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I have the same Promaster 2018. I absolutely love this van and have all but stopped driving my Honda Civic. This van turns on a dime. Great driving experience sitting up high. My van came with back windows and I added CR Laurence vented windows in sliding door and across. Really helps me feel more confident about lane changes with visability. I am slowly converting my van and will be starting electrical with solar and a lithium battery in September.
Windows were a must for us!!! SO MUCH easier to drive and change lanes. It does drive great and the turning radius is quite amazing. Even though our van is approaching Mac weight it still has some pep!! Happy Building! Hope to see you on the road one of these days!
I have a 2015 PM and have a few of the same issues. To fix the "squishy step" I used a sheet of 1/8" Lexan and put it underneath the plastic flooring. It adds support, and makes it tolerable. For the doors not closing it may be a lack of venting. Many of the larger Promasters have built in one way vents above the wheel wells to allow air to move out as you close the large side door. If you don't have those vents, or if they have been covered by your build you may need to add another vent. To test this, just leave one of the windows open and see if you still have the same issue.
+Johnny Rambles Nice information and tip about having a vent so the slider will close. As soon as I put all the adjustments back to the original locations all give it a shot. Thank you!
I have a 2017 2500 and have changed my headlight once, and every once in a while, I can smell coolant, but never had issues with the slider or the blinker. Every vehicle is going to have some quirks and I'm still glad I chose mine over Sprinter and Transit.
+MrSharkphoto we love the Promaster as well! However, would love to have 4X4... transit is coming with one next year. Still we are in for the long haul with our Promaster even with its quirks! Thanks for watching and commenting.
once in a while i smell coolant but i only need to top off the coolant like once a year, which is normal for any vehicle and the amount i use to top off is like a half pint to a pint, so its clearly not a real issue. mine is also a 2017 and still have not needed to replace not even one bulb on the whole van
@Krister Lagerström That video was incredible. A number of great tips when doing a BF drain and refill. I liked that he even included the grease install tutorial for free.
Sometimes a door might not close ‘properly’ because of the vacuum in the van. Try closing the sliding door with either the drivers or passenger door/window open for air to escape. I really enjoyed this build. Thanks for tips and ideas because the promaster is my choice specific to bed and width and ease to get repairs done when needed. You also need to adjust your license plate blur out in the vlog. Cheers from Canader eh!
The suggesion above worked: We have to open both the driver side & the passenger side windows for the "sliding door open" alarm light on the dashboard to turn-off. Thank you.
@@susanscovill6817 Yes, that's right, with the roof vent open, the "sliding door open" alert is not an issue which was why we didn't had the issue before because the roof vent was always open whenever we closed the sliding door. We just got our Promaster last week, and we only experienced the issue all day yesterday, and it drove us nuts. Anyway thank you for your suggestion. Saved us a trip to the dealer.
oh gosh! I hope you are kidding. Living in a small space and being together 24/7 is challenging!! You learn some routines, how to have alone time and LOTS OF COMMUNICATION.
I have one of these for a work van and I'm not at all impressed with it. It's got 116,000 km on it (72,000 miles). Currently the rear engine seal is leaking, I get the coolant smell all the time and the sliding door won't latch in the cold, which can be a bit of an issue in Canada. The alternator went out at 85,000 km (53,000 miles) and it took 8 days to get a replacement. It's a 5 1/2 hour job to replace it and the bill was just over $2200 (Canadian). 15,000 km later (9300 miles) it had virtually no heat. Into the dealer again and the radiator had to be replaced. Quicker that the alternator, but the tab was still north of $2000. I always joke that this is what happens when the French and the Italians get together to design a vehicle.
Unfortunate for your luck. The thing is though, not every vehicle will be the same. You would have to do research on that. To see if you were unfortunate or these Van's really do break down. I had a 2005 neon. Bought it new and It never broke down. I was surprised. I want a 118 model the short base for me and my dog to travel.
Thanks for another great video, love your channel! This may have already been addressed in the comments but there are too many to read which is a good thing for you! The slider door issue is from a lack of air displacement. Easy solution: Open another door so the air can rush out. I have gotten in the habit of opening the front door with my right hand closing the slider with my left and then closing the front door. Easy, free solution.
We have a 2016 & we have exactly the same issues so hillarious 😂. I thought the high beam & blinker thing was just me too and we've driven ours over 415,000 miles!! We do long distance patient transports in ours. If you crack one of the front windows it will be easier to shut the sliding door and get it the first time. We didn't think about the squishy step being a problem though, but we don't walk through there anyway, we'll have to be keep an eye on that.
@@oneadVANtureatatime I was glad to find out it wasn't just me on that. We get a lot of am I seeing that mileage right, total dumfounded look when we get our oil changed every 7500 miles, all over the country 😂
Great solution for the squishy step! And I love that you thought to put the inverter there! I'm thinking the manufacturer wasn't expecting all these van conversions where people would be walking in that area at the back between the front seats. Hopefully the newer models have taken this into account.
These Dodge ( or in Europe as PSA group Peugeot/Fiat/Citroen) are used as bases for motorhome (RV) conversion. So they must consider it not to be an issue
Or just put down a OEM floor mat with the water channels. It's thick enough to solve the problem and keeps all the small rocks from getting in all the nooks and crannies. Still a terrible design... Thanks Tony (F.I.A.T)
the door seems to be the sensor,, you can bypass it by connecting the wires together,, if you continue to slam the door you will wear out the slides and lock quicker.. best luck
+Highway Robbery Thanks for the tip. I put the door adjustments back in the original position and now as long as one of the doors are open it closes most every time. Love these kind of tips..we appreciate the help 😀
For the sliding door, I only have problems when all of the other doors are closed. If you open the passenger door, then close the sliding door, it relieves the over-pressure and closes easily.
+AmJustDuane yes, we didn’t think of that 🤦♂️ thank you for your comment! It works perfect now!!! Glad we made a video otherwise we would have never figured it out.
EASY FIX FOR DOOR PROBLEM: THE VAN IS SO AIR TIGHT THAT TO CLOSE THE DOOR TIGHTLY, YOU NEED TO HAVE A WINDOW OR OTHER DOOR PARTIALLY OPEN. WHEN I CLOSE MY SIDE DOOR, I SIMPLY OPEN THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR SLIGHTLY WHILE CLOSING THE SIDE DOOR. NO PROBLEM. ALSO, THE REAR DOORS.
I have a 2014 3500 Ram Promaster with 578,420 miles on it. Your squishy spot, that is where your fuel pump is. Easy to get to and replace. Most people just lay a piece of plywood over it. But your idea is good too. As far as your coolant smell. It can be a number of things. Most times it's the thermostat housing. It might have a crack in it. I've replaced mine and it comes with the thermostat in it. But I did eventually find where my smell was coming from. The coolant reservoir in mine had small cracks on the bottom of it where the one radiator hose connected to it. I had it out one day and seen the cracks in it. Put an aftermarket one in, smell is gone. It would seep through the cracks and follow the hose down and the heat from the engine would evaporate it. Also, be careful who changes your oil. When they take the oil filter cap off and on, they need to be very careful. It's connected to the oil cooler, and if they are not careful, it can crack the housing. Then you have an oil leak that looks like a rear main seal is bad. Also do not let them torque the cap back on. That will also crack the housing. I do all my own oil changes now and just snug the filter cap on. Another thing that will happen if the oil cooler housing gets cracked, it will fill up the valley of the engine, seep over the front, and get on your harmonic balancer. The oil loosens the rubber on the balancer and guess what. You will start it up one day and it explodes! I'm sure you have heard about the dreaded Pentastar 3.6 engine tick??? When you hear a metal to metal tick from your engine, a cam follower has failed. It's a common problem with these engines. If you wait too long to get it fixed, it wipes the cam out. Yes, everything I have described here, has happened to me. I know my van inside and out now!! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I most likely know the answer. Y'all have a great day!!! Randy.
Thank you so much for the information!! I am certain I will be contacting you in the future with a question or two. Almost 600000 miles sounds pretty awesome to me. I am going to hunt for that coolant leak again now I know a few more places to check. I do have a couple of questions already. How many miles have you been going before changing out the transmission fluid and is that something you do yourself? Amount how many miles have you been getting out of your brake pads...I know it's different for everyone, just looking for a ballpark number. I am so glad you comment and offered some help. Thank you! Take care and stay safe.
@@oneadVANtureatatime I get my transmission filter changed once a year, at a shop I trust. Whatever fluid comes out, they replace. I just don't trust the "transmission fluid flush". This is still the original transmission in my van. As far as brakes go, I expedite freight in my van for FedEx Custom Critical all over the USA. So most of my driving is highway. I changed all my rotors and pads 17 months ago, and when my cousin rotated my tires, all the brakes look good. I travel around 60,000 miles to 100,000 miles a year. So my rule of thumb is, look at your brakes Everytime you rotate your tires. Go to a shop that you trust. I hope this helps. Stay safe!
Homestead Homie Thank you! We drove 35k miles last year and I thought that was a lot! If you ever get into the van lifestyle we can hook you up with a lot of need to know info. Thank you for your time. Take good care and drive safe. 😀
@@oneadVANtureatatime Thank you. I already live the van lifestyle! I sold my house 3 years ago and went full time living in a van doing expedite deliveries. My van is equipped with a 3000 watt Honda generator, roof top AC, fantastic fan, Espar heater that runs off my van gas tank, 2- 100 amp hour AGM batteries, 3000 watt inverter, 96 quart Whynter fridge/freezer, microwave, coffee machine, full bed, and a composting toilet. The only thing I don't have, is a shower. But my brother is a truck driver and he gets me "shower Power" so I shower everyday at a Pilot/Flying J for free. Even with everything in here, I can still haul 3 pallets of freight, or 6 if they stack them. My bed folds up flat against the wall. So I guess you can say i'm living the van life!!! LOL!!! Randy.
There seems to be a defect in the design of coolant container "Check for a leakage where it says MIN - on the container and also check the Hose underneath it" the Headlight has a cap behind it. If you take it off it will allow the moisture to evaporate which resolves the water issue in the Headlights.
Yes! I live in my Promaster too and I have experienced ALL of these issues except the headlight. (Fingers crossed). Thanks for the idea on the squishy. I have been trying to figure out what to do with it. The coolant smell is annoying and I have never found a leak either!
+Jan Rachels I am happy that these are all small issues. However the sliding door not shutting all the way gets old quick. 😀 Let us know if you have noticed anything we missed. I am curious what year and how many miles you have.. Thank you very much for watching and giving feedback to share. Happy travels.
one adVANture at a time I have a 2017 that I bought with about 35,000 miles on it and I have put about 40,000 on it since. I used a lot of crate wood in my build so it’s kind of heavy. I do love my van and love living in it full time. That sliding door is frustrating! I can’t count the number of times I’m all ready to go, buckled up and then... beeeeeeeep! I unbuckle, cross the squishy, go slam the door and maybe do it two or three more times before it actually closes. One other thing I wish I could do is lock all the door while the van is running. I have two keys but I can’t lock the van with my second key if the van is running. Can you?
Roodle found a button to lock 🔑 the doors from the inside..the button to the right of the big red hazard light button. Our keys don't work either and was a huge concern at first. Our van is heavy as well, we overbuilt for sure. We weigh 8, 600 pounds so very close to the limit.
one adVANture at a time gotta love those furry babies! I have two with me and they are getting old like me but love the road too. That’s why I wanted to be able to lock them in with the van running so I could go in to a grocery store of something. Lots of places we go are too hot not to leave the AC on.
Oh gotcha! Yeah we can’t lock from the outside with the van running either! But you can lock it from the inside with the van running. Doesn’t really help with in your situation though.... wish we had an answer for you☹️ sometimes traveling with our fur babies is difficult.BUT I can’t imagine Roodle not being with us!
Dave: Update on coolant level. The level hasn’t moved at all since we last discussed it. It looks like that’s just where the sweet spot is. So I’m not going to add back up to the max line.
the comments I have read on the internet is that the radiator leaks and the bulbs burn out and the doors not closing properly. Some report that the flex plate in the transmission breaks.
Ummm yes I have a 2018 2500 ProMaster but I love everything about mine. No problems EXCEPT the dreaded “squishy spot” between the front seats!! I put LifeProof Flooring in mine so I just used a leftover piece doubled to cover the squishy area. Seems like a BIG flaw to me but now it has more support so no problems with it! ….. “Keep on Van’in Y’all!”
Yes x 5. You nailed most of my list! I use a similar bridge for the squishy step. HINT for side door...install a hefty drawer pull in the middle of the lower half of sliding drawer (the metal portion of course). Use this to close door, pushing door toward front of vehicle, but also pull TOWARD you the last foot. You still need to slam it but it works 99% of the time. Depending on how your interior lights above the back doors are wired, they should come on for about 5 seconds when the sliding door fully closes. If you don't see the light come on you'll know the door's not latched completely. I have a 2017 1500 so I've also had to replace the transmission...a much more expensive problem than the crazy bulbs. Using bulb grease helps but doesn't solve the problem. The 2023 is said to have corrected the headlight problem and a 9-gear transmission is replacing the standard passenger CAR transmission used now. Good video!
Dave, thank you for the information. I just bought it 2019 2500 Promaster. I was not aware that there were wires running under the squishy step, so thank you. As for the rear sliding door, I found that if I open a window, the door closes without a problem. Then I just close the window. I’m still trying to get used to the way that the blinker blinks three or four times after I’ve just hit the highbeams. I will let you know if I figure out how to avoid that problem. I am a new subscriber… Keep up the good work!
+David Yule Thank you! We are happy to have you along. Now that you mention it my jeep was the same way. If I cracked the window no problems with the doors. Maybe all try that before I disconnect the sensor. Are you planning on building out your new Promaster?
one adVANture at a time Hi Dave, I’m having the work done by Glampervan. They put a deck on the roof. I noticed that you have a deck also. Maybe our paths will cross in the future. Happy motoring.
I've learned to crack a window as well, or when closing from the outside there is a nice handprint where I push in at the back while sliding it forward. Apparently there are air baffles in the wheel wells that are supposed to help with this but I haven't found them yet in my quest to possibly enlarge them. There is another known somewhat-related issue in that the top rear of the sliding door can leak in a hard driving rain.
@@shreddagorge... I thought the baffles behind the wheel wells by the rear doors were part of the flow through ventilation. Keeps the humidity down inside, Almost all cars have the same system. Mine got covered in the build , but no problems closing at all. Plus My Maxx Fans keep the air moving. I see a lot of builds where they put a ton of wood plus insulation on the slider... Just asking for problems!
Good call on relieving the air pressure...You are activating what Tony calls their version of "lane change assist" when you grab for the high beam on/off. It's pretty sensitive... My 2019 has the opposite problem. When I activate the LCA, I have to usually pull the turn lever twice?? I think it depends on the steering wheel position??
Hey guys I was the guy sitting in front of you by myself at the Nomadic Fanatic meet and greet today. For the coolant smell you might want to check and make sure all of the clamps on the radiator hoses are tight. I had a 1983 escort where I could smell the same thing and it would up being a radiator hose clamp that was about a half turn loose. I tightened the clamp and the smell went away. Good luck on the channel and keep the good stuff coming.
Oops. Forgot to mention main thing. There is a builder, Red's Custom Design. He added a board under center soft section to reinforce squishy area. I am going to try this fix.
Yes the drivers headlight remains a problem as still fill up with moisture and kill the bulbs. And the newer ones have transmission issues starting around 13k miles.
Hi Brian. With the front headlamp, we learned if we turn the lights off before the engine we don't burn out the light. We figure the transmission is a matter of when and not if it will fail. Happy New years to you!
Getting my so to fix my squishy spot for me, thank you sooo much. I wasnt as concerned about the wires and stuff, just that uncomfortable squishy feeling!
Try cleaning the electronic contacts on the sliding door. My newest issue is the oil light comes on with the seat belt light. When I unplug the seat belt the oil light comes on.
if your not the type to forget to close your side door before you drive, an easy fix would be to locate the switch that gets depressed when you close the door, and short the wires going to the switch. This will trick the car in to thinking the door is always closed. This problem is due to the switch being broken internally and when depressed by the door the internal contacts are not making a solid connection. Alternatively if you are worried about driving off with the door open the easy fix would be to replace the switch.
Yes, the darn cargo door does not seem to shut all the way even when you slam it. My biggest gripe is it is so hard to climb into. Very high off the ground. Also, it is built for a gorilla to drive. Parking brake between the driver seat and door is quite a reach. Had mine for two months and still trying to get stuff figured out.
+Vickie Martinez Have you got your coat hung up on the parking break yet as you slide out of the seat? Good times lol We been using a small folding step to get in and out of the slider..helps a ton. 😀
Yep I have a 2017 all the same issues. I go throw about Three headlight per year. Never know what side goes next. I've had to replace the hose to the wipers, not a fun task at all. But I still love my van. I have 60k miles on the van and Love it. My van has a sink, stove, refer, toilet, a/c, h2o heater. Pop-out on the side door. I should do a video. I also built a nice little table over the squishy area and now my coffee cup rides great.
Well this might be old, I think I finally found the leaks that know one can find. Here is why you cannot see them. It seems to come when pressure builds up in the antifreeze coolant lines, to see this leak in action, crawl under van and find the coolant hose bottom one (about 2 inches round. Run your engine for about 10/15 min to heat up coolant, wear gloves that are heat resistance and then squeeze as hard as you can at the out end of the hose (where the hose clamp is at) fluid will come out. This seems to be one of many other connections leak because of the type of hose clamp being used. Solution is to add your own hose clamp as close as possible to the one that came with the van, snug it down good and leaks will be gone.
I have a 2016 2500 and the sliding door has always been a pain since the van is so air tight. When another door is open or the windows are rolled down it shuts very easy, if not, it takes a lot of force. I even made sure the vents on the floor/wall in the back are less obstructed but I guess a lot of air needs to escape.
We learned that opening the front door before closing the slider helps it close easier. We must have packed the air vents full of insulation. 😂 We have now been on the road 5 years and still loving our van. Take care and hope to meet you on the road sometime.
The squishy spot fix is great. We too have had to replace headlights 6 times in our 2015. The door thing my husband says it’s me and everybody but him cannot shut them properly. Whatever. No issues with turn signals.
Hi Gwynn! We have learned that if we shut the headlights off before we turn the van motor off we don't have to replace the headlights anymore. When shutting the sliding door try to open one of the front doors first...this allows air to escape and the door latches in easier. 😎
@@oneadVANtureatatime thanks. I’ll tell my husband. It’s his van. We were on way home from visiting family in Pennsylvania and got the def code saying it would put us in limp mode in 150. We got off and took to dodge dealer. In the end it was the scr and parts that are back ordered will be $4k. Geez. Have you don’t he delete ?
i like the squishy fix. ever try led headlights? the door issue, there is a sensor in the door easy fix is to hot glue and little piece to ensure its pushed in all the way the rubber stopper or presser will flatten out over time try pushing by hand and see if it reads if it doesnt that sensor is the issue.
We have not tried led lights yet. We have learned that if we manually turn off the headlights before turning of the motor we don't have any burnouts. With the slider door...turns out it was my fault for packing the air vents by the rear tires with insulation. So now we learned we have to open the front door then slide the sliding door shut first so the air can be displaced. 😂 Thank you for the tip on the rubber stopper, I will check that out as well. 👍😀
I love the squishy spot lol....seriously it’s kind of cool to step into. I’m just going to assume that the engineers who designed it this way knew what they were doing and we won’t have any electrical issues as a result, but maybe that’s just me being naive.
+Stephen Otto I had two wires that were damaged and had to repair them The only reason I noticed was my radio stopped working. If you have any electronic problems in the future check there first. Your the first person to love the squishy step! Made me chuckle..thank you 😎
food4 thought Just fyi, out of all of the voluminous information that can be found about promasters and their various idiosyncrasies online, I found exactly one very short thread about this squishy problem. No mentions of wire damage etc. if this were truly a problem in need of fixing, I’m pretty certain it would plastered all over the internet. www.promasterforum.com/threads/cab-floor.48809/
I can vouch for the 2019s still having the squishy spot, and it's absolutely unforgivable that the floor was designed that way. Stupid as it gets! The slider has been fine so far, and I haven't had it long enough yet to comment on the other annoyances covered. Thanks for the heads up!
+cesalt I shut a dish towel in the sliding door today and didn't know it tell I spotted a huge puddle of water .Its been raining hard and the water wicked in. Must have looked silly driving down the highway😆 I hope that because your promaster is new and has not been abused you might not have the rest of the issues.Even with these small problems we still love our van😎
I have a 2022 and it too has the squishy spot. I will have a look at the wires now. Have not detected a coolant smell yet. But smelling coolant inside the compartment is an indication of a leak around the heater core used to blow air across it and heat the interior, this is what I have been told by a mechanic. Don't know about the promaster but in passenger cars the heater core is typically below the dash. I had this happen in a Ford pickup but never saw a drop of coolant anywhere. Another thing the mechanic told me is that fogging of the windshield when you first turn on the defroster is another sign of a leak in the heater core. Thanks for the video.
That Dam Slighting Door .....Had it on my 2014 Winnebago Travato and as well on my Fiat Ducato in Europe.....It is a DAM Frustration that they can not fix this. But you get what you pay for....Thanks a lot for these Videos .....Be back soon....A Big Hello from Germany Stay Healthy and save out their
Hi, I working on my third Promaster van conversion in about a year and a half. I agree with you. I'm doing a 2019 right now and the door and floor haven't changed. I did a 2017 last winter and a 2018 in the summer of 2018 and no change. I don't know about the headlights or the turn signal because I don't drive them.
@wooosh wooosh Use a late model wiring setup would be something to look at. Find a Promaster mechanic. Not to many around. Phoenix and Atlanta have good service centers. Call them.
I have the 2018 and yes I hate the squishy spot, my doors work fine although the cupholders placement sucks I have about 28,000 miles on it and I haven’t had a problem with the headlights as of yet. I do expediting out of my van and I drive anywhere from 2000 to 4000 miles a week but so far so good.
I have a '15 1500 Promaster. Weathertech floor liner solved the squishy step...no coolant or headlight problems except OEM lights ARE DIM...installing LED'S soon. Blinker stalk jyst takes getting used to.....
Nice Keith! We need to get some of those Weathertech floor liners. The battery compartment is a dirt collecter. 😂 We are now 3 years on the road and still loving our Promaster. See you on the road.
2019, 2500, 15k miles - before buying mine I went through auctions and wanted a 50-80K miles cheaper one - none I checked had any problem with the squishy wires or heard of any. They are well protected and extremely strong. You should not bother. I never smell coolant on my car, hot or cold, nor is it loosing any coolant. The doors close without problems - you should check yours, maybe sensors needs adjustment? Did not noticed the high-beam problems as I did not used it yet. All in one, I am really happy with my PM and still working on mods.
Some of our wires were damaged under the squishy step....that is initially what drew our attention to this area. After one year we did eventually find a coolant leak but we know of other who have the phantom coolant smell as well. We also learned that we insulated the wheel wells to much .....thus the doors does not close easily because there is no room for air placement when we shut the door. If we open the front door and then shut the slider it works perfect. overall, we too, are really happy with our Promaster!! Thanks for watching!
I switched the Headlight to LED using the gasket method and never had a problem again. Agreed with the other viewer, slightly lift the door to adjust the angle will help closing the door. Cheers !
2015 Ram Promaster 1500 Door parts have plastic parts so be careful during the winter. They also have cables that open a close the doors, when the cable goes you have to buy new latch because it comes with the cables.
That's a little crazy, you would have thought the manufacturer would have made some adjustments. Thanks for sharing, I was really wondering about those issues being improved. Enjoy your van life and I'll be checking out your channel too.
that is so funny! the FIRST thing i "fixed" was putting a piece of wood over the squishy spot! so good to know you have all the same annoyances as me! i actually ended up building around the back door being my main door cause i was sick of the sliding door sucking so badly.
Too funny! We have learned that if we turn off the headlights before turning the engine off our headlights no longer burn out. Take care and hope to meet you on the road.
@@hugeCRSfan69 really?!?! haha who knows, maybe some of ours are missing a vital piece of plastic haha i wouldn't be surprised! if you never step on that spot, you'd never know it though...
@@warriorkelly i actually went out and checked and there is a small soft spot between the 2 front seats. i dont think its a big deal or a problem though otherwise they wouldnt have made it like that. that area is not really meant to be stepped on anyway
The blinker is the most maddening to me. Especially when making a turn that doesn't turn the blinker off so have to do it by hand and then the opposite way turns on! Can't open the sliding door from outside unless it's cold out for some reason, and the squeak in the back is not so fun! Got a '14.
+Lynne nanavanr I forgot to mention hitting the blinker the opposite way and having that go 3 more seconds. Too funny 😄 My old Jeep Wrangler was the same way and even now I am still not use to it. I hope your able to fix the door so it opens from the outside. Take care and happy travels.
Yup the 2018 have the same issues. 1) The Soft Floor Issue. This is still a thing. My solution was similar, but I used a plain piece of 3/4" plywood, cut it to fit under the cup holder, and extend to just beyond the ledge. I added legs to make it level and it's my every-day step to the back, plus it can be pulled out to use as a step up to see in the storage cubby over the cab (I'm short). 2) The Coolant Smell.... Haven't smelled anything like that yet. 3) The Driver's Side Headlight Issue: I watched another video recently that showed a possible cause of this. It appears the rain reservoir at the base of the driver's side windshield wiper has a tiny drain that is supposed to redirect water away from the light's electric terminal. Sometimes that drain hole gets clogged, so all the water backs up and overflows directly onto the electrical connection, causing possible shorts. 4) Turn signal/light problem: YES that is a true PITA. 4) The Side Door is Open: YES this is ALSO still a PITA.
I have a 2016 2500. Everything you said is exactly what I have experienced except for the coolant. The sliding door is the greatest annoyance. Like you I’ve installed a window that opens in the sliding door. The only way to get the door to shut from inside is to slam it. That really slams the window as well. Aaiiiii! HOWEVER, I have never regretted choosing the pro master van. I now have over 60,000 miles and 4 years of traveling and living in it, It’s spacious inside, I love the steering, I guess the only other complaint I have is that the 6 is whimpy going up the steeper mountains (I’m under the weight limit but not by much). Thanks for putting this video out there.
+Rocks, Water, Sky yes very wimpy going uphills! We. Are under the weight limit as well but not by much!!! When you close your slider ...open the front passenger door first. It helps! We do not regret buying our Promaster either... LOVE IT!
Thank you for sharing this!! I though it was just me with the sliding door not being shut and the blinker/high beam issue. I have a used (but only a few hundred miles on it) 2019 Promaster so they definitely are still happening :)
Just took mine on a serious 4 wheel adventure. Had been wondering about it's capabilities compared with the Sprinters. I was pleasantly surprised. It did well considering what I put it through. Hope to post a video when things quiet down. Been spinning around the backroads of Northeastern Oregon. Rugged, scenic and very remote!
We saw your instagram photos.....you are very remote!!! I hope you are safe from all the fires!! WE LOVE EASTERN OREGON and need to do more exploring ourselves.
We bought a new Fiat Ducato, basically the same vehicle as the Promaster, and had problems with the sliding door. What seemed to be causing it was the contact pad on the body which was loose. It is a sort of rubber/plastic pad with metal contacts that should make good electrical contact with corresponding pads on the door. What has worked so far is to cut an old credit card and slide it behind the pad, holding it firm, slightly further from the body. Strange problem with a new vehicle that the dealer didn’t solve!
+Ashley Allerton glad you figured that out! We had problems with our back door, went to the dealer and they couldn’t fix it either. We messed with it a while and got it fixed. Viewers are saying to keep a window open for air pressure inside the van to escape when you are closing the side door.... that’s has been working good for us.
We have a 2013 Peugeot Boxer which is effectively the same vehicle. The door problem is caused by the sensor plate being compressed after extended use and it then doesn't make good contact when the door is closed. We have fixed this using 2 methods - the first we used thin double sided tape between the sensor and the body to raise the panel a little and it then makes better contact when the door is closed. This worked for a while. We have a better fix through removing the panel and using pliers or a screwdriver to bend the edges of the opening into which the panel fits outwards and then refitting the sensor panel. The panel is now raised a little and makes good contact when the door is shut. Problem solved
PS. This is a common problem on these vehicles and has nothing to do with air pressure - it is purely the result of the sensor panel being compressed inwards and no longer making contact with the door when shut
I have a 2018 Ram Promaster with two sliding doors. DON'T SLAM THE DOORS! Have another door open then slide the side door shut gently! THE harder you slam the door the worse it closes. The rear doors the same, GENTLY but firmly close the doors!
I got a 2015 Ram Promaster 1500 I fixed the door issue Same headlight issue note light bulbs have an hour rating 500 hours. The headlights have two settings on all the time and on when you turn them on, daytime running lights burn out faster then night time only.
Ive never changed a headlight in 38k. I have changed several heated mirrors that stop heating. I do smell the coolant, and my doors are the same way. Would I buy another one? In a heartbeat ❤️
I have a 2015 Promaster. The side door wins the pain in the butt award. No squishy spot on the floor, which is nice. My other frustration is unlabeled fuses and the cab light fuse has blown twice in the year i've had the van (only 1000 miles thus far). That's gonna change next month.
+Stephanie Smythe Thank you for sharing about the unlabeled fuses. Not had that problem yet but now all know what to expect lol Thank you 😎 Did you install a a grab handle yet on the inside of the sliding door? It helps when closing from the inside at least.
The side door on our 2018 if level or front higher is just make sure you use a crack the whip wrist action it shut ok with practice. BUT any van position w/o a advantage w the weight of the door causes issues. After having van turned off and getting in/out no message is given if the door is open-know the weather stripping is not sealed IF it rains what a leak!!
I like your solution for the 'squishy step'. Well done. Hear you on the door alarm-ouch. The headlight burnout CAN be an indicator of a deeper electrical issue. I would definitely contact Mercedes about that. We had a ford Focus that would burn out a headlight-BOTH SIDES-every other month like Clockwork. We eventually sold that car. Hated selling it because it got 43 MPG Highway, but the electrical was getting too annoying and too expensive. Have a Ford Ranger now. Lousy Gas Mileage, but everything else has been quite reliable.
I agree with your 5 Hates squishy spot is a good name for it. Have you checked / or replaced your coolant cap/top/lid above coolant reservoir (what ever you call it) I would add my instrument cluster (sent it to specialist repair twice so far). And peeling paint all over outside (we noticed the peeling on the roof 1st).
I have not tried replacing the coolant cap yet but that's a good idea. We have been on the road 5 years now and it seems to use a cup of coolant every three months or so and never gets worse. We have a ton of paint scrapes 🤣 At some point there will be no paint left.
Yes the sliding door was an issue in my 2018 and it was found to be a bad sensor. Replaced and problem solved YAY. Also have the coolant smell immediately after the 1st free DEALER oil change. How strange is that. My biggest Hate is....I live on a dirt road and the Promaster has too many holes that allow the dust to get in. Still filling in gaps as I find them...but I still love my VAN
+George Manessis Glad to hear the slider was just a sensor! I wonder if they topped off your coolant level after the oil change and either spilled some coolant or over filled it. Happy to hear you still love your van! We still do also 😀
I just bought my 2019 Promaster and have had no issue with coolant. Also, I have no problem with the turn signals. They work like most cars I've had. The fact that you picked 5 micro-petty gripes is a testament to the superb engineering design of this European designed van. Additionally, I think the RAM Promaster is by far the best looking of the 3. If I had to make a list of positives, it would take pages. Your complaints seem to be an excuse to indulge in making a contrarian RU-vid video. even if these "problems" did exist, they are minor and the pluses far outweigh any perceived faults.
+Scott H on the contrary! We get comments quite regularly about what a piece of $h!+ the Promaster is. The 5 micro-petty gripes was to show how much we love it! A reverse physiology type of video😃 Seriously, the five things we listed are so minor!!
@@oneadVANtureatatime thank you for making the video. It helps me so much. Sliding door issue. Thanks to the video people replied with solutions to help others with the same problem. As for the other guy, lucky him he has had any issues yet. But for the rest of us, we are thankful for these problem-solution types of video. Comments are super helpful.
If I have all the windows shut the sliding door is hard to shut and I get that sliding door open message, if I have some windows open the door shuts fine. I think it's an over pressure inside the van that causes the door from closing completely when all the windows are up
+Pat Thank you for the helpful comment. That was the solution that worked for us. I just leave a door open until the slider is shut and no more problems. 😀
Have 2018 promaster put 85k miles never had a headlight burnt out so they must have fixed. But I have added 1.5 gallons of coolant over those miles. Must say I do like the van.
Hi Peter. We also were adding coolant all the time until recently. We decided to test out our coolant at the minimum line instead of the halfway mark to see if we would ”use” less coolant. So far this has been a huge success and we have had to add no coolant in over 3 months. Maybe it was steaming off out the overflow not sure but this has helped. I do however check the coolant more often now as it still makes me a bit nervous.
@@oneadVANtureatatime Leave at MIN and no more smell, have run at MIN without having to add any since June 2019. Some vans do have a leak which will need to be addressed if it continues to drop after reaching MIN.
I have the Promaster 2017,1500 model. The headlights do go out but once you figure out how to replace it,it's no biggie. Takes me about 20 minutes . Hint-take out the whole unit.To shut the sliding door,just open a window first.
+joe viljoen That is the solution for the slider! Really appreciate your helpful comment! Like you said no biggie for the light replacement after you do it a time or two.
Yeah the slider door doesn't close super easily (unless you're on a downhill lol). We haven't found it to be too much of a problem though. We haven't had the problem of it happening over and over again in the same instance. Just one time, then we close it real good and it seems to work. They just weren't made right by the manufacturer, so it's possible that some promasters have a worse door than others. My husband had to adjust the thing the door is on because even when closed "all the way" the seal wasn't sealing all the way, so water was coming in when it rained. So he had to adjust it so it closed tighter than when we first got it. There is an adjustment, I think it's at the top part of where the door is attached. I'm not sure how to do it, but maybe somewhere online shows you how to do it. That might help. Also, I have noticed the weird blinker thing that happens. I haven't been too annoyed about it. When that happens I usually just flip it the opposite way, then it goes on the other way, then I just manually put it back in the middle. My husband says that might be for lane changes, if you don't want to have to turn on your blinker all the way and have to turn it off manually. It will just turn off automatically. But I have had a hard time trying to make that feature happen on purpose lol. The thing that annoyed me the most about the promaster, right away, that I could not stand and would not be able to live with was the loudness of the blinker and notification beeping, etc. (Like the door not being closed all the way, seat belts not being buckled yet, etc). That was a deal breaker for me, but we already bought the van before I realized how much it bothered me. We took apart the dashboard gauge area to try to figure out where the sound was coming from. Realized there was no way to make it quieter, until we just stuffed a bunch of old towels and rags behind and underneath it, in any space around it as we could. Added and took away towels until the sound was an appropriate level. Now it's perfect! Made me really happy to get that solved. They really should allow you to adjust the volume on those things! Haven't had any problems with the coolant smell. But I have noticed that if I don't drive the van for a week, the exhaust smells pretty bad the first time I drive it again. It goes away though. Also, I'm not too happy hearing about the headlights going out so often. That can be a safety concern. But at least if only one goes out at a time it shouldn't be too bad. Also, there are those lights at the top still. I didn't even realize there were wires below that soft spot between the two front seats. That seems like a dumb design. I will have to check that and make an adjustment there where needed. The wood thing you guys made to go over it seems pretty cool, and it gives you a place for your inverter. win-win. Great video once again! Thanks guys!
We found out from an earlier comment that the Promaster comes with air vents near the rear wheel wells designed to vent out the air pressure when the sliding door closes. I remember filling them full of insulation wondering what they are for lol 😂So now we leave the front door open until the slider is closed and have no more problems. We forgot to mention the loud beeping noise! Just like you said... way to loud. I like your way off reducing the noise level with rags, we may do the same. Thank you for watching and we wish you happy travels. Take care 🚎
Mine doesn't buzz like that with the doors open. I believe there's a menu setting using the buttons on the dash to the left of the steering wheel, or buried in the radio menus... sorry, I can't remember exactly how I shut them off but it was a first priority. Funny I had paused your video then you said it's a '17 but mine's an `18. Also of note to viewers - never buy a used fob on eBay and hope you can program it. They are coded to the VIN and have to come from the factory (at ~$160 = $70 programming fee). Rental fleet managers often skim spares and sell them on eBay but the `18 is definitely VIN- and PIN-coded, the older ones maybe you'll get lucky.
The side door switch can be reset. There is a plastic plunger in the middle of the 4 metal contacts at the rear of the side door frame that works the 'door closed' signal. This is on a ratchet. There is an official way of resetting the ratchet (involves putting something into a small hole at the rear of the assembly), but it can also be done by carefully gripping the switch plunger with a pliers and pulling it out. It get set to the correct depth the first time you close the door. Bending the metalwork or packing the switch out is a bodge that won't really cure the problem.
I love your squishy floor solution! I didn't mind stepping on it but it annoyed the hell out of me that anything I put on it slides backwards to where I can't reach it. I have the same turn signal/high beam issue. Never had a headlight go out. Never smelled coolant. My side door used to close like that but I got into an accident and have a new one which closes GREAT so it's probably adjustable or you could just get broad-sided and see if your replacement door fixes things. I have a 2015.
Thank you! I really just thought I was uncoordinated with the turn signal but turns out many other people have the same experience. Take care and have a good day.
I have owned Dodge's and always thought that coolant smell was a pressure vent thing because none of them ever used too much coolant. Headlight failure and side door alarm is commonly reported amongst owners. That floor thing is weird.
You did it! You’re right other than the squishy center those aren’t deal breakers. Have you gotten the side and rear doors checked to make sure there’s nothing wrong?
+netty chow Yes, we had the dealership adjust the rear door but they failed. We were able to adjust it ourselfs and now it works like it should. Pretty sure will eventually get the slider dialed in. I hope 😜
I drive a 2500 Promaster 5-6 hours each day for work and have all the same problems. Also the left foot rest is too close to my body and I’m only 5’9”. I had left knee surgery 2 weeks ago due to getting in and out of vans 20 times a day for 12 years.
Mice can get into the van is the worst problem I have experienced. I put hardware mesh in some spots but they have a secret way in. A family started in living in my headLiner doing the mice dance. I have traps and still catch them. Anyone know how they get in? They can squeeze through the smallest crack
We don't know either! We had mice make a nest in our engine compartment once! It managed to get insulation from the living compartment and take it there! That's the worse sound! I always picture them chewing on a wire or something valuable. We have noticed Arizona in the winter is prime mice season. We use lights under the engine at night, peppermint spray, mice deterrent spray, open our hood during the day, and even mouse traps as a last resort.
I've had several of these large vans, the problem I have found with the doors is that they're so massive, and especially on the pro master, not as rigid as they should be. The problem is the internal air pressure. They never quite shut as tight as the sensor wants them to. To check this out leave one of the front windows open, or cracked when closing the sliders or the rear and see what happens. Give the air inside a place to go and the doors seem to latch properly. They're just so airtight to prevent wind noise that this is the annoying sidebar.
Thank you, Mc. That is definitely the problem with the air pressure. We now leave a front door open and then shut the slider. I find myself cleaning the sliding door tracks constantly to keep the door sliding smooth, have you found a solution to that? Thank you for watching and commenting, we appreciate your time.
@@oneadVANtureatatime I have blown them out with compressed air when available but a big thing is never never never lubricate with WD-40! Only use silicone or white lithium grease. Spray silicone will display sand or dirt, WD-40 is watered displacement formula number 40, it actually attracts dust. People make this mistake all the time and it can really make a mess. It's great for displacing moisture and locks and such but never use it in place of a lubricant. Personally I prefer silicone over the white lithium grease, less messy.
