Hey all

I am going test drive a used 1995 Ram 1500 4x4 (5.9L automatic) with ~115,000 miles tomorrow. I looked over the vehicle today and it seems to be in very good condition considering the age and mileage.

The only problem I noticed today other than the minor scrapes and bruises was the 4wd light. The current owner told me that it always stays on all the time even when the vehicle is in 2wd. He seemed to think that it was just a random computer problem, but from reading on this forum it sounds like it might be an issue with vaccum lines.

I don't know much about 4wd systems or trucks in general. Does that light staying constant indicate a vaccum line issue or could it be a more complex issue? Assuming it is a vaccum line, how difficult (expensive?) would it be to fix or have fixed? When he shifted the truck into 4wd I could hear a "thunk" that I assume is the hubs locking, but again I don't really know much about these things.

This truck will be a 2nd vehicle for me which I will drive primarily in the winter, so 4wd is the main selling point. Without jacking the truck up is there an easy way to verify that 2h, 4h, and 4l are working properly despite the light problem?

The only other issue that concerned me was some abnormal tire wear on the outter side wall of the front passenger side tire. The truck looks like it has some sort of lift kit on it, would that be the most likely contributor to the tire wear, should I have the alignment checked?

Are there any common trouble points with these vehicles? Is there anything I can check for specifically when I test drive it tomorrow? I would like to be as prepared as possible in so I don't waste my money. How well do these engines/transmissions hold up? Can I expect another ~50,000 miles out of each without any major problems or is it already most likely running on borrowed time?

The seller is asking $3000 for the truck which is about what was looking to spend. That sounded like a pretty good deal for me given the nearly excellent condition the truck appears to be in. What do you guys think? Is that a fair price?

Thanks for you help, I'm looking forward to joining your community.

Scott

 

The engines are good, neh bullet proof...the transmissions however...they are iffy. Pretty good powertrain over all. As for the 4x4. if the light stays on but the lever is in 2H, go find some loose gravel, stop, and gently see if you can spin THE REAR tires only. Next engage the 4x4 and see if you can get the four tires to spin...you will be able to tell the difference in traction. If it passes these two tests then it is probably just a goofy light...they never work right it seems like, i wouldnt worry about it. Should be a good truck overall especially for 3k.

 

first thing you might want to do is take the switch out of the "CAD" unit and see if its stuck. its very simple just put a wench on it and turn. if its not stuck you might have some other problem. also if the front axles locked it should bind when you turn. if it doesnt its most likely a vacumme problem but not one to really worry about. the motors in these trucks are awsome. if proper care they can last well over 250,000 or better. mine has 117,000 on it and im not going to lie i hammer the hell out of it every single day and it just begs for more. the auto trannys on the otherhand are not dodges strongest stop. what really helps save the tranny is adding a big secondary trans cooler and have the fluid changed alot. i dont have an auto so thats as far as ill go on that. someone else will help you more there. the tire wear seams like an alighment problem. i would take it to a shop and have it checked out.

 

Thank you both for your help. I'll let you know how it goes.