i have a 2004 ram quad cab 4x4 w/5.7...40,000 miles...started with the original battery dieing no prob . threw in an optima...then i get the lighting bolt light on the dash coming on and the truck running like crap . dealer said the throttle controll is freezing . drive it to make it go away. then it starts leaking antifreeze . from the radiator and the water pump . getting those replaced this week. $550 .

i am in south dakota and it is cold here . but should all this be happening? i have a 1995 chevy sitting right beside it with no probs to it at all. not to happy with my dodge atm .

 

Awful lot of members on here with Rams sitting outside in Canada who are not having these problems. What about your anti-freeze? When was the last time you checked and/or changed it?

Throttle control is electric, not mechanical, so I don't understand what you mean by "freezing". You'll have to be more specific...

 

Hot regions actually kills batteries faster than cold. It gets pretty cold here, maybe not South Dakota cold. (it was -15F yesterday morning when I started truck at 7am).
I got the 2004 ram quad cab 4x4 w/5.7...110,000 miles. Haven't had any of those problems yet. Last time I changed antifreeze was about 40K miles ago. Which reminds me.......

 

My truck ran like crap and threw a bunch of codes one day, I put a bottle of fuel line anitfreeze into it and a day later it ran perfect, codes were gone. Never ran fuel line antifreeze before but I do now

 

it's been -10F here for a while haven't had any problems

 

the radiator res had antifreeze in it . it is the factory 5 yr /100,000 mile stuff . it was low but not empty and was leaking at the bottom left of the radiator. you could also see drips running down along the block and drying from the heat....from the water pump .i have a 1995 chevy right beside it...i have never changed the antifreeze in it...just added some now and then. i take really good care of my dodge other than sitting out side.

the chevy all i do is change the oil now and then. the guy i took it to said there is plastic on the radiator....why would there be plastic? and the seal on the water pump was leaking he also said.

the electronic throttle ....the dealer said it gets warm when driving and then gets a frost on it when it cools off under there. and it will return to normal after i drive it and let it heat up . so do i have to change my radiator fluid every 5 years? they used to make things to last...now it is all limited to years. i can remember never having to change gear oil. have done it twice on my ram already and transfer case. its recommended.i almost want to do a utube broadcast to show how my 95 chevy is outlasting my ram in the cold. and never needs anything but an oil change.

what really worries me is the same parts will be reinstalled and it will happen again.radiator and water pump. i went to the dealer and bought two jugs of radiator fluid . it was not cheap ..like wal mart. i always spend the most i can on the ram maintinance wise . i have always taken care of it. i guess i let the 5yr antifreeze go almost 7 years. i never change it in the chevy.looks like i will have to get a heater in the garage and keep the thing in there. let the chevy sit out side. it can take it.

 

oh...and i run seafoam in the ram every 3 months .or so. just did a bottle last month.

 

You want a lifetime anti-freeze?

 

Well they do have anti-freeze guaranteed up to 100K. LOL

As for the pump and rad leaking once it got to freezing temps outside, sounds like your didnt have good anti-freeze or at least a good mixture

 

the antifreeze was in the truck from the factory...the chevy has never had it changed or flushed in the 8 years i have owned it. if dodge is charging 25 bucks for a jug and is the best they have for my truck...should i look else where for a diff kind?

no i do not think they have a life time antifreeze but i would think it should last more than 7 years...but i guess not.

i am scared to death of fails on the dodge. i have had in 40k miles both diff changed 3 times and transfer case and the trans mission fluid . a tune up new plugs and so on. i spare no exspense in doing this...mean while the chevy has just had the oil changed and is out living my dodge in repairs. i guess i will add to the list antifreeze every 5 years. seems things are not made like they used to be.