Looked at a 03 Ram 2500 4x4 SLT, questions inside
Rookie
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 53
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From: Michigan
Dont listen to that dork.
In this economy you can wheel and deal allot with the dealers, especially when it comes to gas guzzlers. Why do you think they called you and dropped the price so easy. The 03 Ram is like the red headed step child of the 3rd Genners. It has a different ECM,and tranny computer and the engine is a bit different because this Hemi dosent have an EGR valve. The good news is that the Superchips tuner adds more HP and Torque to the 03 than in later years. Take the truck and have it checked out by a mechanic you trust. Get as much history as you can on the previous owner and what the primary purpose of what the truck was used for. Just because they say its all highway miles dosent mean nothin if the truck was pulling a 10K lb trailer 90% of the time. I have seen 3rd gen trannys last a long time it just depends on how well the maintenance was maintained and how the truck was being used. If something seems to good to be true it usually is. There are a allot of these trucks for sale and a bigger better deal comes along every day...
In this economy you can wheel and deal allot with the dealers, especially when it comes to gas guzzlers. Why do you think they called you and dropped the price so easy. The 03 Ram is like the red headed step child of the 3rd Genners. It has a different ECM,and tranny computer and the engine is a bit different because this Hemi dosent have an EGR valve. The good news is that the Superchips tuner adds more HP and Torque to the 03 than in later years. Take the truck and have it checked out by a mechanic you trust. Get as much history as you can on the previous owner and what the primary purpose of what the truck was used for. Just because they say its all highway miles dosent mean nothin if the truck was pulling a 10K lb trailer 90% of the time. I have seen 3rd gen trannys last a long time it just depends on how well the maintenance was maintained and how the truck was being used. If something seems to good to be true it usually is. There are a allot of these trucks for sale and a bigger better deal comes along every day...
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 518
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From: Norfolk,Va
This interests me as I recently got myself a 2003 Ram 1500 quad cab, 4x4, and with the HEMI. If you don't mind, could you go into more detail about differences that are only on the 2003 Rams? I've been trying to learn all I can about my truck, and you seem to be pretty knowledgeable about them. Thanks.
Last edited by Alpheus; May 27, 2009 at 05:03 AM.
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 53
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From: Michigan
What I wrote above are the only differences. I drove myself nuts looking for info on why some aftermarket products fit 04 and up Hemis. After allot of digging, phone calls and sleepless nights that is what I came up with. The engine is physically identical to the 04-05 it just dont have an EGR valve. The ECM just has some differences that in 03 the programmers and after market companies who make superchargers,turbochargers, cams and some headers didnt have a custom tune that was readilly available, do to them not meeting emmission standards, but now they can make a custom tune if you want one. The tranny computer is seperate from the rest and is a stand alone system unlike the 04-05 models. Super Chips says that after they are done kissing all of the 04 and up 3rds genners butts that they are going to make it so we can change our shift point RPMs, but Im not gonna hold my breath. Like I said the tuners do add more HP and torque to the 03's do to some emmission restrictions that were placed on the 04 and up guys. So we got that going for us.
