PJ_Blastowicz
Junior Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2023
- Posts
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Mill Creek, WA
- Ram Year
- 2008
- Engine
- Hemi 5.7 v8
Long time listener first time caller. Trying to get to the bottom of why my '08 1500 won't start up
What happened: I needed to fly out for Christmas and the local roads were still covered in snow so I was running in 4 lock. When we (I was driving out, my buddy was gonna drive it back to my house) got to the highway the roads were completely clear but I decided to not stop to shift to 2WD. BIG mistake, as we get up to 60 mph there's a loud grinding noise and "check gages" comes on. I pull over, shift into neutral, turn the switch to 2WD, but when shifting back to drive the engine stops and the brake goes hard. Needed to be towed out (looking back I realized how stupid I was, without getting into it I didn't really have anyone to even teach me basics, this truck is my first vehicle...)
Symptoms/What I've diagnosed so far: Turns on, can shift gears (though the shifter feels wonky), but when I try to crank I just hear a loud "click" coming from under the dash/hood hear the driver's side (probably the starter solenoid). HARD brake pedal (probably because the vacuum system can't depressurize without the engine running?) Used my OBD reader and got codes P0562 and C2204 (Brake system warning light is on). Replaced the battery and that got rid of the P0562 but not the C2204. Started hunting for electrical gremlins next. Brake lights came on even with the hard brake not being able to fully depress. Checked all the fuses as well after replacing the battery, voltage and continuity is all there. Finally today jacked the vehicle up at the back, put it in neutral, and tried rotating the rear tires/drive shaft. Only the left rear wheel will spin, the right wheel is stuck and the drive shaft will not rotate either. No idea if this is normal but I read the Ram had a limited slip differential so I think both wheels should rotate in neutral? Either way I'm trying to hone in on the problem but I'm 90% sure at this point it's a drive train problem.
Any thing else I should try (aside from testing the starter too)? Any idea what might have caused this? Pretty sure I just f***** the drive train on an older truck but if it could be some esoteric switch or sensor problem I could save a trip to the mechanic's not to mention some few thousands...
What happened: I needed to fly out for Christmas and the local roads were still covered in snow so I was running in 4 lock. When we (I was driving out, my buddy was gonna drive it back to my house) got to the highway the roads were completely clear but I decided to not stop to shift to 2WD. BIG mistake, as we get up to 60 mph there's a loud grinding noise and "check gages" comes on. I pull over, shift into neutral, turn the switch to 2WD, but when shifting back to drive the engine stops and the brake goes hard. Needed to be towed out (looking back I realized how stupid I was, without getting into it I didn't really have anyone to even teach me basics, this truck is my first vehicle...)
Symptoms/What I've diagnosed so far: Turns on, can shift gears (though the shifter feels wonky), but when I try to crank I just hear a loud "click" coming from under the dash/hood hear the driver's side (probably the starter solenoid). HARD brake pedal (probably because the vacuum system can't depressurize without the engine running?) Used my OBD reader and got codes P0562 and C2204 (Brake system warning light is on). Replaced the battery and that got rid of the P0562 but not the C2204. Started hunting for electrical gremlins next. Brake lights came on even with the hard brake not being able to fully depress. Checked all the fuses as well after replacing the battery, voltage and continuity is all there. Finally today jacked the vehicle up at the back, put it in neutral, and tried rotating the rear tires/drive shaft. Only the left rear wheel will spin, the right wheel is stuck and the drive shaft will not rotate either. No idea if this is normal but I read the Ram had a limited slip differential so I think both wheels should rotate in neutral? Either way I'm trying to hone in on the problem but I'm 90% sure at this point it's a drive train problem.
Any thing else I should try (aside from testing the starter too)? Any idea what might have caused this? Pretty sure I just f***** the drive train on an older truck but if it could be some esoteric switch or sensor problem I could save a trip to the mechanic's not to mention some few thousands...
