Dodge/ Ram service guy on the board?

[kpc01]

I have a question about warranty stuff on my Ram 1500. the dealerships always give me the runaround...any chance there's a service manager or tech on the board I could ask a few things?

[LS1Goat]

Not a tech, but a Ram owner. What kind of questions do you have?

[kpc01]

Not a tech, but a Ram owner. What kind of questions do you have?

Mainly just warranty stuff. My '13 has just over 90k miles and has started with a pretty loud tick after startup. It goes away after a minute or two (sometimes a little longer) but definitely hasn't done it in the past. I assumed its a lifter or something but have been told since it has the eco mode it could be the way a solenoid cuts out the cylinders causing this. I figure if I take it in to the shop they will tell me its normal...Anytime I go under warranty its normal then when I hit 100k they think it needs to be fixed!

Other problem is my nav system is saying the phone is not working and to take it to a dealer. My 911 on my mirror won't work (not that i need it) and my clock is off and gps doesn't track anymore. I know the radios not covered by warranty anymore but since its the 911 system thats malfunctioning I didn't know if they would fix it? Just seems like any time I take it to the dealer they want to bend me over so trying to figure out if its even worth taking it in.

[4king]

Sounds dumb but here's the common advice

Are you running 5w20. Engine oil weight will make a difference on cold starts. If your answer is I don't know, you should start doing your own synthetic oil changes.

The radio and nav, are you still on your original battery? Have it tested the truck is about 3 years old and that's typically when the battery will fail

[LS1Goat]

It sounds like you may have developed the infamous Hemi Tick. And you're right, if you took it to a dealership they would say it's normal. They'll hook it up to their Starscan tool and if there are no codes, then they will just hand you back your keys. You could always open a support ticket with Chrysler, if you really want to press the issue. I have experienced what you're describing once or twice on the first start of a cold day, but not during warm months.

However, there is a TSB. I think it's TSB 11-002-11 that is for a start up tick related to bad exhaust manifold bolts, typically (cylinders 7 & 8). That may be covered under your Power Train Warranty, if that is the case. Although, I'm not certain if it covers the 2013 model year.

Also, make sure you have a quality oil filter (e.g., Wix, Mobil 1, K&N, etc.) and are using 5w20 oil. Anything outside of that viscosity wreaks havoc on the MDS. If you are using dino oil, try using a synthetic blend or full synthetic. I use Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 and a Wix 57899XP filter. No issues. Sometimes just using a crap brand oil filter (e.g., Fram) can cause starting issues on these trucks. The ADBV usually being the culprit.

______________

Regarding the radio. I'm a member over on Ramforumz. And from the complaints I've read about this in the past, the problem is related to the sirius/GPS antenna. The fix is getting it replaced. Stupid question: Have you registered your truck with Uconnect?

[Captain Crawfish]

I wouldn't worry about it until it throws a rod out the block. My Chevy ticks on startup when it's half a qt low on oil

[kpc01]

It sounds like you may have developed the infamous Hemi Tick. And you're right, if you took it to a dealership they would say it's normal. They'll hook it up to their Starscan tool and if there are no codes, then they will just hand you back your keys. You could always open a support ticket with Chrysler, if you really want to press the issue. I have experienced what you're describing once or twice on the first start of a cold day, but not during warm months.

However, there is a TSB. I think it's TSB 11-002-11 that is for a start up tick related to bad exhaust manifold bolts, typically (cylinders 7 & 8). That may be covered under your Power Train Warranty, if that is the case. Although, I'm not certain if it covers the 2013 model year.

Also, make sure you have a quality oil filter (e.g., Wix, Mobil 1, K&N, etc.) and are using 5w20 oil. Anything outside of that viscosity wreaks havoc on the MDS. If you are using dino oil, try using a synthetic blend or full synthetic. I use Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 and a Wix 57899XP filter. No issues. Sometimes just using a crap brand oil filter (e.g., Fram) can cause starting issues on these trucks. The ADBV usually being the culprit.

______________

Regarding the radio. I'm a member over on Ramforumz. And from the complaints I've read about this in the past, the problem is related to the sirius/GPS antenna. The fix is getting it replaced. Stupid question: Have you registered your truck with Uconnect?

I do run 5w20 but haven't been using synthetic, maybe its time for a switch. It does it pretty much everytime I start it whether its cold or warm outside and whether the engines cold or warm. I will see if the synthetic helps. My old Jeep had the same problem and I took it in and they did nothing so figured as much this time.

I did register my uconnect about year ago I think. Now that you mention the antenna my NAV started messing up right after I got caught in a hail storm. It was only a few dings on my hood but I guess the chance a large on hit that antenna could have happened. I know its a longshot but it literally started messing up the within days. Sometimes it does work though. Yesterday My uconnect had 3G and my maps were right on...not sure why its intermittent but it only works 20-30% of the time

[4king]

I have a silverado 6.0 HD that was in a flood and it has 160k miles on the cluster atleast, it has a different oil pan than its suppose to, anyways I don't have any lifter tick and I use synthetic with a Mobil 1 or premium filter. I've been adding 1 quart of vr1 20w50 to a 5 quart jug for this oil change, but synthetic does make a difference

[kpc01]

I have a silverado 6.0 HD that was in a flood and it has 160k miles on the cluster atleast, it has a different oil pan than its suppose to, anyways I don't have any lifter tick and I use synthetic with a Mobil 1 or premium filter. I've been adding 1 quart of vr1 20w50 to a 5 quart jug for this oil change, but synthetic does make a difference

I'll probably switch to synthetic on my next change and see if it helps. Thing is I've been using the same oil since day one and it just now started so the same oils been working for a couple years