1998 Dodge Ram

1998 Dodge Ram questions and answers

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Q: i had my tranny rebuilt in a 1998 dodge ram 1500 5.2l about 5000 miles ago and im still having problems why?
the transmission shop did a master over hual kit,drum,bands,torqe converter,and governor pressure sensor,transduser,and speed sensor.why amn i having problems with my overdrive?sometimes it will shift and sometimes it doesnt?

A: did they replace the tcm unit on it,if not this may be why its still giving problem,normally most shops wont replace that and this could be the reason your still having problems from it,if there's any warranty left on it at all id have them recheck this,having the computer scanned may also help you on finding out whats making it do this,they need to also check the wiring that goes to the tcm unit for damage,they was bad to break wires in to on those sometimes, good luck with it.

Q: steering fluid leak in a 1998 dodge ram?
ive got a 1998 dodge ram with 160,000 miles it slowly leaks steering fluid, do you think its the lines or the steering gear box its coming from near the cylinder and ya it has 160,000 miles on the original engine, she seams to run great other than the leak

A: it could be either place ,without seeing it you,ll have to clean it off and narrow it down to one or the other,the most problems i see on those is a hose leaking on them,i own two of those trucks and have had to replace on hose and one gear box,because of leaks,but i got almost 200 thousand on one truck also ,good luck.

Q: can anyone tell me what vehicles that chrome rims from 1998 dodge ram 1500 will fit thank you Pat?
I have 4 chrome rims for this 1998 dodge ram 1500 pick up 2wheel drive would like to know how to find cross reference on computer what other make and model of vehicles they will fit would appreciate anyone sending this info

A: use this site right here they have the cross reference on those,they also have part ,b, to this which has the trucks and other vehicles and other years,its a good one to find out on,good luck, http://www.discountedwheelwarehouse.com/Dodge_2___Vehicle_Bolt_Pattern_Reference.cfm ,one has the trucks on it,i sent you the wrong one while ago,good luck.

Q: What are some Pro's and Con's of a 1998 Dodge Ram 2500?
What is some good and bad stuff of the 1998 Dodge 2500 with a L6? Also about what is the mpg on the truck?

A: Pros: You've got the Cummins engine. In 98 the 12V Cummins was replaced with a 24V Cummins. Technically they call a 24 valve a 98.5. The 12V is generally considered to be better than the 24V as its easier and far cheaper to modify. It also comes with the engine oil lubricated Bosch P7100 mechanical injection pump. The 24V comes with an electronic fuel lubricated VP44 injection pump. These will fail when the weak factory lift pump fails. An easy fix is just to get a good aftermarket lift pump that will effectively lubricate and fuel the injection pump. Both engines have a rare problem with a dowel pin falling out in the front gear case and really chewing up the cam drive gears. This is referred to as the Killer Dowel Pin and is easily fixed. Each was available with a 5 speed NV4500 manual transmission. This is a big cast iron beast that can usually handle whatever you throw at it. Also available was the Chrysler 47R automatic. This isn't known for being the strongest transmission if the truck is ever modified. But all this can be fixed with aftermarket parts. Depending on your configuration, whether 2WD or 4x4, manual or auto, regular cab or quad cab you can expect anywhere between 18~21 mpg possibly higher depending on your driving style. If you want some great info please come over to http://www.dieseltruckresource.com and check out the forums. They're free and there are lots of very knowledgeable people on there. Hope this helps.

Q: What is wrong with my 1998 Dodge Ram?
While driving on the freeway (going downhill) the motor died. All the electronics (lights, windshield wipers, etc) still functioned. When attempting to restart it sounded like it really wanted to turn over but just didn't. After about 15 minutes of letting it "rest" it would start again, but I would have to give it gas and it really has trouble starting. It appears to only die when I'm not giving it gas, but who knows, really?

A: i had a similar problem with my 98 chevy silverado, sounds like you need a new fuel pump, my truck would run a little bit after resting a few minutes and when it wouldn't' start it would almost start and be turning over strong but not starting like your truck is doing, so probably a bad fuel pump

Q: what cause my check Gage light to come on in 1998 dodge Ram pickup truck?
recently my check gage light display came on and the only thing seem affected is the oil pressure gage goes to zero. I let the engine run hoping to hear the valves rattling or something .I was wondering if it is the oil pump itself or maybe a oil pressure switch if this have one that has gone bad. any ideas

A: There are several hundred things or combinations of things that can cause it. Yes, as the other responder said, have it put on the computer. If you left the engine running to see if it started making noise, you do not deserve to own a vehicle. You are very likely to have been replacing an engine right now if the oil pump had stopped working.

Q: on a 1998 dodge ram 2500 5.9L diesel 4x4 the waste gate actuator control line is not connected to anything ?
it is located under the turbo charger and it has a small rubber hose attached to it but the other end of the wastegate control line is not connected to anything. I cant seem to find any where that it may go and the chilton repair manual doesnt say anything about it.

A: I'm really not that familiar with the Cummins engine so I looked up somethings online, but I was unable to find any useful information. There are some diesel affiliate blogs that might help you determine where it exactly goes but I'm not sure. To my understanding this particular waste gate is run electronically by the ECM or PCM. Maybe on the opposite side of this line is where the electrical motor or solenoid goes. Sometimes manufacturers use older parts that will work but they'll tend to modify them to use the parts on more modern vehicles and this might be the case. A small detail I read while doing some research is that some guys like to eliminate the wastegate to gain some HP. The wastegate is designed to prevent the turbine from going to fast and will dump any excess boost out the exhaust. So this might mean that someone eliminated it purposely. Either way I found a website that offers online manuals on subscriptions for decent prices. Here's the link http://affiliate.alldatadiy.com/index.cgi?sponsorID=62595 . On the top of the page click on home page and search your vehicle. You can find the answer to your question in minutes. Good luck.

Q: 1998 dodge ram 1500 power steering issue?
I have a 1998 dodge ram 1500 pick up. I was driving to work and when i started driving the steering was rough going left to right. when straight the car runs normal. but any kind on turning the steering wheel the car makes a rough sound and shakes. almost as if its grinding. i was told that this could be a power steering pump. any ideas?

A: Most likely the pump is on it's way out. Or the serpentine belt's tension er is not doing it's job. I've seen allot of the A/C compressors go bad on dodge trucks, including my own. Good luck and hope this helps.

Q: 1998 dodge ram 1500 wagon with clicking noise?
1998 dodge ram 1500 wagon has a loud clicking noise when you put it into defrost mode what could it be i think it my be the A/C turn off and on?

A: The heating system switches between modes by using a vacuum line to open and close ducts. When a vacuum line has small leaks, it doesnt switch modes smoothly, and usually makes a loud "wack" when it does switch.

Q: Is it hard to change the thermostat in 1998 Dodge Ram Pickup?
360 Motor with A/C

A: its not as easy as it seems because of the location of it its hard to get to ,its not like on the old 360 engines it was right on the top of the manifold ,on yours is down in the top part of it,and if you,l look at it you,ll see its not going to be easy to get to it, nor will it the neck part come strait out,its easier to loosen the front bracket and let the air conditioner and everything lean forwards,this way you can get better clearance to it,other wise it will probably leak on you once you replace it if you don't get mating surface cleaned off good enough,good luck on it.

Q: how can i make my 1998 dodge ram 1500 regular cab loud.?
i have a 98 dodge 1500 and i have a flowmaster on it already with the Cadillac converter still on. if i just take the c. converter off will that make it sound better. whats the cheapest way to make it sound awsome.

A: Any restriction you eliminate from the exhaust will turn up the volume, although, you could try and remove the muffler and just run the catalytic converter, you would still be emissions legal, and you might be surprised at the sound coming from your exhaust.

Q: I am having problems with the tq converter in my 1998 dodge ram 2500 diesel, it keep locking and unlocking?


A: Do you have any suspension mods on the truck? I've heard of those late 90s model dodges actually having the torque converter exploding on the inside and sending shrapnel through the tranny. This of course was on trucks that had been lifted and done wrong.

Q: I have a 5.9L V8 1998 dodge ram 1500. How can I get 50 more HP out of it?
I would like to get 50 More HP out of my 1998 5.9L V8 ram 1500. I'm not worried about the cost just want to know a good way to do that? But I don't want anything to do with Nitrous.

A: summitraceing.com mancineraceing.com They carry everything you need. Mancine is mopar only they where a part of the original Ram Chargers race team. Headers and a cat back system will give you 50hp on 87 octane gas. When you start moving into computer programmers and such you have to run 93 octane or your truck will ping. Add the mopar performance intake to the mix and you have another 20hp still on 87 octane. Drop me a note if you want more detail.

Q: What is the biggest motor you can put in a 1998 dodge ram 1500?


A: The biggest engine that came in that model from the factory was the 5.9L (360 ci) gas engine. But as far as what COULD fit, the sky is the limit.Mopar has crate motors all the way to 572 ci. You can get them carbuerated or fuel injected with a stand alone computer to control fuel & ignition. Keep in mind if you shoot for the moon the higher horsepwer motors will require significant and expensive transmission and drivetrain upgrades to handle the power. You are really only limited by your budget. If you were'nt thinking of going quite so extreme you can make pretty respectable power with th 5.9 which bolts right in using aftermarket products. Checkout mopar performance online.

Q: 1998 dodge ram 318 motor queston?
some one i know wants me to work on a 1998 Dodge Ram 4X4 truck with a 318 motor how many cyl motor is that? is that a v8? please need a answer asap thanks and how much would you charge some one to put spark pulgs spark plug wires cam and rotor they have all the parts just need some one to put it in how much should i charge?

A: Wow ! sounds like you should stay away from this one. If you don`t know what a 318 is, then run away. Chances are you can`t fix it, if you don`t know what it is.