OMGWTFBBQ!

Hmph. The old 3.8V6 in my '08 JK Unlimited sounded like a little diesel, too--when it was new. A couple tanks of 89 octane and 5 years later and the thing runs just fine. No unusual-sounding noises and just as strong as ever.

Pentastar is da bomb... sorry.

Oh Snap.. there it is.. live the sword.. die by the sword. That's going to hurt. I would never buy the Pentastar Ram this year.. but might buy a 2013 in November 2013 when they have been proven and there is evidence that this and other growing pains are dealt with.

Now.. is it strange that a ticking noise would not have surfaced in what must have been a serious testing process? Or is the real testing process happening right after the new model year sales event.

The problem is they make everything too quiet and refined now.

I have no clue if it's good or bad but if was an old engine there'd be too much surrounding noise to hear an injector or phaser tick.

I'm not in the market for a 3.6 anyway. Somebody has to buy new models, though.

That is why I've always stayed away from first model runs of anything.
Strange, this thread seems to be very quiet.
"Crickets chirping".
Rambo guys drummed out by the sound of that ticking engine?
All kidding aside, this is rather unfortunante. Chrysler has been making all the right moves lately, but this could turn out to be a PR disaster and kill all of their positive momentum.

Hey, where are the RAM TROLLS?

hemis tick too. but that doesn't mean there is something wrong with them.

well considering that chrysler has simplified to one basic v6 design, it shouldn't be too hard too fix. besides chrysler is a small car company and with less plants so they run longer shifts (they produce more with less) so that means increasing the chance of error. chrysler is a growing company and they still have a long way to go, but i always pull for the underdog.

Now.. is it strange that a ticking noise would not have surfaced in what must have been a serious testing process?

-Just like GM's going on 15 years of PISTON SLAP problem. As if when doing all of their so called serious testing not ONE engineerer noticed a knock back in 1995-6. It won't take Dodge a fricken decade and a half to fix this! GM's beancounters Hard at work!!

Oops, forgot. GM never did fix their piston slap. They ran and entire engine generation from beginning to end with it. Effing Pathetic.

like i been saying MORE GUTS MORE GLORY MORE JUNK!!! i recall hearing that the Pentastar V-6 was the best motor ever and was going to be the best in its class bahaha,karma's a b*&^h where's all the Motards now? cause yall got spRAMED!!!

SuperHemi it was 1999 not 1995 get it right. lol hemi ticks now Pentastar tick clock dodge trucks up to 19 years of pure junk trucks.

http://www.pistonslap.com/

Slappers Fight Back! - http://www.pistonslap.com/photos.htm

@Johnnydoe, you're an idiot. The Piston Slap LS engine debuted in 1997 in the Corvette moron. They were surely testing it in 1995 and 1996 prior to the 1997 launch of the said car and engine. Then again, maybe they just slapped it together and never did test it huh? Why don't YOU get it right.

I will take a tick in my Pentastar v6 over the ticking time bomb of Fords new 2013 Escape.LOL. Escape the flames. LMFAOROF.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/ford-recalls-2013-ecoboost-escapes-to-correct-faulty-fuel-line/

http://www.dontbuydodgechryslervehicles.com/ 19 years of pure dodge trash

looks to me like the GUTS of this RAM aren't so GLORIOUS... all puns intended.

in all fairness its a machine, things go wrong. However, if i see another ignorant post from the ram club, completely disregard this.

try an ecoboost if you want a v6. they spoooooool. and make more torque than the hemi.

Wait until the 8-spd tranny comes out... I expect more of the same.

The best idea in the world isn't worth a damn thing if you can't make it reliable.

@SuperHemi Around 1998, GM switched from a "Select Build" method of manufacturing and/or assembling engines to a "Net Build" method, in order to save money on manufacturing and/or assembly. In the Select Build process, pistons and cylinders are matched for size and fit. GM's new "Net Build" method of manufacturing and/or assembly, in contrast, assumes all pistons will fit equally well in all cylinders and does not allow for variations in the size of engine cylinders or pistons. The pistons of slightly varying size (all within spec) are not individually matched with the cylinders of slightly varying size (all within spec).

i got it right you didn't guess you never read the links you post even 1998 1999 trucks lol better luck next spRAMER lol!!!

has anyone noticed the engine torque management on 2006-up dodge/ram trucks? i had a 2003 dodge ram 1500 st quad cab short bed 2wd 5.7 545rfe 3.55 anti-spin p245/70-17s and it would roast the tires like my 2001 dodge and 1998 chevrolet. however, i have tried multiple times with my latest truck to roast the tires and it barely does it. its like it won't rev past 3500 rpm. if i hold the brake, hit the gas and ease off, it will act a a traction control system. it won't really spin until i let off the brake completey. torque converter not locking up because i was on the brake? idk, but my 2003 hemi truck would spin completely through 1st to 3rd and halfway through 4th before downshifting back to 3rd. what do i drive now? 2007 dodge ram 1500 ThunderRoad (SLT with Laramie looks) quad cab short bed 2wd 5.7 545rfe 3.92 anti-spin p265/70-17s (compare to 2003 dodge ram 1500 st quad cab short bed 2wd 5.7 545rfe 3.55 anti-spin p245/70-17s). it just barely spins through 1st and then takes off (it is faster). 2002-2008 trucks are related, so does anyone know what gives? do the 2012s do burnouts with no problem???

josh i don't know maybe there is a way to by pass it some how check out some forms i guess maybe someone here knows

@HemiV8 - that old deflection or diversion technique. Attack a rival to avoid dealing with a problem. A splitting fuel line. Hmmm... Can you say a supplier problem?
Who is to blame for this problem?
Please note that the fix is to install an updated head. That sounds like an engineering problem.
I was not going to say anything more about this but the Rambo Mopards kicked in with attacks on the competition.
This was the perfect chance for you and the other Rambo Mopards to take the high road. You could of chosen to keep quiet/calm and smugly point out the trolling from the rival factions, but once again chose to out troll the trolls.

Yawn! Now a bigger Yawn!

@Lou, Strange, this thread seems to be very quiet.
"Crickets chirping".
Rambo guys drummed out by the sound of that ticking engine?

Can't wait for another RECALL from Ford Lou. Pucking Troll!

my god why argue over this? how many of you own a pentastar? lol, how many are even on the road? how many of you would own a car, a v6 car, or a v6 truck? lol if you get a ram you get a hemi. if you get an f150 you get an ecoboost. if you get a chevy you get a 5.3. talking about the pentastar like it is now is like talking about an 3.6 impala or a 3.5 taurus (ecoboost included). this article is just basically bringing to question if chrysler will have the pentastar ready for the new ram and the answer is yes because they already caught the problem. and no one has said WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT WAS NOT FIXED YET! they just said they heard a tick and the dealer would fix it! so it could be nothing at all just like on a hemi. it could be just bad plugs, gas, or just new valvetrain, you know? and it seems like critics just buy chryslers so they can find something wrong. people hate the underdog for some reason like they have to prove to everyone they can do something great.

Send it back to Tony and he will fix it again!!

Wonder if all the pothead drunks that got caught partying on their lunch break a few years ago still work their?

I don't know why all the fuss. I rented a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo on business back in March with a V-6 and it had more than enough power but the mpgs were not outstanding but I was low level flying. I am pretty sure it was this same motor but any Mopar fans can correct me if I am wrong. JGCL was a decent vehicle and the ride quality was good. But as for you Hemi guys getting your underwear all twisted over some trolls you would be better to ignore them. You Hemis really should not have any interest in a V6 since it is not a Hemi V8. Chrysler is going to fix them free of charge and I am sure that this will not be an issue for the 2013 models. Just go back to Hemi talk and ignore the trolls this is a V6 guys.

@Johnnydoe, Piston Slap dates back to 97 in the LS engines from day 1 of their launch in the Corvette.. The 97 and 98 Vortec 350's (old style Chevy V8) which were still used in trucks until early 99 and in Vans untill early 2003 had piston slap as well. I've been in the engine business for over 30 years. You don't have a clue as to who you're mouthing off to. There's no site dedicated to Corvette or Camaro piston slap because they weren't as widely sold as trucks and suv's. They were however the same exact engines and plenty of Camaro's and Vette's with LS engines pound like hammers. Typical clueless JohnnyDoe-Bob-Tyler-Sierra-SierraGS-Bvnoscott GM idiot.

@Lou--I will talk to you on another article. I think I will stay way from these Mopar discussions. The conversation lacks anything intelligent and meaningful just fanboys in a pissing contest. I will wait for a Nissan, Toyota, or midsize truck article. These guys make a mountain out of a mole hill and discussions about piston slap and my truck is better than yours is a waste of time. I graduated from high school over 40 years ago and I don't want to be reminded of the jerks in high school.

Only 1 % of engines had a problem !

2 Million Pentastar engines produced !!

RAM with the Pentastar will not be effected because it isnt a problem anymore with the new head !

Fact is,some customers noticed a slight ticking sound in their engine,no power loss,check engine light comes on and they take it in..It was due to a single exhaust outlet from the heads before reaching the exhaust manifold. New stronger heads are now used on all Pentastar engines.No engine left a person stranded ! Not like Ford,GM,Toyota,Honda when they have a problem its a serious ,serious wide spread problem !!

Ford had serious engine problems over the years,knocking,spark plug in head,bad transmissions,bad throttle bodies ! Eco-Boost heats up under load and heat !

Honda has self destructing timing belts and bad waterpumps plus waterpump housings that crack and horrible transmissions ! Same engine trans used in Ridgeline and minivans and cars even the Acura line !

GM as well has had many issues and less we forget Toyota !!

Toyota has Self destructing 5.7 Camshafts,Lexus/Toyota V-6 engines also self destruct !! We can add random excelleration it is a problem still confirmed to be mechanical,cracking tailgates,rusting frames,cracking side glass on corolla,bad transmissions,bad door welds on sienna that front doors pop open at speed ! Engines blow up,fail leave you stuck on the road many many serious issues including fires !!

Fact is RAM trucks will be the most reliable trucks on the road ! The 3.6 is now fine tuned and after 2 years on the road this is the only problem with them,less then 1% of the engines develop a tick.HEMI is a solid engine as is the diesel and the 3.6 is now going to be bullet proof !! RAM WINS,Chrysler Rules !!

Less then one percent of Pentastars are affected, .5% to be exact. Of the 1.5million produced that means only 7500 have been affected. The tick has been caused by a combination of low grade fuel and heavy duty engine use.

The Ram will not have the issue because no Rams with the Pentastar have been produced yet, and the fix has been implemented on Pentastars for just over a month.

The "fix" implemented is a strengthened area in the head.

@Dav The eight speed is a ZF tranny that has been produced since about 2006. It's used by 500+ hp benz, bmw, and Lexus. It's a proven tranny and there won't be any problems. Chrysler will start to make them in Indiana in about a year, but for now ZF builds them.

x007,
"Send it back to Tony and he will fix it again!!" LOL

This reminds me of something.
Do you guys know why a lot of old timers Italians have Tony for their first name?
Because back in the days when they were getting on the boat to go to America those that didn't speak any english, they had 'TO NY' written on their forheads so they wouldn't get on the wrong boat.
So when they got here, port officials would call to them: "Tony! This way to get your green card..."

My apologies to any Italians reading these posts.

So many cylinder heads are messed up, they can't keep up with it...

Chrysler is averaging more than 500 new service requests per week for cylinder head replacements, Automotive News says. In fact, demand for new cylinder heads is increasing so fast that Chrysler cannot keep up with it; there's currently a backlog of about 1,300 vehicles, says Automotive News. The problem has been discovered in about 7,500 Chrysler V-6s, and there could be more, the publication reports. Chrysler is giving owners free rentals while it fixes the defective motors, says the trade publication.
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2012/08/some-chrysler-v-6s-in-need-of-repairs.html

GUTS
GLORY
TICKING TIME BOMB
RAM

@Fred the man

Toyota/Lexus doesn't use the ZF 8HP--they introduced an 8-speed before ZF did.

I have only owned one new European car and it was constantly in the shop for warranty work, so I personally am not impressed by the ZF 8HP "proven" use in German cars.

I have 2 newer vehicles with 6-speed transmissions--one is a GM and one is a Toyota. And despite having the same number of gears. One is VASTLY superior in terms of shift-logic and how quickly it kicks down.

In Fiats defence I do think the cylinder head issue isn't that great. As has been stated they will be replaced under warranty.

I hope this doesn't affect the efforts that Fiat has made into its Chrysler brand as I think Fiat has made inroads into the quality of the Chrysler branded products.

Teething problems are normal in any engineering situation. Now with computer modelling and design the problems are reduced more so than in the past.

Not all the Pentastars are affected. So far only about 7500 starting at around 3000 miles on the clock. About 3000 are sidelined waiting for new heads now and most of those in my area are in Wranglers.

We've got almost 24K on our 2012 Overland Summit and no ticking, plenty of power, and smooth operation. It runs strong.

I should add that I use 91 octane pure-gas (no ethanol) instead of the 87 recommended, but that is because in my area they only sell 86, 89 and 91 in pure-gas.

As you guys already know, the 89 is a blend of the 86 and the 91 but I'm not convinced that the mixing inside the pump is consistent. At least with the 91 it is always 91 and not some half-assed blend.

But no problems with our Pentastar and my wife drives the p!ss out of her Grand Cherokee every day.

Dave, This is such a non story. The problem was found and fixed!!!

It sounds like bad gas to me!

Lou, If mine ends up being one of the ones, im not going to complain!!!!! Chrysler has always been very good to me and taken care of any issues that I have had. It is also one of Wards 10 BEST ENGINES! I dont think its going to be an issue!!!!

To those that think Chrysler should go into detail about this problem, I have one question for you. Why should the company give away free R&D information to their competitors???? Let them figure it out on their own dam dime!

Hemi V8, Stay strong, brother.

This does not invole RAM trucks.

ALL GUTS
ALL GLORY
ALL 2013 RAM!!!!!!!

Can't wait for another RECALL from Ford Lou. Pucking Troll!

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Aug 14, 2012 7:30:15 PM

@Hemi V8- you do have a knack for doing and or taking everything out of context. I'll repost my first post (since you like cut and paste)

That is why I've always stayed away from first model runs of anything.
Strange, this thread seems to be very quiet.
"Crickets chirping".
Rambo guys drummed out by the sound of that ticking engine?
All kidding aside, this is rather unfortunate. Chrysler has been making all the right moves lately, but this could turn out to be a PR disaster and kill all of their positive momentum.

Please note the "All kidding aside" comment.

Please note the " this is rather unfortunate" part, or

Please note the "Chrysler has been making all the right moves lately, but this could turn out to be a PR disaster and kill all of their positive momentum."

You and your Rambo Mopard group slag every other brand at almost every opportunity. How many "hemi is the greatest" or hemi rules top fuel posts that you have made on threads when it has had nothing to do with the thread?

I made a joke and I pointed out it was a joke. It was aimed at the Rambo Mopards on this site not at Chrysler.
How can you defend Chrysler for this kind of mistake?
As another blogger pointed out " Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones".
You've thrown a disproportionate amount of stones.
Looks like Chrysler has thrown stones at itself.

Ford will get a recall, so will GMC and every other brand. Does that mean I should lay awake at night in fear of divine retribution?

You want me to troll just to make you happy? Will you go boo hoo whaaaaa, you broke the truce?

I can say a whole bunch of funny stuff right now directed at Chrysler and your Rambo Mopard group.
I am not.

One more example of your fanboism killing the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Fiat name.

When will you wake up and realize that you do way more damage to those brands than I ever could if I ever chose to.

@ Big Al from Oz - I agree. This a rather unfortunate event that does happen. Teething problems occur with newer engine designs. Chrysler is fixing the problem and is providing customers with rental vehicles. This could potentially become a PR nightmare. Things like the internet can really blow things like this out of proportion. Just as few pissed of customers can really turn this into an ugly mess. I hope that does not happen. Chrysler under Fiat has done a good job of improving their products. I wonder if this could potentially delay the release of new Ram trucks with this engine?

Mechanic,

Bad gas my a$$. If it is bad gas that just shows how weak these engines are. Using bad gas should not cause damage.

Chrysler has made a change in the Pentastar's cylinder head and is using the new design for new V6s.

Automotive News said that in late July there were more than 1,300 vehicles at dealerships waiting for new cylinder heads. Late in the month, Chrysler pushed out a large batch of replacement heads to try to clear the backlog.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120813/videonews/120819936#ixzz23anHJujl

Hemi, Have faith in the power of ALLPAR, the truth about this and all past and future issues will be posted at allpar. The truth will set you free.

As shown in the comments SECTION HERE, even when the company is doing what it should to resolve the issue, there are losers that will continue to badmouth the company based on hearsay and issues that happened to them in other Chrysler vehicles many yearss ago (Lou) - or just do it out of hand because they harbor some kind of dislike towards the company and want to troll (Lou).

A neighbor bought a New 300 and had to put a motor in it in just 4 years of owning it. He had to pay 4 it because he was over the milage......he claims $4500.00.... This is just why I am sticking with NISSAN & GM.

This noise is just an agrivation and is not really a problem. JUST TURN UP THE RADIO AND ENJOY THE BEST TRUCK ON THE ROAD.....EVERYONE ELSE IS JUST SECOND RATE. ESPECIALLY FORD AND GM!!!

GUTS
GLORY
PENTASTAR POWERED RAM

Hey, where are the RAM TROLLS?

Posted by: Frank | Aug 14, 2012 6:08:21 PM

I don't know but i see one of the Ford trolls is here.

@SuperHemi The website you posted has a list of the vehicles with piston slap. It even stated in what I copy and pasted from it was in 1998 when they where building the 1999 trucks they changed the method of manufacturing. You may have 30 years of dealing with ticking hemi motors , but it only takes a 3rd grader to read and understand the info you posted. The website you posted even names off the years and engines that could have it.

Subject: Engine Knock on Cold Start

Models: 1999-2002 Chevrolet and GMC C/K Pickup and Utility Models
2002 Cadillac Escalade (2wd)
Equipped with 4.8L, 5.3L or 6.0L Engine ( RPOs LR4, LM7, L59, LQ4)
2007-2012 Cadillac Escalade Models
2007-2012 Chevrolet Silverado
2007-2012 GMC Sierra, Yukon Denali Yukon XL Denali
Equipped with 6.2L Engine (RPOs L92, L94, L9H)

There is the vehicles and the model years with piston slap strait from you're pistlon slap website.

http://www.pistonslap.com/

SuperHemi maybe you should read what you post cause the way you're talking you sure did not read it.

I bet the Pentastar is making a strange SUCKING sound.

BIG GUTS!

GLORY HOLES!

MAN RAMMING!