[GTyankee]

I purchased my '09 Ram QC 1500 in February '09

I used the dealership for every one of my tire rotations & everything else to do with tires & wheels
Even the Extreme shaking that i had at highway speeds, that they never could fix.
I had them return the tires back to the original positions & the shake disappeared
They never found the problem until i told them to strip every weight off all the tires & start Fresh, guess what, no more shake. Because it was not their idea, i had to pay for the new weights & labor, even though i had not reached 36,000 miles, so still under warranty.

Well, that is not why i am doing this post

I had my tires rotated every 3,000 miles or very close to it, my tires do not have any rotational ARROW, so they could be rotated in the X pattern, not just the forward to back pattern, right front to right rear, left front to left rear, but the dealer would not use the X pattern, which gives you the best tire wear & life.

Again this is not why i am making this post

The reason that i made this post, is because in the 21 TIMES that the dealership rotated my tires, they never ONCE checked my spare tire for the proper inflation. It was so low that if i had ever had a flat tire, i would have been stranded

I sure am glad that i went to Discount Tire today, they didn't mind laying on the ground & checking my spare & airing it up properly

 

[Excoastie]

idiots, so much for the complete service

glad that you got it properly done now


Exco

 

[Bikenut]

HA! The coincidences never end on this site!: This weekend I mad a point to check the pressure on the spare tires of all 3 cars and camper. You're right, they were ALL low. I think that is a often overlooked check

 

[huntergreen]

guess the spare isn't tied into the tpms.

 

[Turbovsix]

And God help you if you ever need to actually USE that spare as I needed to a couple weeks ago. Between the ridiculous jack and the winch mechanism that refused to lower my spare after 45 minutes of jacking with it, I was just about ready to drive the damned thing off a cliff.

Kinda like this scenario - I initially had a package of oil changes included with my 2010 when I purchased it - I think it was 6 oil changes. On the 5th oil change, I noticed on the receipt that they were using 10w30 instead of 5w20, which is what the manual says is required for MDS. Well HOW COME I KNOW THAT BUT THE MULTITUDINOUS TECHS THAT WORKED ON MY TRUCK AND GOT MY DOOR PANELS GREASY IN THE PROCESS DIDN'T SOMEHOW KNOW THE OIL REQUIREMENTS FOR MY 5.7 WITH MDS.

Been changing it myself every since and I do a damned fine job at it.

Didn't mean to jack your thread - just wanted to add to your rant.

 

[huntergreen]

got that right turbo, spend too much time keeping truck clean to have techs get grease on it. would piss me off.

 

[royw]

guess the spare isn't tied into the tpms.

I can confirm that the spare is NOT tied into the tpms on 2011 1500 Laramie. And the EVIC complains about it every time you start the truck.

For full store:
http://ramforumz.com/showthread.php?p=713658#post713658

 

[TNC]

Not trying to be critical of those who trust tire pressure checks and other elements that need periodic checking to service center representatives...oil level, coolant, etc...but I wouldn't trust my life or engine to most of the folks hired at this level. And honest, I'm not trying to sound harsh to those employees, but I think most of us know that they are probably not at the top of the food chain when it comes to top flight professional car care. There are exceptions, and yes...we should expect what we were told we would get for our dollar in these service situations. I just think you're better served when you check your own tire pressures, fluid levels, and other normal, routine service issues.

On tire rotation, I think most people would get a service center to do this, as it is somewhat labor intensive and maybe even unsafe for many to do in the driveway with the tools available. However, even in this area you find many goobers overtorquing lug nuts and going crazy with the impact wrench. Even when I buy new tires, I can't wait to get home and double check all lug nut torques. There are many horror stories related to tire/wheel service at dealerships and tire centers.

On the spare tire location and operation on our later pickups, I found my '12 Express' spare access and operation to be basically identical to the last 3 pickups and vans I've owned from other brands. Always keep a pair of work gloves and a clean, foldable ground cloth handy in the truck, and you can get the spare out without much drama with the tools provided. Getting it back in didn't yield much heartburn either. I recently removed and reinstalled mine twice...once while doing the receiver hitch and the other time when installing the Airlift airbags. For as little as it's required, I'm glad it's under the truck and not getting in the way in the cargo bed like my last full size GMC Jimmy.

 

[huntergreen]

i always check my fluids. i don't think dealers pay their top techs to do these checks, just some kids right out of high school.
by the way, where are the points to use if i have to jack up the truck? tks.

 

[GTyankee]

Jacking information should be in your Owner Manual

i have had my Ram for just over 3 years & never read all of it
I read it when i have a particular question

Watch when you need to use the jack that comes with the truck, it is not very well made
I carry a portable floor jack with me at all times, it came with a carrying case