2000 Dodge RAM 2500

2000 DODGE 2500 RAM VAN. AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR 12 VOLT CLUTCH, WHICH DRAWS 4.5 AMPS MEASURED IS FUSED AT 20 AMPS , THE POWER TO THIS FUSE ONLY GOES TO ONE PLACE THE CLUTCH. THE WIRE APPEARS TO BE #24 GAUGE WHICH MAY BE OK FOR THE 5 AMPS OR SO BUT NOT FOR 10AMPS OR MORE SO WHY THE INVITATION TO A WIRING HARNESS FIRE BY POWERING THAT LINE WITH A 20 AMP FUSE? I NOTED THIS CONDITION AFTER I HAD AN AIRCONDITIONING CLUTCH PROBLEM. AND FOUND WIRES IN THE HARNESS BURNT AND MELTED TOGATHER IN THE HARNESS.

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

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE RAM 2500 4X4 AUTO WITH A CUMMINS DIESEL. FOR THE PRODUCTION YEARS 1998 TO 2001, SOME OF THESE ENGINES WHERE PRODUCED WITH AN INFERIOR ENGINE BLOCK (IDENTIFIED WITH A BLOCK CASTING NUMBER OF "53"). MORE SPECIFICALLY THESE BLOCKS HAVE THINNER WATER JACKET WALLS THAN OTHER BLOCKS SO WITH COOLANT CAVITATION, CORROSION, COOLANT PRESSURE IN THE BLOCK, AND TORQUE, THEY MAY CRACK, SPILLING YOUR COOLANT. WHEN THE CRACK OCCURS, AND THERE ARE VERY MANY DOCUMENTED CASES, IT IS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE, THE SAME SIDE AS THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY FIRES, ETC. BUT I KNOW THAT ENGINE COOLANT DOES CONTAIN FLAMMABLE INGREDIENTS AND THE EXHAUST CAN GET VERY HOT, ESPECIALLY WHEN TOWING. ALSO, THIS ENGINE WITH A 53 BLOCK HAS BEEN USED IN OTHER APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING: MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS FROM DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS, MOBILE HOMES, PUBLIC SCHOOL BUSES AND MASS TRANSPORTATION BUSES. I SEARCHED THE NHTSA SITE FOR INFO REGARDING THE CUMMINS 53 BLOCK, BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDED WOULD BE OF GREAT USE. ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK IN MY TRUCK HAS NOT CRACKED, I'M MORE INTERESTED IN PREVENTING A PROBLEM THAN EXPERIENCING IT. VERY MANY THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT.*JB

THE STEERING ON MY 2000 DODGE RAM 2500 4X4 HAS BEEN SLOPPY/WANDERS FOR ABOUT THE PAST TWO YEARS. FIRST, I REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH THE SAME STANDARD TIRES. I THEN HAD IT ALIGNED AND THE MECHANIC COULDN'T GET THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT. SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND THEY RECOMMENDED AN INDEPENDENT ALIGNMENT SHOP. THERE THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE TRACK BAR AND GOT THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT. THAT SEEMED TO TIGHTEN UP THE STEERING WHEEL A BIT. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THE WHEEL WAS SLOPPY AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY GOT IN AND TEST DROVE IT WITH ME. THEY DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE WHEEL WAS "LOOSE" BUT THE DODGES JUST HAD LOOSE STEERING. THEY ALSO SAID THEY COULD TIGHTEN UP THE STEERING GEAR BOX. SO I LET THEM DO THAT. BUT WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP THE TRUCK, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO REPLACE THE GEAR BOX SOON. BEFORE I DID THAT I WANTED TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM, AND THEY DID. MANY PEOPLE ON THE TURBO DIESEL REGISTER WEB SITE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS HOW I WAS REFERRED TO THIS WEB SITE. IF SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING, WHY ISN'T A RECALL ISSUED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *JB