Great to see teens interested in 2nd gen trucks! I drove my 95 to work and a coworker said "my dad bought one of those the year I was born and he still has it"
Needless to say it didn't make my day.
The title to this thread is great, sounds like he is super sharp- Here is some more input.
1. its a 4 speed trans, that last "shift" isn't 5th, just the converter locking
2. The ECM only controls the transmission
3. This engine is a 6BT lots of info on Google that can easily blow a entire evening reading.
4. Is the inside of the trucks carpet wet? if so replace the seal on the brake light on the top of the cab. $15 bucks, dodge has em in stock
5. replace the trans fluid asap
Where in wa state are you?

 

This has been one of the most entertaining, wholesome reads I've had in a while, thank you ALL
Tay Tay, you are in WA state - so are several of us here. I will echo what many have said - I have been all OVER the 'net and this forum and the wonderful folks on it are without a doubt the BEST - best sources of hard-won knowledge, best humor, best heart. BEST place to find out stuff about your truck! and I am a touch envious - that low mileage on a 97 is near to being brand new!

 

----------------------------------------------------------
Halfpint:

My thanks to you for your nice comments about DTR and our fine
members here! IB, Lary Ellis (Top) and our entire staff of Admins
here try our best to keep this site "family oriented" and to provide
as much help as we can to all of our members.

---------
John_P

 

I'm in Rochester, about 30 minutes South of Olympia, and maybe 10-15 Minutes north of Centralia.

Also, the truck itself is very clean, just dusty from absence of use, but that'll change when I turn 16, and use it as a Daily Driver

 

Forgot to mention, my air filter is a K&N, I was talking to my friend, and he said that the filter should just be washed, besides that, it'll last for a long, long time.

 

Ugh, not saying the K&N is bad..... but guys who have their oil analyzed have shown the K&N's do not trap dirt as well as the factory filter does...... And I have yet to get less than 25K out of a factory filter ( factory Fleetguard ).

 

So what do you suggest?

 

I like factory Fleetguards in the original air box.

'94-'02 Dodge Cummins Fleetguard AF25541 Air Filter-Geno's Garage

I actually save a tick and get their 4-2-1 kit........

'97-'99 Dodge Cummins FLEETGUARD Filter Maintenance Kit-Geno's Garage

 

I cleaned out the truck, and I just found a K&N filter cleaning kit or something. Should I just stay with that for a while?

 

Personally, depending on the condition of the element, I'd use the reconditioning kit up, then go back to stock filter unless you will need the air of something bigger. Maybe the bhaf? I have 340k on mine, ran a k&n on it for maybe 100k and went back to stock filter. It's down now for a head gasket repair and the guys said the cyinder walls looked great considering the miles. They're just gonna put it back together.