I am in the process of buying my brother-in-laws 2003 2500 4wd. He bought it new. He put the AFE intake on, Banks exhaust and an Edge programmer. I also see an aluminum ribbed automatic transmission pan on it. He set the truck up for towing a 5th wheel RV. He passed away about 6 years ago. The truck has been driven very little since. It has 93xxx miles on it. One of his sons has a 2004 2500 Cummins and his brother has a 2005 3500 Cummins otherwise I would be totally lost. My sister left all vehicle issues to my brother-in-law. A 3rd son was living with his mom for a few years after his dad died and "I think" took over on vehicle issues. He now lives in Hawaii and the other two live in southern California and Idaho.

I will be using the truck to tow a 28' RV bumper pull trailer. He ordered truck with no factory hitch so I put an aftermarket receiver on.

The registration is expired on the truck so I haven't taken it for a test drive yet. Just trusting that my nephews are up to date with their combined observations. They have been here ,off and on, for a few months.

On a trip to the dump with the truck recently my nephew saw that the ABS and BRAKE lights were lit on the dash. I did some research online. When I pulled the 14 pin connector from the abs module there were only 12 pins. The other 2 were in the connector with corrosion crud. I bought an abs pump and module from a wrecking yard. I chose to only use the module. I finished the install last night. One of the 4 mm screws that hold the module to the pump snapped off. I ended up drilling/ grinding with a dremel the old screw out of pump body and re-taping to 5mm. I hope it all works right when I can finally test drive it.

I have only driven the truck about 200 yards down to the barn. When I did I noticed that the FACTORY filter mounted lift pump sounded terrible. Gauge shows about 1/2 tank. When I had the nephew with the 2004 listen to it he said "That sounds bad". He told me about the FASS DRP04 and install kit that he put on his truck. I asked the other nephew if he heard the noisy pump when he went to the dump. He said no. I am guessing that the sludge got stirred up and settled around the pickup in tank. I did drain and pull the fuel filter from the canister. I bought a Baldwin filter to install after I finish flushing the sediment from canister. I started researching. I think I have decided to head toward a Titanium system. I am guessing that I will end up dropping the fuel tank and finding sludge (due to setting around for the last few years). Since the original style, and possibly ORIGINAL lift pump is still on the canister it must still have the original fuel pickup/sending unit ???

If I do go to a Titanium system I am not interested in a sump but definetly want to avoid All 1/4 tank issues. I am confused about how to set up the factory tank module for the higher flow system and return line. I almost put "working on cars" in my profile as a hobby but that has been more out of necessity than pleasure. I hate paying someone else to do something that I can do. So I am willing to do what it takes to get it done and have most any tool that could be needed. I just need some advise about this diesel/Cummins
/Dodge stuff.

This time of doing repairs/maintenance/upgrades while at the barn will be coming to a close since the property is being sold. I will be basically a full time RVer and I know that my chances of doing repairs on the road are about to come to a halt.

The list that I am going to try to get through before I have to leave the barn include.
Tranny fluid/filter change. Any advise on fluid type?? Tranny filter type?? Since this truck has the aluminum tranny pan do those generally hold more fluid ? If yes how do I figure out how much??

Lift pump upgrade and fuel pick up modification. This includes tank clean out also. Any advise on tank cleaning product ?? I have read about bad bacteria in tank sludge. Any advise on fuel pickup modifications??

Oil and filter change Plan to go to Stratapore LF16035 Fleetguard. I think that is correct application ? Not sure on oil to use yet. Does any body use additives like ZMax ??

As you see I have my work cut out for me. I have been spending a lot of time researching on here and other sites. Thanks to you members for the information that you have shared. Looking forward to some more suggestions so I can finish this round of projects off. Thanks again !!!

 

The FASS Titanium is the way to go in my opinion. My truck runs so much better after the installation.

Use the sump feed. The stock may not flow enough fuel, especially with further mods in the future.

The problem with the straw is that the plastic tank can flex increasing the distance from the bottom of the tank to the straw. In this situation, you run out of fuel prematurely, like when the reserve light and ding occurs.

Installing the sump feed will help to drain any crud in the tank (if any). I wouldn't worry too much about being **** in this regard unless you have the equivalent of seaweed growing in the tank. Add a biocide to kill the growth (if any) and change the Titanium fuel filter and water filter after 5,000-10,000 miles initially. The Titanium does a constant return runaround back to the tank, constantly cleaning the tank of debris, and the sump feed helps in this regard because it bottom feeds.

There are different number Fleetguard Stratapore oil filters. Whichever filter you get, ensure that it is the Stratapore version. Fleetguard does offer a non-Stratapore version that doesn't filter as well. Don't use a non-Fleetguard filter. Some of the cheaper brands have come apart and clogged the engine oil passages. Geno's Garage sells them at a reasonable price.

ATF+4 transmission fluid is backwardly compatible to all Chrysler transmissions, is synthetic and is recommended. The transmission pan probably does hold more fluid, but you didn't specify which one it was. Add the normal amount of fluid and check the level with the dipstick (in Neutral...not Park...read the dipstick). Add until the level is just within the normal range, drive it to heat the fluid and check the level hot. You may or may not have to add fluid. Just make sure it isn't overfilled.

Any trans filter is OK. I usually buy from Napa Auto Parts.

I have been using Delo 15W-40 for years in 12v and 24v Cummins with good results. On sale at Costco, a case of three gallons is $28.

Good luck with the truck

 

Hello Desert5600, Thanks for your reply, advice and well wishes. Is there a temperature that will dictate the need for a thinner oil for winter? I may find myself trying to stay ahead of the cold. But I may stay close to the northwest to see the 1st grandchild more often. She is 11 weeks old.

 

From the horse's mouth:

5.9L Cummins ISB Maintenance Schedule & Service Information

Check around the the front bumper by the radiator mount on the passenger side for a block heater plug. Sometimes they're tucked away and are hard to see. My truck is parked inside, but if left outside you can get one of those 1000W $5 timers from HF and plug it in so it heats 3-4 hours before start. Works great and you don't have to change oil for the season if it gets colder than the limit on the list.

 

Also, there have been software updates from Dodge to the computer. Dodge will update for $100. They also have a 3-cylinder high idle for a faster warmup. Not all trucks came with this...Dodge charges extra for this.

I have a Smarty tuner that includes this feature as part of the tune that also includes a code reader, which can be a real advantage for troubleshooting.

FWIW...

 

I wonder if the Edge programmer, that is on this truck, will have a similar feature for the high idle.

If I understand the youngest nephew correctly(the one in Hawaii), their dad kept all maintenance records/receipts in file folders in boxes. I will have to politely check with the other two nephews to see if they have seen boxes of file folders. Hopefully the instructions for the add ons are in the boxes and can be found. I am planning to go to the local dealership and ask them to print out whatever maintenance records that they have. I suppose a CarFax report would also be helpful. I would imagine that I can find a pdf for the Edge programmer. I just have to figure out which model it is.

 

I wonder if the Edge programmer, that is on this truck, will have a similar feature for the high idle.

If I understand the youngest nephew correctly(the one in Hawaii), their dad kept all maintenance records/receipts in file folders in boxes. I will have to politely check with the other two nephews to see if they have seen boxes of file folders. Hopefully the instructions for the add ons are in the boxes and can be found. I am planning to go to the local dealership and ask them to print out whatever maintenance records that they have. I suppose a CarFax report would also be helpful. I would imagine that I can find a pdf for the Edge programmer. I just have to figure out which model it is.

 

Edge makes good stuff. Find the model nr and go online for a .pdf owner's manual.