Went to the Dodge dealer to get my tailgate rod reattached to the handle. Could not do it. Bolt heads stripped. Buy a new gate they say. Geez, this is a freaking dealer. Then I asked for a diagnosis on my speedometer issue. That will be 95.00 with no credit towards a repair. I don't think so...... .
So home I go pull out my pneumatic chisel driver and break the bond on the bolts is about 2 minutes. The dodge dealer left me with 3 round holes on the bolt heads. I re-attached the rod to the handle with a fastnut and that worked fine, but still does not work. Still clueless on the speedometer and I forget the 3rd think I am asking about.
Nice story I know. But, I really need some help here guys. I have 3 tech posts on this page with no responses. Are we so few I am unlikely to find anyone who has some answers????
Mike

 

A - buy a Factory Service Manual it will have many of your answers.

B - on your speedo - it probably has a VSS in the trans that sends the speed signal to the dash. You will need to determine if the VSS is connected, is working, and if the signal is getting to the dash. It could be the VSS, the wiring, the printed circuit board on the dash, connections at the dash, or even the speedo itself. That is why they wanted the $95 to diagnose it.

C - on your gate - does the handle move or is it frozen\locked up or very stiff? try spraying WD40 or something onto the latches themselves and working the handle...

 

does your truck have a cable operated spedo or is it electronic?

 

It's electronic. in the 92, but I will verify later. I don't have a problem with the 95.00, but never heard of it not being applied to the repair. Maybe that is new. Have not been to a dealer much.
I have most of the facia off to replace the antenna I will see if it has a cable. I am going to a junk yard tomorrow and I will pick up a speedometer if the truck I am invading has one.
As for the Gate: I re-installed the latch bar to the handle and it operates nicely. It is not frozen. Just does not move anything. I has to be set up wrong, but I am clueless as to how to set it up. The dealer techs are dumber than me, which, it seems to me, seems somewhat problematic. I don't think the tech they had working on the truck was as old as the truck.
Got a nice note from a member to try the ********.com. Went over there and there was not much going on. I guess we can't mention ram in front of .com. Odd.

 

I'll probably sound like a jerk for saying this, but I don't mean it in a bad way...

Sometimes, you have to dig. Before the Interwebs, we wrote into magazine tech columns and waited months for an answer. Or we bugged all our friends. Or we made friends with the neighbor kid who was going to school for auto tech. Or we went to the junkyard and pulled the gizmo from another car/truck/van/motorcycle and tried to figure out things on our own. Or we just took our own projects apart and hoped we could get them running again by Monday.

I'm guilty of wanting quick answers myself. Chevy and Ford guys have a ton of information and parts available to them. As a full-size Blazer owner, I'm used to posting a tech question on a forum and having three answers inside of an hour. Here, not so much. It's a nice little community, but answers come slowly, if at all. I'm not blaming anyone - I've been fixing and dinking around with my own cars and trucks for more than 30 years, and if I've learned anything, it's that I know nothing. Sure, I can change plugs and oil and put in a lift kit, install an exhaust, adjust carb jets and do some welding, but there are a lot of times when my lack of real knowledge means I'm about as useful as an inflatable dartboard.

I agree with sls001 - the FSM would be a huge help in diagnosing problems. They're not cheap (I'm saving my pennies for one myself), but they would have just about all the information you would need in one place.

 

I just try to help out who I can, whenever I have any clue what im talking about... haha


I bought one of those Chilton manuals from rockauto.com and it has helped immensely being that it has illustration for almost everything... im also in college to be a future auto tech so this is kinda sorta practice for me for helping diagnose problems, plus the access to alldata and the Mitchell 1 program are perks too... a Chilton manual from rockauto.com is 14 bucks so I figured itd be worth it


it is a small community with it being a class of vehicle where more and more are ending up in scrap/junkyards and it does take some time to get answers but its worth the wait because eventually someone knows what your talking about and can explain it in the best detail that they can, ive had a few of my biggest problems with my 87 w150 solved on here that even my instructors couldn't help out with (and most of them have been working in the field for 20+ years!!!!)

 

Chilton manuals are not worth the paper they are printed on!

Buy a Factory Service Manual for your vehicle.

 

Nice word from wise men.
Thanskmike

 

The service manual is available here for 36.29+ shipping on CD.
http://www.autobooksbishko.com/searc...ry=Shop+Manual
P.S. found it here on Ebay from same company for 10% off http://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-Dodge-Ram-Truck-Ramcharger-Shop-Service-Repair-Manual-CD-Engine-Drivetrain-/360469985194?pt=Motors_Manuals_Literature&vxp=mtr&hash=item53edaf77aaI have several service manuals for vehicles from them.

Dave

 

Found a good latch and bars in a junk yard for 10 bucks. Fixed.