when it is blown there are no effects on how the motor runs?

 

On the + side if it IS blown then you can use that as a bargaining strategy against the dealer.

 

loss of power and gas mileage if its blown.. most noticable would be gas mileage..

 

this is where im in a bind, I drive a tractor trailer and never know when im done in the day, so usually im done after the car lot is closed. im supposed to get the vehicle on saturday and i dont have time to check it now. i did not know about these problems when i first looked at it now im worried that im making a mistake. I dont have the time or money to put into this vehicle if need be. dont no what to do.

 

Hey don't let it get to you if it seemed solid when you purchased it then it should be fine. Not allour trucks have these problems, heck most the people that are on this forum joined to complain about a problem with their truck and ask for advice, its not likethe truck your looking at isgoing to for sure have a blown plenum gasket,bad tranny, blah blah etcetc etc. Whatother members have said are just some of the most common things to watch out for and to check on. Nobody wants any newcomer to end up with a lemon, so if all went well with your inspection and test drive then just enjoy the new truck !!! I'vehad 3 dodge trucks, 97' ram, 98' dak and now a 98' ram, overall allhave been great trucks for me.

 

So true that all things break, BUT some more than others.
I had an accord that only had a bearing go on the distributor rotor assembley, then a toyota that had the main seal go, and my integra that had no problems, and my vw golf that went 97K with no issues.
is a crap shoot.

you could have a RAM that is soo different than all the others, or you could just be like the rest of us.

Use google.com and look at other forums and sites. E d m u n d s dot com and pavement sucks dot com also...
there are tons of places out there that talk about this truck and all the others.

Do research... if I had done research I doubt i would be driving a ram...

 

Any warranty or guarantee with this truck?

 

would you have any chance of running the truck over to a trusted mechanic before purchase? then at least you could get someone tolook overit. alot of the things are easy to check but if u dont really have time thats a pretty good way to check.

 

Every vehicle is different. I bought my Ram last year from my friend who used for work and to pull his 28' travel trailer. I knew the truck and that all regular maintenace was done when it needed to be. My Ram has almost 147,000 miles on it. I do regular maintenance on it (oil changes, brakes, filters, tires, etc.) It runs great and hasn't had any serious mechanical issues (knock on wood). I tow a 25', 4500lb (empty) travel trailer. It tows great and has the power. Gas miliage leaves much to be desired! My only real complaint is the front suspension is getting a little sloppy. I have read on here that it is either the traction bar or that I need to tighten the stering box. Like I said; it has 145k on it so I can deal with and fix the sterring. Hope this helps!

Joe