Newish, my ram of 3 years sucks.

[DirtyRubber...Tires]

Hi all! I know my title sounds a bit negative, let me explain. I have been a mopar man since I was 18 and got into Jeeps, later on a Durango, and I bought my 2011 Ram 1500 5.7 4x4 in 2015. I have fixed hundreds of issues with all makes and models, but I prefer(ed) mopar. That was until I drove my 4 year old used Ram home to Florida from a used Dodge dealer in Mississippi. Got her home, decided to pressure wash the ten tons of mud out from underneath the same week as I like things taken care of. First issue starts. ABS, traction control, and Service 4WD lights come on. They have come on every time I’ve driven it since that day, but not in the first week of ownership so I’m pretty sure it is attributed to the pressure washing and not being nice to my wiring or sensors. I replaced all abs speed sensors, changed nothing. I have searched these forums and see others have the issue, no real solution that has worked for me. Guessing I’ll have to go ahead and let the dealer **** me to get a diagnosis. This truck had many other issues... HVAC system was terrible (fixed). No Ac air filter? I modded and added one only after replacing the clogged condenser core. Heater core blew which led me to finding out why the Ac wasn’t working, which led to personally replacing the entire system and added that filter. Next, upper radiator hose rotted, replaced that and water pump, radiator, thermostat, and I’ve still had more than a dozen overheating issues in the last three years. No blown head gasket, 90% new cooling system, no air in system. Last option is to replace radiator cap and temp sensor and that’ll wrap it up. I also get the exhaust manifold tick on the passenger side between start up to warm up, but it fades away after a full two minute warm up. I know the fix for that. I replaced all fluids, spark plugs and ignition coils... proper plugs and gaps... still ignites the check engine light and says all 8 cylinders are misfiring. I did the job twice in a week to double check my work... all to spec. What led me to changing the plugs and coils was this: My starter seized up two weeks ago which both left my family stranded and nearly started an electrical fire in the middle of nowhere. Had her towed home, tested each electrical component and all went bad at once but the arrow pointed at the starter which literally started a chain reaction in my electrical system. I replaced the starter, battery, and alternator. Suddenly, same day, my truck started to feel like it has resistance when my foot isn’t on the gas... not the brakes, but that feeling. At around 20mph just lightly holding the throttle, I feel the transmission, or engine, struggle to decide what RPM it needs to hold and I get that stop go feeling. Anyone felt this? That’s what led me to doing the plugs. I’ve also replaced the shocks and all rubber joints/seals. My key fobs have been programmed by the dealer and still do not work other than starting the truck. The window/lock control on the drivers door has been replaced... and the new one started falling apart and acting up just like the stock control panel. It’s just a nightmare. I’ve replaced 50% of the electrical system to spec, 90% of the cooling system, 50% or the AC system, 20% of the interior... and this truck still finds something new to be replaced. If anyone has a great link that maybe I’ve missed on my key fobik issue I described, the abs/traction/4wd lights, or the random deceleration/resistance feeling that has started, please add link. I’ve been researching and testing these three things the most the past three years and nothing has worked. I’ll always be a jeep guy, but Ram is failing me daily.

 

[DirtyRubber...Tires]

I’d like to add that I never got higher than 12.7 city, 15.5 highway. After changing the electrical system a few weeks ago, I consistently get 16-18 mpg city?! I’m not complaining, but why is that? I’ve always kept up with the maintenance schedule. Now getting a 4-6 mpg increase... the down side is feeling like my truck doesn’t know what gear it’s in. Could it be that this is a normal feeling for a Hemi engine (dropping to a 4 cyl intermittently) and for the past three years, it was stuck on 8 cylinders with a faulty MDS? I wouldn’t know how any other hemi feels, unfortunately. The way the engine has felt the past three years while getting crappy gas mileage was... awesome. Let off the gas at any speed and there was no rush to slow down. Now it feels like I’m riding the brakes intermittently and it’s in a hurry to slow down. Turns my stomach... like motion sickness. Used to glide smooth and I needed the brakes more to slow it down.

 

[22hemi13]

Man that sucks. I’ve had a couple rams now and no issues from either of them. I know that don’t help you out at all. Serious question. Have you thought about getting rid of it? Sometimes a car or truck is just junk.

 

[busterbrown]

My 2017 Ram 2500 is the best vehicle I've ever owned...by far. Only glitch so far after 20k miles was a brief tpms warning light illumination. Dealer reset it and it's not been on since. I think you just got a lemon of a truck. Sorry to hear of your troubles though.

 

[DirtyRubber...Tires]

@22hemi13, it is definitely a lemon. It sucks that I go broke monthly feeding this truck replacement parts when the plan is that it will be my son’s first truck in 5 years and get me a brand new gen 5 Ram. By then, I’ll have replaced everything twice over at the rate I’m going.

 

[Hootbro]

Not being the original owner by a then 4 model year old vehicle, there is no telling how the truck was previously maintained or used. On the surface, I would say you bought either someones abused trade in and/or lemon.

 

[hotrod45]

Have you found any evidence of the truck having been under water?

 

[McBroom]

Have you found any evidence of the truck having been under water?

Yeah ^^^what he said^^^
I believe it’s a flood victim truck.


I Love my 18 Ram 2500HD 4x4 CC
Blue Streak Pearl off-road package

 

[McBroom]

Why did you have to power wash it?
Was it not clean from the dealership or did you buy from an individual??


I Love my 18 Ram 2500HD 4x4 CC
Blue Streak Pearl off-road package

 

[tones2SS]

Not being the original owner by a then 4 model year old vehicle, there is no telling how the truck was previously maintained or used. On the surface, I would say you bought either someones abused trade in and/or lemon.

^^BINGO!!!!!!!

I'm on my second Ram truck. My first one, a 2005 Ram Daytona 4X4, rcsb in GoMango Orange was an AWESOME truck. No issues with that, except for the EVAP issue, (which was very common for the 3rd gen trucks and the fix cost me 0 dollars.), and my throttle body got stuck one time, but it was stupid cold out, but it still shouldn't have happened. Other than that, that truck was BEAST!!
Now I have a 2016 Ram Sport 4X4, rcsb and I love this truck as well. I HATE that it has the recalls, but it runs really well and looks killer.
GOOD LUCK OP!!!

 

[dsps70]

With all this mechanical knowledge, how did you miss all these issues at purchase.. legit questions... not trying to be a smart ass


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[MikeG71]

First issue starts. ABS, traction control, and Service 4WD lights come on. They have come on every time I’ve driven it since that day,

Sorry to hear of so many issues. I can tell you we had 2012 Rams as site trucks and the one I drove threw the same lights at 4 different occasions ; I also lost CC and ABS. I took it to the dealer (3 different times) and they said rear wheel sensor (#1), RW sensor cable was broke (#2), [a different dealer) said could see where cable was repaired they replaced cable and sensor (#3). The 4th time I said F#(K IT! I toughed it out for a couple months as I was awaiting on a new truck. Because of that rig I swore off ever owning a 1500 Ram, I really don't think I'd ever buy a 4th Ram due to that P.O.S. The few 3rd Gens we had never had any issues. Just my 2 cents though.


to the Forum!!

 

[Harley Harrold]

 

[DirtyRubber...Tires]

Not being the original owner by a then 4 model year old vehicle, there is no telling how the truck was previously maintained or used. On the surface, I would say you bought either someones abused trade in and/or lemon.

It does seem like that first 100,000 miles by the prior owner was pure abuse. Everything was shot, didn’t catch it at the dealer as I was in a pinch and a hurry and couldn’t pass the deal up. I’ll explain more on another reply. Someone also suggested it may be a flood victim... my suspicions exactly. A fault with every system tells me it was submerged with battery connected. Every connection looks muddy and corroded as I found today while tracing some problems. Dealer said computer... I see it as more than a computer issue... a full wiring issue and an internally rusted block. I don’t think I can even sell it to get out of it. Wouldn’t feel right, it’s just my curse now. Thanks for the reply man!

 

[DirtyRubber...Tires]

With all this mechanical knowledge, how did you miss all these issues at purchase.. legit questions... not trying to be a smart ass


Good question! So here was the situation. It was a year into a divorce. Sold the boat, signed the trusty Durango over to the ex wife, sold my Jeep (bought it back a couple years later), and 4 days after selling my jeep, was t-boned in my Infiniti G35. I went from three rides and a boat to a kayak and no paddle. Had to get a ride ASAP. Within 4 days of the accident, found a 2011 Ram 1500 quad cab 4x4 SLT 5.7L with 114k “Highway” miles for sale at 9K below MSRP. I am in FL, truck was at a used dodge/jeep dealer in MS. Pictures looked nice, called and they said it was a clean trusty truck and they were liquidating some old stock. Drove the rental car 300-400 miles out there to take a peek. It was not washed, showed some dent repairs, but carfax showed no accidents, no salvage, no flood. One owner... State of Louisiana Highway contruction supervisor. No lights on dash, all fluids looked clean, started and ran like new, price was right. Made the deal and drove a 24K truck off the lot for 15k. Got home without issues. Washed and waxed it and took an extra peek underneath. Holy ****... the red clay was 6” thick. Also noticed new control arms. I called the dealer to ask what the deal was and apparently the truck was bought at auction with 35’s (though it wasn’t geared), suspension lift, and tool box. The dealer took all off and put it on a 2012 that had lower mileage to get a great return and my truck was just a ****/picker. I was like damn, that explains the clay EVERYWHERE. Cleaned off the mud underneath to look for rust. A couple days later the lights all come on. Take it to dealer and they said both rear wheel sensors. Replaced. A day later, lights back on, no diagnosis as to why. It’s three years later now, still no idea. I want to replace all the wiring and send the TCIM and CPU in to be tested and repaired. But then there is the block and over heating. No blown head gasket or warping, constant overheating, regurgitating of coolant out of the resovoir, and air in the system. I’ve replaced everything cooling related as of today. STILL air and spitting. There are no visible leaks at all. I’m almost certain the issue is that the inside of the block, the passages, are clogged with mud, calcium and debris. That would explain why I cannot get all the air out of the system... there isn’t a smooth flow of coolant due to obstruction in the block itself. I’ve flushed this truck no less than 15 times since I got it and replaced everything. Every time I flush it’s like crushed egg shells and hardened red clay in the drain pan. It’s never ending man. So why did I buy this with my mechanical knowledge? It looked great and felt great and I had to make a buy that day. The problems are way bigger than an average 100K mileage used “quality brand” vehicle.


I got custody of my son btw. So all that struggle was worth it. That’s kinda why I keep this darn thing... a reminder of what it took to end up at the point of desperately needing a vehicle for my son and I (selling all I had for the lawyer), and a sum of the story of my life. Lol. I would have just bought new if I had not been in an all-chips-in type of divorce and custody battle and totally my last car. I bet a brand new 2015 would have been much sweeter and definitely more taken care of as I would have been the only owner. My life is never so fortunate. Women. Lol
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[DirtyRubber...Tires]

T

 

[DirtyRubber...Tires]

Have you found any evidence of the truck having been under water?

Yes sir, since you mentioned it, I looked around yesterday. Not a single connection is free of corrosion and mud, among other signs. I described more in another reply on here. Being that it was a one-owner from Louisiana, was bought at auction and sold at a dealer in Mississippi for 9K off of MSRP... the dealer knew what was up and didn’t tell me. They knew that truck would crap out at any moment. 400 mile ride back home to Florida with it and it did just that... crapped out inside and out when I hit the Florida state line. Carfax and title were totally clean, or else I wouldn’t have bought it, but that only means damage wasn’t reported.

 

[Hootbro]

Life lessons to be learned here. Wish you the best in hopefully sorting it out.

 

[hotrod45]

It seems that knowing what the enemy is will help to fix the present problems and maybe to diagnose anything that pops up later. Here's a question for the more modern techs (pretty much everybody, from my standpoint): when cleaning out connections, would it make sense to put a dab of dielectric grease on things when remaking the connections? I have found that when working in a septic pump chamber, using wire nuts that are filled with the grease tend to prevent slightly corroded wires from getting worse. And no, I don't think the situation is all that different.

 

[22hemi13]

It seems that knowing what the enemy is will help to fix the present problems and maybe to diagnose anything that pops up later. Here's a question for the more modern techs (pretty much everybody, from my standpoint): when cleaning out connections, would it make sense to put a dab of dielectric grease on things when remaking the connections? I have found that when working in a septic pump chamber, using wire nuts that are filled with the grease tend to prevent slightly corroded wires from getting worse. And no, I don't think the situation is all that different.

What a ****** job I remember when I was working plumbing and we had to pull pumps on lift stations. That “****” will literally make you rethink you the path in life you’ve chosen lol