I picked up a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi Big Horn last week. Extremely clean for the age of the vehicle. Had higher mileage than I hoped, 140k, but the price was right.


Previous owner basically did every upgrade I would have done. 1" Leveling kit, 2500 tow mirrors, K&N filter, Pioneer AVX Apple Car Play, 20 Tires (305/r20 Nitto Grapplers G2), tinted windows, Flowmaster 409S. And has replaced the majority of the rusted spots (professionally done).


Had a few additional questions that I can't seem to find the answers for online -


1. There doesn't appear to be an auto option for the headlights. But according to the manual, they'll shut off exterior lights after 8 minutes? Do people just get in the habit of manually controlling this?

2. All of my former Chevy trucks have had AUTO 4WD options and quite frankly it worked great for my roads - I would leave this on commuting to work. This truck has the 2WD / 4WD LOCK / and 4WD LOW. I don't see a need for 4WD LOW in my position but can anyone comment on the 4WD LOCK and how much they typically use it? Really curious to see how well it does in 2WD with these tires.

3. The truck is loud under the hood when starting, some fan or radiator just blows loud for the first few minutes. Is this normal?

4. Is it normal to have to add oil, small amounts, in between oil changes with the HEMI?


Any other tips and things to keep an eye on would be appreciated. Loving the truck so far!

 

1. Yes we manually control the headlights.
2. You could change the transfer case to get 4WD Auto, but 4wd lock can be egaged up to 55mph. All you do is turn the **** (or pull the shifter I have the shifter) then you give it a few seconds.
3. Yes
4. I never had to add oil

 

Thanks for the response. How many miles do you have on your 07? Do you run 5W-20 typically?

I'll wait and see how the 4WD Lock goes. I don't think it'll be a big deal. Love the remote starter tho as it won't fit in my garage!

Another thing I noticed when driving w no sound on today was a whistle / leak coming from what I'm assuming to be the windshield / front defrost area. Pretty subtle but enough to be annoying - any thoughts on that?

 

350,000 miles. Yes that's the only thing I run as that is what is recommended for the Hemi. I use Valvoline full synthetic and change my oil every 8,000 miles. I have a floor shift that is instant almost. My Dad's 06 ram 1500 has the **** and it's a good little unit. Your transfer case is actually stronger then the one with the 4wd Auto function. Remote starts are nice! The whistle I would assume is a vacuum leak (usually throttle body gasket). I would try and figure out exactly where it is coming from. I know Rams like I know the back of my hand. They are really reliable honestly. Here is a story I will tell you. I had a 05 Ram 1500 4.7L. I was hauling dirt for a cousin of mine. Went in and weighed 5780lbs and after loaded I weighed over 11,000lbs. The rear bumper was almost touching the ground and I had so much weight I blew out both of the rear tires and drive it on the rims the rest of the way (10 miles). Truck was fine after I replaced the tires. These things are tanks. The only problem with these trucks are the wheel wells like to rust out. My advice is take the plastic liners off and spray fluid film or just dump used motor oil in there. That will stop the rust. A lot of people put fender flares on to cover the rust so if you have them check behind them. Post a pic of your rig! Welcome to Ram there best looking truck and the best on the market! Also, welcome to Dodge Forum!!

 

Head lights are auto off. Like if you want them on while exiting the truck for a short amount of time, turn off truck with headlights on, then turn the switch to off position, lights will automatically go off after a set amount of time.
My '04 has a floor shift 4x4, can't help you with that.
The fan can be loud when starting up cold, settles down after a minute or two.
I add oil in between oil changes, every 5000,no big deal.

One thing you'll notice is that the wipers will park, even after turning off the ignition with them on. Many cars still do not do this.

 

 

And it will whine about it........