking the same way, as all the other TOP Trucks are seeing increased growth.
 

buddy guy

Senior Member
Joined
May 22, 2019
Posts
2,559
Reaction score
2,116
Location
alberta
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 hemi
I think there's a vehicle quality issue for most companies these days. Almost anyone who has owned a pre 2005 tacoma will tell you the post that year Tacomas aren't nearly as dependable a truck as the 1998 (0r was it 96?) to 2004 tacomas.

Unfortunately, I think its a case of when the going gets tougher for automobile companies, for the most part, they haven't gotten better. Was reading an article the other day about GE's famed Sigma 6 quality level that the company used to adhere to and that Jack Welch made famous and other companies employed various versions of. I figure in the dark shadows of car company boardrooms, they certainly are not thinking about how they can make vehicles last longer. Cheaper materials, more mass production...sell more razor blades (service) cause they aren't making enough money off selling new razors (vehicles) to keep them happy.
 
OP
OP
justintyme01

justintyme01

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Posts
65
Reaction score
30
Location
Pa
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 Hemi
very interested to find out what this is for sure as there are some posts where people thought that a lifter change in 2016 made this a problem going back from there, not on the more recent 5.7s.


I thought failed lifters were a thing of the past and I’m very surprised this happened to my truck. The mechanic didn’t hesitate when he said failed lifter and that’s definitely what it sounds like. Hopefully it’s something else but I doubt it. I’ve maintained this truck religiously and talked it up to everyone I met and had a lot of people consider getting a ram. I take it easy on this truck but I do haul and tow with it but nothing crazy.
 
OP
OP
justintyme01

justintyme01

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Posts
65
Reaction score
30
Location
Pa
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 Hemi
I think there's a vehicle quality issue for most companies these days. Almost anyone who has owned a pre 2005 tacoma will tell you the post that year Tacomas aren't nearly as dependable a truck as the 1998 (0r was it 96?) to 2004 tacomas.

Unfortunately, I think its a case of when the going gets tougher for automobile companies, for the most part, they haven't gotten better. Was reading an article the other day about GE's famed Sigma 6 quality level that the company used to adhere to and that Jack Welch made famous and other companies employed various versions of. I figure in the dark shadows of car company boardrooms, they certainly are not thinking about how they can make vehicles last longer. Cheaper materials, more mass production...sell more razor blades (service) cause they aren't making enough money off selling new razors (vehicles) to keep them happy.


My father in law bought two brand new Tacoma’s, one in 2014 and one in 2018. Both went back to the dealer within the first year for issues he had with his truck. I believe everyone’s quality control is lacking and I know every brand has their own problems but I can no longer say my truck is more reliable. Well at least it hasn’t left me stranded at all.
 

buddy guy

Senior Member
Joined
May 22, 2019
Posts
2,559
Reaction score
2,116
Location
alberta
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 hemi
i have been sceptical that any lifter design could be the solution with the thin-ness of the oil we have to run so i honestly wouldn't be surprised. i'll add that when i brought the issue up with my local dealer after i thought i've heard some minor startup noises, they were not saying "they use a newer lifter now, your 2018 won't have that issue". i was told "keep listening for any issues and we can always check again". lol
 

buddy guy

Senior Member
Joined
May 22, 2019
Posts
2,559
Reaction score
2,116
Location
alberta
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7 hemi
My father in law bought two brand new Tacoma’s, one in 2014 and one in 2018. Both went back to the dealer within the first year for issues he had with his truck. I believe everyone’s quality control is lacking and I know every brand has their own problems but I can no longer say my truck is more reliable. Well at least it hasn’t left me stranded at all.

i bought the 2003 tacoma i had up until feb 19 in 2010 and aside from replacing a muffler, tires, 1 battery in 9 years, shocks, brakes and a leaking oil sensor, I never had an issue with it. i don't know how many times people offered to buy it off me. when i put it up for sale in february, it was like 89 cents a lb ground beef at walmart on a saturday. a feeding frenzy. it needed a new front valance, grill, new windshield, new fender on left side, probably an alignment and maybe some frame straightening, tires all around, timing chain (scheduled change i was overdue on) and had 90% hail damage on the body. i figured about 5000 bucks (not including hail fix) to make it look really good again and deal with overdue maintenance. the guy who bought it gave me 500 bucks cash to hold it for him for 2 weeks until i got my new Ram. no paperwork had been signed, still registered to me. wanted it bad.
 

RLJ10X

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Posts
1,940
Reaction score
1,683
Location
Southern Indiana
Ram Year
2011
Engine
5.7 Hemi
The Pentastar is an overhead cam engine. It doesn't have lifters.

There's not a Taco in the world that was more dependable, and trouble free as my old 99 Dakota. There are always a stack of rusty Tacoma frames behind the Toyota dealership. I drove a Tacoma for 4 weeks this winter in California. If you ask me, that thing is not a truck. I don't get it, when it comes to used tacomas. Just because they bring more money doesn't make it a better vehicle.
 
Last edited:

pacofortacos

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2017
Posts
3,564
Reaction score
4,341
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7
I thought failed lifters were a thing of the past and I’m very surprised this happened to my truck. The mechanic didn’t hesitate when he said failed lifter and that’s definitely what it sounds like. Hopefully it’s something else but I doubt it. I’ve maintained this truck religiously and talked it up to everyone I met and had a lot of people consider getting a ram. I take it easy on this truck but I do haul and tow with it but nothing crazy.

It really depends on your definition of "failed" and what is wrong with your lifter, if it is in fact a lifter.
The old lifters had the rollers seize and the cam fail, it is entirely possible that on your lifter it is just the hydraulic part that is making noise and not the roller - it is also possible something seized the roller as it really doesn't take much. Then again, it could be a defective lifter.

I will say using the factory filter and the dealer blend oil, by 5000 miles my motor is significantly louder than right after the oil change.
I used to always believe in the mopar filters years ago, but not so much lately.
 
Top