2000 Dodge RAM 2500

MY VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND ON PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AS THOUGH IT RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED INTO A SHOP AND DIAGNOSED WITH HAVING A FUEL TRANSFER PUMP FAILING WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE INJECTION PUMP TO FAIL. THIS IS ON A DODGE WITH A CUMMINS DIESEL ENGINE. THE REPAIR SHOP QUOTED A PRICE TO REPAIR IT AND GAVE ME WHAT THEY DETERMINED TO BE WRONG. PRIOR TO AUTHORIZING ANY REPAIR CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE CHRYSLER DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED WHO ALSO ADVISED THAT THIS HAD BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM IN THE PAST THAT THEY HAD RUN INTO. THE REPAIR IS TO REMOVE THE TRANSFER PUMP AND PLACE A FUEL PUMP IN THE FUEL TANK AND REPLACE THE LINE TO THE INJECTION SYSTEM AND REPLACE THE INJECTION PUMP. ALL THIS WAS $4500 IN REPAIRS. IT SEEMS THAT IF CHRYSLER KNEW ABOUT THIS AND IN LATER YEARS CORRECTED WHY ARE THEY NOT NOW FORCED TO MAKE A RECALL ON THE OLDER MODELS AND/OR PAY FOR THE COST OF MY REPAIRS. *TR

DRIVING BEHIND AN 18 WHEELER ON US HWY 67 NORTH OF NEWPORT, AR. I ATTEMPTED TO PASS THIS VEHICAL. AFTER REACHING APPROX. 2/3 PAST THIS VEHICAL I LOST ALL POWER IN MY 2000 DODGE 2500 MODEL PICK UP 24 VALVE CUMMINS DIESEL WITH OUT ANY WARNING FROM ANY GAUGES THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. I HAD TO TAKE EMERGENCY ACTION NOT TO CAUSE A CRASH FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAD MY TRUCK TOWED TO A GARAGE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. AFTER INSPECTION I WAS TOLD THE FULE INJECTOR PUMP HAD FAILED AS A RESULT ON THE FULE LIFT PUMP FAILING CAUSING INSUFFICENT FULE PRESSURE TO THE INJECTOR PUMP. THERE IS NO LIGHT, GAUGE OR ANY OTHER DEVICE TO LET THE DRIVER KNOW THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. THE ONLY NEW INJECTOR PUMP IS SUPPLIED BY DODGE AT VERY EXPENSIVE $3000.00 RANGE. THE ONLY OTHER OPTION IS TO PURCHASE A REMANUFACTURED PUMP IN THE $1,500.00 RANGE. I WAS TOLD BY ONE REMANUFACTURER THEY HAD REBUILT WELL OVER 6000 OF THESE PUMPS. AS IN MY CASE THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS A VERY DANGEROUS SITIUATION. THERE ARE AFTER MARKET PRESSURE SWITCHES TO PURCHASE WITH A WARNING LIGHT TO ALERT SOMEONE OF AN IMPENDING PROBLEM. I HAD ONE INSTALLED WHEN I HAD MY TRUCK REPAIRED. DODGE SHOULD REPLACE THE PUMP AND OR RE-IMBURSE THOSE WHO HAVE HAD THIS FAILURE OR INSTALL THE SIMPLE WARNING LIGHT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HAD THIS HAPPEN, YET. THERE WILL AND MAY HAVE BEEN DEATHS BECAUSE OF A SIMPLE WARNING LIGHT NOT BEING INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE.

THE VEHICLE, A 2000 DODGE RAM 2500 24 VALVE TURBO CUMMINS 5.7 LITER DIESEL PICKUP TRUCK, SUDDENLY STALLED AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A STATE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE VEHICLE, WHICH HAS POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WAS DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO STOP. ULTIMATELY THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A FUEL LIFT PUMP AND PRIMARY INJECTION PUMP FAILED. THE PRIMARY INJECTION PUMP, A BOSCH MOD. VP44, RELIES ON FUEL FOR LUBRICATION. THE FUEL LIFT PUMP, WHICH IS PLACED FORWARD OF THE FUEL TANK SEVERAL FEET, IS POORLY DESIGNED. THE DESIGN REQUIRES TO PUMP TO BOTH SUCK AND PUMP, ULTIMATELY OVERWORKING ITSELF. IN A VERY SHORT TIME, THE PUMP BECOMES OVER-STRESSED AND FAILS. FAILURE OF THE FUEL LIFT PUMP CAUSES IMMEDIATE LOSS OF LUBRICATION TO THE PRIMARY INJECTION PUMP, DESTROYING THE UNIT. THE VEHICLE WAS ULTIMATELY REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH PARTS PURCHASED INDEPENDENTLY. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED A BOSCH FACTORY REMANUFACTURED REPLACEMENT PUMP AT $2,600. A REPLACEMENT BOSCH VP44 PUMP, REMANUFACTURED BY THE BOSCH FACTORY, WAS PURCHASED FROM A LOCAL DIESEL SPECIALTY STORE FOR $1,100, MORE THAN $1,500 LESS THAN IF PURCHASED FROM THE DEALER. A NEW LIFT PUMP WAS INSTALLED AND THE NEW INJECTION PUMP WAS INSTALLED FOR A TOTAL COST OF $2,300, BEFORE TOWING, WHICH WAS AN ADDITIONAL $250. IN SPEAKING A TECHNICIAN AT THE LOCAL DIESEL SHOP, HE INDICATED THAT CUMMINS AND DODGE HAVE SINCE CHANGED THE POSITION OF THE LIFT PUMP IN THE NEW MODEL TRUCKS, BUT THAT THE PROBLEM IS PERSISTENT IN MODEL YEARS 1998-2002. INDIVIDUALS TRUCK OWNERS HAVE FOUND A WORK-AROUND THAT ELIMINATES THE PROBLEM. THAT WORK AROUND IS TO PLACE THE FUEL LIFT PUMP EITHER IN THE FUEL TANK, OR, NEXT TO AND BELOW THE FUEL TANK. THIS WORK AROUND, WHILE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED BY DODGE, WAS ALSO SUGGESTED BY THE DODGE MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PLACEMENT OF THE FUEL LIFT PUMP IS A PROBLEM. *NM

TWICE NOW, I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS TRUCK WHEN MY ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED. 1. OCT. 2001 - WHILE DRIVING ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD (APPROXIMATELY 12% GRADE), THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO STOP USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THIS OCCURRED ON A NARROW MOUNTAIN ROAD, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I DIRECTED TRAFFIC AROUND ME, AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE. FORTUNATELY, IT STARTED, AND I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. THE LIFT PUMP WAS REPLACED. (PART NUMBER 5015723AC PUMP) THE ODOMETER READ 33,329. I WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALERSHIP TO KEEP THE FUEL TANK AT LEAST HALF FULL. AT THE TIME OF THE FUEL PUMP FAILURE, THE TANK WAS OVER HALF FULL. 2. MAY 2005 '' I WAS ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD, GOING DOWNHILL. AFTER STOPPING AT A SIGNAL, WHEN I STARTED TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE WAS DEAD. AGAIN, THIS OCCURED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS TIME I HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. ''CONFIRM COMPLAINT NO LIFT PUMP PRESSURE REPLACE D LIFT PUMP ENGINE STARTS BUT SETS CODE FOR INTERNAL SHORT IN INJECTION PUMP CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION FROM LIFT PUMP REMOVE INJECTION PUMP AND REPLACE BLEED SYSTEM AND ROAD TEST.'' PART NUMBER 5080885AA-FUEL LINE BANJO PART NUMBER R5013925AA PUMP - FUEL INJECTION MILEAGE 84,754 '' THE FUEL TANK WAS THREE-QUARTERS FULL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IF I WAS TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEED WHEN THESE FAILURES OCCURRED, THE CONSEQUENCES MIGHT HAVE BEEN SERIOUS '' FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS CLOSE BY.

LIFT PUMP FAILED ON MY 2000 DODGE RAM 5.9 CUMMINS ENGINE ONLY 1500 MILES AFTER THE WARRANTY LAPSED (HAPPENED AT 101,500). SINCE THE TIMEFRAME WAS SO CLOSE, WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF I CAN RECOUP SOME $$$ FOR THE PARTS, I MEAN C'MON, $2800 (LESS $800 CORE CHARGE) FOR THIS PART, AND SO CLOSE TO AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED ? HAVE TALKED TO OTHER OWNERS OF TRUCKS LIKE MINE, VIA THE INTERNET, IN PERSON ETC., AND WAS REFERRED TO THIS SITE. IS THERE OR HAS THERE BEEN ANY ATTEMPTS MADE TO RECALL THIS PART ? ANYWAY, LUCKY FOR ME, IT FAILED LESS THAN 2 MILES FROM HOME, BUT WHAT IF I HAD BEEN ON A TRIP HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM HOME, OR RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF FREEWAY TRAFFIC ? THANKS FOR READING, WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO REPLY TO ANY FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE.*AK