Ok, fisrt of all, Awesome forum, just stumbled accross it and have been reading all night.

Anyways I have had my 98 ram 1500 4x4 5spd for 4 years now, and its been through alot.
Bought it with 72000kms on it with extended warranty.(good thing) around 94000kms was going up a big mountain pass check gauges came on, i looked and oil pressure was way down. would rise if i stepped on gas. Got it towed to dealership. new engine needed. (oil pump failure) got to about 102000kms and saw an oil leak, It was rear engine seal. they also noticed that there was some whining coming from rear dif fixed both (still all under warrenty) 112000kms oil leak again, guess what!! rear engine seal agai. Well they fixed it no probs. however when dodge mech was driving it out of the garage he tore open the side of my truck on a dumpster (6500 bucks damage)
11400kms neead a new cat replaced under warrenty

115000kms i start to hear the good old engine ping. (remember im on the second motor) Dealer ship tells me to run higher octane fuel. I try but still pinging. dealer ship said i could flash comp, but i would lose fuel economy and power. (screw that) they said live with it. I went on a very long road trip.(pings on the way) arrive at destination with enging light on. 2 days later, i start truck up and the light is off. Took it to dealership, but they could not find anything. start driving home (still pings now and then) truck overheats, so i stop at a little roadside mechanic. He replaces my thermostat. COntinue on drive home WOW GUESS WHAT!! ENGINE PING HAS STOPPED. drive another 400kms truck overheats. this time i get it towed back home to original dealership. They replace water pump drive away (no ping) 2 days later truck overheats again I get it towed back to dealership. they tell me that ping may have caused over heating and what not, and that its new engine time. Yes still under warrenty.

Well i am now at 143989kms and i am starting to hear a faint engine ping again.

I do not bag on this truck, and it always has regular maintanence.

what am i doing wrong, or is it time to get a new truck,

Thanks
p.s sorry about the long post

 

Thats really wierd. It seems some people have constant ping no matter what, and other like myself have NEVER has it. My truck has 110k on it and I have never once had it ping.

Here is a possibility though. You keep overheating, and as far as I know, when these babies get hot, or over temp they tend to ping more. So check out your radiator and all your hoses, maybe its plugged up and the coolant isn't circulating right.

Also go with a 180 degree thermo instead of the factory 200 degree one. I hear that can sometimes help

Lastly, CHECK THE PLENUM! Even though its a relativly new engine, its worth a shot.

What size is your engine? 318 or 360?

 

well it hasnt over heated since my last engine.. so it seems ok on the heat.

my engine is the 318..
I will check the gasket,

when i went in the dodge service manager said the dodge engine is notoreous for heat problems....no saying this, and all the probles with the p gasket, why wont they do something about it?

 

Because they're already loosing they're ***'s between forgein cars taking over and having to pay 94 million + fixing all the cats

 

yea that is weird my truck has been through hell and back with me and the other owner and it has 170000 miles on it..and that is with the 6in larger tires and not having the speedo set right...my truck was takin muddin just bout everyweekend for a year or so and it is still going strong with original engine and transmission

 

sounds like you got the short end of the stick on that one. i've yet to hear that infamous ping thank god. but then again i've only got about 35k on my 360. as for that overheating thing, never heard dodge having a problem with that. maybe that's just me and living under a rock or something hard.