New to the forum and the HD trucks. My last Ram was a 2016 EcoDiesel that I bought new, unfortunately I was hit on the interstate and the truck was totaled with 170,000 miles. Best vehicle I have ever owned and had no plans on getting rid of it otherwise. I am now daily driving a small car, so decided to go with a 2500 diesel this time. We have a camper, and tow farm equipment and hay every year, so I figured why not make life easier with the bigger truck.
I found a 2021 2500 6.7 Bighorn with 39,000 miles that was the same color (Silver) and options as my 2016 for an attractive price, so I bought it. I love driving the truck and it drives and runs really well, the interior is nice and comfortable. That said, I have a few issues I need to get resolved and I am hoping to get some advice from the forum. I, unfortunately, missed these items when test driving the truck.
I found a 2021 2500 6.7 Bighorn with 39,000 miles that was the same color (Silver) and options as my 2016 for an attractive price, so I bought it. I love driving the truck and it drives and runs really well, the interior is nice and comfortable. That said, I have a few issues I need to get resolved and I am hoping to get some advice from the forum. I, unfortunately, missed these items when test driving the truck.
- Heat only working on the passenger side and the passenger side is not always real warm, at least compared to my old truck. I have read many threads on the forum and started troubleshooting. I check the blend actuator, and it is moving when the driver's side climate knob is turned. The air temp does increase slightly when set to high on drivers' side, so it seems like the actual door is opening/closing. I decided to change the coolant and flush the heater core before re-filling. I flushed several times with water both ways and then added CLR and let it sit for 30 minutes, then flushed it out. I repeated this 3 times. I did get some dirty water out on the first and second flushing. I then blew the heater core out with air. Once I refilled the coolant, I let it run for 30-40 minutes with the cap off to bleed air out. Heat seemed to be working great on both sides, so I figured that did it. Two days later, it was back to the driver's side not heating up. I have tried burping the system a few times sense then, with no change in the heat temp on the driver's side. The only thing I noticed while putting in the CLR is that the heater core only held about 18-20oz before the CLR was coming out of the other hose. Seems like it should hold more than that, but maybe I am wrong. A/C works great on both sides. Could air still be in the system? Should I try flushing again, or does this sound like a failed heater core that can't be flushed? Is there something else within the system that could be the issue? When I ran the truck with the cap off after the refill, temp went up to 192-193 before going back down, and heat was working fine. When driving I rarely see the coolant temp above 183 with the occasional 185-188. Is this normal or could my thermostat be malfunctioning? My EcoDiesel seemed to stay between 190 and 205.
- Heated Steering wheel does not work. When you push the button, it lights up for a few seconds and goes back off. My research says it is likely the module under the seat or the clock spring. Any way to test to see which it may be? Heated seats work just fine. If not way to test, I will just replace one and see what happens then the other if needed. Just hate swapping parts if there is a way to test.
- I am hearing a ticking noise at idle. It is not consistent on how loud it is and at times it is non-existent, seems most noticeable when the truck is warm. I have been trying to pinpoint it but can't seem to find exactly where it is coming from. It seems louder through the fender wells than from above. I am hoping it is not the lifters, but I am afraid that it is. Obviously, I will need to get it to the dealer to get this checked, and it should be covered under the powertrain warranty, but I want to make sure I am as prepared as possible once it goes in. Not sure if its related or not but noticed the oil is overfull. I just changed the oil about 1,000 miles ago. Considering getting an oil test kit and getting a sample analyzed. I plan to drain it back to the full level and see if it goes back up again. You can hear it very well in the sound clips and if you listen all the way through you can hear how it comes and goes. Never posted a link from youtube before, so hopefully the video links work.
