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Chrysler Cancels Cummins Contract
by
Edward Niedermeyer
(IC: employee)
Published: June 18th, 2009
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Cleveland Business News reports that ChryCo will cancel its contract with Cummins for diesel engines slated to power its Ram 1500 line of pickup trucks. This news comes as OEMs are abandoning diesel trucks in droves. Ford and GM have recently backed away from diesel light-duty trucks, while Toyota and Nissan have canceled heavy-duty diesel truck plans. “From a business case, I don’t think anyone can make one right now,” says IHS Global Insight’s Paul Lacy. “We are still negotiating with the new Chrysler group,” retorts Cummins spokesman Mark Land optimistically. “I don’t think they’re forever gone. I don’t think they’ll just throw all of this investment money away.” Right.
Edward Niedermeyer
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Published June 18th, 2009 3:45 PM
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@Canucknucklehead: In what year did they start building them in Mexico? I didn't know that was a factor. There was one particular casting that had a problem and the block would crack and leak oil. I read that the 24-valve engines starting in 1998.5 weren't as good because the vane-style injection pump didn't last, and the even newer "quiet" engines (2003?) can have problems due to dirty fuel clogging the tiny openings in the injectors. The new injectors are also non-rebuildable. As another commenter posted, diesels today are like gas engines in the mid 70s and early 80s. They slapped-on electronics and pollution control systems to meet the new emissions regs, and it will take a generation to build the reliability back into them. I've talked to about a half-dozen people that had a Cummins 12-valve but since traded-up to a newer model. They all told me it was the most relible truck they ever owned and wished they still had it.
If I was going to buy a diesel RAM, I wouldn't go with a 1500, but go with a 2500/3500, which is fun to drive!