*Truck and Towing thread........ask your questions here.*

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Congrats! Sounds like you really had some issues for the manufacturer to offer up a 4 year newer truck.

Nice job, but probably not worth the hassle you've been through.

j

In Calif replacement may be available thru the factory warranty period. After that,, owner is on his own but non disclosure details so it’s all I can say.

Patience, perseverance, politeness and timing.
“Loose your head and your @zz will soon follow”

Kind service manager at one Dealer in Utah took me aside, appreciated my kind attitude and how to get the truck replaced.

It’s a thread all its own.

 

[Teamubr]

Patience, perseverance, politeness and timing.

Funny how that applies in many circumstances.

j

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Funny how that applies in many circumstances.

j

Dropping off a few pastries for the dealers employees from the Bakery down the street helps express ones sincerity too.
All items look good and they taste better than they look:

Driving around the USA ya meet the most amazing , fantastic people.

 

[Clifton Tesh]

Dropping off a few pastries for the dealers employees from the Bakery down the street helps express ones sincerity too.
All items look good and they taste better than they look:

Driving around the USA ya meet the most amazing , fantastic people.

People will be absolutely amazed at how much a box of donuts means in the dealership world.

That's very commendable of you!

 

[Teamubr]

People will be absolutely amazed at how much a box of donuts means in the dealership.

And the police department.

j

 

[Stratman50th]

And the police department.

j

 

[jbrostek]

@Teamubr it still doesnt work on the online Tow Police....

 

[jaredjohn4]

We had a good 10 days at the Fort in June, but a bad 1/2 hour on the turnpike on the way back north. Ram 2500 Diesel MegaCab with 140,000 miles on it. In it's first couple of years it went through sensor problems for the emissions system but all replaced under warranty. It has run great since. We were out on the turnpike when the check engine light came on. This time there was actually a message about the particulate filter being full and needed to burn it off. I got on the phone to my home dealer and he said just keep driving. Then things went from bad to worse. It went into it's limp mode and I could only get it up to 10 mph on the shoulder. DW is on the Cummings site and it said don't shut it off or idle it. That part of the turnpike had guardrails on both sides and no exit in site. After about 7 miles on the shoulder at 10 mph it must have burned it all out and we were back up to speed for the next 1,000 miles. I took it to the dealer when I got home, no check engine light, no stored codes. He topped off the def and sent me on my way. I thought about buying a new truck but my salesman said don't, they have more emissions problems.

 

[Clifton Tesh]

We had a good 10 days at the Fort in June, but a bad 1/2 hour on the turnpike on the way back north. Ram 2500 Diesel MegaCab with 140,000 miles on it. In it's first couple of years it went through sensor problems for the emissions system but all replaced under warranty. It has run great since. We were out on the turnpike when the check engine light came on. This time there was actually a message about the particulate filter being full and needed to burn it off. I got on the phone to my home dealer and he said just keep driving. Then things went from bad to worse. It went into it's limp mode and I could only get it up to 10 mph on the shoulder. DW is on the Cummings site and it said don't shut it off or idle it. That part of the turnpike had guardrails on both sides and no exit in site. After about 7 miles on the shoulder at 10 mph it must have burned it all out and we were back up to speed for the next 1,000 miles. I took it to the dealer when I got home, no check engine light, no stored codes. He topped off the def and sent me on my way. I thought about buying a new truck but my salesman said don't, they have more emissions problems.

Sounds like you're not driving enough on the highway/interstate.

The SCR (selective catalyst reduction) system on modern diesels is not designed for a lot of stop and go driving. It is designed to be driven at or over 55/60 mph for significant amounts of time.

If you are not driving at highway speeds, non stop, for at least an hour each time you drive you need to learn how to put your truck in a parked regen and perform a parked regen, bare minimum, at least once a month.

Your local dodge dealer will probably argue that this is not the case but I have been working on diesels and driving semi-trucks for a little over a decade and I can promise you that this is necessary.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

We went through the same experience with our 2020.

We thought maybe cheap DEF was the issue.
Naw, it was long hot towing and the emissions system not regenerating enough.

2024 it’s all redesigned works fantastic.

 

[jbrostek]

Cheap DEF doesnt usually clear itself up like that. My guess is while running around town the truck never got hot enough to regen/burn off. As @Clifton Tesh eluded diesels do not like short trips. They actually could care less about stop and go, it is the short duration run/stop without the chance of getting the exhaust hot enough that becomes the issue. With friends with businesses from landscaping through tow trucks we learned over the last 10 years that the run/stop is the main issue. So if you run/stop your truck often without long drives or a load to get the exhaust hot enough, defintely manually regen. Some of my friends ask about that as I idle my truck a bit and think it causes issues, idling is great because the truck will detect and start a regen cycle. Just once it starts one, let it run through as it needs and no issues.

Not much redesign I have seen on any 2024 systems, but defintely after 15 years they have learned how to better program the computers to avoid the oder unit regen issues of a lot of run/stop driving. Wish they could update earlier models for the same reason.

 

[jaredjohn4]

I've never seen the re-gen message on my Ram. On my Grand Cherokee with the 3.0 Diesel I have experienced it many times. It says drive at highway speeds which the truck wouldn't do. 10mph was it for 7 miles.

 

[jbrostek]

@jaredjohn4 That actually sounds common to me. I recall several tow trucks that where like that, they would never mention regen until they where on the verge or after limp mode. I had a Hino do that to me while towing a car up I95 without warning. The systems are defintely not perfect and you are fortunate it cleared up on its own. I would talk to Ram and make sure there where no software updates for the ECU that would improve that. I know my 2012 Ford had 2 over the years to address the SCR system and injector timing.

 

[Sjm9911]

One of the ressons I got a gasser. That and I didn't need the extra power. I am guessing all years are diffrent, and all will have thier corks. Hated it in the fire trucks. The old ones didn't have a limp mode and just regened when they needed to. Lol. The new ones have a switch to turn off the regen. If they running they would go to high idol if it needed a regen. This was great unless the exhaust was next to something that could burn. We set a bush on fire while responding to another emergency.

 

[Teamubr]

I've had 5 diesels since 2001. Four of them DEF/DPF.

Four were Fords and now the Cummins in my coach. The Fords would tell you when it was regenning. The coach does, but it is easy to miss. I usually smell it.

I do recall from towing and camping forums that the earlier Dodges were prone to going into limp mode from not forcing a regen. The Fords just did it, even if you were sitting still. I think GM/Chevy was similar. The sensors saw a pressure gradient and it would just do it.

j

 

[jbrostek]

@Sjm9911 I have seen that happen. Even saw a pumper that went into regen while pumping and melted the paint off the tanker parked too close next to it.

For me the pulling power of the diesel makes it worth it with a big rig. And thanks to systems like MudFlap and OpenRoands/TSD I usually pay close to the price of regular for diesel. Though right now planning/considering replacing the 2012 with either a good certfied used like the '12 or just order a '25 of '26.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

I may have mentioned it but disconnecting the batteries will reset the GM trucks. This is a tip to at least get you home.

 

[jaredjohn4]

When I first got my Ram, I was using Blue Def from Farm and Fleet. After two catalytic converters and several sensors, they said just use Mopar Def. It may have cost 3 times as much, but it ran for 100,000 miles without another sensor replacement. All the first replacements were on warranty. I couldn't imagine trying to drag a big fifth wheel across the country with a gasser. I don't know how you would get fuel. Truck stops with a fuel card to turn on the pumps are so simple. I really don't care what the price is, it is the convenience of straight through, pay at the pump, pull forward and grab something to eat without any problems, especially at night with just me and the dog.

 

[Clifton Tesh]

When I first got my Ram, I was using Blue Def from Farm and Fleet. After two catalytic converters and several sensors, they said just use Mopar Def. It may have cost 3 times as much, but it ran for 100,000 miles without another sensor replacement. All the first replacements were on warranty. I couldn't imagine trying to drag a big fifth wheel across the country with a gasser. I don't know how you would get fuel. Truck stops with a fuel card to turn on the pumps are so simple. I really don't care what the price is, it is the convenience of straight through, pay at the pump, pull forward and grab something to eat without any problems, especially at night with just me and the dog.

I've ran Blue Def in my past 3 trucks and have never had a problem.

I put 278,000 miles on one of them, 383,000 on the other, and this current truck I got in April of 2023 and have 172,000 as of today.

Sounds like Mopar is intentionally making the sensors trigger unless you are running their proprietary def.

 

[jaredjohn4]

After letting my Ram sit for 3 weeks I drove it 20 miles. It went into limp mode and the message was service the exhaust. Went right to the dealer. Now they got serious about it. They took off the cat converter and looked into the exhaust gas cylinder. The stuffing was blowing out of it right into the cat. Chrysler says the cylinder is about 4-6 weeks out. My salesman came over to help everybody out. He is friends with a former employee who works on pulling trucks. He had several used canisters that he had taken off trucks setting them up for pulling. It even had the working sensors in it. So I'm back on the road with a used part while waiting for a new one to show up. Now it's just a matter of determining the final bill. Probably over 10k.