Engine knock

[brettt777]

I have an '06 Ram 1500 SLT with the Hemi. I love the truck but almost since it was new it has had what I believe is an engine knock like a rod bearing or something on the bottom end. The problem is, I have had it to a dealer on 3 seperate occasions and they always tell me it's okay. The thing is, every time it's been a different tech looking at it and all three of them have told me something different. The first guy said it was a mechanical fuel pump. The second guy at a different place told me it was carbon buildup in the engine. The thrid guy at that same place told me that Hemi's were just noisy like that. Which makes me think they either don't know what it is or they are blowing smoke because they don't want to have to replace an engine. I have been a hot rodder since way back and I know what an engine knock sounds like. I can hear this noise even when I am driving if I have the radio off. It's plain as day to me and is definitely coming from the engine. I have listened to other trucks of the same model and engine and they don't make any noise like this. When I pull up to a drive through or something that has a wall next to me that reflects the sound, then you can really hear it. I have about 22,000 miles on my truck so I have another 14,000 on the drivetrain warranty. What should I do? I am afraid if I take to another Dodge dealer they will just tell me the same thing again. I don't want to leave it like this only to have the engine fail just after the warranty expires. Has anyone else had a similar problem with the hemi engine and/or Dodge?

[emcemc]

Originally Posted by brettt777

I have an '06 Ram 1500 SLT with the Hemi. I love the truck but almost since it was new it has had what I believe is an engine knock like a rod bearing or something on the bottom end. The problem is, I have had it to a dealer on 3 seperate occasions and they always tell me it's okay. The thing is, every time it's been a different tech looking at it and all three of them have told me something different. The first guy said it was a mechanical fuel pump. The second guy at a different place told me it was carbon buildup in the engine. The thrid guy at that same place told me that Hemi's were just noisy like that. Which makes me think they either don't know what it is or they are blowing smoke because they don't want to have to replace an engine. I have been a hot rodder since way back and I know what an engine knock sounds like. I can hear this noise even when I am driving if I have the radio off. It's plain as day to me and is definitely coming from the engine. I have listened to other trucks of the same model and engine and they don't make any noise like this. When I pull up to a drive through or something that has a wall next to me that reflects the sound, then you can really hear it. I have about 22,000 miles on my truck so I have another 14,000 on the drivetrain warranty. What should I do? I am afraid if I take to another Dodge dealer they will just tell me the same thing again. I don't want to leave it like this only to have the engine fail just after the warranty expires. Has anyone else had a similar problem with the hemi engine and/or Dodge?

well for one thing the truck more then likly has no mechanical fuel pump and a two year old truck will not have carbon build up like the second guy said and the third guy i bet he smokes dope.

what i think you should do if you can afford it is trade it in and get a brand new one this year or a 2500 or soomething i imagine that the only way to beat the dealer

[xfeejayx]

I'm slightly confused. You say you think it might be a rod bearing or something, but later on you say you know what an engine knock sounds like.
So is it just a repeating clicking sound, or an actual engine knock (detonation)?

If its just clicking, remember this engine is of a very old design (for the most part), so its possible its lifter tap or slop in the pushrods. Mine has that too now, though I have 54k as opposed to your 22. BTW, your warranty should be good till 7 years/70k miles, check on that.

Questions:
Does it happen when the weather is cold, hot, or both
Does it happen when teh engine is cold, warm, or both
Does it happen at load, no load, or both
Does it speed up with rpm, or with ground speed?
is it better/worse at some rpms than others?
are you using the recommended 89 octane fuel? try a tank (or half, save $$) of premium, did that help anything?
can you open the hood and try to pinpoint that it is in fact coming from the engine?
where do you live? altitude has a big affect on knock.

hopefully we'll be able to help more with some more info rolling around in out heads.

[brettt777]

When I say engine knock, I don't mean detonation or pinging. I mean a rod bearing or something like that. Let's see...temprature doesn't seem to affect it, engine or climate. Sometimes it seems worse than others but it is always there. It is definitely coming from the engine, and increases with engine rpm. It's more of a knock, not a tap like a lifter. It seems to get a little louder under load...I can hear it when I am on the gas but not so much when I let off. I have tried higher octane fuel but it makes no difference. And I live in Northeast Alabama at about 600 ft elevation. I hope that covers everything..

[xfeejayx]

well, here's the deal. "knock" is a pretty vague term, so I don't know if any of us are going to be able to figure out what you're talking about. My guess is still that it's something in the valve train, but I'm not actually hearing what you're hearing, so I could be very very wrong.

What you should do is go into a dealer and start throwing chairs around (not literaly). See if there is a 5 star dealer around you, they are generally very good. You're still warrantied, so you got a leg up on this. This might take patience, but be persistent. There is obviously a problem if you aren't hearing it on other engines, so start bustin heads. Sorry that I can't help anymore than that.

[rockwood84]

take it to a different dealer if they blow smoke.and most will because if they can bull**** you till the warranty is out then you pay they don't. another thing is ask around and find a shop that does alot of work on dodge trucks and let them listen to it .could be a sloppy main bearing that came out of the factory.some of the old machanics can tell by listening to it. good luck