First of all, the people I know will say I do but not with my truck. I am not the most mechanicaly inclined, I can change the oil and flats, but digging in the engine and tinkering around is almost out of my relm. (sorry for the long post that is about to take place)

I went to Colorado last week (I am from OK, went up I-35 to 70 West) pulling my 28K Desert Fox Toy Hauler. We went to Estes Park then over Trail Ridge Road to Grandby, stayed at the YMCA close to there and then headed home through Winter Park on 40 over Berthod (sp?) Pass to I-70. This all to say I had some climbs and decents.

I have a somewhat stock 04.5 CDT Quad Short bed 4X4, AUTO TRANS. I put in the Edge EZ - lowest setting, straight piped (bought used, came that way) with new Rancho shocks and "Supersprings" (helper springs for sway with the trailer).
The TT is around 6500 lbs dry, I had 25 gals of fuel 75 gasl of water 2 honda ATV's and our gear mis. tools and food. I figured it to be around 9500 lbs.

The trip was great to Estes and not ever pulling a trailer in Colorado, seamed to be good up trail ridge road, above tree line, I did not pull in overdrive. I stayed in 2 most of the trip up at around 2500rpm. Comming down the other side I had to put into 1 and use the breaks on the trailer quite often and did almost over heat the breaks on the truck. I never redlined, but I had a hard time keeping the Rig below the speed limit and at a safe speed I was comfortable with (most of the time 15-25 posted)

Now that to compair to Berthod Pass. I went up, no power, stayed in first. At one point I felt that I may not make it to the next turn out. RPMs were close to 3000 when it did shift up, it felt like it went to 3rd and skipped 2nd, then it would drop back down to 1st. Foot to the floor almost all the way. I was thinking something was wrong, but my brain (wife) kept telling me to go. At a few points, it sounded like I was sucking air into the exaust, like a Jake break, but I don't have one. The Truck would Cough, sounding something like a cough through a trumpet or trombone. The Entire time my Engine temps were well in the normal, above 200 but half way to the hot mark. Oil pressure was straight up all the way.

Down the otherside, I tried to coast, using the engine to help break. Even with just the overdrive off and trans set to D, I would just bairly creep, I have to give it some fuel to get down. For a while I thought I may have a break locked on the trailer, but no black streeks and I could touch the wheels bare handed, not that hot. I thought about a bearing also, but again not much heat.

So now on I-70 and we get to Denver and the "Pull" I felt in the mountains did not seam to be as bad, past Denver in the plains, it pulled much like it did on the way up to Colorado. I was going 70-75 without much effort.

At home in OK, I started the truck and I have more "Diesel" noise that I did before the trip, clanking and stuff. Drives the same, I think, empty.

So, did I over heat the Trans and that was what I was experiencing? Was the altitude effecting the performance? I know I should have a 3500, but life/wife did not allow that. Anyway, it is the same engine and trans between the 2500 and 3500 correct? WHat should I do? I had it serviced at Dodge before the trip, covering the 35000 and 45000 mile maintenece recomendations and had new front breaks put on.

Thanks again for the responces in advance and sorry for the long post. I think I may have screwed up!

Karl

 

Karl
I ran the route to Winterpark a few years back and I can tell you this:
The 03 6 speed did not have any problem I was not towing but had a full load in the back. It was like night and day with the 6 speed, my last one was an auto. Something to look at could be this, change the air filter or look it over good it is hard to get air on the pass and up, as with your fuel filter.
As or when the filter gets some age on it you could see the difference in power from one tank to the next on fuel. The noise could de a bad or dirty injector to a bad load of fuel / problem with the filter.
I found on big pases I needed to change the RPM and would run 2500-2700 if I held more then it would power down somehow like the truck was de fueling it less then 2200 it would just load up and not a good fuel burn.
Back to you I really think that if the motor is ok and fuel is good it was your auto trans. Like I said that was the reason I got the stick now.
I was running 18500 going the back hills in TN/NC with the only problem now was spinning the tires making turns and getting on the fuel to soon.
Check your weight too, it may be a lot more then you think.
Also check the rig when people get one and they don't think is good they dump it off , was the truck used for racing or towing? May want to run the HP numbers to find if it is like it should be.

Good luck
Jon

 

Thanks for the info. I am not sure what the truck was used for, but the stock bumpers were taken off and put back on at a later date. I had to find lights and wiring harnes for the tag light, they were cut off. I think it was used off road because there was dirt and rocks higher than should be in the frame.

I haven't tried to look at the air filter yet, didn't think of that, but Dodge charged me for a new one when I had it serviced 3 weeks ago. Now that you mention it, it did feel like it was choaking out at some points.

Now I have more things to think about. All in all the truck has been good. I got it with 31000 miles and now after getting home from Colorado I have somewhere around 47000.

Thnaks for the reply

Karl