Dodge Ram 1998 - Engine and engine cooling - car safety information, failing parts, recalls, bulletins, complaints

Dodge Ram 1998

Recalls
Technical Service Bulletins
Consumer Complaints

Recalls

Campaign	Manufacturer	Manufacturing date	Type	# of units affected	Date Owner notified Mfg	Recall Initiated by	Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products	Report Recieved Date	Record Creation Date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - DIESEL
98V207000	CHRYSLER CORPORATION	from 12/15/1997 to 04/30/1998	V (Vehicle)	25014	09/14/1998	MFR	CHRYSLER GROUP LLC	09/08/1998	09/09/1998
Defect Summary	Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with 5.9l - 24 valve diesel engine. the low pressure diesel fuel supply tube located in the engine compartment between the filter and the high pressure pump can fracture.
Consequence Summary	This condition can allow fuel to leak. in the presence of an ignition source, fuel leakage can result in a fire.
Corrective Summary	Dealers will replace the low pressure diesel fuel supply tube.
Notes	Owner notification is expected to begin september 14, 1998.owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chrysler at 1-800-992-1997.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
98V209000	CHRYSLER CORPORATION	from 12/15/1997 to 05/31/1998	V (Vehicle)	30747	09/28/1998	MFR	CHRYSLER GROUP LLC	09/08/1998	09/09/1998
Defect Summary	Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with 5.9l - 24 valve diesel engine. an intermittent high engine idle condition can occur due to a malfunction of the vehicle speed sensor.
Consequence Summary	This creates a signal which is misinterpreted by the engine control software, causing a high idle speed condition.
Corrective Summary	Dealers will replace the engine controller software to correct erroneous speed sensor signals.
Notes	Owner notification began september 28, 1998. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chrysler at 1-800-992-1997.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Bulletins

Bulletin	Bulletin date	Replacement Bulletin	Item no.	Summary	Added
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
070898	12/11/1998		603100	Conditions with diesel engine overheating. *yc	02/02/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN
070998	12/18/1998		603101	Subject on viscous fan drive service. *yc	02/02/1999
070598	09/04/1998		602431	Experiencing engine cooling fan noises. *yc	11/04/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
1803003A	08/20/2004	1803304	10004538	Generic cummins engine control module (pcm) procedure. tt this bulletin replaced 18-030-03. tt this bulletin replaced 18-030-03a dated 10/17/03. to also include 2005 ram truck. *tt	12/18/2003
1803003	08/29/2003	1801902A	10003544	Generic cummins engine control module (pcm) procedure. *tt	10/23/2003
0900802	10/21/2002		10000308	Engine knock or rattle sound when climbing a long grade and towing a heavy trailer. *tt	02/21/2003
0900601	08/24/2001		623130	Vehicles may experience oil pan gasket leaks.*slc	10/26/2001
090500	02/25/2000		610005	Experiencing spark knock and engine oil consumption due to intake manifold pan gasket oil leak. *tt	04/13/2000
180100	02/04/2000		609988	Subject regarding misdiagnosed leak detection pump systems with diagnostic trouble codes p1494, p0442 p0455, or p0456. *tt	04/12/2000
SP697	08/25/1997		604464	Subject on mount assembly box number 62035. *tt	05/03/1999
9847	08/19/1998		602283	Some after market exhaust brake installations, especially those with switches that connect to the throttle pedal, can cause mil illumination with tsc po121- accel position sensor volts do not agree w/idle validation sig. *ak	10/20/1998
181098	02/27/1998		600429	Condition with gasoline engines will not illuminate the mil properly when misfire is detected. *yc	05/14/1998
182697	09/05/1997		54426	Subject pertaining to obd ii misfire indicator. *yc	04/07/1998
182997	10/17/1997		54220	Some vehicles may exhibit a bucking or jerking condition while under light acceleration or while driving at steady state speeds. *yc	03/30/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - DIESEL
090698	10/30/1998		602899	Incorrect engine oil dipstick. *yc	01/20/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
0900202	03/11/2002		633990	Subject regarding crankcase breather overflow. *slc	09/26/2002
0900401	05/18/2001		628237	Customer may complain of high oil consumption, grey oil smoke coming out of the exhaust or breather tube, or mechanical knocking. *tt	03/06/2002
1801901	09/03/2001		623143	Some vehicles may experience cold idle engine warming *slc	10/26/2001
1801401	07/09/2001		621892	Subject regarding performance enhancements, hard starting and / or idle speed fluctuations for severe cold weather environments. *tt	10/03/2001
0900201	03/02/2001		619120	Vehicles that are used for extended heavy trailer hauling purposes may experience a loss of exhaust manifold bolt torque. *tt	05/15/2001
1801500A	12/21/2000	1801500	618411	Customer may complain of poor driveability when winter fuel is used to power the engine. or, the customer may complain of a hard or no-start condition, while the engine is at normal operating temperatures, when using any type of good qual	04/12/2001
180500G	12/01/2000	180500F	616722	Some vehicles may exhibit a light to moderate spark knock condition during acceleration (under load). *tt	03/08/2001
180500F	09/15/2000	180500E	6092297	Some vehicle engines may exhibit a light-to-moderate spark knoc condition during acceleration (under load). *tt	12/04/2000
180500E	09/01/2000	180500	6092295	Some vehicle engines may exhibit a light-to-moderate spark knock condition during acceleration (under load). *tt	12/04/2000
082400	09/08/2000		614651	On some vehicles the engine cranks but does not start or starts and stalls. *tt	11/29/2000
180500	06/09/2000		614165	Some vehicle engines may exhibit a light-to-moderate spark knock condition during acceleration (under load). *tt	09/29/2000
180500A	06/23/2000	180500	614166	Subject regarding 1998 model year engine spark knock. *tt	09/29/2000
183597	12/31/1997		600486	Condition with sagging or hesitation while accelerating from a stop with a cold engine or after a partial cool down. *ak	11/05/1999
182199	09/03/1999		607917	Subject regarding 5.9l - 24v cummins diesel low power or poor performance diagnostic. *tt	10/18/1999
090699	09/10/1999		607913	Subject regarding spark knock and engine oil consumption due to intake manifold pan gasket oil leak. *tt	10/18/1999
250199	09/03/1999		607893	Experiencing a knocking or tapping like noise from the engine compartment. *tt	10/15/1999
181199	05/28/1999		607352	Experiencing slow acceleration or lack of power while towing or hauling a heavy load. *tt	09/21/1999
976898	12/22/1997		600568	Exhibiting a no start condition in cold temperatures. *yc	05/26/1998
183797	12/31/1997		600484	Vehicle my exhibit a no start or hard start condition in cold tempertures. *yc	05/18/1998
183497	12/31/1997		600487	Engine may spark/knock when warm under moderate to heavy acceleration. *ak	05/18/1998
971231183797	05/18/1998		600483	Vehicle may exhibit a no start or hard start condition in cold temperatures. *yc	05/18/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
090498	09/25/1998		602441	Some vehicles may exhibit a condition where the accesory drive belt becomes damaged on the inboard edge. *yc	11/04/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - TURBO-CHARGER
110898	09/25/1998		602434	A new kit has been released that will allow technicians to repair turbochargers with failed wastegate actuators. *ak	11/04/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
1100605	12/21/2005		10018993	Illuminated mil as the result of a diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0420 - catalyst efficiency, or may have failed a california smog or state i/m test but without an illuminated mil, or a rattling sound from the underside of the vehicle. cat	01/26/2006
2500401	05/11/2001		620071	Subject regarding additional diagnostic for diagnostic trouble codes caused by an evaporative system leak. *tt	07/11/2001
760	08/01/1998		603628	Nox emission levels may exceedcalifornia air resources board (carb) emission standards. to correct this condition,pcv and brake booster hoses must be replaced and rerouted. *ak	02/26/1999
250298	10/23/1998		602881	Subject regarding i/m ( inspection maintenance ) testing - obd ii carb readiness monitor information. *yc	01/20/1999
8001/8002	10/01/1998		602652	Subject pertaining to reprograming engine control module for nox emissions. *ak	01/06/1999

Consumer Complaints

Fail date	miles	occurences	Purchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
04/06/2005		2
	While driving vehicle stalled. driver was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to dealer. mechanic determined that transmission and engine needed to be replaced due to wear and tear. *ak
12/28/2002		1	12/28/2002
	Truck has been nothing but problems replaced many parts for leaks and transmission problems engine light consistently comes on even after repairs. truck buck when accelerating looses engine power. would like it fixed i read other complaints and they had the same problem. i put a lot of money into the truck and have not yet been able to fix problem because they cant seem to figure out the cause. problem has been on going since vehicle was purchased. *jb
02/15/2003	50100
	My husband ordered this truck in late 1997. we purchased it new and have had numerous problems with the vehicle. the biggest problem we have faced is the transmission. mid-april 1998 the first problems occured with slippage, the transmission cooling lines were replaced, one month later the torque converter went and repairs were made. now at 51,000 miles and very little driving for the last 2 yrs (since my husband has been sick with cancer) it has blown again. the front seals are leaking profusely. the rear window was leaking so badly at one point the entire ceiling inside was soaded. the abs computer went wacky on us early on also. the seatbelt has been twisted since we purchased the vehicle and we have not successfully fixed it. the extended warranty we purchased has gone out of business. i will not likely buy another dodge ever again. mercedes takes the cake.
		1
	While travel at any speed vehicle stalled and lost power. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
04/21/2003	32000
	The vehicle stalled due to a coolant leak. the dealer was notified. *nlm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE
06/16/1998		2
	Consumer complaining of driving vehicle on the street at 40 mph, on normal road conditions, when consumer went to apply the brakes, the brake pedal went all the way to the floor. dealer notified, but still wants consumer to pay even with warranty. ak proportioning valve was replaced. consumer states there is a snapping noise in the steering column, dealer replaced front axle track. steering wheel was off center. lower radiator hose was rubbing the frame and was worn, dealer replaced. slc
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
07/09/2003	42103	1	07/31/1998
	Consumer was having problems with the intake manifold.ak the intake manifold ruptured which caused the oil to be sucked out of the oil pan, after the repair was made on the gasket, the bearing on the crankshaft failed, prior to the failure the consumer noticed the oil pressure gauge did not register correctly. jb *nm
01/08/2002	45000	1	06/01/1999
	Oil changes were done every 3000-5000 miles. the third and fourth piston rods were worn down and then broke. ak jb ****dims 11 ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis***7757169

	Consumer states while driving at highway speed the engine will shut down causing lost of power steering. please provide any additional information. ph
04/29/2002
	Engine blew a rod, causing engine to rattle. *ak
12/01/2000		1	02/01/1998
	Head gasket is leaking onto exhaust. ak the oil leaking on to the exhaust pipe could cause fire when the exhaust pipe becomes hot. yh
		3
	When driving the plenum within the engine head gasket blew out. this part has blowen out every 6 thousand miles, parts have been replaced on three different occasions. please provide any further details. *ak
11/30/1999		1	09/01/1999
	Leaking oil through tailpipe-engine clatter at high speed. defective intake base gasket. blew out four quarts of oil over 750 mile trip, mostly interstate travel. service bulletin not divulged to owner during routine service.
02/07/1999		2	04/01/1998
	Failure of the intake gasket caused the engine's oil supply to be evacuated through the vacuum system. not only was this event detrimental to the engine itself but it also contaminated the vacuum and exhaust systems.
05/21/1998		4
	Truck vibrates between 30-67 mph. dealer has changed the torque converter, drivershaft, replaced ring and pinion, yoke, bearings and seals. truck has burned 1/2 qt of oil per 1000 miles since new. ak ml
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
10/23/2001		1	08/01/2098
	Oil pump failure, engine destroyed. dt
		1
	Engine failed. nlm
		1	01/02/1999
	Engine failure resulted in vehicle fire. *mjs
01/08/1999			01/01/1998
	No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
08/08/2000		5	06/01/1998
	I bought the dodge june 1998, from the first month i have had problems.i had both front side windows fall down, wiper blade linkage breaks, engine surges, door lights won't come on, the air conditioning blower/motor shorted out, and the interior lights/tv/vcp/cd player will shut off at times. everything except the interior equipment has been corrected, they still short out. the problem with electrical shorts has expanded. on the way home from vacation just outside of st. louis on interstate 44, we were passing a diesel truck going about 70 mph with another diesel truck following us when the engine shuts off. lucky for us the truck behind us was paying attention. the truck came within inches of hitting us, if it did my whole family could have been killed. my son managed to pull the van over to the side of the road. we had aaa tow the van to a dodge dealer in bourbon, mo. the next day the machanic found the problem. the asd 20amp fuse blew, the asd fuse is located uder the hood in the power distribution center. the asd fuse handles engine controls/fuel pump. the dealership in burbon could not find the problem, but he did give us extra fuses to get us home. we had to stop at walmarks to buy extra fuses. on the way home the asd fuse blew out 4 times. when we got back home, i took the van back to the dealer where i bought it for repair, cumberland valley motors, they answered with their stock quote, unable to duplicate at this time. i don't know if the asd fuse blew out due to engine heat, bad wiring, or if the interior control panel which handles the interior lights/tv/vcp has a short in it. the vehicle is dangerous to drive and if i have this problem, then their might be other dodge vans with the same problem. how many accidents happened already or will happen?
04/01/1998		50	03/01/1998
	The truck when bought,the sticker in the window read that it was rated to run on 87 octain,but when i run this feul,it pings and knocks and a loss of power while climing a hill.the onlly thing it will run on is hightest.this will cause a wreck.the service manager at becks told me that it is an on going problem,that they are tring to fix. *ak
12/16/1998		7	05/01/1998
	At approx. 7500mi. problems began with brakes and vibrations. these problems still occur along with severe and dangerous engine stalls at any speed. after contacting diamler chrysler i am shocked to find that hazard for my family and any innocent bystanders. it would just be nice if $42,000 could buy something that runs and stops with out risk of major injury or possible death.. *ak
07/28/1999		6	02/01/1998
	As far as i am concerned the truck is a piece of junk, the truck is currently in service for 4 days so far this week for all the above problems(this is the reason i do not have the vin number), on top of the already accumulated 25-30 days of service. the chrysler corporation has been notified, as well as my state's attorney generals office, oh and by the way i need 4 new tires as well, after only 25,000 miles.no safety defect listed within summary. *ak
11/19/1999			08/01/1998
	Engine knocks at start-up for about 2-3 seconds. oil pressure gauge is not as high as when first bought. has been to the dealer twice for this problem, but they say they cannot duplicate it. service manager has verified the knocking, but chrysler doesn't want to persue it. seems that chrysler was really quick to take my money when it was bought, but now that it has a problem they don't want to know anything about it. situation has been sent to chrysler's 3rd party arbitration company to have a hearing to decide what they will be forced to do to correct the problem. chrysler has been very disappointing in there customer service or lack of it, to the customer...
05/08/1998		1	05/01/1998
	My name is john simonelli and i purchased a dodge ram truck. i had many problems with it like brakes,air, fuel problems, raidiator, and worse of all stalling on left turns. i reported to bell dodge of my truck stalling on left turns. they looked at it once and said the truck was ok. after that i took the truck down to the dealer each time reporting of incident. all they did was document the problem and send me away. they would not even make an attempt to solve the problem despite the danger the truck was to me and others. to prove my case i had to push them to hook up a co-pilot for readings. the computer would show the vehicle died for some unknown reason. however the co-pilot would not tell them how to fix problem so their for the problem did not excist. then i had to drive around with a cam-corder to record problem. after doing so i was forced to sell vehicle because they did not know how to fix problem and would not give me a new truck. i have too much to say so if you have any questions please call me. i took a 14,500 dollar loss on my vehicle, someone else is driving this unsafe vehicle, and finaly both bell dodge and dalmler chrysler ignored my lawyer which cost me an additional 2,600. *ak
		1	03/01/1998
	Original complaint was severe engine pinging, hesitation going uphills between 40-45 mph and check engine light lit. dealer replaced idle air control motor and replaced a spark plug. problem cleared for approximately 10,000 miles, then returned. goodyear dealer replaced ignition wires and spark plugs at 50,000 according to a dodge tsb. problem still persists. goodyear advised that dodge has a tsb for this problem and is aware of the problem. i would like to know what action i can take.
			08/01/1998
	Vehicle continually shudders at speeds between 45-50 mph, happens constantly
08/20/1998		100	08/01/1998
	1. the passenger side mirror glass on this vehicle, ram 2500 series, has cracked due to the extreme cold conditions in my location. presents an even more and distorted view of the roadway. the product is inferior glass. 2. excessive pinging in the 5.9l engine. the manual states that you can use an 87 octane rated fuel in this engine. if you do even without a load in the vehicle the engine will constantly ping. using a higher octane rating the pinging noise is still noticeable. also this engine from the start uses approximately 1/2 - 3/4 of a quart of oil between oil changes. very bad for a new product. 3. the same door on the 2500 series (quad cab) ram truck is used on the type of truck that i own, the extended or club cab. however, where there is weatherstripping on the quad cab door on the lower running board sides, (both doors) there is absolutely no stripping on the extended cab doors (club cab). this allows for the infiltration of dirt and water to actually come up and sit or reside on the top plate. this makes for a bad situation not only for the cleanliness of the truck on those panels but for corrosive qualities as well.
06/30/1998
	Consumer keeps experiencing unknown engine failure. been in/out of dealer shop more then three times. dealer unable to resolve problem. *ak
06/20/1998
	While driving the vehicle will stall, and while in reverse position the vehicle will also stall. also, there is a transmission leak which may cause a fire. dealer replaced parts of the transmission. dealer cannot determine problem. *ak
12/12/1998		30	12/01/1998
	The defect is in the alignment of the truck and the engine. with the alignment set to manufacturer's specifications the truck still pulls out of the driving lane. within ten seconds the truck will completely vacate the lane. the second problem is the engine has a stumble or miss-fire at idle. again the manufactures states the engine is also within guidelines. the dealer claims there is an industry standard for alignment, but provides no written documentation on what the standards are or what the manufacturer's acceptable tolerances are specifically. do you have anything which indicates alignment standards and engine timing.
			01/01/1998
	Engine idle speed set to factory specs (750-850 rpm)causes vehicle to accelerate to approx 25mph without any pressure on accelerator (automatic transmission). this also causes more difficult braking and increased brake wear.
05/15/1998			05/06/1998
	While traveling at 70 mph, the engine spun a rod and threw a bearing, leaving vehicle inoperable.
02/27/1998		1	02/27/1998
	Engine makes noise.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
12/07/1998		1	03/01/1998
	Fan belts failed.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
01/15/2003	110000
	Right exhaust manafold bolts stripped, causing exhaust leak and inside of catletic converter loose and causing extream rattle, worse at idle in gear.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
09/08/1998
	While driving on freeway heard a loud noise; had little power. arrived home & vehicle was checked. found the catalytic converter was held by small piece of welding material. towed to dealer & mechanic repaired catalytic convertor. the problem had reappeared again. took back to mechanic to repair. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
		4	09/01/2098
	I have an ongoing problem with preignition (spark knock) in my 1998 dodge ram 1500 with the 318 cid/5.2l motor. .at 24,896 miles, my dealer re-programmed the pcm and re-routed the spark wires. the spark knock continued. at 35,067 miles, the dealer adjusted the timing; i didn't think this could be done. the spark knock continued. at 43,281 miles, the dealer replaced the intake plenium gasket. the spark knock continued. at 45,093, the dealer replaced both engine heads. the spark knock continued. at 57,452 miles, i installed a colder thermostat and this helped somewhat, but the spark knock returned. and, today at 74,834 miles i installed a set of truck spark plugs to see if that will help. the bottom line is that this truck has an inherint defective design in the engine which is being prematurely worn out due to spark knock. i would like the nhtsa to investigate, and help me in securing a replacement for my problem plagued lemon. thank you!