kevinn

I'm trying to decide what to do. Here is my dilema/questions:
The reason's why I'm thinking about selling are:

I will most likely need to rebuild my auto in the future costing me around $4k thus offsetting the additional expense of going to a new year. This is basically the difference between the value of my '02 and the cost of an '03. (I think I can sell mine for around $28-$29k (only 22,000 miles on it) and I think a new '03 similar to my '02 is around 32-33. Let me know if I'm off here.

With the '03/'04, I get 4" exhaust, a bigger cab (which is needed for the kids leg room since they are in car seats), a quiter engine (for the wife), and a 6 speed which is what I really wanted in the first place, a stronger engine without having to buy an EZ, shouldn't have to worry about injection pump in '03 etc. Again, please let me know if any of this is incorrect.

My questions are: How strong is the new common rail injection system? Can the engine in the '03+ be tuned up as much as an '02? (I don't see that there is an Edge Comp out for this year and from the sound of things here, the injection on an '03 can't be increased, but I'm not sure). Is there any affect in longevity with the new engine?

Thanks for you help/suggestions.

wick

U might want to get a second quote on the o/h of that trans. If u are paying $4k to o/h a 47RE, then u are crazy.

kevinn

I'm going off the ATS website. $1,840 for performance transmission + $1,370 for the Torque Converter + 285 for a deep transmission pan + $400 for the lockup controller (not necessary) + taxes and labor should put it right around that dollar figure. I believe DTT is right around that same price.

Hoss

Just one comment....the '03 does not have a 4" exhaust....or at least not until you get past the muffler.

And....if you only have 22,000 miles why can the transmission not be fixed under warranty??

spots

Don't listen to those guys. Buy the '03. Just have the excuse made up before you bring it home. You won't regret it. The '03's are awesome.....

jsr21

I would be very surprised if you could deal for 4000 even if you did sell yours yourself. JMHO

mymaur

If you could find a dealer that would give you 28 or $29K for your 02 grab it. But when it's all said and done, you might get 22 or $23K for it, if your lucky, and then they'll sell it for 28 or 29.

But the 03 is an awsome truck. Absolutely no comparrison.

deje

i tried selling my 02 laramie fully loaded for 28,500 i didnt have much luck . ended up getting 26,500 trade in on the 03 . And boy do i wish i still had the 02 . i was in your exact same shoes 3k on a trans . that would hold up to bombs .Exhaust, injectors. and a comp. about 5k total. so i put that money down on a 03. biggest P.O.S. > > i have ever had .i just started filling out the lemon law paper work today . mean while i now drive a dodge neon loaner car while enginerding tries to enginerd a fix for a truck with 250 miles on it . but my situation seems to be uncommen . and you probally shouldnt listen to me im just a little cranky today

kevinn

Thanks for the comments. Ya, I would be selling the truck myself so I'm hoping to get around $28k for it. That seems to be the average price I'm seeing on Autotrader. Won't try to sell it until after Labor Day as I need the truck.

Are there any concerns about the reliability of the new common rail system?

Hoss

[quote author=deje link=board=17;threadid=18651;start=0#msg175097 date=1061432682]
i tried selling my 02 laramie fully loaded for 28,500 i didnt have much luck . ended up getting 26,500 trade in on the 03 . And boy do i wish i still had the 02 . i was in your exact same shoes 3k on a trans . that would hold up to bombs .Exhaust, injectors. and a comp. about 5k total. so i put that money down on a 03. biggest P.O.S. > > i have ever had .i just started filling out the lemon law paper work today . mean while i now drive a dodge neon loaner car while enginerding tries to enginerd a fix for a truck with 250 miles on it . but my situation seems to be uncommen . and you probally shouldnt listen to me im just a little cranky today
[/quote]

What's wrong with your truck? I'm sure lemons do manage to sneak out every once in a while, but I've heard of VERY few problems with these. You sure you didn't mistakenly buy a Ford 6.0??

Push Rod

[quote author=Straight 6 link=board=17;threadid=18651;start=0#msg175177 date=1061470481]
Are there any concerns about the reliability of the new common rail system?
[/quote]

I think in a nutshell: No. ;D

This common rail system that the Dodge is using has been around on the Chevies since 99 (the pumps are the same, rail is obviously different), and a similar style of common rail pump has been around since the mid to early 90s in the heavy truck market. As an aside, the CP3 appears to be a little tougher than the VP44. We've got some Chevy guys running their trucks out of fuel at higher HP levels (they don't have lift pumps and the CP3 doesn't have enough fuel transfer capacity) and their CP3s don't appear to be harmed. Yet.

As for BOMBability, I think we'll be seeing some serious ponies coming out of the 03 trucks before too much longer. TST has been testing a box that adds 200 HP to the rear wheels, and they've still got some injector pulse width to play with. Of course there will be some limitations of the stock stuff when we get into the real high pony levels, but we don't necessarily know what these limits are yet, or whether we'll be able to work around them.

Rod

spots

These things are built outa thousands of pieces. Sometimes B gets put before A. My truck popped the rear end at 400 miles. Been awesome ever since. I got a crap axle. Other multitude of parts seem to work okay. Hope yours gets better....

deje

the problems with the 03 have been a missing o ring on the adapter plate .that caused a pretty severe oil leak the night i got it. was out of service for 8 days. then i picked it up and it vibrated, from the engine pretty bad. appears that cyl. no.3 isnt 100%the truck has now been out of service another 9 days and they dont know whats wrong. ive had it 20 days and its been in my driveway 3days total so far.will most likely get a new long block which will take weeks. 30 days out of service in the state of wa.is alemon . i had the 02 for 26,000 flawless miles. the last thing i thought i would have any trouble with was the engine.

spots

Sorry you got a bad one but yours is the exception, not the rule. (not quite like that over on the Ferd board). Get a new truck and be done with it. Cummins has put over one million 5.9 engines in the Dodge trucks. Gonna be one or two that are bad.

deje

Oh i know i just got a bad truck . I will be replacing it with another dodge. It just drives me crazy that i traded in a truck that had never let me down. We had to cancel two trips so far . I coudnt figure out where to hook my trailer to the dodge neon there letting me drive :-[