1999 Dodge Ram Bucks

From : johnnyd

Q: tom lawrence wrote can anyone fill me in on the use of the overdrive switch appears as if it defaults to on but can switch it off. is that right and why would i want to switch off the most common use is when towing... you dont want the transmission constantly downshifting to 3rd then shifting back into o/d then back to 3rd. i also disable o/d when driving around town and in areas when im doing less than 45mph.... again just to prevent the repeated upshift/downshift. basically whenever youre in a situation where the trans is going to hunt between 3rd and 4th repeatedly disable o/d. if youre on a highway then of course you want o/d enabled. it can also be handy to turn off the overdrive when going up and/or down long steep hills. jam .

Replies:

From : johnnyd

....i need to flush the radiator of my wifes 2wd 2000 durango 318 but im having trouble finding the petcock to drain the old coolant; any pointers would be greatly appreciated. tia fdh .

From : johnnyd

buddy has the same truck and his does the same thing when its cold.i purchase this truck from a older fella back in 92 or 93 and i dont think he well like i said ive got no first-hand experience with the pre-94 trucks... maybe they did come with a cad - maybe the po added the manual hubs - maybe they came from the factory with both.... its of no consequence because youre stuck with it no matter what any of the cad-type systems whether vacuum-actuated or pressure-actuated in the case of the late 80s-early 90s gm axles... they used an electrical heating element to heat up a gas to move the shift fork. it sometimes took upwards of a minute to activate in really cold temperatures are prone to failure especially as they age. again if it were me id ditch the vacuum-actuated system and replace it with a mechanical cable-actuated device. whitey doesnt specifically list an 89-93 application for their posi-lok but i bet if you call them they could help you out. the kits go for about $150 and install very easily. and yes your 4wd indicator light will be on all the time regardless of the position of the transfer case because the switch for this is on the cad which youve locked in the engaged position. if the light bothers you just disconnect the wiring from the cad there should be a connector

From : beekeep

disconnect. tie the wire up out of the way and coat the connections with di-electric grease then tape them up so that if/when you do install a manual system you can re-use the connectors and restore functionality to your 4wd indicator light. your truck will operate fine the way it is... if you dont need or suspect that you will need 4wd unlock the hubs to gain a bit better fuel economy. with the hubs locked your front differential and front driveshaft will be turning all the time. this isnt necessarily a bad thing as it keeps everything lubricated. wear on the components is minimal because theres really no stress being placed on them as opposed to being driven by the drivetrain. in fact this is exactly how the current rams work - no hubs no axle disconnect. . 222 294111 10ql1rise7tnv26@corp.super.com hi tom i took the actuator out and jammed it in 4x position so the actuator does not move. it is not kicking out no more but the light is always on. my buddy has the same truck and his does the same thing when its cold.i purchase this truck from a older fella back in 92 or 93 and i dont think he ever change anything.i really appreciate your help im willing to try anything at this point. thank you mike it doesnt have auto locking hubs. it is warn locking hubs. i understand that never said auto-locking hubs... i said manual. its just that with the ability to lock/unlock the hubs a central axle disconnect isnt needed and from what ive read wasnt available in 89. im guessing a previous owner swapped in a newer front axle from a 94+ truck and cobbled the cad system together becuase he didnt like getting out and locking the hubs manually. shafts to connect them together. the shift fork is being forced out of place i think thats why my lights is going off in the dash. most likely. since youre stuck with a cad-equipped front axle id still just remove the entire cad system and replace it with a posi-lok. simple and reliable. .

From : maxpower

on sun 28 nov 2004 154830 -0500 johnnyd jd1023@localnet.com wrote today while driving at around 45 mph the ram began to buck 8 cyl gas auto 4x4 43000 miles then the check engine light came on so i pulled over . when i restarted an hour later she ran fine. it was raining when it first happened. any ideas i did spray the ignition wires with water when i got home but it seemed ok. thanks in advance -- johnnyd you may have something telling the computer to disengage the clutch lockup. when it does it again touch the brake pedal lightly and see if it stops. an egr malfunction can cause this. check for any stored codes. beekeep .

From : ronbc

my new truck is getting only about 15 mpg. my dads 1997 averages 20 mpg or better. my truck only has about 11000 miles on it. is my fuel mileage average or just too early to tell while the engine breaks in talk to your dealers service department. theres a new flash available for these engines to improve the fuel economy. with that said dont expect numbers like your fathers 12-valve engine... those days are gone suppressed by the desire for cleaner emissions at the cost of more fossil fuels consumed... brilliant plan .