I do not know what to do this truck , I have lost all trust in it . I usually keep a truck over 10 years and this one has spent more time broke down then any other . Last week it started putting fuel in the oil again and took out the turbo again , this will make the third time it has been towed in at a cost of 80 dollars each time . The truck is stock , not worked hard and well maintained . It may pull a gooseneck trailer a few times a month and I use fuel additive . It is just scary to drive this thing any distance and be stuck waiting for parts . My first turbo took 3 weeks , carrier bearing took months , universals took 7 trips and then I fixed them . When it is something difficult I pay to have it towed to a better dealer since the ones around me are real bad . The dependability of the Cummins has left and I am lost as to were to go from here . Fuel additives do not work , so I will stop using them , why pay the extra cost . I used Power Service with no luck and feel 2 cycle oil is a mistake because of the added carbon . I learned a long time ago to much 2 cycle oil is worse on an engine the not enough and our engine were not designed for any . I guess what I want if some advice on how to make this truck useable again , what can I do ? I am one step away from giving up on it and finding something older and dependable again . The money I lost and time makes this thing more of a hardship then a pleasure to own , any help on what to do would be appreciated . I am disabled with an illness but have worked the mechanical field for many years an I am a good wrench but just a slow wrench now . Thanks for the vent and I hope no one feels I have disrespected there baby I usually feel the same way about what I drive , but enough is enough .

 

Huh. Sucks.

How many miles on it at this point?

 

Did you buy the truck new or used? Sounds like a lemon to me. I don't know if this would apply to you but have you heard of the lemon law? I beleive if you have 3 occuring issues(like a turbo going south 3 times) you can have the truck bought back. You might want to do some research on that.

You said you had to wait about a month to get a turbo replaced? I applaud you sir for your paitance. I would be knee deep in that dealers butt. If the truck is realy a hassle like you say, trade it off and never look back. It's realy only a couple pieces of metal & a cast iron block with 6 holes in it. There are many many more Cummins out there that won't give you even half the issues you have been having. Maybe look at a Dmax or a Powerstroke.

Good luck with whatever you do.

You said the dealer you usualy go to is not good? Maybe they are a big cause of your reoccuring issues. They may do junk work.

 

You Sir DO have patience, you have been dealing with stuff over an extended period of time, but too much stuff in the overall. I do not know how many miles you have but if it has not reached the average for the time period and your down time equals enough of a percentage, you probably DID get a lemmon and just did not have that labeled fast enough.

I would have been all over the 'better' dealership and DC as well. The only way to really get stuff taken care of by them seems to be if WE get all worked up and in their face. Shame that those seem to be the rules, bus as they are, play by them.

If you are considering a trade-in DUE to all of this, if it is another Dodge you are considering at this time I would also be pressuring them into giving me a REAL GOOD DEAL, beyon real good, just because of all the BS I'd been through. Someone could be made to get that message and have a little respect, etc for your patience through it as well. You are at that point in time where the buy-back would have negatives for you, but you could get them to take better care of you in a trade-up.

Good luck with whatever your choices might be, but I certainly would not procrastinate any longer, that is just a continuance of where you are and have been, NOT enjoying the truck you thought you would have gotten when you bought it.

CD

 

The truck has 58,000 on it now and to be true full my patience has wore out . Turbo's were back ordered when the first one went south and that was the reason for the long wait . I called last week and this time they claim it should be up and running before Wednesday . The carrier bearing was the same thing , backordered for months . The universals were just put in wrong , one with a bearing under the cracked cap and the other with no clip at all which took out the carrier bearing . I went out and purchased greaseable ones and installed them being careful to reassemble shaft in same location and had a vibration . I then gave the rear shaft a 180 and life was good again , that is why I pay 80 dollars and have it towed . I think lemon law requires 3 of the same problems but I will give a lawyer a call and see . Were to go from there if I did that would be a hard choice . Having an engine that has been run on a high amount of diesel fuel twice that I paid top dollar for does not make me warm and fuzzy either . This engine will never make high mileage with out some serious money put into it , I would hate to see what my cam , rod and main bearings have suffered .

 

John, you are truly a good guy that obviously tries to give people a chance to do their job. I am sorry you got such a lousy truck. Call a spade a spade do exactly what someone else said and get rid of it. You know in your gut it is not just going to get everything straightend out and be a truck you can count on. I have an 06 and so far have been lucky with it with only 15k miles even with a race box on it. That being said, it still will not crank as fast as my 1975 ford backhoe, due to the ? crank sensor and all this electronics. However, that is what we have to choose from unless you could find a cream puff older Cummins without all the ECM and stuff. I think we all agree with you and feel bad for you. I don't know what your situation is, I will pray for you, that you get out of the bad mood that any of us would have and also that the Lord would send your way great truck, and make it possible for you to get in it at a good price. I agree, the dealer should take care of you, I would maybe talk to owner of dealership God bless you and good luck my friend.

 

Like mentioned before I would try and get from under that truck now while you still can. See if the dealer won't work out a heck of a deal with you for a new truck.

Having a truck with that many motor issues is bound to bit you in the rear end sooner or later. Yea the motor is good under warranty untill 100k, but what about after that? If it acts the way it does now when warranty is out your better off getting rid of it and buying something new.

I wish you the best of luck. These trucks are not cheap. No sense in paying hunderds on a truck note when the sucker is sitting in a dealer lot not working. Not to mention all the money you will be saving on having the truck towed to the dealer. You could buy your self a hot tub or something at the end of the year.

 

Thanks everyone for all the positive comments, they mean a lot . I got rid of my old 91 Cummins because of my illness and the standard transmission was getting difficult . I drove that truck 13 years with zero problems other then normal maintenance and it was still a real nice truck . Hind site I should have kept that truck and suffered through with the standard , a big costly mistake . I guess that is all spilled milk and I need to decide were to go from here . Going in debt on another new truck does not seem like a viable option right now but keeping this thing seems like an even worse idea . I will pray for the right answer and maybe some help from the dealer .

 

Yeah, some help from the dealer. The service history (warranty wise) has to be horrendous on this truck.

 

Since they have been doing onesy twosy on the injectors see if they will replace the remaining ones this time that have not been replaced. They should with all the crap you have been through. It's worth a shot to ask that is for sure.

 

My 04.5 was like yorus. Dodge wouldn't let me lemon it as I signed a binding arbitration agreement when I bought it (No I didn't realize i signed it till the problems started). 2 injectors, 1 lift pump, 1 CP3, 4 pressure relief valves, 1 total major breakdown when the fan "Came off" and all the resultant damage from poor repair process, leaking timing cover plug due to mechanic cracking same aned not checking and us partaking a 1200 mile trip towing my 12000# fiver. Dodge offered to trade to a new 07 5.9 same as what I had (was at slightly over 70000 miles) and offer was $17000 difference for the mileage I had. Basically told them where to go so found a much better deal on my own, about $.20 per mile to trade for teh 07 5.9 in my signature. No regrets, much better truck, better tranny when towing (like the settings better) and overall so far no problems. I felt like you and almost went GM but still couldn't get the price. Had the new truck prior to making the deal fuel pressure checked, valve adjustment done and as above all items from 04.5 changerd over to the 07. Absolutly no regrets and just pulled the 1200 miles to fFlorida and got 10-11 towing with just over 10K miles on it. First 2 tanks truck empty got 16-17 so even that started out better.

Equipment wise same as the 04.5 including the 4x4 and auto tranny.

Giuess muy thoughts on my decision to trade was like you I could not depend on the truck to get me from point a to point b without a breakdown. For me it was a decision to take the loss and go on...didn't like it but couldn't stand the other side of it either.

Good luck in whatever you decide. It is still worth you looking into lemoning it but think you may have too many miles on it.