2000 Dodge RAM 2500

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

IN JULY 2004 WE TOOK THE TRUCK IN AS IT WAS NOT BLOWING COLD AIR, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS LOW ON FREON AND HAD NO VISIBLE LEAKS BUT POSSIBLY EVAP CORE LEAK. THEY PUT SOME SORT OF BLUE IDENTIFIER IN IT AND TOLD US TO CHECK AND SEE IF WE SAW IT ANYWHERE SO THEY WOULD KNOW WHERE THE LEAK IS, NOTHING EVER SHOWED UP. NOW 1 1/2 YEARS LATER THE AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT BLOWING COLD AIR AGAIN. WE EVEN MADE SURE THAT WE TURNED THE AIR CONDITIONER ON MONTHLY AS THEY TOLD US TO SO IT WOULD NOT GO BAD. *JB

AT APPROXIMATELY 14 MILES NORTH OF TOWN ON A REMOTE STRETCH OF MOUNTAIN ROADWAY THE 2000 DODGE/CUMMINS RAM 2500; WITH ONLY 57,000 MILES, SHUT DOWN AS IF I HAD TURNED OFF THE KEY. I KNOW SEVERAL DODGE/CUMMINS TRUCK OWNERS AND MANY HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES WITH THE FUEL INJECTOR PUMPS GOING BAD ON LOW MILEAGE, LATE MODEL TRUCKS. ENDED UP HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED. TWO DAYS LATER PUT THE TRUCK ON THE FERRY HEADED BACK TO JUNEAU. I MADE CONTACT WITH DAIMLER/CHRYSLER CORPORATION CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. I DESCRIBED THE ABOVE INCIDENT. I ALSO STATED THAT I WAS AWARE OF THE ONGOING PROBLEMS AND NUMEROUS FAILURES WITH THE DODGE/CUMMINS FUEL INJECTION PUMPS. DAIMLER/CHRYSLER STATED THAT THE VEHICLES WARRANTY PERIOD HAD EXPIRED BUT THAT THE COMPANY WOULD ENTERTAIN THE PROSPECT OF ASSISTING ME WITH THE REPAIR SINCE THE MILEAGE WAS SO LOW AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE CORPORATION WAS AWARE OF THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP PROBLEMS. DAIMLER/CHRYSLER TOLD ME TO GET A DIAGNOSIS FROM A DODGE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THEY WOULD PROCEED WITH ANY ASSISTANCE. I PROMPTLY DELIVERED THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT MORNING. I HAD TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT FOR A MINIMUM OF 1 HOUR LABOR AT $100.00/HR. THEY CONFIRMED MY DIAGNOSIS OF THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP AND QUOTED $2700.00 FOR THE REPAIR. I CALLED THE NEXT MORNING AND RELAYED THIS INFORMATION TO DAIMLER/CHRYSLER. THEY STATED THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP AND GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME. DAIMLER/CHRYSLER HAS NOT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO CONTACT ME. *NM

TWICE WHILE DRIVING THE 2000 DODGE 2500 CLUB CAB THE ENGINE STALLED SUDDENLY. *NM THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. ONCE THE CONSUMER WAS BALE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE HE DROVE TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AGAIN, THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER TO EXPECT IT TO FAIL AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH SLUGGISH SHIFTING. *JB *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.