[Shott17]

I am looking to replace my 01 which was taken from me in a head on collision thanks to some kid not paying attention coming across the center line.

So I set a budget of 22k for a 3rd gen, with a 6k down payment.

Long story short, I came across this one at a local dodge dealer with 200k miles. It is an 03. Pretty clean. oil looks good, trans oil looks and smells perfect. I found a bunch of receipts in the glove box during test drive. The truck runs/drives excellent. Body and interior are clean. It will need tires probably after summer but I am not concerned. Among the receipts were for a banks exhaust, and a banks transmission upgrade kit with install. This thing shifts noticeably hard into everything but O/D.

The price tag on it is ridiculously cheap. But it also comes as is with no warranty due to mileage. With the money Ill be saving I am less concerened with break down repairs. My plans for this truck are very minor cosmetic and power upgrades. It will remain mostly stock and will be DD'd a couple hundred miles a week as well as pulling my car trailer here and there. Maybe pulling hay trailers.

BUT, what else should I be looking for in this truck as far as signs of trouble to come? And what would you likely pay for such a truck?

Thanks for any input in advance.

 

[Shott17]

I forgot to mention also that I will be putting my Ultra mount on it and plowing our driveway with it on occasion. Would a upgraded transcooler be worth while? I know my 01 had crappy fittings that leaked until I built a new kit with AN lines. Are these prone to failure as well on 3rd gens?

 

[PFCICummins]

I bought my '03 for $17,000 Canadian, and it had 183,xxx kms on it when I bought it, so that works out to around just a touch over $17,000 US, and 115,xxx miles.

I've had to do a bunch of stuff to it since I purchased in Nov '10.

- Gasket between timing cover spacer and engine block
- Rear brakes & 1 caliper
- Water pump
- Had to do an exhaust when I bought the truck, would not pass safety. Put an MBRP 4" Turbo back on
- Ball joints & U Joints
- Hangar bearing
- Manual transmission flush

That's all I can think of right now. I do contracting work, so I do a lot of city/highway driving, and still average high 18's to low 19's for HAND CALCULATED MPG. I can usually get 750 to 900 kms per tank, but I also have a 6spd. I will never go back to a gasoline powered truck, and I'll probably stick with a Dodge. Yes, rides like a lumber wagon, but the towing capacity far exceeds my expectation coming from a 1500 Silverado. My syncro's are close to being shot, but I guess that's the previous owner being a hamfisted assclown.

As long as the maintenance has been done, and you feel confident that your buying a solid truck, pick it up. Maybe watch for odd leaks and such. I can't comment on an Auto transmission, but keep an eye on your front end stuff, cause it can sneak up on you for parts.

My truck is the SO Engine, 305HP. It'll state on the decal on the engine

Good luck!

 

[Shott17]

Thanks for the input! Im fairly confident it is a solid truck. I will obviously make a good long trip out of the final drive before purchase. I put a deposit on it when I left.I just wanted to check here to make sure there isn't something serious I should be looking for that I missed in the reading I have done here.

I also noticed when I was looking it over it has an aftermarket lift pump in it mounted under the bed by the fuel tank. I am not sure which brand it is or how old it is either. But it seems to me that the previous owner took very decent care of this truck.

Is it common for the valve covers on these trucks to leak with higher miles? I did notice that the engine compartment is fairly clean for a truck with 200k miles. But I did notice it has been leaking out of the valve cover on the passengerside firewall area. Not a gushing flow but noticeable.

 

[Ram3500Dually]

In 2003 there were 3 engines and 4 transmissions, which ones are in that 2003? And the 305HP in 2003 was the HO, not the SO.

 

[Shott17]

I am not positive which ones are in it. I have the VIN on hand, is there a place to use that and figure out which motor/trans it came with online?

 

[Ram3500Dually]

2003 S.O. Federal Emissions: 250HP/460lb.ft. Available with NV4500 or 47RE
2003 S.O. Calif. Emissions: 235HP/460lb.ft. Available with NV4500 or 47RE
2003 H.O. Federal Emissions: 305HP/555lb.ft. Only available with NV5600
2003.5 The 47RE was replaced by the 48RE automatic transmission and available with the H.O.

 

[rpage]

ball joints and the rest of the front end are something to consider.

 

[steelhead01]

BLOW BY
BLOW BY
BLOW BY
if you see any appreciable amount have a manometer test ran before buying or better yet RUN LIKE HELL.
the 3rd Gens eat injectors because of the POS cheapy Chrysler Mopar stock fuel filter. Leaking nozzles kill engines.

search the site for blow by. will blow your $22k budget to hell.

if it's an auto, expect with those miles it's highly questionable, cheapy rebuilt $1500 quality $5000

everything thing else is just cheapy nickle and dime, $3000 or less

I see you posted pics of the flashy paint and body.
a diesel is like a flashy woman, high maintenance and expensive. buy cheap, you get cheap worn out.

 

[Shott17]

I appreciate the input. I am not completely ignorant to the cost in maintenance. This will be my 3rd one. Ive learned more and more with each one. Ill make sure to search that over and make sure Im not in trouble. And for the record, I am not terribly excited about the flashy paint. I hate red . But for 9500 bucks. I have 12k left in just purchase budget, I think I will be able to tackle what may come if it does. My point of thinking at this point is, if I do enough research and have enough knowledgeable input from good guys like you and the other members I can make sure it is not a basket case prior to purchase. And obviously walk away if it is. But at the same time, Not spend 22k just on a purchase for something that might look better but still face the same failures ultimately costing more. Ive owned all sorts of different vehicles and believe the cost of maintenance is not something to cheap out on. It only costs more in the long run. And I have a hunting truck to drive if necessary while this or whichever truck I might own sits until it can be fixed properly. Im not a college kid on a budget worried about as cheap as possible bandaids.

Thanks again guys. Ill keep diligent with my research and hope it all works out.

 

[Shott17]

After some site searching, and google searching I am curious as to what you are referring to as far as blow by? Are you talking about engine blow by, or injector blow by?

 

[rdefayette]

After some site searching, and google searching I am curious as to what you are referring to as far as blow by? Are you talking about engine blow by, or injector blow by?

Engine blow by. The easiest way to get a good idea is to (engine running) take the oil fill cap off and flip it over on the oil fill hole. IF it just sits there and vibrates around, not bad.
If it won't stay there and tries to do an impression of Old Faithful screw it back on get your deposit back and RUN!

 

[Shott17]

Thanks Bob. I figured he meant engine. I checked out a video on youtube to see the tea kettle test. I was just thrown a little about the part were he said "the 3rd Gens eat injectors because of the POS cheapy Chrysler Mopar stock fuel filter. Leaking nozzles kill engines." But looking back, I see now he may have been talking about two different issues, not blowby.

How would I know for sure about leaking nozzles? Or did I get it all wrong and that also has something to do with engine blowby? Im a tad confused now haha.

 

[DBLOCK]

I'd jump on that for $9500, that really is a buy. I paid more than that for mine and it had 250k when I got it.

 

[rdefayette]

Thanks Bob. I figured he meant engine. I checked out a video on youtube to see the tea kettle test. I was just thrown a little about the part were he said "the 3rd Gens eat injectors because of the POS cheapy Chrysler Mopar stock fuel filter. Leaking nozzles kill engines." But looking back, I see now he may have been talking about two different issues, not blowby.

How would I know for sure about leaking nozzles? Or did I get it all wrong and that also has something to do with engine blowby? Im a tad confused now haha.

Check the oil level.
drop or 2 of oil on paper towel look for a ring of diesel.
the paper towel will sepeate the lighter diesel from the heavier oil.
Leaky injectors is kinda generic.
2 ways an injector can go bad is cracking the body fuel goes into the pan.
That's pretty easy to fix if you catch it in time.
Bad injector nozzle/seat will turn the injector into a blowtorch and blast a hole in the piston in NO time.
Super expensive to fix. $5k and up.
Injectors start around $500 x 6 = $3k. plus rebuild.
Get a good 2 micron Cat or similar fuel filter system.
Do NOT put anything on that raises Rail Pressure (RP). Injector killer, wallet emptier!

 

[Shott17]

Thanks for the heads up. It is great coming to a forum and having good people to help you out. Much appreciated to all.

 

[Shott17]

Id like to thank everyone again. Thanks to your knowledge and input I ended up purchasing this truck. I went this morning and made the final test drive. I did the tea kettle check upon initial startup and then again after I got the truck up to temp after the test drive. No noticeable exhaust pressure. Oil is fairly clean and previous owners window sticker says it is still a few hundred miles from due on oil change. Tranny oil is clean and and light red/pink. Smells perfect. Truck shifts firm and drives nice. And I also pulled the dipstick and did the paper towel blot to check for fuel. Im happy to report all oil in there. I repeated it a few times to be sure.

So thank you guys. I hope to have this truck for another couple hundred miles at least and am confident that if a problem does arise I took the steps to try and see it before I purchased it. The maintenance records and receipts that were in it speak miles for the previous owner. I believe he took very good care of the truck.

 

[rdefayette]

Id like to thank everyone again. Thanks to your knowledge and input I ended up purchasing this truck. I went this morning and made the final test drive. I did the tea kettle check upon initial startup and then again after I got the truck up to temp after the test drive. No noticeable exhaust pressure. Oil is fairly clean and previous owners window sticker says it is still a few hundred miles from due on oil change. Tranny oil is clean and and light red/pink. Smells perfect. Truck shifts firm and drives nice. And I also pulled the dipstick and did the paper towel blot to check for fuel. Im happy to report all oil in there. I repeated it a few times to be sure.

So thank you guys. I hope to have this truck for another couple hundred miles at least and am confident that if a problem does arise I took the steps to try and see it before I purchased it. The maintenance records and receipts that were in it speak miles for the previous owner. I believe he took very good care of the truck.

Congrats and good luck! BTW if you do get buyers remorse and decide you don't want it I'll give you $9501.00 lol arty018:

 

[Jbremount]

Congrats and good luck! BTW if you do get buyers remorse and decide you don't want it I'll give you $9501.00 lol arty018:

If it's been 10 years in snow country! Is rust a problem? Just wondering since we hardly ever get snow in my neck of the woods in South Texas.

 

[rdefayette]

If it's been 10 years in snow country! Is rust a problem? Just wondering since we hardly ever get snow in my neck of the woods in South Texas.

AH, you lucky dog! Lived in snow country my entire life.
That's the common belief by "snow virgins" (no disrespect).
Snow doesn't cause/create rust it's the junk they put on the roads to get rid of it. My '03 and '04 have NO rust anywhere. When they salt the roads drive the truck, wait for the roads to dry out and go to the carwash to clean the calcium/salt off (top and bottom). In the summer/fall paint any exposed metal underneath and in the fall fluid film the underside. Never undercoat, if water (with or without salt) gets into any voids/cracks/gaps in the undercoating by the time you see any rust it'll be too late! It'll look good until it breaks through the undercoat!
In a nutshell pre-treat with fluid film, clean off the salt, paint exposed metal and don't undercoat.