Safety Recall No. C39

Transfer Case Fasteners

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Date: December 2003

Models: 2004 (DR) Dodge Ram 1500/2500 4WD Pick-up Trucks

NOTE: This notification applies only to the above vehicles equipped with gasoline engine, built at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant (“J” in the 11th VIN Position) from November 4, 2003 through November 6, 2003 (MDH 110420 through 110622).

IMPORTANT: Many of the vehicles within the above build period have already been inspected or repaired and, therefore, have been excluded from this recall.

IMPORTANT: Some of the involved vehicles may be in dealer new vehicle inventory. Federal law requires you to stop sale and complete this recall service on these vehicles before retail delivery. Dealers should also consider this requirement to apply to used vehicle inventory and should perform this recall on vehicles in for service. Involved vehicles can be determined by using the VIP inquiry process.

Subject:

The transfer case-to-transmission fasteners on about 500 of the above vehicles may not have been properly tightened. Loose transfer case fasteners could cause the transmission adapter or transfer case housing to crack and leak fluid. Continued vehicle operation can result in propeller shaft separation and damage to fuel system components. Fluid and/or fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can cause an underbody fire.

Repair:

The transfer case-to-transmission fasteners must be tightened to the proper specification.

Parts Information:

No parts are required to perform the service procedure.

Service Procedure:

A. Tighten Transfer Case Fasteners (Automatic Transmission)
1.	Raise the vehicle on an appropriate hoist.
2.	Locate the four (4) transfer case-to-adapter nuts (Figure 1).
3.	Evenly tighten the four (4) transfer case-to-adapter fasteners to 30 ft-lbs (40 N·m) (Figure 1) using the procedure below.
NOTE: The two fasteners located under the transmission mount do NOT require tightening.
	Access the two (2) passenger side fasteners and the upper driver’s side fastener from behind and above the transfer case using a 9/16” crow’s foot (Snap-on FRW1809 or equivalent) attached to a 3” wobble extension (Snap-on FXW3 or equivalent) attached to an 8” standard extension (Snap-on FXK8 or equivalent) and a 3/8” drive ratcheting torque wrench.
	Access the lower driver’s side fastener from the front of the transfer case using a 9/16” crow’s foot (Snap-on FRW1809 or equivalent) attached to a 3/8” universal joint (Snap-on FUBA or equivalent) attached to an 8” standard extension (Snap-on FXK8 or equivalent) and a 3/8” drive ratcheting torque wrench.
4.	Lower the vehicle and return it to the customer.

B. Tighten Transfer Case Fasteners (Manual Transmission)
1.	Raise the vehicle on an appropriate hoist.
2.	Locate the six (6) transfer case-to-transmission nuts (Figure 2).
3.	Evenly tighten the six (6) transfer case-to-transmission fasteners to 30 ft-lbs (40 N·m) (Figure 2) using the appropriate procedure below.
	1500 Series Truck:
	Access the passenger side top fastener from the front of the transfer case using a 9/16” swivel socket (Snap-on FS18A or equivalent) attached to a 3” long wobble extension (Snap-on FXW3 or equivalent) and a 3/8” drive ratcheting torque wrench.
	Access the bottom driver’s side fastener from the front of the transfer case using a 9/16” crow’s foot (Snap-on FRW1809 or equivalent) attached to a 3/8” universal joint (Snap-on FUBA or equivalent) attached to a 3” long wobble extension (Snap-on FXW3 or equivalent) and a 3/8” drive ratcheting torque wrench.
	Access the remaining four (4) fasteners from behind and above the transfer case using a 9/16” crow’s foot (Snap-on FRW1809 or equivalent) attached to a 3” long wobble extension (Snap-on FXW3 or equivalent) attached to an 8” standard extension (Snap-on FXK8 or equivalent) and a 3/8” drive ratcheting torque wrench.
	2500 Series Truck:
	Access the lower passenger side and all three (3) driver’s side fasteners using a 9/16” shallow socket and a 3/8” drive ratcheting torque wrench.
	Access the upper two (2) passenger side fasteners from behind and above the transfer case using a 9/16” crow’s foot (Snap-on FRW1809 or equivalent) attached to a 3” wobble extension (Snap-on FXW3 or equivalent) attached to an 8” standard extension (Snap-on FXK8 or equivalent) and a 3/8” ratcheting torque wrench.
4.	Lower the vehicle and return it to the customer.

Completion Reporting and Reimbursement

Claims for vehicles that have been serviced must be submitted on the DIAL System or on the DealerCONNECT Claim Entry Screen located on the Service tab. Claims submitted will be used by DaimlerChrysler to record recall service completions and provide dealer payments.

Use the following labor operation number and time allowance:

Tighten transfer case fasteners      21-C3-91-82    0.2 hours

Parts Return:

Not applicable.

Vehicle Lists, Global Recall System, VIP and Dealer Follow up

All involved vehicles have been entered into the DealerCONNECT Global Recall System (GRS) and Vehicle Information Plus (VIP) for dealer inquiry as needed. Involved dealers were also mailed a copy of their vehicle (VIN) list with the dealer recall notification letter.

GRS provides involved dealers with an updated VIN list of their incomplete vehicles. The owner’s name, address and phone number are listed if known. Completed vehicles are removed from GRS within several days of repair claim submission.

To use this system, click on the “Service” tab and then click on “Global Recall System.” Your dealer’s VIN list for each recall displayed can be sorted by: those vehicles that were unsold at recall launch, those with a phone number, city, zip code, or VIN sequence.

Dealers must perform this repair on all unsold vehicles before retail delivery. Dealers should also use the VIN list to follow up with all owners to schedule appointments for this repair.

Recall VIN lists may contain confidential, restricted owner name and address information that was obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles of various states. Use of this information is permitted for this recall only and is strictly prohibited from all other use.

Owner Notification and Service Scheduling

All involved vehicle owners known to DaimlerChrysler are being notified of the service requirement by first class mail. They are requested to schedule appointments for this service with their dealers. A copy of the owner letter is attached.

Enclosed with each owner letter is an Owner Notification Form. The involved vehicle and recall are identified on the form for owner or dealer reference as needed.

This page was edited on: May 3, 2004