Greetings all, I am shopping for a tow rig... this truck's sole purpose in life will be hauling a horse trailer along with the occasional trip to the dump and home improvement store. After weeks of looking (checking craigslist, autotrader, cars.com, etc daily), I decided what I want. However, I have come to learn that the good majority of trucks within my budget are high miles. I have narrowed my choice to 2 trucks provided they are both still available when I get the cash (prolly this weekend). Both are Dodge 2500 club cab diesel. 2001 4wd, lb, at, leather, ac, tow package, power everything ... 186K miles for $12K + tax & license. They originally wanted $14,500 for this, but I talked to the guy on the phone and they came down a bit on the price. 1996 4wd, sb, at, ac, tow package, power everything ... 173K miles for $11K. I will be test driving this one tomorrow evening. Both are offered at stealerships and I'll be paying with cash. My understanding is that the '96 will have the 12v which I have heard is a better engine. I have also heard of fuel pump problems with the '98.5 - '01 (or 02).:dunno: I'm pretty clueless about diesel engines and what year is good/bad/whatever. Help a sista out with some advice?
Long time no hear . I don't know much about them either, other than the 96 is a mechanical 12V so there is no computer to mess with. Mileage is close for both of them and it is cheaper so that would be my pick. Sorry I cannot be much more of a help mine is all personal opinionwaytogo . Let RJF's Red Cummins or SoCal98TwelveValveAuto4x4 chime in, they are both big Dodge guys. Dik
Tough choice there, I think I would go after the 96 although both of them being autos in my opinion the 01 has a better transmission. The 96 also has a mechanical fuel pump. The 01 was one of those years that had the lift pump failure which in a lot of cases resulted in a smoked injector pump. Drive them both, see which one you like more. Have the trannys been rebuilt?
I would go with the 2001, almost without even looking at either vehicles in person. 94-98 years had the P pump 12v mechanical engine, so were the 89-93's, but the 94-98 has a much better fuel system. People claiming that this series engine is more reliable than the later 24v is hit and miss. It all depends on condition of the 24v. You will find the 24v , likely, to feel slightly more responsive and maybe even a little "peppyer", due that the 2001 is going to rev up well over 3,000RPM and produces 235HP compared to the 12v that won't spin past 2700RPM and is rated somewhere around 200HP even, IIRC. 12v's have a slightly stronger bottom end, and 24v's have a slightly stronger upper end, when compared together, stock for stock. there is a good chance that with that many miles on the '01 that it's had an injection pump replaced already, if thats the case then it likely has many miles left that will be problem free, as long as the fuel system is up to par. Here is what you should do, if the dealer doesn't have a good mechanic service, take it to a mechanic that regularly works on these diesel pickups, he should already know what to look for, but ask to have the fuel pressure tested. It's a very simple thing and cost should be minimal. He'll check it with a mechanical guage and he will connect it under the hood, 5 minute thing. 1. if it's got 14-16psi at idle, you're likely in good shape. 2. If it's at 13psi or lower, that isn't very good. The lower the pressure, the worse the situation. If it's above 10psi, it just means the stock lift pump is getting weak and needs replacing (we're talking the small electric fuel pump that supplies diesel to the main injection pump, think of like an electric fuel pump that supplies gas to a carbureter). If it is reading in the single digits, then it *could* mean that there has been some damage caused to the main injection pump from lack of cooling and lubricating diesel, but just depends on how long it's been ran weak. This is where your experienced mechanic you picked should be able to help and give you a reality of the condition of the fuel system. If all that jazz checks out fine, turn the key from off to on 3 times and whatch the odometer. It should show any codes that the truck has tripped. Report back with them and we can tell you what they mean. If all that checks out good then go for it. Should be a reliable truck, and you'll have the later 24v truck that has an updated nicer interior, leather, and a few other small upgrades that have been made through the truck as years went on from 96 to 2001.
Not sure about the tranny on either one yet. I cruised by and looked at the '96 tonite. I thought it was a shortbed, but it turned out to be a longbed waytogo Lots of surface rust inside and out, broken interior light, one of the vents was busted, guage cluster cover was cracked and the headliner is falling down. I realize the thing is 12 years old, but for what they are asking, they could at least make sure all the doo dads work:doah: The shocks are pretty rusty, ball joints are in need replacing soon and the tires are pretty worn. Lots of dings and scratches, but I'm still gonna test drive it tomorrow night. I guess I'll be making a run to Sac this weekend. I forgot how much buying a used vehicle sux:doah:
Wow... great info! Thanks a lot! I like the '01 better strictly on looks... but, then again, I am a girl The '01 is almost 3 hours from me, so I don't know anyone there that I can take the truck to for a look-see. I'll prolly go ahead and test drive the '96 so at least I'll have something to compare it with. It "felt" like a project truck and I already have one of those Any and all advice is welcome ... even if it's a "keep on looking" Many thanks again!
The internet is great... just search for mechanic shops in the area of the truck and get on the horn and see what they have to say.... get it lined up for the pressure test before you head there.. I wasn't paying attention before, but now notice you are in california..... Try www.qualitydiesel.com. They are in Auburn and is where I bought both mine and my dad's.
Dood... I know all about the introweb... geez Found a place 2 miles away from the stealership... will call tomorrow to see if they can help me out. That place in Auburn has some nice trucks, but, unfortunately, they are priced a little over my budget:doah:
Hey Cheryle…still looking for a new rig I see. If you’d like I can lend you my OBD scanner tool so that you can plug it into any trucks you are looking at and scan for codes. I’ll be down in Hollister this weekend and can give it to Dan or maybe you can swing by HH to pick it up. Or I could always mail it to you. Let me know. Also, check out these guys: http://www.truckworldusa.com/ This is where I bought my truck last summer and they were pretty good to deal with and they always have more rigs than what is shown on their site. I also recommend the guys in the previous link as I almost bought a truck from them. They’re pretty nice to deal with and have a good selection although IMHO they are a bit overpriced and don’t like to negotiate as much. Both guys can and will pick up a truck for you at an auction if you tell them what you’re looking for and how much you want to spend. Speaking of auctions…have you looked for any in your area? They are usually a pretty good place to pick up vehicles. As far as which rigs to go with…I’d agree the ’01 would be mucho betterer to go with over the 96.
Hey! These things take time... plus I was waiting on a loan I'm heading to Sac early Saturday morning... are you coming down Friday night? Haven't come across any auctions in my area, but it's not something I've considered that much either. I'll see what I can find. Thanks!
I'm coming down 1st thing Sat morning and I'll be down there for just the day. Don't you just LOVE shopping for a new vehicle . Sometimes it can be a blast and other times getting a root canal with no anasthesia sounds more appealing. I'm getting ready to start looking for a new car for the wife....my head already hurts. :doah:
I bought the '01 :doah: It's pretty solid with a few cosmetic defects - which I expected. Freshly rebuilt tranny, too waytogo I ended up not taking it to the dealership for a once over, but got suckered into a 5 year/100K warranty for $1600. All in all I think I got an OK deal considering what these trucks are going for in today's market. The interior is pretty nice except the fold down cup holder thingy is busted, console lights are busted and a little quirk with the radio... doesn't shut off until you press the "power" button. No buyer's remorse until I hit the pumps... HOLY! $90 and it's still not full Thanks again for all the assist. So far, I love it