Own a 2006 Dodge 1500?

This is our version of a “PSA”… if you own a 2006 Dodge 1500 pick-up, you need to know about this recall:

WASHINGTON — Chrysler said Wednesday it was recalling about 145,000 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 pickups to replace the passenger air bag pack and reprogram the air bag’s computer system.

The automaker said it would also replace the front passenger seat belt assembly in the same vehicles because it may not allow an owner to properly secure a limited number of child restraint systems. The assembly will be replaced in the recalled pickups.

Chrysler Group, a division of DaimlerChrysler AG, said the air bag system may not be compatible with some rear-facing child seat models if the passenger seat is adjusted all the way forward and an air bag deploys.

The automaker also said it was recalling about 35,000 Dodge Durango vehicles from 2001-2003 model years because of potential fires between the two front seats.

Ethanol?

I received a newsletter today from an investment advisor I follow.  I’m hoping that someday I’ll have some money to invest… but I digress.  Of course, they were trying to sell me on subscribing to some guy’s newsletter because he had a stock that solved the “ethanol” problem.  What was interesting about this email was the subject matter.  I am NOT recommending any stocks or newsletters here, but I thought I’d pass along this information as it is quite interesting… Ethanol.

It’s the word on everybody’s lips these days and Wall Street has fallen in love with it… But there’s a dirty little ’secret’ about ethanol that no one’s been willing to talk about – a weak link in the supply chain that’ll easily bring its distribution to a crawl… and send its price through the roof!  It all has to do with one critical factor: getting it to the pumps.

Just how difficult can that be…?  What They’re NOT Telling You About Ethanol

Ethanol isn’t quite as simple a solution to our oil problems as some people would have you believe.  Don’t get me wrong… the fuel itself shows a lot of promise. The problem – and a rather serious one at that – lies in its transport. To begin with, ethanol is water soluble. It has a tremendous affinity to absorb water. And because water accumulation is a normal occurrence in pipelines, putting it into a pipeline can be risky, as it could render it unusable as a transportation fuel.

And road transport isn’t much better. While it is far more practical than pipelines, it’s also incredibly expensive. So much so that, by the time ethanol producers got their juice to the pumps, it’d cost you more than the high-priced gas it’s meant to replace!  The only way ethanol is going to succeed is if it can get to the pumps without breaking the bank.  That leaves two viable options: waterway and rail.

Just one thing… In order for producers to ship by water both the ethanol plant AND its customers must be next door to a dock.  Considering most ethanol plants are stuck in the cornfields of the Midwest they’d have a pretty hard time pulling up a barge for loading. Besides, even if they were less than a stone’s throw from water, for many of them it wouldn’t matter. With production volumes of less than 80 million gallons, the costs of marine transport would be far too expensive… it’d be like hiring a semi to move your couch.

Sounds like this alternative fuel may not be the answer to skyrocketing oil prices. Oh well, bite the bullet and ‘fill er up’!

Dodge Exceeds Expectations

We have blasted some dealers on this blog (Dodge & others) in recent posts, and most of it is greatly deserved.  In fairness, we should give credit when it is deserved. Just today I had the most pleasant experience with a local Dodge dealer, Kari Dodge, that deserves recognition.  Today I had my oil changed.

Some background first… I bought my Dodge 3500 diesel two years ago and the only after-market option I added at time of sale was an $1100 grill guard.  This was a SERIOUS grill guard made from 2″ tubing and can withstand an impact from an elephant at 70 mph.  It looked great.  However after the first winter, the paint began falling off. After 2 years, this guard looked like it had been in the weather for twenty years.

Today, as I was waiting for my truck to get the oil changed, I decided to talk to the “Accessories Manager” and let him know how dissatisfied I was with the grill guard.  This is one of those things I’d been meaning to do for the past year, but today I took action. I explained my problem to Casey, the Accessories Manager, and he agreed with me and offered to call the manufacturer and see what they were willing to do to make this right.  Hey, when you buy a $40,000 truck and add a $1100 option… you expect things to last at least as least as long as the note. 

Casey got off the phone and told me that the manufacturer was willing to replace the grill guard with his newest model, which was powercoated vs. the painted finish of my model. I would have to pay for the labor to remove and install the new grill guard, but the new product and shipping would be handled by the manufacturer.

IMHO, this was an excellent example of a dealer who was willing to go the extra mile and do the right thing for his customer.  I drive a late model vehicle and will not be in the market for a new one for quite some time, so there was no immediate incentive for Kari Dodge to go to bat for me. But they did and I am an appreciate customer.  So to all you readers located in NW United States, when you’re in the market for a new Dodge, I’d recommend you call Kari Dodge and see if they can talk your language.  They did good by me… and they don’t know I write this blog