Grit dog

Black Diamond, WA

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cummins2014 wrote:
No they are not a certainty, but as I said the emissions , and actuators are common. your buddy 12V had the actuator go on his. Don't fool yourself that you are exempt with yours . I thought I did everything I was supposed to with mine. Its not a grocery getter, it doesn't sit around and idle. I run it all the time with exhaust brake, and tow haul on. It gets worked pretty hard towing our 15,500 GVWR fifth wheel . Yet at 59K the actuator goes. Not a cheap fix, cheaper if I would have been home ,would have replaced it myself.
Not sure I even alluded to thinking my truck won't have any issues or not lunch a turbo actuator.
Just like no brand is exempt from the occasional total lemon and all brands seem to have some sort of Achilles heel.
Some of it's luck of the draw. A buddy has a LML Dmax. Couldn't use it in a worse way for emissions, almost. Never towed a thing with it. Daily commuter, 1/2hour drive, side streets, shuttling kids around, gets on the highway enough to clean out I suppose because the truck has the better part of 150k miles on it, bone stock and he has had nary an issue with it. It did get plugged up once and had to take it in to get a manual regen.
I would have predicted that he would have lots of issues, but???
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold
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Cummins12V98

on the road

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My actuator started acting up with intermittent loss of the EB. It still ran fine for local driving. Told the Dealer about it and they had one in stock. Waited for a rental to be available and got it done. Lucky I didn’t need to tow.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"
"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600
2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable
2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD
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IdaD

Idaho

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Cummins12V98 wrote: NEVER left on the side of the road by any of the 5 RAM’s I have owned. Well except for when I ran out of fuel on two of them.
Mine has left me on the side of the road once (water pump) and then last week hobbled with transmission problems - I could drive it up to third gear but had to lock it there. The accumulator plate failed which damaged the pistons and valve body. $2300 later and I'm good again but it was annoying and almost cost us a trip.
I'm generally happy with the Ram and I love the way it tows, but it has given me a little more trouble than I'd like. Nothing major like a ruined engine and honestly that was kind of my expectation that I'd have a few more minor issues but nothing catastrophic. Knock on wood.
2015 Cummins Ram 4wd CC/SB
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Grit dog

Black Diamond, WA

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IdaD wrote: then last week hobbled with transmission problems - I could drive it up to third gear but had to lock it there. The accumulator plate failed which damaged the pistons and valve body. $2300 later and I'm good again
Aaand this just moved up the "replace accumulator piston retainer" duty up on my list of reasons why I don't like the 68rfe.
Sorry to hear you didn't catch it early enough to not damage the valvebody. The OE pistons are nothing to write home about, so no less there really.
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n0arp

FT

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Lantley wrote: bucky wrote: Lantley wrote: bucky wrote: I'm with Dodge Guy on this. I also have extensive background with CDJR(F) dealerships.
The newer Cummins isn't the reliability issue, it's all the emission garbage he mentioned. The warranty will cover the cost of repairs but when you are stranded on I10 in the middle of nowhere TX in 100 degree heat with high humidity 2000 miles from where you need to be it doesn't much matter does it? And that's before you find out the part is on backorder with no ETA.
That's why I drive old Ram diesels. I didn't look for a 06 or early 07 because of the TIPM issues. My 05 will last until I'm not towing anymore. I should have kept my first year 24V with the Banks kit. The 75 decibels in the cab under load was the reason I sold it.
If that is your opinion tHat doesn't speak well for Ram in general.
You are giving validity to Devo's claim that Ram's are junk.
I have a 2019 Duramax with 70K on it. No issues so far, certainly never been stranded.
Is Ram building such a poor product that the mechanics don't recommend them?
Our comments were about the emission systems, not Ram. We never saw the diesels in the shop before the emission stuff started piling on. All the manufacturers face the same problem, the OP was discussing Ram, hence our replies.
I'm not sure you can seperate Ram from its emmisions system. While I get your point, the guy stranded in a strange town doesn't want Ram to point the finger at someone else while his truck is in the shop.
Ultimately Ram designed the emmisions system.
It not very reassuring if you are a Ram owner when 2 mechanics state they doon't believe Ram diesels pick ups are reliable....Which has been Devo's point all along.
Not only are they unreliable, but the dealers are unable to fix them once an issue occurs.
I'm not a Ram basher. I tend to take Devo's claims with a grain of salt. I'm really not that brand loyal. The 6.0 PSD disaster chased me away from Ford years ago and I found the Duramax Allison combo. Nevertheless hearing Ram mechanics support DEvo's claim and speak poorly of Ram diesels is somewhat eye opening.
My '15 LML had way more (constant) emissions problems from day one than my Ram (none). I ended up deleting the LML and running a CP3 conversion because I didn't want to be left stranded again.
In general, all the big three make small incremental improvements each year and some of those end up being for the emissions systems. Newer emissions seem to be less problematic than the systems produced a decade, or even five years ago - judging by anecdotal conversations I've seen on various forums and personal experience across three trucks.
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C Schomer

Pueblo West, Co.

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I'd be stuck between a rock and a hard spot if I had to get rid of 12 Dodge diesel. I tow 15K 5er, kinda heavy for a gasser I think, one week a month in the summer and a trip to Az. In the winter. The def issues scare me the worst. Do Chevy and Ford diesels have any better turbo actuator and less problematic emissions? A v10 gas MH might start to look good! Craig
2012 Dodge 3500 DRW CCLB 4wd, custom hauler bed.
2008 Sunnybrook Titan 30 RKFS Morryde and Disc brakes
WHOEVER INVENTED WORK DIDN'T HAVE AN RV!
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Grit dog

Black Diamond, WA

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C Schomer wrote: I'd be stuck between a rock and a hard spot if I had to get rid of 12 Dodge diesel. I tow 15K 5er, kinda heavy for a gasser I think, one week a month in the summer and a trip to Az. In the winter. The def issues scare me the worst. Do Chevy and Ford diesels have any better turbo actuator and less problematic emissions? A v10 gas MH might start to look good! Craig
For sure, the early Tier IV emissions systems were/are simpler than newer systems that use def. They were/are also less efficient and no less problem prone.
You are imo , in the sweet spot of the most refined early dodge system and not into the first def systems.
Personally I’d delete the 2012 and enjoy the power and efficiency. But I don’t think you can registered in CO.
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richclover

NV

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I’ve had zero problems with mine. About 800 miles on a 2.5 gl jug of def. Towing.
Never tow my camper with gas … again, ever.
Rich
2018 Ram 4X4 2500HD Cummins
2020 Chaparral 336TSIK
2019 RAM 1500 Classic 4X4 Hemi
2021 CanAm Maverick DS Turbo
Southern NV
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Cummins12V98

on the road

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"Never tow my camper with gas … again, ever."
Pepsid complete does wonders with that.
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bsbeedub

Gateway to the West

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Cummins12V98 wrote: "Never tow my camper with gas … again, ever."
Pepsid complete does wonders with that.
I see what ya did there! Kudos to you!
Bob & Susan
Shelby the Beagle June 8, 2005 - Dec. 24, 2016
2018 Ram 3500 6.4 HEMI, long bed, 4.10’s
2021 Coachman Chaparral Lite 25 RE
2011 Gulfstream Ameri-Lite 23BW - retired
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 - retired
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