royta

I sold my '97 last Saturday and I need to get a new truck bad. I've been driving my wife's Honda Odyssey to work. I'd like to get an '01 or '02, but they seem to be hard to find in the Long Bed, 4WD, Quad Cab, Manual Transmission, 6-speed preferred, configuration. Plus, I'm not sure I like how the rear doors flex in and out when shutting the front doors.

Sooo...I'm contemplating getting an '03 or '04. What do I need to look for? What kind of mileage can I expect with the 6-speed? What axle gear ratio options were available? Which 6-speed do these have, the G56 or NV5600?


Thanks.



Roy

blackbanshee

royta,
I would look for all the usual things...leaks of any kind (third gen trucks seem to be hard on pinion seals), any evidence of a chip or programmer, any excessive smoke on start-up, check for codes, ect. A truck with a decent service history is always preferred. Check fluid levels, condition of fluids, ect. It is helpful to ask the owner questions about the truck to see if they have any knowledge about their vehicle. You'd be amazed by how many people own diesel trucks and have no idea about how to maintain them. Ask about the fluids they used and why, why they bought the truck, why they are selling it...just general questions to ascertain some level of informed ownership. The condition of the interior can also be a good indication of a caring/careless owner. Ask about any injector issues, which seemed to be more prevalent in the third gen trucks and while you are at it, try to find out if they regularly changed the fuel filter. Check for a clean airbox.
The six-speed in a 03-04 will be a NV5600. Usually a slightly knotchy shifting tranny, but a respectably strong one at that. As far as fuel mileage, I average 16-17 with the truck in my sig. I am not exactly the most gentle of drivers, so my mileage may be a little low. I believe the rear ratio options for the six-speeds included a 4.10 and a 3.73. I have the 3.73. A six-speed truck will have the 305/555 motor, which is an improvement over the lower rated motors that accompany the auto and five-speed models.
Good luck with your search.

BlackBanshee

royta

Are there any issues with the injectors, injector pump, lift pump, etc? When did the 600 ft/lb engine come out? What's the difference between the '04 and the '04.5?

I know for a fact the truck had some sort of fueling mods done to it. The current owner said he is the 2nd owner and could see where one was plugged in. Something about a "new" wiring harness.

SuperiorRam

My 03 has 155k and been beat tha last fifty for sure
no probs w/ injectors
look at the back of the fuel filter can fer a small pump if it's there it's orig... If not good, it's been moved to the tank in a upgrade (like 04.5 up)
600 series has one more injection event (to make up fer a small er dong...jk) and a he351 turbo 60/60/9 (compared to a 03-04 he341 58/60/9)

Raspy

My '04 HO has been excellent with the exception of the lift pump and front end upgrades. I've had either a Bully Dog or a Smarty on it for about 170,000 of the 190,000 total miles on it now. No engine problems at all.

The tranny can't hold all the torque and I wish I had a stick, but I just use a little discretion when pushing it at lower RPM. One of these days it will get Goerend tranny.

The stick in these is the NV5600. The HOs have no cat and they get good mileage.

royta

Raspy - What mileage is "good" mileage. What goes wrong with the original front ends?

Thanks.

mikmaze

give me an idea on price / budget and I can pm you back what I find in UT

CanuckCTD

Just got a new to me, 04.5 Laramie and I am liking it so far. My old truck was due for some more major work and my lady said just buy a new truck. Have to admit it I like driving the new one but it doesn't get as good fuel economy.

Raspy

royta,

Everyones mileage is different and it varies. But the '03 and '04 models get better mileage by about 1.5 MPG average, under the same circumstances, compared to the '04.5 thru '07s. The 6.7s get less then the '07s by about 2-3 mpg.

They all seem to be helped by a Smarty with timing (mine was) and the 6.7s do a lot better with the EGR and DPF delete.

royta

I sent you a PM.

royta

It looks like I'm going to stick to the 2nd Gen.

Yesterday, I found an '02 with less than 108k miles that I'm driving 350 miles to buy tomorrow. The only bummer is that it doesn't have the Overhead Console w/ Trip Computer, and Remote Keyless Entry. I really wanted that stuff, but the truck is in great shape and I don't want to miss it. Laramie SLT, Long Bed, Quad Cab, 6 speed, 3.55 gears, really clean truck.

royta

OK, scratch that. Owner of dealership sold truck on Friday night to a friend, unbeknownst to the sales manager who I was dealing with. It would have been nice if the owner would have checked in to see if sales manager was working on a sale. I had even given them my credit card number to hold the truck for me until I got there the next morning. Oh well, one will turn up one of these days.

royta

OK, since I'm now back in the market for a truck, I have a question regarding the difference between the 3rd Gen and 2nd Gen.

I realize the rear doors are longer on the 3rd Gen then the 2nd Gen. Is there more room for the rear passengers too, or is it just as tight as in the 2nd Gen's?

Southern Pride

i own a 2nd gen 02 1ton quad cab and have ridden in the back seat of mine for many reasons but i have ridden in the back seat of a 3rd gen for about 8hrs on a trip. they do have a lot more room than the 2nd gens do in the back seat fyi.