It's a great testament to these trucks if the A/C compressor that has been replaced for the 4th time is a weak point. Until this point the truck was on it's 3rd compressor meaning each is lasting ~330,000+ miles. That sounds pretty good to me
My Ram 3500 right now has 966,000+ miles on it & have only replaced the A/C compressor once. Turbo went at 927,000 miles. TIPM at 963,000 miles because rodents got in there & chewed stuff away. It sat for over 3 months because I had major surgery & could not drive.
In my part of the country, most of these older Ram trucks succumb to horrendous rust long before any major mechanical issues take them out of service. Great engines, though.
Yeah, i live in northeast pa, n if u dont coat ur truck properly (which costs a ton of money if u remove the body n do it properly, n it needs to be since new, before salt ever hits it or u'll never be able to get on top of) it'll be gone long before it dies. N that goes for most vehicles of any kind. Funny thing is, the german vehicles are some of the best protected here. For instance a bmw that is basically completely covered underneath (makes for a pia when servicing certain things) but they do an absolutely amazing job protecting their vehicles from the factory. I remember a 2017 bmw i bought, i couldn't for the life of me figure out what this brown stuff that was stuck on the inside of the doors in the corners n it kinda leaked out a tiny bit n is impossible to remove, that is what they coat the inside of the doors along the bottom with, n its amazing stuff. Think if fluid film and crc marine in ine product but multiply that by 10, n that is the equivalent of what they use. So its sad to say when u buy a luxury vehicle, they are made better in many instances that people often over look. Better paint protection, thicker clear all that adds to better longevity in harsh climates. Ud think u.s. companies would have this down, but they dint care or want their vehicles to last longer than 5 to 7 years because thats that much longer a person is happy with their vehicle so they wont buy another.
@@todtalk3912 This is what i try to explain to Scotty's "endless money pit" followers. That German brands have the best corrosion resistence. Cheaper and easier to fix mechanical issues than rust. That is not to say the cars break down often.
@@Tobester_McDonkey It's hard to compare a semi with a work truck. The semis rarely get cold started and 99% of the mileage is all highway cruising which put minimal wear on the engines.
I know a contractor that drives from Houston to TN, GA and back every other week for some time driving a Dodge dually. Driving for a company out of Chicago, my truck was doing 3,300 to 3,700 miles a week. Around 180k miles a year. I do not miss it even though the money was good. Never wanted to get involved in one of those crazy winter pileups because the snow covered roads are where the money is to be made in the winter. From the Dakotas or Wisconsin to the Northeast all winter.
'03 Laramie DRW single-cab owner here. 324K miles w/ manual trans. Replaced most of the components that Wizard mentioned. Turbo upgrade, trans rebuild with far superior internals as well as upgraded clutch, beefier rear end, stacks up the side(for a "Lil Red Special" throwback). Everywhere I go, I'm offered to sell it. Never going to let it go. Apparently the 5.9 has a serious cult following now(TH-camrs like Firepunk and others help with that). We bought new and has served our family well.
I have same year and style except mine is a 4 door long bed. It has 178k miles and only real parts has been 1 set sway bar end links, steering gear, transmission pressure solenoid and transducer, and power steering pump. Mine was a December built truck so it was the last month of the 47RE transmission before the 48RE which came in January 2003. Been a very reliable truck for me with zero breakdowns.
My sister has a 90' ford explorer with almost 600,ooo on the original motor and transmission. She baby'ed it and did 3500 mile service intervals for everything at a great auto shop by her. Her relationship w/ a near by shop is why her truck still runs like new. Her seat is trashed and she wont replace it but everything else works. It would have over 6ook had she not stopped driving to work from the covid shutdown and now teaches from home. Any car IMHO can last indefinitely w/ proper service.
Cars last just as long as people are willing to take care of them. There are certainly cars with massive engineering flaws that simply aren't worth fixing, but for the most part, it's when owners simply stop caring about it, they stop maintaining it, and just beat them to death.
Wizzard, I totally agree. I've had two 97 Dodge Cummins and an 04. Have my current 97 Flatbed dually with manual 5sp for over 6 years. When I got it I replace all the steering to prevent the death whobble. Other than that nothing, I mean nothing has broke. I think about newer steel then I'm Like, this truck don't break. End of debate.
I'm a big fan of 03-04 Dodge Ram Cummins due to their simplicity, reliability, longevity and durability. A popular upgrade for these trucks that I would recommend for Hoovie would be the 07.5+ steering linkage update (tie rod, drag link, steering shock)
@@jasonthach44 my grandfathers 2001 7.3 with around 290,000 miles is on at least it’s third transmission. My fathers 2004 Cummins is into 300,000 on the stock trans
Agree completely regarding diesels being choked by emission controls and the costs associated with keeping them on the road. Had a 6.7 L Ford. Loved the power and fuel economy but I couldn't afford to keep it on the road. It ended up being the most undependable vehicle that I've ever owned.
I have a diesel. I paid 2k$ to disable the emission control system to prevent it from going into limp mode all the time. Fortunatly, there is no emission testing where I live. Otherwise, I wouln't have been able to afford these newer diesel trucks.
I have a Transit with the diesel. I’m having the emissions system disabled this year. That vehicle is otherwise a complete piece of shit. The cooling system is a disaster.
4 years ago I came across a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 with the same engine. I had been looking to replace my 1996 Dodge Ram 2600 V10 with 425,000 miles. I got the 2004 Dodge Ram with 124,500 miles. I went through that truck and there was absolutely no modifications it had the original everything. I replaced the fluids and found the right rear shock leaking. I replaced 4 new shocks and it did need a front brake job. After a year I replaced all 4 tires. I did install a 5th wheel hitch and use the truck as my RV hauler and it has traveled the United States. After 4 years and 30,000 miles I only had to replace the radio with a nicer unit that has a backup camera. Last year I replaced the water pump, thermostat, and belt tensioner after the tensioner froze up. So now with 30K miles since I bought it I am doing the 2nd round of fluid replacements. I think these are the last of the great Cummins engines as they are durable strong and have decent stock power. I do not want anything to do with emission controls and this one does not have them and I intend to keep this for the long term.
@@Berto-1117 Just good luck finding the kits and tune programs to do the delete. The government has been cracking down on the tune companies with hefty fines for altering the emissions control devices.
@@mikeske9777 what do you mean? There are litterally thousands of companys doing this. Tunes are permanent they cant do anything about manipulated technology. A tune is just a change to factory settings. A kit is literally a pipe and a blank plate for the egr cooler. There really isnt much to it lol
I use to work in a large motor pool with 400 cars trucks and vans within some models you could see part failures at the same mileage we even tracked and would plan repairs based on replacement mileage and sure enough with a few miles it always happened.
I have a 78 Ford F 100, and it is getting close to 400,000 miles. Same engine and transmission. I just towed a Cadillac from Florida to Memphis Tennessee. No prob. All I do is change oil and transmission fluid, plugs and wires, filters belts hoses and the alternator. That thing Will not die. I brought it from my paw paw. He made me promise not to get rid of it and it will make me a million bucks one day 💪💪💰
That exhaust may have come with the truck when new, but as a dealer installed option. A couple co-workers of mine bought one of these trucks back then, both had the wicked cool sounding Magnaflow exhaust.
One of my apartment neighbors has an old Saturn sedan with just over 300,000 miles logged, but it just stopped turning, so when he gave me a ride to work one day last winter he said he's manually logged a total of nearly 500,000. He's a mechanic of 35 years, so he knows how to take excellent care of it.
4:15 Don't spend big bucks on TIPM rebuild or replacement. There are effective relay bypass kits available. I put a fuel pump relay bypass on my '11 Grand Caravan and it worked like a charm!
Good tip on the TIPM ... i have a no crank on a 2008 compass ...connectors and wires need checked from the key switch on down to the TIPM before i dig into the TIPM PCB. CAM BUS IS GOOD THOUGH... I can crank and start with key switch on and remote start button wired to starter under hood.🆗 can you send a link to the bypass kit for my no key start problem? thanks
I just bought a 2003 ram 1500 with the 5.7 hemi with 223,000 miles and it runs like its brand new and no lights on its an amazing truck. Im getting ready to drive it from boise idaho to union Missouri almost a 23 hour drive
Third gens were known to break blend doors. There were updated hvac cases and motor couplers with improved stops. Ball joints/tie rods seem to be an issue on all 3’s heavy pickups. Long crank times on the common rail engines can be a sign of high return flow/worn injectors. 06’s were famous for the tachometer failing, requiring the dash cluster to be rebuilt.
@@JeffinTD My 97 with the 318 now has a small rip in the seat and a tiny split in the foam. I've been keeping up with forums (my new truck is a 94 2500 with a V-10), and I'm sort of salivating at the folks who are moving 09-15 interiors (Laramie Longhorn ones, even) into earlier generation Rams.
@@OtherSarah2 Yeah. I’ve had an 03 and 06 Laramie. The 03 was more comfortable, and I’ve had to put new seat foam and cover on the 06. The way the seat is shaped tends to cause the foam to rip at the edge of the bolster. Overall, though, nice trucks.
@@iboswell The foam is really inexpensive and good quality. i had to sew in a new fabric panel on my 96's seat that was worn away by PO butts, good as new again now and cheaper than putting in a sidestep
Yep amazon has seat pad and fabric for cheap. I have steps with 300k+ and my seats still in great condition because I dont drag my ass across it or put all my weight on the outter edge getting in an out
First time I saw one of these was in the movie Twister. I thought it looked great. Since then I’ve seen a few imports over here in the U.K. - great looking truck. Hasn’t aged to my mind
My PT Cruiser has the same dash removal process. It was exactly how you mentioned with this truck. A couple months back I wanted to replace my dash top because it was cracked, so I went to the junkyard, grabbed one, and put it right on mine. It was a very easy process
Wizard I think it comes down to air circulation. I drove big rigs for 23 years and the engine compartment on them rigs had a lot of room and great air circulation. In the winter we had to winterize the rig to reduce air flow so the engine would get up to running temperature. Too much heat over the long haul is a death nail for all Electonics.
By all means, check the spare! I was driving down a neighborhood street in my '96 Dodge/Cummins... and there was the spare... rolling down the Street! The cable holding it up *snapped* ! Nevermind the frustration of getting the spare on, mounting it, and realizing that it's flat!
My fathers Dodge Ram 1500 5.7 blew last year and it broke his heart watching this brought back a smile he loves these trucks and has driven them for many years and would love this truck even with 1,000,000 miles
There was a K100 Kenworth from the 1980's here in Australia that did 8 MILLION km's before being retired from long distance interstate.........it just kept getting the power train rebuilt, and sent back out to work. There are some fleets here getting 400,000km a year from their long distance trucks.
I have a Canadian guy (live in Iowa) that brings his 80’s K100 in he’s had us rebuild the engine twice and we have rebuilt the transmission 3 times, it has 3 1/4 million miles on it as of Friday when he came in. He just keeps basically restoring it thing runs great and just keeps hauling.
Big Kenny’s like that are my favorites. I grew up between three Kenworth dealers as a kid and saw the K-100’s everyday. I’m now a trucker myself and hoping to own one one day.
It makes my 187k e92 seem barely run in, I always think it’s a true testament to proper, on time maintenance and replacing worn parts when you need to and not leaving it too late
Hey Danny, I do all of the maintenance on our little fleet of family cars. We have three cars at, or close to 300k. 1999 Jeep Cherokeee (XJ) with 289k. 2008 Toyota Prius with 313k. 2001 Honda Civic (manual) with 330k+. You’re right. Maintenance is absolutely key.
4:33 That relay is a dealer installed repair (there's a TSP for it) for a failed lift pump. The factory lift pump is installed on the fuel filter on the side of the engine. This is part of a kit that installs a new fuel cooled lift pump in the tank and the original is removed and bypassed.
What's amazing is that it made that mileage with a K&N filter. Those things are junk are far as actually filtering. Yes, they're low restriction, but they just don't filter well at all. I happen to own 5 RAM diesels and am somewhat familiar with them. You can get the seat cushions from Geno's Garage.
Wow - a million miles. I am a street sweeper and have used the same broom for the last 34 years. It's had 48 replacement heads and 89 replacement shanks. 👍
My Iveco Daily was stolen at 1.25 million miles. In that 15 years I spent just over £50,000 on maintenance, including gearbox at 910,000, engine at 1.1 million, and countless small items, tyres, etc. The Cab was getting weak, and that would have killed it sooner or later. But great truck though.
These trucks can take some abuse too. At 250,000 miles, I didn’t realize I had an oil leak until I started the truck and it was ticking and tapping like crazy. I added oil and drove on. I now have 415,000 miles and still towing 15k trailers up and down the west coast with it 😎
I appreciate you guys being so hospitable to me and letting me take a picture of my semi in front of your shop. And actually getting to meet The Wizzard himself (super chill guy) if ever you offer a shop tour, I would be super interested. I didn't want to ask, and possibly overstep boundaries. ( I understand that you are a busy person who is filming and running a Business. And can't really risk giving away someone else's projects)
Part of the reason those engines go so far is the size and number of main journals, 3.26" and 7, for reference a Duramax is 3.15 and only 5, powerstroke is 3.19 and also 5, This makes for a relatively under stressed engine bottom end.
@@johndavidwolf4239 yes, they all used the maximum number of bearings their chosen architecture would take, my point was more that the I6 cummins has more of them and they are larger in diameter than both the v8 offerings making for much more bearing area to take up the punishment.
@@mikeske9777 : For the same displacement, the rotating mass is about the same. From just an engine standpoint, the straight 6 is excellent design, its only downside is it requires a longer engine bay, and with equal displacement and torque, an 8 cylinder having smaller lighter pistons and valves can rev a bit higher, and thus produce more power, but for the same displacement it has more internal friction.
I am the original owner of a ‘05 Cummins 5.9 The truck has 200k miles on the clock, is all original, garage kept for 15 of the past 17 years and in excellent condition. The 5.9 gets 25 mpg at 60-65 mph and can get almost that mileage at 60 mph with a gentle tailwind pulling my 3000 lb travel trailer. So, my advice to anyone thinking about parting ways with their ole five nine Cummins, DON’T DO IT! Rebuild the engine if necessary, the transmission, all the drivetrain if need be, to maintain a pickup truck with the capabilities the Wizard mentioned. New diesel pickups simply can’t match the performance of the 5.9 Cummins 😉
Honestly, Hoovie could probably sell that truck back to Stelantis for use as a display. The "Million Mile Truck" would be a great promotional tool for a company that's really not known for vehicle reliability.
I dont think they'd want to advertise the truck has a million miles with multiple transmissions, ac compressors, fan clutches, relay boxes... etc. Its not like its a million mile hotshot tundra with only one major failure and that was reverse went out at 750,000 miles lol.
@@CACressida Yeah, this would be useful as a marketing tool for Cummins Inc., but not a perfect example for Stellantis - Toyota also declined any official interest in Matt Farah's million mile Lexus, allegedly because the general condition and repair history wasn't pristine enough to be a good PR piece
The one good thing about the GMT-800 trucks was the easy HVAC evaporator and heater core access, for the evaporator I didn't hardly have to mess with the dash, I just had to drop the airbox after having the system evacuated, also replaced the blower motor and resistor because the resistor pack looked like it failed in a spectacular way and the blower had a dead speed winding, my Mercury Grand Marquis also has easy access to the heater core and evaporator, less so than the GM trucks mentioned above but easy enough that the labor cost less than the parts which was a whole new system because of pinhole leaks and a failed factory original compressor that made it to 227K miles before literally self destructing
I;’m jealaous. My first truck was a 1500 ram single face 2wd ram. This was and still is my dream truck. its the same color with the silver trim and wheels and everything. Would still love to own this generation of truck. My absolute favorite.
i had a 1999 5,9 cummins with automatic transmission. Miss it. The dream would be one again, but with a bosch inline pump instead of the crappy ones, manual transmission and 4x4, rustfree
I had to put about 400 or 500 dollars in parts into the suspension on my 1990 bmw 535i due to neglect by the previous owner and also 2 tires for 300 just to make the vehicle drive nice and safely. I also put in about 800 in labor at shops to drill out multiple snapped subframe bolts and an alignment. I also put on a 600 dollar set of snow tires so I can feel comfortable driving in the winter and ever since I fixed those issues the car never gave me any trouble minus a blown headgasket which I discovered 2 years after my friend purchased the car and about 3 months after I took ownership of the car from him both me and my friend fixed up the car entirely minus the headgasket and even with a blown headgasket It’s been extremely reliable and dependable
Just gotta say, when you put it on the lift ( aside from hoovies Subaru Baja). It like the bob ross of the automotive world, perhaps the hair migrated from the roof to the eves, but the same simple peacefulness is there .
The big thing to point out is the type of use a vehicle gets. Highway driving is the IDEAL way to rack up miles. You know what cars are true high mileage heroes. The NYC Ford Escape taxis with 400k miles. Stop-and-go city driving is the worst and the number of heat cycles those engines go through...
agreed, I'd like to see one of those Taxis in the Wizard's shop. Or a high mileage Volt. PS. I'm unimpressed with the transmission on these. 250K HWY miles is not that much on a transmission. My 8 spd already has 275K and it still shifts like a dream.
There are documented examples of these engines with 2 million miles. From the beginning Chrysler had a problem making a truck that would hold up to the engine. This is a WORKING truck, not some queen! Do yourself a favor though, never even mention delete, this is getting a lot of people in trouble. Great video.
Here in Kansas we don't have emission tests, along with the majority of the country. In Kansas you can have a smoke stack blowing directly on cars and no one would bat a eye. Very libertarian view of life in Kansas. Some small towns have sound ordnances one needs to worry about, but that's the extent. If one lives where deletes are illegal then the responsibility falls completely on the owner who decides to delete their truck. My recommendation would be to gut the DPF and keep the rest of the emissions to visually be intact if one does live in a emissions county or state, or register your truck in another state that doesn't require inspections. If one lives in California, move.
@@OhPhuckYou here in Texas, it goes both ways. In certain counties with higher than a certain population, emissions are required and checked every year, starting 2 years from new. Read: any county with a major city like Dallas, Houston, etc. either in or adjacent to it. A few years ago, diesels were exempt (don't know if that has changed or not). In most Texas counties, the population is below the threshold and vehicle emissions are not required. Unless the laws have changed recently. I think you misspelled "Commiefornia".
I'm sure all mechanics have a lot of experience with Chrysler/Dodge products. The only good thing about the truck is that Dodge didn't make the engine. Those miles are mostly highway miles anyway.
My 2003 1500 with 85,000 had the exact seat rip, brake lights didn't work because of that fuse box.. Took me 10 hours to replace the heater core. This truck reminds me of mine. In 2017 a friend was driving it and it caught on fire. Burnt to the ground.. Good luck Hoovie.
Great channel, can listen to Car wizard all day- Yours would be my go to garage if I was in your neck of the woods- but I am in the UK .. Straight and to the point, no BS.
I keep thinking of the dowel pin failure - but I know that was the earlier 89-'02 Cummins engines, and the aftermarket sure did stepped up with some solid fixes for that issue, so long as an owner doesn't wait for that to happen. But otherwise, I know these engines are veeery dependable. Wonder if Hoovie might be tempted to keep it for a 2nd million miles (a 2 million mile Ram 2500 - that be ultra cool). :-)
It still amazes me how clean that truck is. I had an 04 with 105k miles and this truck looks almost as good as it did. They are great trucks, it was just way too big for my needs.
Those trucks are the cream of the crop the def system is a nightmare inducing mess and with so many places being out of it or out of oil for the newer trucks especially it makes it hard to keep them up i work for Walmart in the automotive department and we had People in full panic because they've been to three towns and dozens of stores and they are all out of def and/or oil
@Lassi Kinnunen 81 it's a hick town nobody likes to use the interwebs they get confused when the notifications pop up on the top of their phone I am not exaggerating whatsoever the people around here half of them that have a smartphone just walk around with it in their pocket and anytime I answer it it's on speaker and they're walking around on speaker because they don't know how to turn the speaker off ordering things online you mention it to him they look at you cross-eyed and you can see their brain explode
My 03 has the dual zone climate that failed. I bought the Blend Door USA all metal blend doors and drivers as the plastic OEM ones fail really fast. I haven't installed them yet. Also my dash is cracked all to pieces like many of the Dodge Rams built in the 90's and 2000's. IIRC the labor to pull that dash was around 16 hours.
@@loveydovey4u That's a great question. Though, I really like having the power driver seat in the 2021. Makes the awkward seating position much easier to deal with.
I needed you. I took a 2008 Impala to a local shop. They replaced the thermostat and presented me with a $450.00+ bill. Wish you were in East Tennessee.
My 2006 ram have 167000. RECENTLY had to replace the oil pan due to RUST. A couple sets of ball joints, steering arms, full carli 3 in suspension, banks intercooler, fleece turbo, steed speed manifold, banks monster ram intake horn. I'd say hoovie has done well
They handle like crap. When you work one every day they are constantly in the shop. I drove one that wouldn't make a curve as fast as the overloaded big rig I drove on the same roads. My 93 Turbo Diesel took those curves with the cruise on 75 and you never thought about it. The dashboard would simply crumble in the west Texas heat.
This sort of truck is what we call "stealth wealth" here in Nashville. Its a very desirable spec truck with the Cummins diesel, 4 doors, 4wd, yet it looks stock. Stealth wealth cars/trucks are usually well optioned yet look more like the base model and are not totally out of date style wise. Anyways you could pull up to a $1 million dollar house in this truck and be seen as the owner of the house, or the guy here to fix a/c. The 1 million miles on this truck doesn't suprise me considering it was driven in the southwest where it won't rust to pieces. Keep in mind that same Cummins diesel was used in school buses(WOT all the time) and medium duty trucks, it was designed to be worked/beat on for at least 700k miles.
I bought my Ford Ranger brand new back in 2011. I've been pretty meticulous about maintaining it, but living up in Canada its starting to succumb to rock chips and body rust. I've pretty much decided that in the next few years I'm gonna take out a loan and get the truck completely redone, at least with the body work. I don't want a new truck because they're all too big and ugly, and I know every last detail of my truck's service history. You can't buy that kind of peace of mind.
Check out the new Ford Maverick. I’m on the same boat. Looking for a truck I can use as a truck ,and being 5”8 most trucks are too tall to comfortably use the bed. I also hate driving big personal vehicles, I’ve had my CDL class A since 04. I don’t want to be driving anything bigger than I have to.
@@guilateen The Maverick is a nice looking little vehicle, but its also not really a truck. I mean, yeah it has a bed, but I need at least a 6 foot bed and the ability to put in a proper crossbed toolbox. Plus my only choices are FWD and AWD, which neither of those appeal to me, I much prefer RWD and if I'm gonna be paying for 4WD, I want a proper 4x4 truck with low range and locking hubs. Plus it doesn't come with certain features that are important to me like sattelite radio and fog lights.
@@lesterparker1594 I'm not a big fan of the new crop of midsize trucks. My Dad has a 2015 Chevy Colorado and I hate driving it because the visibility is terrible. The way the body rakes up and the high bedrails, its impossible to see out the back of, I feel so blind and claustrophobic driving it. The Ranger suffers from the same issue. Alongside that the base price of the Ranger is a few hundred dollars more than the F150 for what is, in my opinion, a lot less truck. Even with a single cab V6 I'd rather take the F150 and have a nice standard bed and more towing capacity. Plus I'd be trading down from my Ranger's nice big 4.0 to a little 2.3, or in the case of the Maverick, a 2.0. Yeah they make more power, but I feel better knowing my engine is understressed. And the biggest thing for me, is both have auto start/stop. I've had seat time with cars that have this feature and I hate hate hate hate it. I will never own a vehicle with start/stop. Oh, and call me a boomer, but all these new trucks are console shift or dial shift, a proper truck is supposed to have a column.
@@hungrymoose7627 yea it must not be for you. But you can’t find a base f150 right now for under $45k. I know. I looked. I paid $31k fir the ranger. The power that “little” 2.3 makes is better than any midsize truck ever put on the market. Everything is going turbocharged. You’re just gonna have to get over it. And the auto start can be turned off by touching a button. Not even a little inconvenience. Drive what you want. I love the little ranger
I really dont understand where all this comea from. New trucks last much longer with much less issues. Delete the emissions at 100k miles and youre good to go. I would know i have a 96 12 valve and a 2018 with a 6.7, 6.7 has no equal
I have a friend that has an 03 chevy 1500 4x4, he bought it new and has it serviced regularly at the local Chevy dealer here in Southwest Wisconsin, normally when the dealer does the oil changes they were supposed to do a multipoint vehicle inspection, check all other fluid levels etc, apparently the dealer got sloppy with their work and they never bothered looking at the rear differential fluid level since new, 105,000 miles and rear end was trashed, rear end never had any leaks, it was low on fluid to begin with from the factory, Just because its dealer serviced doesnt mean its been serviced properly
Considering that the air conditioning in modern vehicles runs almost all of the time, it isn’t surprising that the truck has gone through four compressors. I have to actually work at it to turn the AC off on my cars. There is usually one setting that doesn’t use the AC.
Yes, I hate that. I'm tempted to unplug the compressor until it gets warm again outside because I always leave the knob on defrost/floor and that makes it think that the compressor needs to be on for some reason.
@@Tracert-mc1hu The purpose is to dehumidify the cabin so that the windows do not fog up from your breath. Having had cars without air conditioning, the heater can defrost without AC, but AC does keep windows from fogging inside.
I believe that the older trucks are the better trucks as far as diesel are concerned as long as the body stays together no rust and s on that being the case I would probably keep putting money in to it. My 04 one ton Ford only has 80,000 miles on it. All the maintenance gets done. After it gets used for towing and hauling it gets cleaned up and put back in the garage the wife has a large goat farm so it don't get babied. As long as it still looks good we will keep putting money in to it. So far it's been a great truck. It's about maintenance and keeping it clean. God bless you guys and as always be safe 👍
The fuel pump relay on the TIPM for my Chrysler Town and Country failed, and I had to implement the bypass that was recommended by a few youtubers to get around that relay. It saved me from shelling out a thousand bucks for a new TIPM. They wouldn't let me get the "recall" unit to replace the relay with an external one because the 2011 T&C wasn't part of the recall...
It seems to me a trans rebuild/replacement and A/C work every 200K-250K miles isn't so bad, especially considering how all the electronic crap on newer "trucks" fails far earlier. How many Nissans with a tenth that mileage are on their second or third CVT?
Agreed. 200-250k miles is beyond the useful life span of most people’s vehicles, so having some big jobs done every 200-250k doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to me.
Car makers are definitely capable of producing much more relaible systems then that, so we should not just settle for parts failing prematurely. Look at toyota, transmissions can go up to a million miles with no fluid changes, compressors also can go up to such numbers, makes the dodge look like a joke with 4 tranny replacements
@@mikeko2374 I treated my 1998 Camry like a work truck (including trailer-towing). I bought it from a friend at just over 300,000 miles. When it threw a rod about eight years later, it had 461,228 miles on it. Original engine and transmission. Original power windows and upholstery. 15,000 miles in a single year was a very, very slow year (typically it was over 20,000 miles per year).
Good tip on the TIPM ... i have a no crank on a 2008 compass ...connectors and wires need checked from the key switch on down to the TIPM before i dig into the TIPM PCB. CAM BUS IS GOOD THOUGH... I can crank and start with key switch on and remote start button wired to starter under hood.🆗
Agree with all of that. 06 and down I would say are the good years. Tipm was introduced in 05 I believe. 04 and down zero emissions, 04.5 at was equipped, in cylinder egr/injection event was introduced on the 325hp in 04.5 all Chrysler's suffer from electrical gremlins from about 03 and up depending on make/model along with horrible Ignitions. 48re can be a good trans if built. And the list goes on lol. O ly reason I own a Cummins as a mechanic is the motor absolutely would never own a Chrysler product besides a 2002 and down jeep because of all the problems they continually have.
My father-in-law and my wife run a landscaping company together. One of the two trucks they have is a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 with the Cummins Diesel. It's got a bit over 200,000 miles on it. And it has had every single problem you listed there -- fan-clutch, TIPM, and A/C. It also needed a new transmission at about 150K miles -- they tow a pretty heavy trailer (7,000 to 8,000 pounds) all day every day in city traffic, so it just flat wore that transmission out. Even with proper maintenance, it *is* a Dodge transmission, after all. I'm surprised it lasted 150K miles, to be completely honest, what with all the strain they put on that thing.
I have a '93 Cummins 2WD standard cab, last year for the older body style. 146,000 miles, the trans had been replaced before I bought it about 12 years ago. It seems like I have to put at least a grand into any used vehicle I buy to get it to where it's a going concern. At this time the AC doesn't work, But I tend to not use it anyway. The water pump or something behind it does have a leak, I intend to take care of that soon. Surprising to me is the fact that this nearly 30 year old truck has absolutely no rattles whatsoever. The plastic grill is cracked in various places and repaired and has been an irritation, I'd replace it with the earlier metal one if I could.
My 800$ 1997 Honda CR-V awd has over 211k miles on the original engine and transmission when the engine finally decides to die I can replace it with a 800$ jdm engine so I think it’s the most cheapest most reliable vehicle ever designed.
I have had 2 cars close to 1mil. One of them is still alive and beyond. 93 civic I drove for 20k and sold with 940,xxxmiles. My father still has a 89 toyota pickup that is well over 1mill. The pickup was given to me after I sold them a car. I towed it home and replaced the head gasket. 50k later and it starts every time.
4th ac compressor at just around 1M miles. So that means the prior 3 each lasted a good 333,000 miles? I trust you when you say the ac system is not robust but....3330,000+ miles 😮
He also said everything needs to be replaced when the compressor goes, then proceeds to show the old condenser saying it was a replacement, obviously some time prior to the just replaced compressor.... Meh....
@@traitoR142 I don't think they replaced the compressor. It was on the list of repairs that Hoovie got with the truck. So when he says it's a new compressor I think it means just for placed before sold to Hoovie, And the condenser would have been replaced at the same time. No way to know for sure unless you could see the records for yourself
@@kens97sto171 You may be right, I know he said it was the 4th one it has had in its life and he says it’s new, looks new also, not a lick of that oil he was complaining about being all over everything under there. Either way it looks like it’s been changed piece meal as needed to me.
I'll bet K&N would be interested to have that air filter back to analyze one that actually went a million miles...maybe they'd trade you a new one for it!
I would be curious to see how dusted the compressor on the turbo is and how many turbos it went through. That has always been the complaint of those filters (even when maintained) leading to destroyed turbos.
That relay hanging there actually might be a bona fide factory update originally the lift pump for those was on the fuel bowl and there was an update kit where it moved it from the fuel bowl to an in tank lift pump and when you did that there would be a new relay and that is exactly where that update tells you to put that relay
It's a great testament to these trucks if the A/C compressor that has been replaced for the 4th time is a weak point. Until this point the truck was on it's 3rd compressor meaning each is lasting ~330,000+ miles. That sounds pretty good to me
Not to mention the vehicle looks like it spent most of it's days in a warm environment where the air would be used a lot.
Replaced 4th time = it's on its5th A/C compressor = 250k miles each. Still very good.
@@pfsantos007 He states right in the video it's the fourth Compressor the vehicle has seen. 11:15
And 4 new transmissions
My Ram 3500 right now has 966,000+ miles on it & have only replaced the A/C compressor once. Turbo went at 927,000 miles. TIPM at 963,000 miles because rodents got in there & chewed stuff away. It sat for over 3 months because I had major surgery & could not drive.
1,000,000 miles, 10,000,000 farts in those seats!
Yo who's farting 10 times every mile though? 💀
@@VividBoidodge ram drivers
In my part of the country, most of these older Ram trucks succumb to horrendous rust long before any major mechanical issues take them out of service. Great engines, though.
Yeah, i live in northeast pa, n if u dont coat ur truck properly (which costs a ton of money if u remove the body n do it properly, n it needs to be since new, before salt ever hits it or u'll never be able to get on top of) it'll be gone long before it dies. N that goes for most vehicles of any kind.
Funny thing is, the german vehicles are some of the best protected here. For instance a bmw that is basically completely covered underneath (makes for a pia when servicing certain things) but they do an absolutely amazing job protecting their vehicles from the factory.
I remember a 2017 bmw i bought, i couldn't for the life of me figure out what this brown stuff that was stuck on the inside of the doors in the corners n it kinda leaked out a tiny bit n is impossible to remove, that is what they coat the inside of the doors along the bottom with, n its amazing stuff. Think if fluid film and crc marine in ine product but multiply that by 10, n that is the equivalent of what they use.
So its sad to say when u buy a luxury vehicle, they are made better in many instances that people often over look. Better paint protection, thicker clear all that adds to better longevity in harsh climates.
Ud think u.s. companies would have this down, but they dint care or want their vehicles to last longer than 5 to 7 years because thats that much longer a person is happy with their vehicle so they wont buy another.
You have an own part of the country?
@@A380FIN yeah hes with ur mom.
Your mom is a so fat she has her own part of the country....Hilarious. thank-you im here all day.
@@todtalk3912 This is what i try to explain to Scotty's "endless money pit" followers. That German brands have the best corrosion resistence. Cheaper and easier to fix mechanical issues than rust. That is not to say the cars break down often.
@@todtalk3912 I think you should consider reducing the use of intoxicants or alternatively increasing the dose of your mental medication.
It would be interesting to have the engine apart and see what wear was on it. The oils we have today are fantastic!
@@Tobester_McDonkey interesting
@@Tobester_McDonkey It's hard to compare a semi with a work truck. The semis rarely get cold started and 99% of the mileage is all highway cruising which put minimal wear on the engines.
Check out Schaeffer Oil's youtube channel for some 1M mile teardown videos.
Hoovie showed the inside of the engine in his video when wizard had the pan off, it looked remarkably clean for a million mile engine
@@Motorsportsgeek That's exactly the case with this truck, it was used just like a long haul semi.
That's a hell of a lot of driving. Very roughly about 150 miles per day, every day, for near 2 decades
I know a contractor that drives from Houston to TN, GA and back every other week for some time driving a Dodge dually. Driving for a company out of Chicago, my truck was doing 3,300 to 3,700 miles a week. Around 180k miles a year. I do not miss it even though the money was good. Never wanted to get involved in one of those crazy winter pileups because the snow covered roads are where the money is to be made in the winter. From the Dakotas or Wisconsin to the Northeast all winter.
Hot shot drivers can do 600+ miles a day. Amassing a million miles is not that hard to do if it is mostly freeway driving.
@@gdubya83 If the weather got that bad I would get off the main interstates, takes longer but much safer
From Hoovie's video it was an oil rig hot shot vehicle. They can easily drive hundreds of miles a day to deliver a part in need any time of day.
I'd like to see the repair/maintenance done on the Dodge product.
'03 Laramie DRW single-cab owner here. 324K miles w/ manual trans. Replaced most of the components that Wizard mentioned. Turbo upgrade, trans rebuild with far superior internals as well as upgraded clutch, beefier rear end, stacks up the side(for a "Lil Red Special" throwback). Everywhere I go, I'm offered to sell it. Never going to let it go. Apparently the 5.9 has a serious cult following now(TH-camrs like Firepunk and others help with that).
We bought new and has served our family well.
I have same year and style except mine is a 4 door long bed. It has 178k miles and only real parts has been 1 set sway bar end links, steering gear, transmission pressure solenoid and transducer, and power steering pump. Mine was a December built truck so it was the last month of the 47RE transmission before the 48RE which came in January 2003.
Been a very reliable truck for me with zero breakdowns.
I had the exact same truck. Loved it. Cummins 5.9 and Ford 7.3 (not actually a Ford engine) are the best pickup truck engines ever made.
Funny how the trucks are better when one company is designing the engine and another is designing the truck.
The most mint 04 2500 ram I’ve ever seen. Crazy it has 1 million miles
17:20 that’s why any diesel without the emissions stuff on them will hold their value, especially ones in good condition.
Yes I had Toyota 61series land cruiser 2H diesel it was still running fine at 700000km when I moved it on rust got hold of it in the end
Emissions stuff has nothing to do with their value. Emissions can be removed pretty easily and affordably
@@Berto-1117 unless you live in a province or a state where is has to go in for an annual inspection. Then it’s not so easy unfortunately.
@@Tempsho i believe the only state where there really is no way around that is california.
My sister has a 90' ford explorer with almost 600,ooo on the original motor and transmission. She baby'ed it and did 3500 mile service intervals for everything at a great auto shop by her. Her relationship w/ a near by shop is why her truck still runs like new. Her seat is trashed and she wont replace it but everything else works. It would have over 6ook had she not stopped driving to work from the covid shutdown and now teaches from home. Any car IMHO can last indefinitely w/ proper service.
Cars last just as long as people are willing to take care of them. There are certainly cars with massive engineering flaws that simply aren't worth fixing, but for the most part, it's when owners simply stop caring about it, they stop maintaining it, and just beat them to death.
@@edmcamoil4009 totally agree
Wizzard, I totally agree. I've had two 97 Dodge Cummins and an 04. Have my current 97 Flatbed dually with manual 5sp for over 6 years. When I got it I replace all the steering to prevent the death whobble. Other than that nothing, I mean nothing has broke. I think about newer steel then I'm Like, this truck don't break. End of debate.
I got a 2003 2500 4x4 6speed high output manual. couldn't be happier
I'm a big fan of 03-04 Dodge Ram Cummins due to their simplicity, reliability, longevity and durability. A popular upgrade for these trucks that I would recommend for Hoovie would be the 07.5+ steering linkage update (tie rod, drag link, steering shock)
Reliability? Pretty sure that truck is on it's third transmission.
@@jasonthach44 330k miles plus on a transmission that hauls for a living. That's pretty good if you ask me.
@@jasonthach44 my grandfathers 2001 7.3 with around 290,000 miles is on at least it’s third transmission. My fathers 2004 Cummins is into 300,000 on the stock trans
@@jasonthach44😂 3rd trans with a million miles. It would be different it it was on its 3rd trans with 200,000 miles
Great video! I have one of these 3rd gen 5.9 Cummins Rams. Best truck I've ever owned. Not interested in downgrading to a newer one.
Agree completely regarding diesels being choked by emission controls and the costs associated with keeping them on the road. Had a 6.7 L Ford. Loved the power and fuel economy but I couldn't afford to keep it on the road. It ended up being the most undependable vehicle that I've ever owned.
I have a diesel. I paid 2k$ to disable the emission control system to prevent it from going into limp mode all the time. Fortunatly, there is no emission testing where I live. Otherwise, I wouln't have been able to afford these newer diesel trucks.
I have a Transit with the diesel. I’m having the emissions system disabled this year. That vehicle is otherwise a complete piece of shit. The cooling system is a disaster.
4 years ago I came across a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 with the same engine. I had been looking to replace my 1996 Dodge Ram 2600 V10 with 425,000 miles. I got the 2004 Dodge Ram with 124,500 miles. I went through that truck and there was absolutely no modifications it had the original everything. I replaced the fluids and found the right rear shock leaking. I replaced 4 new shocks and it did need a front brake job. After a year I replaced all 4 tires. I did install a 5th wheel hitch and use the truck as my RV hauler and it has traveled the United States. After 4 years and 30,000 miles I only had to replace the radio with a nicer unit that has a backup camera. Last year I replaced the water pump, thermostat, and belt tensioner after the tensioner froze up.
So now with 30K miles since I bought it I am doing the 2nd round of fluid replacements. I think these are the last of the great Cummins engines as they are durable strong and have decent stock power. I do not want anything to do with emission controls and this one does not have them and I intend to keep this for the long term.
The 4th gen and 5th gen rams have the besy cummins. When emission control start giving issues you just delete it and thats it.
@@Berto-1117 Just good luck finding the kits and tune programs to do the delete. The government has been cracking down on the tune companies with hefty fines for altering the emissions control devices.
@@mikeske9777 what do you mean? There are litterally thousands of companys doing this. Tunes are permanent they cant do anything about manipulated technology. A tune is just a change to factory settings. A kit is literally a pipe and a blank plate for the egr cooler. There really isnt much to it lol
@@mikeske9777maybe it depends if your in a Brandon state
@@blackterminal Smh......
I use to work in a large motor pool with 400 cars trucks and vans within some models you could see part failures at the same mileage we even tracked and would plan repairs based on replacement mileage and sure enough with a few miles it always happened.
Curious of the most problematic vehicles and the most reliable!
I have a 78 Ford F 100, and it is getting close to 400,000 miles. Same engine and transmission. I just towed a Cadillac from Florida to Memphis Tennessee. No prob. All I do is change oil and transmission fluid, plugs and wires, filters belts hoses and the alternator. That thing Will not die. I brought it from my paw paw. He made me promise not to get rid of it and it will make me a million bucks one day 💪💪💰
@@hoopty. I bought my great uncle's 93 f150 last year. It now has 320k on the clock, running great.
For being a million mile vehicle it looks like it's been very well maintained
That exhaust may have come with the truck when new, but as a dealer installed option. A couple co-workers of mine bought one of these trucks back then, both had the wicked cool sounding Magnaflow exhaust.
I think that is likely it. My dad and several of his buddies had these with the badazz magnaflow exhaust
Qq
One of my apartment neighbors has an old Saturn sedan with just over 300,000 miles logged, but it just stopped turning, so when he gave me a ride to work one day last winter he said he's manually logged a total of nearly 500,000. He's a mechanic of 35 years, so he knows how to take excellent care of it.
4:15 Don't spend big bucks on TIPM rebuild or replacement. There are effective relay bypass kits available. I put a fuel pump relay bypass on my '11 Grand Caravan and it worked like a charm!
Bypass the Dodge electrical system , the electrical system on a Dodge is an afterthought
Wow that’s the first I’ve heard of this
Shango066 has a video replacing a relay
I did it to my sons 100 series Land Cruiser as well. Well known issue even on these and bypass kits for 70 bucks fix it in 2 minutes.
Good tip on the TIPM ... i have a no crank on a 2008 compass ...connectors and wires need checked from the key switch on down to the TIPM before i dig into the TIPM PCB. CAM BUS IS GOOD THOUGH... I can crank and start with key switch on and remote start button wired to starter under hood.🆗 can you send a link to the bypass kit for my no key start problem? thanks
I just bought a 2003 ram 1500 with the 5.7 hemi with 223,000 miles and it runs like its brand new and no lights on its an amazing truck. Im getting ready to drive it from boise idaho to union Missouri almost a 23 hour drive
Third gens were known to break blend doors. There were updated hvac cases and motor couplers with improved stops. Ball joints/tie rods seem to be an issue on all 3’s heavy pickups. Long crank times on the common rail engines can be a sign of high return flow/worn injectors. 06’s were famous for the tachometer failing, requiring the dash cluster to be rebuilt.
the third-gen seats were known to fail into a spring-poking-you situation too.
@@OtherSarah2 Very true. Been there.
@@JeffinTD My 97 with the 318 now has a small rip in the seat and a tiny split in the foam. I've been keeping up with forums (my new truck is a 94 2500 with a V-10),
and I'm sort of salivating at the folks who are moving 09-15 interiors (Laramie Longhorn ones, even) into earlier generation Rams.
@@OtherSarah2 Yeah. I’ve had an 03 and 06 Laramie. The 03 was more comfortable, and I’ve had to put new seat foam and cover on the 06. The way the seat is shaped tends to cause the foam to rip at the edge of the bolster. Overall, though, nice trucks.
@@JeffinTD agreed.
Drive seat foams are easy to get and can be changed in about an hour. A side step will you in and out so you don't crush the seat foam any more.
Or if not too bad you can often swap between seats e.g. passenger to driver and vice versa etc
@@iboswell The foam is really inexpensive and good quality. i had to sew in a new fabric panel on my 96's seat that was worn away by PO butts, good as new again now and cheaper than putting in a sidestep
Yep amazon has seat pad and fabric for cheap. I have steps with 300k+ and my seats still in great condition because I dont drag my ass across it or put all my weight on the outter edge getting in an out
Also adding steps is good so you're not grabbing the wheel as hard to get in it.
@@themechanic4592 Hadn't thought of that, great point. I tend to yank myself in after grabbing the wheel
First time I saw one of these was in the movie Twister. I thought it looked great. Since then I’ve seen a few imports over here in the U.K. - great looking truck. Hasn’t aged to my mind
Funny, that's the movie I think of when I think of Ram. Beautiful red
My PT Cruiser has the same dash removal process. It was exactly how you mentioned with this truck. A couple months back I wanted to replace my dash top because it was cracked, so I went to the junkyard, grabbed one, and put it right on mine. It was a very easy process
Wizard I think it comes down to air circulation. I drove big rigs for 23 years and the engine compartment on them rigs had a lot of room and great air circulation. In the winter we had to winterize the rig to reduce air flow so the engine would get up to running temperature. Too much heat over the long haul is a death nail for all Electonics.
Death knell ...
By all means, check the spare! I was driving down a neighborhood street in my '96 Dodge/Cummins... and there was the spare... rolling down the Street! The cable holding it up *snapped* ! Nevermind the frustration of getting the spare on, mounting it, and realizing that it's flat!
The wizard taking shots at bro dozers and squatted trucks made me laugh really hard. 😂
My fathers Dodge Ram 1500 5.7 blew last year and it broke his heart watching this brought back a smile he loves these trucks and has driven them for many years and would love this truck even with 1,000,000 miles
There was a K100 Kenworth from the 1980's here in Australia that did 8 MILLION km's before being retired from long distance interstate.........it just kept getting the power train rebuilt, and sent back out to work. There are some fleets here getting 400,000km a year from their long distance trucks.
I have a Canadian guy (live in Iowa) that brings his 80’s K100 in he’s had us rebuild the engine twice and we have rebuilt the transmission 3 times, it has 3 1/4 million miles on it as of Friday when he came in. He just keeps basically restoring it thing runs great and just keeps hauling.
Big Kenny’s like that are my favorites. I grew up between three Kenworth dealers as a kid and saw the K-100’s everyday. I’m now a trucker myself and hoping to own one one day.
As a big ram mopar enthusiast: i like this pitcular year 02-08 3rd gen trucks are great. Ive got a 08 4.7 1500 has been great to me
I don’t know why but this is one of Hoovies vehicles that I really like. A million mile truck not quiet there but it will make I’m sure of it
It makes my 187k e92 seem barely run in, I always think it’s a true testament to proper, on time maintenance and replacing worn parts when you need to and not leaving it too late
Hey Danny,
I do all of the maintenance on our little fleet of family cars. We have three cars at, or close to 300k.
1999 Jeep Cherokeee (XJ) with 289k.
2008 Toyota Prius with 313k.
2001 Honda Civic (manual) with 330k+.
You’re right. Maintenance is absolutely key.
My 2003 2500 4x4 made a half million. The Cummins was still brutally strong. Unfortunately, the Dodge wrapped around it couldn’t keep up.
06 5.9 cummins with 475K still going strong here. Wife is driving it right now.
4:33 That relay is a dealer installed repair (there's a TSP for it) for a failed lift pump. The factory lift pump is installed on the fuel filter on the side of the engine. This is part of a kit that installs a new fuel cooled lift pump in the tank and the original is removed and bypassed.
What's amazing is that it made that mileage with a K&N filter. Those things are junk are far as actually filtering. Yes, they're low restriction, but they just don't filter well at all. I happen to own 5 RAM diesels and am somewhat familiar with them.
You can get the seat cushions from Geno's Garage.
Wow - a million miles. I am a street sweeper and have used the same broom for the last 34 years. It's had 48 replacement heads and 89 replacement shanks. 👍
With regular maintenance (oils etc)
And the front end components wear out. Great trucks, some of the best..
2010 3500 owner, 752,000 miles
My Iveco Daily was stolen at 1.25 million miles. In that 15 years I spent just over £50,000 on maintenance, including gearbox at 910,000, engine at 1.1 million, and countless small items, tyres, etc. The Cab was getting weak, and that would have killed it sooner or later. But great truck though.
These trucks can take some abuse too. At 250,000 miles, I didn’t realize I had an oil leak until I started the truck and it was ticking and tapping like crazy. I added oil and drove on. I now have 415,000 miles and still towing 15k trailers up and down the west coast with it 😎
I’ve used the Lucas many times on Chrysler p/s systems. It’s works quite nicely.
I appreciate you guys being so hospitable to me and letting me take a picture of my semi in front of your shop. And actually getting to meet The Wizzard himself (super chill guy) if ever you offer a shop tour, I would be super interested. I didn't want to ask, and possibly overstep boundaries. ( I understand that you are a busy person who is filming and running a Business. And can't really risk giving away someone else's projects)
Part of the reason those engines go so far is the size and number of main journals, 3.26" and 7, for reference a Duramax is 3.15 and only 5, powerstroke is 3.19 and also 5, This makes for a relatively under stressed engine bottom end.
It is a straight 6, 7 is the most you can have, likewise 5 is the most you can have on a V8.
@@johndavidwolf4239 yes, they all used the maximum number of bearings their chosen architecture would take, my point was more that the I6 cummins has more of them and they are larger in diameter than both the v8 offerings making for much more bearing area to take up the punishment.
Also with a 6 cylinder less moving and rotating parts much simpler design.
@@mikeske9777 : For the same displacement, the rotating mass is about the same. From just an engine standpoint, the straight 6 is excellent design, its only downside is it requires a longer engine bay, and with equal displacement and torque, an 8 cylinder having smaller lighter pistons and valves can rev a bit higher, and thus produce more power, but for the same displacement it has more internal friction.
You could probably argue that any I6 will outlast a "comparable" V8 due to being inherently balanced, less wear over time.
I am the original owner of a ‘05 Cummins 5.9 The truck has 200k miles on the clock, is all original, garage kept for 15 of the past 17 years and in excellent condition. The 5.9 gets 25 mpg at 60-65 mph and can get almost that mileage at 60 mph with a gentle tailwind pulling my 3000 lb travel trailer. So, my advice to anyone thinking about parting ways with their ole five nine Cummins, DON’T DO IT! Rebuild the engine if necessary, the transmission, all the drivetrain if need be, to maintain a pickup truck with the capabilities the Wizard mentioned. New diesel pickups simply can’t match the performance of the 5.9 Cummins 😉
Honestly I love third gen rams. They look amazing to me. I’ve driven a 1500 and actually liked how they drove too, which I feel is underrated
3rd gen pre facelift for me
Exactly 2002-2005 looked solid, the facelift ruined the headlights imo
Honestly, Hoovie could probably sell that truck back to Stelantis for use as a display. The "Million Mile Truck" would be a great promotional tool for a company that's really not known for vehicle reliability.
I dont think they'd want to advertise the truck has a million miles with multiple transmissions, ac compressors, fan clutches, relay boxes... etc. Its not like its a million mile hotshot tundra with only one major failure and that was reverse went out at 750,000 miles lol.
@@CACressida Yeah, this would be useful as a marketing tool for Cummins Inc., but not a perfect example for Stellantis - Toyota also declined any official interest in Matt Farah's million mile Lexus, allegedly because the general condition and repair history wasn't pristine enough to be a good PR piece
@@robscafidi4070 lol that whole LS was just clapped out whether it was all original or not. I wouldn't touch that disgusting thing with a 10' pole.
The one good thing about the GMT-800 trucks was the easy HVAC evaporator and heater core access, for the evaporator I didn't hardly have to mess with the dash, I just had to drop the airbox after having the system evacuated, also replaced the blower motor and resistor because the resistor pack looked like it failed in a spectacular way and the blower had a dead speed winding, my Mercury Grand Marquis also has easy access to the heater core and evaporator, less so than the GM trucks mentioned above but easy enough that the labor cost less than the parts which was a whole new system because of pinhole leaks and a failed factory original compressor that made it to 227K miles before literally self destructing
I;’m jealaous. My first truck was a 1500 ram single face 2wd ram. This was and still is my dream truck. its the same color with the silver trim and wheels and everything. Would still love to own this generation of truck. My absolute favorite.
I would bet 1000$ that the entire dash upper and lower was replaced at a dealership for the interior to be that nice.
I don't know that these were as bad as the 2nd gens
@@Terminxman I traded my '05 Dodge 2500 in 2019 and the dash was perfect. It was never garaged.
I think you may be thinking of the 2nd gen. Those things were made of the most cheap dash ever! Gen 3s weren't do bad.
The dash on my 04 looks like new and was never replaced. It all depends on what sort of climate it lived in.
Not on work trucks
This by far my fav intro of OMEGA videos
Love that catchy tune as car goes up on lift
i had a 1999 5,9 cummins with automatic transmission. Miss it. The dream would be one again, but with a bosch inline pump instead of the crappy ones, manual transmission and 4x4, rustfree
I'd like to do up one like that too. The build Deboss Garage did with Turbo Yoda (Allan from the Skid Factory) looks to be working awesome.
I had to put about 400 or 500 dollars in parts into the suspension on my 1990 bmw 535i due to neglect by the previous owner and also 2 tires for 300 just to make the vehicle drive nice and safely. I also put in about 800 in labor at shops to drill out multiple snapped subframe bolts and an alignment. I also put on a 600 dollar set of snow tires so I can feel comfortable driving in the winter and ever since I fixed those issues the car never gave me any trouble minus a blown headgasket which I discovered 2 years after my friend purchased the car and about 3 months after I took ownership of the car from him both me and my friend fixed up the car entirely minus the headgasket and even with a blown headgasket It’s been extremely reliable and dependable
I was really looking forward to this episode, thanks Wizard and Mrs. Wizard. :-)
Just gotta say, when you put it on the lift ( aside from hoovies Subaru Baja). It like the bob ross of the automotive world, perhaps the hair migrated from the roof to the eves, but the same simple peacefulness is there .
Better change that Steering Stabilizer shock or Death Wobble will come 😳🤟🏻🇺🇸
The big thing to point out is the type of use a vehicle gets. Highway driving is the IDEAL way to rack up miles. You know what cars are true high mileage heroes. The NYC Ford Escape taxis with 400k miles. Stop-and-go city driving is the worst and the number of heat cycles those engines go through...
agreed, I'd like to see one of those Taxis in the Wizard's shop. Or a high mileage Volt.
PS. I'm unimpressed with the transmission on these. 250K HWY miles is not that much on a transmission. My 8 spd already has 275K and it still shifts like a dream.
I would love to see you calling K&N saying you want to replace an air filter under warranty because it is almost out of it.
Lol
There are documented examples of these engines with 2 million miles. From the beginning Chrysler had a problem making a truck that would hold up to the engine. This is a WORKING truck, not some queen! Do yourself a favor though, never even mention delete, this is getting a lot of people in trouble. Great video.
Here in Kansas we don't have emission tests, along with the majority of the country. In Kansas you can have a smoke stack blowing directly on cars and no one would bat a eye. Very libertarian view of life in Kansas. Some small towns have sound ordnances one needs to worry about, but that's the extent. If one lives where deletes are illegal then the responsibility falls completely on the owner who decides to delete their truck. My recommendation would be to gut the DPF and keep the rest of the emissions to visually be intact if one does live in a emissions county or state, or register your truck in another state that doesn't require inspections. If one lives in California, move.
@@OhPhuckYou here in Texas, it goes both ways. In certain counties with higher than a certain population, emissions are required and checked every year, starting 2 years from new. Read: any county with a major city like Dallas, Houston, etc. either in or adjacent to it. A few years ago, diesels were exempt (don't know if that has changed or not).
In most Texas counties, the population is below the threshold and vehicle emissions are not required. Unless the laws have changed recently.
I think you misspelled "Commiefornia".
I'm sure all mechanics have a lot of experience with Chrysler/Dodge products. The only good thing about the truck is that Dodge didn't make the engine. Those miles are mostly highway miles anyway.
My 2003 1500 with 85,000 had the exact seat rip, brake lights didn't work because of that fuse box.. Took me 10 hours to replace the heater core. This truck reminds me of mine. In 2017 a friend was driving it and it caught on fire. Burnt to the ground.. Good luck Hoovie.
Great video. Love this channel for the technical stuff, as opposed to a walk around/thru of a 2007 Buick etc.
Great channel, can listen to Car wizard all day- Yours would be my go to garage if I was in your neck of the woods- but I am in the UK .. Straight and to the point, no BS.
I keep thinking of the dowel pin failure - but I know that was the earlier 89-'02 Cummins engines, and the aftermarket sure did stepped up with some solid fixes for that issue, so long as an owner doesn't wait for that to happen. But otherwise, I know these engines are veeery dependable. Wonder if Hoovie might be tempted to keep it for a 2nd million miles (a 2 million mile Ram 2500 - that be ultra cool). :-)
It still amazes me how clean that truck is. I had an 04 with 105k miles and this truck looks almost as good as it did. They are great trucks, it was just way too big for my needs.
Those trucks are the cream of the crop the def system is a nightmare inducing mess and with so many places being out of it or out of oil for the newer trucks especially it makes it hard to keep them up i work for Walmart in the automotive department and we had People in full panic because they've been to three towns and dozens of stores and they are all out of def and/or oil
Truckstops never run out of DEF. Refer them there.
This is why i went with a 6.4 hemi. I really wanted the Cummins but i dot really tow and the def system sucks.
@@vw5056 the ones here do because they buy it from us alot of the time (southern ks)
@Lassi Kinnunen 81 it's a hick town nobody likes to use the interwebs they get confused when the notifications pop up on the top of their phone I am not exaggerating whatsoever the people around here half of them that have a smartphone just walk around with it in their pocket and anytime I answer it it's on speaker and they're walking around on speaker because they don't know how to turn the speaker off ordering things online you mention it to him they look at you cross-eyed and you can see their brain explode
My 03 has the dual zone climate that failed. I bought the Blend Door USA all metal blend doors and drivers as the plastic OEM ones fail really fast. I haven't installed them yet. Also my dash is cracked all to pieces like many of the Dodge Rams built in the 90's and 2000's. IIRC the labor to pull that dash was around 16 hours.
That seat looks amazing, all things considered. My 2021 Tacoma already has wear in the cloth.
Thing thing is the guy would get it and sit on it for hours. It’s the in and out countless times that actually gets the bolsters to wear out.
I love my 2014 Taco.... 160k no issues 🥰
@@loveydovey4u Well, they're made in Mexico now. I had a Texas-made 2015 and definitely notice a difference in quality.
@@MarcBookPro Why did you get rid of it?
@@loveydovey4u That's a great question. Though, I really like having the power driver seat in the 2021. Makes the awkward seating position much easier to deal with.
I needed you. I took a 2008 Impala to a local shop. They replaced the thermostat and presented me with a $450.00+ bill. Wish you were in East Tennessee.
love the channel love what yall do
My 2006 ram have 167000. RECENTLY had to replace the oil pan due to RUST. A couple sets of ball joints, steering arms, full carli 3 in suspension, banks intercooler, fleece turbo, steed speed manifold, banks monster ram intake horn. I'd say hoovie has done well
That's in my opinion what a truck should be. Simple, powerful, easy to repair, and reliable. Did Hoovie ever say what he paid for it?
They handle like crap. When you work one every day they are constantly in the shop. I drove one that wouldn't make a curve as fast as the overloaded big rig I drove on the same roads. My 93 Turbo Diesel took those curves with the cruise on 75 and you never thought about it. The dashboard would simply crumble in the west Texas heat.
They handle like crap. When you work one every day they are constantly in the shop. I drove one that wouldn't make a curve
This sort of truck is what we call "stealth wealth" here in Nashville. Its a very desirable spec truck with the Cummins diesel, 4 doors, 4wd, yet it looks stock. Stealth wealth cars/trucks are usually well optioned yet look more like the base model and are not totally out of date style wise. Anyways you could pull up to a $1 million dollar house in this truck and be seen as the owner of the house, or the guy here to fix a/c. The 1 million miles on this truck doesn't suprise me considering it was driven in the southwest where it won't rust to pieces. Keep in mind that same Cummins diesel was used in school buses(WOT all the time) and medium duty trucks, it was designed to be worked/beat on for at least 700k miles.
if you install some traction bars on the front of the axle itll help save the rear diff for that 1.5m mile moonshot.
Mrs. Wizard's interior overviews... hits a homer every time. Just right.
I bought my Ford Ranger brand new back in 2011. I've been pretty meticulous about maintaining it, but living up in Canada its starting to succumb to rock chips and body rust. I've pretty much decided that in the next few years I'm gonna take out a loan and get the truck completely redone, at least with the body work. I don't want a new truck because they're all too big and ugly, and I know every last detail of my truck's service history. You can't buy that kind of peace of mind.
Check out the new Ford Maverick. I’m on the same boat. Looking for a truck I can use as a truck ,and being 5”8 most trucks are too tall to comfortably use the bed. I also hate driving big personal vehicles, I’ve had my CDL class A since 04. I don’t want to be driving anything bigger than I have to.
Check out a new Ford ranger. I bought one about a year ago. It’s an amazing midsize truck. You wouldn’t be disappointed
@@guilateen The Maverick is a nice looking little vehicle, but its also not really a truck. I mean, yeah it has a bed, but I need at least a 6 foot bed and the ability to put in a proper crossbed toolbox. Plus my only choices are FWD and AWD, which neither of those appeal to me, I much prefer RWD and if I'm gonna be paying for 4WD, I want a proper 4x4 truck with low range and locking hubs. Plus it doesn't come with certain features that are important to me like sattelite radio and fog lights.
@@lesterparker1594 I'm not a big fan of the new crop of midsize trucks. My Dad has a 2015 Chevy Colorado and I hate driving it because the visibility is terrible. The way the body rakes up and the high bedrails, its impossible to see out the back of, I feel so blind and claustrophobic driving it. The Ranger suffers from the same issue. Alongside that the base price of the Ranger is a few hundred dollars more than the F150 for what is, in my opinion, a lot less truck. Even with a single cab V6 I'd rather take the F150 and have a nice standard bed and more towing capacity. Plus I'd be trading down from my Ranger's nice big 4.0 to a little 2.3, or in the case of the Maverick, a 2.0. Yeah they make more power, but I feel better knowing my engine is understressed. And the biggest thing for me, is both have auto start/stop. I've had seat time with cars that have this feature and I hate hate hate hate it. I will never own a vehicle with start/stop. Oh, and call me a boomer, but all these new trucks are console shift or dial shift, a proper truck is supposed to have a column.
@@hungrymoose7627 yea it must not be for you. But you can’t find a base f150 right now for under $45k. I know. I looked. I paid $31k fir the ranger. The power that “little” 2.3 makes is better than any midsize truck ever put on the market. Everything is going turbocharged. You’re just gonna have to get over it. And the auto start can be turned off by touching a button. Not even a little inconvenience. Drive what you want. I love the little ranger
I have a 2005 Ram 2500. I am so glad I still have it. No major drive line problems yet.
It's lovely, the new ones are throwaway and far more complicated than that one,would completely bankrupt you to keep it one for a million miles 😲
I really dont understand where all this comea from. New trucks last much longer with much less issues. Delete the emissions at 100k miles and youre good to go. I would know i have a 96 12 valve and a 2018 with a 6.7, 6.7 has no equal
Wizard coming for squatti bois!! Hell yeah that's why I love ya wizard.
I have a friend that has an 03 chevy 1500 4x4, he bought it new and has it serviced regularly at the local Chevy dealer here in Southwest Wisconsin, normally when the dealer does the oil changes they were supposed to do a multipoint vehicle inspection, check all other fluid levels etc, apparently the dealer got sloppy with their work and they never bothered looking at the rear differential fluid level since new, 105,000 miles and rear end was trashed, rear end never had any leaks, it was low on fluid to begin with from the factory, Just because its dealer serviced doesnt mean its been serviced properly
Nice to see this "Keep on Trucking!"
Considering that the air conditioning in modern vehicles runs almost all of the time, it isn’t surprising that the truck has gone through four compressors. I have to actually work at it to turn the AC off on my cars. There is usually one setting that doesn’t use the AC.
Yes, I hate that. I'm tempted to unplug the compressor until it gets warm again outside because I always leave the knob on defrost/floor and that makes it think that the compressor needs to be on for some reason.
@@Tracert-mc1hu The purpose is to dehumidify the cabin so that the windows do not fog up from your breath. Having had cars without air conditioning, the heater can defrost without AC, but AC does keep windows from fogging inside.
@@alanhassall Yeah, I'd still like the option to turn it off though.
I believe that the older trucks are the better trucks as far as diesel are concerned as long as the body stays together no rust and s on that being the case I would probably keep putting money in to it. My 04 one ton Ford only has 80,000 miles on it. All the maintenance gets done. After it gets used for towing and hauling it gets cleaned up and put back in the garage the wife has a large goat farm so it don't get babied. As long as it still looks good we will keep putting money in to it. So far it's been a great truck. It's about maintenance and keeping it clean. God bless you guys and as always be safe 👍
Hoovie will no doubt blow out seals and destroy wiring harnesses etc. with a pressure washer.
I cringe when people pressure wash engines...gonna fuck up something electrical or seals and gaskets like you said...
The fuel pump relay on the TIPM for my Chrysler Town and Country failed, and I had to implement the bypass that was recommended by a few youtubers to get around that relay. It saved me from shelling out a thousand bucks for a new TIPM. They wouldn't let me get the "recall" unit to replace the relay with an external one because the 2011 T&C wasn't part of the recall...
It seems to me a trans rebuild/replacement and A/C work every 200K-250K miles isn't so bad, especially considering how all the electronic crap on newer "trucks" fails far earlier. How many Nissans with a tenth that mileage are on their second or third CVT?
Agreed. 200-250k miles is beyond the useful life span of most people’s vehicles, so having some big jobs done every 200-250k doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to me.
Car makers are definitely capable of producing much more relaible systems then that, so we should not just settle for parts failing prematurely. Look at toyota, transmissions can go up to a million miles with no fluid changes, compressors also can go up to such numbers, makes the dodge look like a joke with 4 tranny replacements
@@mikeko2374 I treated my 1998 Camry like a work truck (including trailer-towing). I bought it from a friend at just over 300,000 miles. When it threw a rod about eight years later, it had 461,228 miles on it. Original engine and transmission. Original power windows and upholstery. 15,000 miles in a single year was a very, very slow year (typically it was over 20,000 miles per year).
Good tip on the TIPM ... i have a no crank on a 2008 compass ...connectors and wires need checked from the key switch on down to the TIPM before i dig into the TIPM PCB. CAM BUS IS GOOD THOUGH... I can crank and start with key switch on and remote start button wired to starter under hood.🆗
Agree with all of that. 06 and down I would say are the good years. Tipm was introduced in 05 I believe. 04 and down zero emissions, 04.5 at was equipped, in cylinder egr/injection event was introduced on the 325hp in 04.5 all Chrysler's suffer from electrical gremlins from about 03 and up depending on make/model along with horrible Ignitions. 48re can be a good trans if built. And the list goes on lol. O ly reason I own a Cummins as a mechanic is the motor absolutely would never own a Chrysler product besides a 2002 and down jeep because of all the problems they continually have.
My father-in-law and my wife run a landscaping company together. One of the two trucks they have is a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 with the Cummins Diesel. It's got a bit over 200,000 miles on it. And it has had every single problem you listed there -- fan-clutch, TIPM, and A/C. It also needed a new transmission at about 150K miles -- they tow a pretty heavy trailer (7,000 to 8,000 pounds) all day every day in city traffic, so it just flat wore that transmission out. Even with proper maintenance, it *is* a Dodge transmission, after all. I'm surprised it lasted 150K miles, to be completely honest, what with all the strain they put on that thing.
They need more Transmission cooling. Those auto trans overheat and fail. Get a deeper trans pan and extra cooler.
I would leave the oil on the the bits and bobs on the underside. It looks fantastic anyway for its age. It will protect it.
I have a '93 Cummins 2WD standard cab, last year for the older body style. 146,000 miles, the trans had been replaced before I bought it about 12 years ago. It seems like I have to put at least a grand into any used vehicle I buy to get it to where it's a going concern. At this time the AC doesn't work, But I tend to not use it anyway. The water pump or something behind it does have a leak, I intend to take care of that soon. Surprising to me is the fact that this nearly 30 year old truck has absolutely no rattles whatsoever. The plastic grill is cracked in various places and repaired and has been an irritation, I'd replace it with the earlier metal one if I could.
My 800$ 1997 Honda CR-V awd has over 211k miles on the original engine and transmission when the engine finally decides to die I can replace it with a 800$ jdm engine so I think it’s the most cheapest most reliable vehicle ever designed.
Those things are such great cars but it's hard to feel safe in them with the current state of 6-9k lb BEVs running all over the road.
@@MrCarGuy it feels a bit safer than my other Honda 2006 VTX 1300C
I have had 2 cars close to 1mil. One of them is still alive and beyond. 93 civic I drove for 20k and sold with 940,xxxmiles. My father still has a 89 toyota pickup that is well over 1mill. The pickup was given to me after I sold them a car. I towed it home and replaced the head gasket. 50k later and it starts every time.
4th ac compressor at just around 1M miles. So that means the prior 3 each lasted a good 333,000 miles? I trust you when you say the ac system is not robust but....3330,000+ miles 😮
He also said everything needs to be replaced when the compressor goes, then proceeds to show the old condenser saying it was a replacement, obviously some time prior to the just replaced compressor.... Meh....
@@traitoR142
I don't think they replaced the compressor. It was on the list of repairs that Hoovie got with the truck. So when he says it's a new compressor I think it means just for placed before sold to Hoovie, And the condenser would have been replaced at the same time.
No way to know for sure unless you could see the records for yourself
@@kens97sto171 You may be right, I know he said it was the 4th one it has had in its life and he says it’s new, looks new also, not a lick of that oil he was complaining about being all over everything under there. Either way it looks like it’s been changed piece meal as needed to me.
The new new intro is the best thus far.
If you say someone sat in that seat for about 3 minutes for every mile that would mean someone sat in that seat for 2083 days straight.
My dad has 2004 with over 300,000 on it still running strong
I'll bet K&N would be interested to have that air filter back to analyze one that actually went a million miles...maybe they'd trade you a new one for it!
How long was that filter on there for?
@@crazyeyez1502 I was thinking the same thing. Who puts a K&N on their new truck the day they purchase it !
I would be curious to see how dusted the compressor on the turbo is and how many turbos it went through. That has always been the complaint of those filters (even when maintained) leading to destroyed turbos.
That filter probably wasn't installed at mile 1 or when the truck was brand new. The truck probably went to its 2nd or 3rd owner before installation.
Filter probably has 50,000 miles on it
That relay hanging there actually might be a bona fide factory update originally the lift pump for those was on the fuel bowl and there was an update kit where it moved it from the fuel bowl to an in tank lift pump and when you did that there would be a new relay and that is exactly where that update tells you to put that relay