I've been a member for a few months but this is my first post. I'm having some electrical issues and was wondering if anyone has had similar experiences.
I have a 2003 Ram 1500 4x2 with the 4.7l. It sat for 10 days while I was on vacation. When I returned the weather was very wet/rainy. My truck wouldn't start, but it wasn't a "dead-battery" kind of issue because the door buzzer, radio and dome lights were normal. After poking around and turning the key on & off a few times, it started right up. While I was driving away, the dash & radio kept going dead, then coming back on. I pulled the fuse for those things & it was OK so I made sure it was inserted properly. After that it was OK on a 25 mile, all highway ride. Then in town, the intermittent dash thing started again. When I stopped somewhere & shut it off it died for good.
It was towed to a stealership where they told me the "Totally Integrated Power Module" was bad and it would cost $550 to replace it, HOWEVER, they didn't have one, no one else did and it was on back order. After I found one at another stealership, they said it wasn't the TIPM that was bad, it was the junction block or power distribution center, part #68005475AA, which of course no one has either.
Now I don't know if I'm being hosed or not. Have there been issues with the power center on the RAM's? Why is this part on back order? Are there that many problem with them? Obviously I couldn't get answers to these questions from the criminals I'm paying to work on my truck.

I just want my truck back!!!!

Thanks,
Dan

 

Yeah, the recall/TSB section was the first place I went. No luck. The second stealership I went to, that had the TIPM, tried to convince me it might be a battery problem. No Way!! When the starting problem was intermittent, and it started, it started normally, no slow cranking. Anymore, I get the impression that new cars are smarter than most of the people working on them and the repair process is just a guessing game at our expense.
Did I mention that I just want my f'ing truck back?

 

hey dude. don't you want your truck back?

 

[sm=sorry.gif]sounds like you're right. some one told me once that the new vehicles ARE smarter than the techs they have working on them and they have to "TRAIN" them by working on our trucks. [sm=WTFsgign.gif]