1999 Dodge RAM Van

THE ABS WARNING LIGHT AND THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATED. SCAN TOOL DATA SHOWED CODES FOR"ABS PUMP STALLED" WERE STORED AND ACTIVE. REPLACEMENT OF THE ABS MODULE AND THE ABS EHCU WERE REQUIRED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. VERIZON HAS HAD MANY UNDERHOOD FIRES IN THIS MODEL VAN WHICH ORIGINATED IN THE ABS MODULE AREA. VERIZON FEELS THAT THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHICH WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND REPAIR BY DAIMLERCHRYSLER.

THE VERIZON VEHICLE HAD AN UNDERHOOD FIRE WHILE PARKED IN A VERIZON PARKING FACILITY. THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ABS MODULE AREA. THE ABS MODULE AND WIRING CONNECTOR, TRUCK BATTERY, AND VARIOUS OTHER UNDERHOOD COMPONENTS WERE BURNT. VERIZON HAS HAD SIMILAR FIRES IN THIS MODEL VAN AND FEELS THAT THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

THE VERIZON VEHICLE HAD AN UNDERHOOD FIRE WHILE IT WAS IN THE REPAIR FACILITY FOR AN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER INTERMITTEN OPERATION COMPLAINT. WHEN THE TECHNICIAN CONNECTED THE SCAN TOOL TO THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ABS MODULE AREA. THE ABS MODULE AND WIRING CONNECTOR ALONG WITH THE TRUCK BATTERY WERE BURNT. VERIZON HAS HAD SIMILAR FIRES IN THIS MODEL VAN AND FEELS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

THE VERIZON VEHICLE HAD AN UNDERHOOD FIRE WHICH ORIGINATED IN THE ABS MODULE AREA. THIS FIRE STARTED ON A WEEKEND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED PARKING BUILDING. THE ABS MODULE AND WIRING, TRUCK BATTERY, AND VARIOUS OTHER UNDERHOOD COMPONENTS WERE BURNT. VERIZON HAS HAD SIMILAR FIRES IN THIS MODEL VAN AND FEELS THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

THE VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS VAN WAS TAKEN TO LEE AUTO MALL WESTBROOK, THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER IN WESTBROOK MAINE FOR REPAIRS. THE ABS MODULE AND CONNECTOR WERE FOUND TO BE MELTED. VERIZON HAS HAD A NUMBER OF UNDERHOOD FIRES WHICH STARTED IN THE ABS MODULE AREA AND FEEL THAT THIS CONDITION IS UNSAFE AND WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

THE FOLLOWING IS REGARDING A 1999 DODGE RAM 2500 VAN AND FAILURE OF TIE RODS. AT APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES BOTH OUTER TIE ROD ENDS WERE REPLACED BY A DEALER FOR TORN RUBBER BOOTS. AT APPROXIMATELY 64,000 MILES ANOTHER TIE ROD FAILURE OCCURRED. THIS TIME IT WAS THE ADJUSTING SLEEVE. THE SLEEVE HAD BECOME LOOSE ON THE TIE ROD END AND HAD DEVELOPED SUFFICIENT MOVEMENT TO WEAR THE THREADS DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE TOTAL FAILURE (SEPARATION) OF THE TIE ROD WAS IMMINENT. THIS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES AFTER A STATE INSPECTION AND WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING. BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS POWER STEERING (WHICH HAS A VERY DEAD FEELING), THE TIE ROD HAD TO BE VERY NEAR FAILURE BEFORE ITS EFFECT COULD BE FELT IN THE STEERING. OBVIOUSLY I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT BECAUSE TIE ROD SEPARATION WHILE MOVING IS GOING TO RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL (GO RIGHT INTO THE DITCH OR WORSE GO LEFT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC). WHILE MY DEGREE IS IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, I FEEL I HAVE HAD ENOUGH MECHANICAL EXPERIENCE AND EXPERIENCE WORKING ON CARS TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING COMMENT. I THINK DODGE'S DESIGN WITH A SLEEVE THAT IS SPLIT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH AND DEPENDS SOLELY ON THE CLAMPS FOR INTEGRITY IS VERY POOR. FOR EXAMPLE, MITSUBISHI USES A SOLID ADJUSTING SECTION WITH TWO JAM NUTS. TOYOTA AGAIN USES A SOLID SECTION THAT IS SPLIT ONLY AT THE ENDS WHERE THE CLAMPS ARE USED TO PREVENT ROTATION. BOTH OF THE LATTER TWO DESIGNS ALLOW FOR A MORE POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT OF THE THREADS. *LA