Should I be happy?

[jelih]

I bought a 2014 Lonestar CC about about 3 weeks ago. I drove it from Houston to Austin the next day, and have put about 1000 miles on it in that time. The CEL came on literally as I was getting in the truck to leave for Austin, but I changed the purge valve about a week ago and that seems to have done the trick.

Right now I’m getting ready to change the plugs and air filter, and I’m noticing some things that lead me to believe the motor has been replaced or rebuilt fairly recently.

It’s coming up in 137k miles. It has what I believe to be (from reading threads here) a bit of cold piston slap for 2-3 seconds when I start it, but purrs after that, and no warm idle tick at all. Also the exhaust manifold heat shields are nice and snug (but I already ordered shorty headers anyway). And I’ve seen pictures some of you have posted on trucks with less or similar mileage, and they look filthy lol.

As you can see in the pics, a lot of stuff on the front of the engine looks new, and the heads are way cleaner than I think they should be. There was also that one intake manifold bolt sitting up nice and proud. And I didn’t see until I took the air cleaner box out, but the engine code sticker that everyone says is supposed to be on the front of the driver’s side valve cover is actually up next to the firewall on the passenger side. Are those supposed to be interchangeable from left to right? A quick google search for replacements suggests not but idk for sure.

The numbers on the sticker show a build date of August 15th 2014, and the door sticker shows September 2014, so at least that makes sense if they’re the original covers.

It was sold to me with (I was told) a blue title. I didn’t actually see it (used car dealer, financed, under tons of other stress that day and just didn’t ask), and carfax report shows nothing out of the ordinary. It certainly doesn’t show that the engine was rebuilt or replaced. If I’d known that beforehand I may not have bought it, but since I’m kinda figuring it out on my own after driving it for 1k miles and being super please with the performance so far, I think I’m just going to take care of it as best I can and hope for the best. Resale value was never a concern since I intend to drive it until it just can’t be driven anymore, or until I win the lottery and just fly a helicopter everywhere, whichever happens first.

What would y’all do with this information? The dealer bought it from an auction so I can’t really be mad at them about it since they probably didn’t know anyway. I was just happy they didn’t slather it in tire shine to make it look better like all ****** used car lots do. I’m not sure I should even be upset about anything. I would like to find the previous owner so I could maybe get some documentation of when/where/if it was rebuilt or replaced, but I haven’t figured out how to do that yet, or if it’s even possible. The truck has lived in and around Houston since bought new, so not entirely out of the question, I just don’t know who to contact.

I figure I’m stuck with it either way, but I seem to have gotten lucky so I’m just gonna keep my fingers crossed that my luck holds up.

 

[hemihustlin]

the timing cover and driver side head appear to have the new aluminum look
passenger side looks original from here
everything plastic looks dirty to me

 

[jelih]

the timing cover and driver side head appear to have the new aluminum look
passenger side looks original from here
everything plastic looks dirty to me

Maybe the pics don’t show well enough, but in person both heads look the same, although you can only see a small part of the drivers side.

Maybe it had lifter issue and was repaired instead of rebuilt. But how would you know which side to pull? Can you pull the cam first and see which lobes are cooked and then pull the corresponding head? I can do my own maintenance, but I’m am by no means a mechanic. If you’re gonna pull one head to fix lifters, why not do both?

Or maybe it was some other problem entirely.

Fwiw, the brake booster looks shiny and new too. I also don’t know what going on with these things either.

 

[Burla]

If it was auctioned in recent year it has lost value for some reason. Used trucks have way too much value to be auctioned unless something is a miss. If it is a blue title it is salvage, you knew that going in right? Hopefully you got a good deal. Any mis fire codes? Run a carfax?

 

[Treburkulosis]

@Burla in Texas a blue title is a clean title here. brown is salvaged. Nothing really looks out of the norm to my OP. My booster never really got dirty. I would say the reason for auction could be milage, doubt it with used prices. I would suspect it was know about the CEL and it was cleared before you bought it not fixed. That is what I think. It appears to be a clean truck. It could also be where it was traded in at as well as to why it may have went to auction. That lot may not have had any use for a truck. I dunno. Lots of things can come into play.

 

[Burla]

ah, ok, makes sense.

 

[hemihustlin]

at this point if it looks shiny and new and runs well Id say go with it!
without any real history on paper we will never know what happened!

 

[jelih]

Carfax is clean. It looks like it may have been traded into a dealer and then the dealer auctioned it. I paid $18,900, and put down 10k that insurance gave me for my flooded gti that was only worth 5k, so with taxes and all that I only owe 10k.

While doing the plugs on the driver side, I found new interesting stuff. I forgot when I did the passenger that the coil connectors are supposed to have those red tabs. Those are all gonna on the passenger side and so they’re just on there, not locked. The rear on the drivers side is also gone.

I think I broke a red lock tab on a line that looks like it goes into the fuel rail, so hopefully that is in stock somewhere because I don’t want to even hook the battery back up until I fix it. There’s also this (vacuum?) hose that was just laying on top of the intake manifold that idk where tf it goes.

I assumed the same about the CEL. The mx+ code reader told me there hadn’t been that many miles since it was last cleared, so the dealer knew about that for sure. Purge valve seems to have been the issue and that’s fixed so whatever.

I appreciate the replies.

 

[GTyankee]

My dealership sends 8 year old trade in vehicles straight to the auction
They usually have so many trade in vehicles that are 5 years old, they don't bother with anything older.

I imagine during Covid, chip shortage, transportation issues, etc.
They would be glad to have anything on their sales lot, no matter how old

 

[Burla]

Carfax is clean. It looks like it may have been traded into a dealer and then the dealer auctioned it. I paid $18,900, and put down 10k that insurance gave me for my flooded gti that was only worth 5k, so with taxes and all that I only owe 10k.

While doing the plugs on the driver side, I found new interesting stuff. I forgot when I did the passenger that the coil connectors are supposed to have those red tabs. Those are all gonna on the passenger side and so they’re just on there, not locked. The rear on the drivers side is also gone.

I think I broke a red lock tab on a line that looks like it goes into the fuel rail, so hopefully that is in stock somewhere because I don’t want to even hook the battery back up until I fix it. There’s also this (vacuum?) hose that was just laying on top of the intake manifold that idk where tf it goes.

I assumed the same about the CEL. The mx+ code reader told me there hadn’t been that many miles since it was last cleared, so the dealer knew about that for sure. Purge valve seems to have been the issue and that’s fixed so whatever.

I appreciate the replies.

That's a real nice truck, sounds like you know about hemi tick, must not be your first hemi? Search hemi tick here and read up on lubrication strategies. I think you did good on price, and the truck is a beaut. If you don't count white work trucks, silver is the most popular color, which will help if you ever sell it. The only vehicle I ever had painted I painted ford opal poly, pretty close to silver. Was it a ram/dodge dealer? Run the vin for recalls? There has been some.

 

[jelih]

This actually is my first ram. But we spoke about oils and such on a thread I made the other day. I spent almost all day for two weeks reading through this thread while my machine was running at work lol.

I thought I was just gonna buy a truck and maybe do an oil change and just drive it like I’ve done with literally every one of the 40+ vehicles I’ve owned, but no. Hemis are apparently different beasts altogether and you have to speak to them in a soothing tone or they will bite you.

The mopar OAT coolant concentrate arrived last night. PCV valve is on the way on account of what someone mentioned in another thread. I don’t have a code, but I was unaware it is a regular maintenance item. Full synthetic oil and filter are on the way, as well as some lube gard, and a new trans pan and filter and oil are also on the way, as are the headers I mentioned previously.

As far as the work that has been done, I got under it last night to try and find where that hose was coming from (still lost in that one), and I could see the back side of both heads, and both of them look shiny and new. I’m really hoping that it has already had the lifter failure and hoping all that has been replaced, so that all the maintenance I’m going to keep up with to try and prevent it from happening again has a better chance of success than if it was all original with 137k miles.

The carfax report shows that all of the recall repairs have been performed with the exception of the tailgate latch, but I think I know why. When I bought it the guy told me he already a new backup camera on order, because the current one doesn’t work. I decided to take the cover off the tailgate to see what I was working with, only to find this birds nest of wire that doesn’t go anywhere. Carfax shows “minor” damage on the left rear with the first owner, so it may not have worked since then. But carfax also shows that the first owner had it serviced almost religiously, so idk what to make of that. Original sticker shows it has a “locking tailgate,” but idk if that means that it locks when I lock the truck with the remote, or just that I can manually lock it. I do know that the lock in the tailgate doesn’t match the fob key, but the fob key does unlock the drivers door. Some things have obviously been replaced along the way. In the meantime, I have the tailgate sitting in the garage since I can’t lock it, and I don’t want it stolen in the not so great neighborhood I live in.

The truck is financed through a bank, so I’m going to press the dealer a little to find out just what all he did to the truck. There is a 4 month and 1500 mile gap from when it was bought from the auction to when he listed if for sale. He did tell me he had driven it to Dallas a couple weeks before I bought it, so maybe the lifters **** the bed for him and his mechanic did all the work on it. It seems to run pretty much perfect so someone did at least a decent job of it. It just several little things that are annoying.

 

[GTyankee]

what radio does your Ram have
Does the tailgate handle have a camera
it would be on the opposite side of the locking mechanism

watch the first 9 minutes of this when you have time, it will explain the tailgate lock, etc.

New Ram Tradesman OEM Backup Camera Installation

Body Clip Pliers on Amazon here → http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015DC2IE0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B015DC2...

www.youtube.com

...........................................
Tailgate latch recall

Ram Tailgate Recall U74 information and repair procedure

Please use the following link when ever using Amazon.com. Any purchases you make on Amazon will help support this channel.http://amzn.to/2mALgqSFeel the need...

www.youtube.com

 

[jelih]

what radio does your Ram have
Does the tailgate handle have a camera
it would be on the opposite side of the locking mechanism

watch the first 9 minutes of this when you have time, it will explain the tailgate lock, etc.

New Ram Tradesman OEM Backup Camera Installation

Body Clip Pliers on Amazon here → http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015DC2IE0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B015DC2...

www.youtube.com

...........................................
Tailgate latch recall

Ram Tailgate Recall U74 information and repair procedure

Please use the following link when ever using Amazon.com. Any purchases you make on Amazon will help support this channel.http://amzn.to/2mALgqSFeel the need...

www.youtube.com

I actually have that oem backup cam video bookmarked because even thought the dealer told me he had one on order, I highly doubt he spent the several hundred dollars for the whole harness and everything, so I'm going to end up buying that myself. It has the 8.4A radio, and came with the camera from the factory. I'm assuming the handle on the tailgate was replaced at some point because the key in the fob that unlocks the front door does not work in the tailgate lock. Since I can't lock the tailgate, I just took it off and have it sitting in the garage so it doesn't get stolen. I'll have to pay for a new lock barrel keyed for my key, or find someone who can rekey the one that's in it. I have two new fobs on the way from carandtruckremotes.com, so I'll ask the locksmith about it when I go to have those blanks cut.

My truck is a 2014, that video says 2015-2017, but carfax, and even the mopar website tells me my truck falls under it too. But when I took off the access panel, I don't have any of the electrical components that would actuate the lock. There was just that bundle of wire for the camera, and the mechanical handle to open the gate. No kind of wiring harness or anything else, as though it was never there. I'm betting the tailgate was replaced at some point with one of the same color, but of a lower trim package. The truck obviously has a colorful yet undocumented history that I'm slowly trying to piece together.

 

[BWL]

This actually is my first ram. But we spoke about oils and such on a thread I made the other day. I spent almost all day for two weeks reading through this thread while my machine was running at work lol.

I thought I was just gonna buy a truck and maybe do an oil change and just drive it like I’ve done with literally every one of the 40+ vehicles I’ve owned, but no. Hemis are apparently different beasts altogether and you have to speak to them in a soothing tone or they will bite you.

The mopar OAT coolant concentrate arrived last night. PCV valve is on the way on account of what someone mentioned in another thread. I don’t have a code, but I was unaware it is a regular maintenance item. Full synthetic oil and filter are on the way, as well as some lube gard, and a new trans pan and filter and oil are also on the way, as are the headers I mentioned previously.

As far as the work that has been done, I got under it last night to try and find where that hose was coming from (still lost in that one), and I could see the back side of both heads, and both of them look shiny and new. I’m really hoping that it has already had the lifter failure and hoping all that has been replaced, so that all the maintenance I’m going to keep up with to try and prevent it from happening again has a better chance of success than if it was all original with 137k miles.

The carfax report shows that all of the recall repairs have been performed with the exception of the tailgate latch, but I think I know why. When I bought it the guy told me he already a new backup camera on order, because the current one doesn’t work. I decided to take the cover off the tailgate to see what I was working with, only to find this birds nest of wire that doesn’t go anywhere. Carfax shows “minor” damage on the left rear with the first owner, so it may not have worked since then. But carfax also shows that the first owner had it serviced almost religiously, so idk what to make of that. Original sticker shows it has a “locking tailgate,” but idk if that means that it locks when I lock the truck with the remote, or just that I can manually lock it. I do know that the lock in the tailgate doesn’t match the fob key, but the fob key does unlock the drivers door. Some things have obviously been replaced along the way. In the meantime, I have the tailgate sitting in the garage since I can’t lock it, and I don’t want it stolen in the not so great neighborhood I live in.

The truck is financed through a bank, so I’m going to press the dealer a little to find out just what all he did to the truck. There is a 4 month and 1500 mile gap from when it was bought from the auction to when he listed if for sale. He did tell me he had driven it to Dallas a couple weeks before I bought it, so maybe the lifters **** the bed for him and his mechanic did all the work on it. It seems to run pretty much perfect so someone did at least a decent job of it. It just several little things that are annoying.

If you managed to read through the entire oil thread at work in just 2 weeks you have too much free time at work. Lol

 

[jelih]

I'm a machinist. I normally don't have that much free time as most orders are 1-2 pieces, but I got lucky and had some inconel parts to rough out which translates into a lot of *** time once you get the setup right.

The first thread I got sucked into was the one about what people DON'T like about their ram. I actually did read most of that one. I ended up ignoring a few people because of their responses before I ever made my first post. They seemed really upset that anyone could find stuff not to like about their trucks, in a forum filled to the brim with ways to fix and upgrade things. Mind boggling.

I haven't read all the way through any threads, especially the 4000+ page oil threads, but I've skipped around a bunch of them and have learned a lot. No way I would have got through changing the plugs yesterday without giving up and setting the whole thing on fire without the tips and videos in this forum. There is so much knowledge in here, it's fantastic.

 

[GTyankee]

A locksmith can easily switch the pins in your current lock barrel, or you can buy another & they can match it to your door locks

Behind your license plate, it is likely that you will see a loose connector, if it is there, you will only need the short harness that goes from it to the tailgate handle

If the loose connector is there, a camera should be plug & play

 

[jelih]

A locksmith can easily switch the pins in your current lock barrel, or you can buy another & they can match it to your door locks

Behind your license plate, it is likely that you will see a loose connector, if it is there, you will only need the short harness that goes from it to the tailgate handle

If the loose connector is there, a camera should be plug & play

This little guy? That would certainly make things infinitely easier. I was thinking I’d have to run a new harness all the way to the back of the radio.

That wire probably needs to be pushed back into the connector, yes?

 

[GTyankee]

If i was able to kneel down on anything, i would gladly check that out
But i have a bad leg & i am avoiding putting stress on that leg

MY 2016 Ram has a factory mounted tailgate camera & the factory electric tailgate locking mechanism

If you order a camera & lock from Benny, you could also get the tailgate harness, OR at least the part description & number

 

[Marshall]

I have a 14 sport, with the camera, auto door locks. the big fancy radio 8.2??? I am old , knees shot as well.
No key for the tailgate, it locks with the main doors , fob or the handle sensor, If the tailgate is removed , you have to unplug that plug.
BTW ,as I retired bit ago, 75kmetere = 45000 miles, so mine is nice and clean

 

[AwesomeLaw]

I bought a 2014 Lonestar CC about about 3 weeks ago. I drove it from Houston to Austin the next day, and have put about 1000 miles on it in that time. The CEL came on literally as I was getting in the truck to leave for Austin, but I changed the purge valve about a week ago and that seems to have done the trick.

Right now I’m getting ready to change the plugs and air filter, and I’m noticing some things that lead me to believe the motor has been replaced or rebuilt fairly recently.

It’s coming up in 137k miles. It has what I believe to be (from reading threads here) a bit of cold piston slap for 2-3 seconds when I start it, but purrs after that, and no warm idle tick at all. Also the exhaust manifold heat shields are nice and snug (but I already ordered shorty headers anyway). And I’ve seen pictures some of you have posted on trucks with less or similar mileage, and they look filthy lol.

As you can see in the pics, a lot of stuff on the front of the engine looks new, and the heads are way cleaner than I think they should be. There was also that one intake manifold bolt sitting up nice and proud. And I didn’t see until I took the air cleaner box out, but the engine code sticker that everyone says is supposed to be on the front of the driver’s side valve cover is actually up next to the firewall on the passenger side. Are those supposed to be interchangeable from left to right? A quick google search for replacements suggests not but idk for sure.

The numbers on the sticker show a build date of August 15th 2014, and the door sticker shows September 2014, so at least that makes sense if they’re the original covers.

It was sold to me with (I was told) a blue title. I didn’t actually see it (used car dealer, financed, under tons of other stress that day and just didn’t ask), and carfax report shows nothing out of the ordinary. It certainly doesn’t show that the engine was rebuilt or replaced. If I’d known that beforehand I may not have bought it, but since I’m kinda figuring it out on my own after driving it for 1k miles and being super please with the performance so far, I think I’m just going to take care of it as best I can and hope for the best. Resale value was never a concern since I intend to drive it until it just can’t be driven anymore, or until I win the lottery and just fly a helicopter everywhere, whichever happens first.

What would y’all do with this information? The dealer bought it from an auction so I can’t really be mad at them about it since they probably didn’t know anyway. I was just happy they didn’t slather it in tire shine to make it look better like all ****** used car lots do. I’m not sure I should even be upset about anything. I would like to find the previous owner so I could maybe get some documentation of when/where/if it was rebuilt or replaced, but I haven’t figured out how to do that yet, or if it’s even possible. The truck has lived in and around Houston since bought new, so not entirely out of the question, I just don’t know who to contact.

I figure I’m stuck with it either way, but I seem to have gotten lucky so I’m just gonna keep my fingers crossed that my luck holds up.

I think if you’re not happy you should switch into a fifth generation ram and get rid of the fourth