Truck Trend Garage: 2003 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Up Hill Power Loss
Question: I have a 2003 Dodge Ram pickup 1500 with a manual transmission. The rearend is a 3.55. When in fifth gear, it has no low-end power. It's hard going up hills in fifth. The tires are size 245-17. Can you give me some advice?.
| 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Regular Cab Front View
Answer: It's always tougher going up hills in fifth gear, compared to fourth or third. An automatic transmission does the downshifting on its own. In your case, it has to be done manually. In case I'm missing something in your question, and there is a true loss of power as opposed to the need for a lower gear, one thing you should check is that you're using the factory-size tires. 245-17 doesn't tell us the actual height of the tire. R17 is the diameter of the wheel in inches, P245 is the width of the tire in millimeters, but you still need the number in between. The aspect ratio is a percentage, which when multiplied by the tire width gives us the sidewall height. The sidewall height multiplied by two, plus the diameter of the wheel, gives us the total tire height. This is what will have an effect on engine load just like the rear-axle ratio. If everything's correct, get it to a Dodge service department to see if a technician can detect a problem.
If you have a technical question regarding your pickup, SUV, or van, feel free to contact Alex, a master technician with the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Send a letter to him in care of Truck Trend Garage, 831 S. Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245, or e-mail us at trucktrend@sourceinterlink.com. Please include the VIN with your question. Due to the volume of questions received every month, we cannot guarantee that everyone's question will be personally answered or will appear in the magazine.
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