Hey There,

I am just a little board and just wondering about you guys and gals with the 04.5 CTDs. I just bought mine about a month ago and I am very happy with it. It is my first diesel so I dont have much to compare it to. I have heard negatives and positives but it is that way with any product bought by anybody. I am just wondering how you guys like your trucks. I am looking for some positives as most of us who post usually have some kind of problem. I am planning on putting the AFE intake and Donaldson muffler on soon. I already have the gauges.(trans and egts). EZ will wait for a little while but I am almost sure of it. I used to have the Sierra Denali pickup with the quadrasteer. It was a great truck but MPGs just killed me when towing and GMs are just to low to the ground 4x4 or not.
Anyway, sorry for rumbling, just thought I'd see if I can get any positive stories or input from those of you happy CTD owners. I am waiting out the Hurricane right now down south so I have some time on my hands. Have a good night.
----Chris

 

Ive had mine for a little over 2 weeks now, already put 1500 on it.

Traded up from a 2000 CTD and couldnt be happier. Everything on this truck is a big improvement from the 2nd gens.

Only thing I kinda miss is the height (can be fixed with some 315's) and the noise

The increase in power though is unbelievable, by comparison my 2000 (unbombed) was a slug


Jeff

 

What is the starting build date of the 04.5?

What does b.o.m.b stand for?

(I've been a diesel owner for 179 miles. )

 

I got mine in late january. It was built in Dec.

BOMB or BOMING is what we diesel freaks like to say when we mod out our trucks.

So to you I would say "let the BOMBING begin!"

 

B- Better
O- Off
M- Modified
B- Baby


Or something like that.

 

BOMB - Bring On the Mods Baby!!

 

I've had my 4.5 - 2500 for about a month now and so far it's a great truck. This is my first diesel and I moved up from a Toyota Tacoma with plans to purchase a 5th wheel this winter. The only issue so far is the weather stip is tearing at the leading edge of the driver's door. I'll get this fixed at my first oil change at the dealer. Putting armor all on the seal helps a little.

Regards

 

I too switched from my beloved toyota tacoma. Toyota IMO makes the best cars and trucks. I just wanted a big truck and toyota does not (yet) offer a "big" truck.

My two main complaints are the mileage and the somewhat suspect feeling 48re.

I have been avg about 13.5 mpg mixed/ empty. I recently added a TST pmcr (which I run on 2-2) and a 51" donaldson. My avg mpg is in the upper 15's to mid 16's now, so my mpg issue seems to be resolved. I don't have a good feeling about the 48re, it acts differently every time I drive the truck. Mainly when shifting into overdrive. Overall, I love the truck. I'm not sure if it is worth the 45k price tag, but only time will tell.

 

I picked up mine just as they were making the transition to the 325/600 motor. Since I've put on 11,500 or so miles, love the truck.

Mileage - the biggest controversy with a 325/600
- Originally mine was getting 13MPG off the show room floor
- Towed a skid Steer a few times (approx 10,000 lb. load) mileage went up 2 MPG
- by the time it had 9,500 mi on it it was getting 16 MPG
- I'm now getting 17-18 MPG, mostly highway, but sometimes HEAVY stop-and-go

04.5, 325/600, 2500 4x4, Auto, bone stock... FYI

 

So far, only one complaint, but I'll get to that in a minute. Mine is an early (Jan 04) build 325/600.

Mileage: 12 on my 11- mile stop and stop commute. My PSD, (which was a 6-speed, SRW, and 3:73 geared) did about 15 on this. The CTD is a heavier dually, with 4:10s.

13-14 highway at 70 mph, up to 17 highway at 55 mph.

Now, the one complaint: my serpentine belt shredded without warning one morning on startup, 5400 miles on the odometer. Required a tow to the dealer, and a two day wait to get a belt. No explanation from the dealer other than "defective" belt. Some others over on TDR have had this happen, and now I'm a little paranoid. In 25 years of driving MANY different vehicles, I've NEVER had a belt shred. So, for several of the same-model vehicles to have this happen with only a few thousand miles on them means something is up. Perhaps there will be a TSB on this eventually.

Power, however, is AWESOME. This thing is a hot-rod diesel. I still can't get over how nimble and fast it is for an almost 8000 lb vehicle. And I'm stock.

 

Bought my truck Feb. 28. Got 30K miles on her. Love the truck, and I will get bashed for this, but I wish the seats were as comfortable as the Chevy's. I make 10-18 hour one way trips all the time and after awhile it's just hard to sit still and legs and butt fall asleep and back kills. My Chevy on the other hand I could drive all night long in.

As for mpg. I am now consistantly getting 17 empty and up to 20 depending on wind, temp, etc Towing avgs b/w 13and 15 depending on weight usually b/w 8 and 10K, but next week I am getting my 40ft gooseneck and I'll report back with my first loaded haul mpg, should be around 22K from NC back to KS. I expect to be in the single digits.

Only other complaint is the paint peeling off that piece above the bumper. Dealer is going to fix it just need to find 3 days I don't need my truck.

 

I have had mine for 2 payments now, and about 4500 miles. No complaints, awsome power, fuel mileage picked up about 3000 miles. I am getting on average 16 city and 19 - 20 highway depending on speed. I do not haul or tow except for occasionaly pulling a stock trailer with maybe one or two horses which I have not done with this truck yet. Truck runs and looks great.

Sure wish the price of diesel would come down though, it is more than regular unleaded here in the Fort Worth area, anywhere from 10 - 20 cents more.

 

Coolslice quote:
I don't have a good feeling about the 48re, it acts differently every time I drive the truck.

I had a '97 Chrysler LHS for awhile and the auto trans would learn your driving habits. If you drove aggressively, it shifted aggressively. If you drove mildly, it shifted mildly. It always changed after shut down. It would remember the last time you drove it and changed accordingly. Maybe the 48re does too. Maybe you have been driving with that egg under your foot and wifey is using both feet on the go peddle.

 

Gas mileage changes for me.

I have been playing with my 6 speed and I find if I use all the gears, my mileage goes down. Lately I have been shifing 2-4-6 in town, not letting the rpms get hight than 2K and that seems to keep the mileage in the mid 16's. When I am in one of the in between times, I choose a gear that keeps the rpms between 1K and 1500.

The truck has 5600 miles on it now and at about 5K it started getting better mileage, from mid 14's to mid 16's. It may have had something to do with my shifting pattern change, but I also subscribe to the notion that here are different programs that kick in at certain milages. DC might be making the engines run rich for the first several thousand miles until the engine gets worn in.

Another thing, I don't have anything to tow, so I take the truck up Yarnell Hill once in a while and race up the hill. I find that I can get my EGTs up to 1500 for an instant once in a while. SPA gauges read fast. I think this may be a substitute for the need to tow to get mileage. Besides, it is fun passing Ferds.

 

I wish that was the case. I'm the only one who drives this vehicle, and I drive it consistantly on mostly the same roads every day. When it shifts into O/D you just have to be ready for a surprise. Sometimes it will shift smooth, other times it will rev up and slip as it looks for O/D. It has done this since new. I just put the TST on last week which you would think would really amplify the problem, but if anything it has made the tranny shift better. I don't feel like the transmission can handle the TST under hard acceleration running thru the gears, so I only stomp it when it is already in O/D on the highway.
I was well aware the Dodge trannys were junk when I bought this truck, so I have been setting aside some cheese for a transmission upgrade.