Hey guys, I'm new to the diesel life so please excuse me if I am using the wrong terms. The only knowledge I have is from reading threads and posts. Anyways....I'm currently looking at purchasing a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 2wd diesel. It has the inline 6 cylinder. The owner is selling way under blue book value because be cant figure out what's wrong with the truck. Let alone he's retired, got rid of his toys and wants to downsize to a car. The truck will not turn on unless you hook it up to a battery so I'm thinking I can replace the two batteries and I'll be fine there. Once you get the engine started though it will only run at 1/4 throttle until it warms up enough. Once it's warm enough it will run at full throttle. After doing some research I'm thinking it is a heating grid problem. I'd like to purchase the truck because I would be getting it for a VERY good deal but wanted to make sure I'm not purchasing something that sounds like a money pit. Would anyone have any ideas, other than a heating grid problem, of what might be wrong with the truck?

 

does the heater grid light go out when its hooked to the battery? If it does I would say the grid is working, new batteries may solve the problem

 

The heating grid light does go off once it is hooked to the battery. The problem I'm running into is that it runs 1/4 throttle until it completely warms up (which takes 15 to 20 minutes). After doing some more research on it raking so long to warm up I'm thinking it could be a fuel injector problem.

 

Check for codes. Pretty sure 2nd gen's work with the key trick, not 100% sure though.

Key trick: put key in ignition. In quick succession (like 5 seconds), cycle the key to ON (don't start it) then back to OFF, then ON, OFF, ON and leave it there. Look in the window where the odometer is, it should read codes in numerals or say -done- if no codes.

Again, not 100% sure if 2nd gen's do that, it's been a LONG time since I've been in one and checking codes wasn't what I was doing.

With a VP, I'd suspect the injection pump way before injectors

 

Thanks! I'll def try the key trick to see if that works.

 

yes key trick works on 2nd gen 24v trucks.