Has this problem always been present or has it just recently occurred?
Just my thoughts:
* Since you plow it is possible you've bent a rim slightly.
* Commercial load range tires are generally more susceptible to manufacturing irregularities that can cause vibrations.
* Minor flat spots may not be eye-ball obvious but enough to cause a speed-related vibration.
* You've lost a wheel weight.
Dodge truck tires and rims are matched-mounted at the factory. This means that the tire run-out high spot is matched to the rim run-out low spot. If you have gotten the vehicle stuck and tried to power out it is possible that the tire slipped on the rim and these run-outs are no longer matched.
You may be able to check the run-out marks by looking at the inside of the tire and wheel. On conventional wheels Chrysler presses a spherical indentation on the vertical face of the outboard flange of the rim (a little "O"). There is always a permanent mark on the inside of the wheel but you'll need to pull the tire off to see it.
On styled wheels Chrysler uses some other kind of marking method. On my Dakota the wheels are marked with an "X." The tires are always marked for a high spot. Mine came with little red and green sticky-dots.
I had the problem before I started to plow .I noticed the problem driving it home for the first time . I am super careful not to bang up the truck / wheels while out there . I will check out the info you gave . Suppoedy they have and used a Hunter GSP 9700 wheel balancer with no results .
Hmmm. Okay. Since you've had the problem since day one I would take a close diagnostic look at those tires. I would bet you will find that you have a run-out problem.
My wife had a '89 Plymouth Acclaim with Goodyear tires (Arrivas?) that were just plain awful for wear and lousy traction. I had Goodyear tires on a Ford LTD years ago that had the same problem. My '03 Dakota came with Goodyear Wrangler SR/As, much to my disappointment. However, at nearly 21K I have to say that they are wearing like iron, handle great, and the ride and traction aren't bad.
For the record, my Ram has BFG Rugged Trail T/A 265/70R17E . The glove box literature provided has something from Goodyear, Michelin and BFG. Guess its a crap shoot what gets installed on the trucks ? THe tires were rebalanced with what is called the best wheel balancer available . I havent checked for an s in the tread , I will , If I had to guess the vib seems to fast to be a shimmy . to me it feels "mechanical " But who knows, yet
I thought someone manufactured some sort of device that could pinpoint the causes of vibrations. Am i dreaming ?
I too have had only moderate success with goodyears . My best experience with GY were the 275/40/17 that came with my 88 Corvette .So far the 17" GY on my CTS have been great ....14K miles LOL
tire type installation isn't a crap shoot. do you have the offroad package or something? wondering since almost every ram i've seen has either goodyears or michelins. those bfgs are all-terrain tires, right. i'm no tire expert but suspect the tread compounds, etc in all-terrain tires could cause more vibration than regular old tires.
btw, did you try swapping the fronts with the backs...?
I will swap the tires as soon as I can, maybe this afternoon , I will also check each tire for an 's" . The truck doesn't have an offroad package but of course since I plow snow it has the snowplow prep . Maybe they offer these tires with snowplow prep ?. I cant believe these tires would cause a vibration ,they are not that aggressive looking . They are good in the snow even they though they are not RMA rated snow tires
These SR/As are the first Goodyear tires I'd ever consider at replacement time. Of course, at 21K it might still be premature to speculate.
I have almost always had exceptional performance from my Michelins. I put over 90K on two separate sets of them. The last set of Michelins were a disappointment on my wife's Avalon, only doing a little better on mileage than the stock Bridgestones which only went 22K. Then again I used the recommended replacement tire equivalent of the Bridgestone touring. That may have been my mistake.
As to vibration, front suspension components aren't usually the problem at a young mileage. Usually. Like the rest, I think White is probably having a tire or wheel problem. The tire rotation (front-to-back) is a good place to start.
The BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A is the factory tire when you order "on/off-road" tires on 2500s and 3500 SRWs. The on/off-road tire for 3500 DRWs is the Goodyear Wrangler GS/A.
All season tires for the HD Rams are either Michelin LTX A/S or Goodyear Wranger SR/A.
choice, what to buy? duramax allison auto. or dodge ram cummins auto. both 3500 single rear. my 2001 2500 was a great truck.any sincere info. is appreciated. ext.cab quad cab.Thanks for your help
In my experience the two choices you've inquired about are about equal in engine reliability, although some would give the edge to the Cummins for longevity. I think you'll find the turbo Cummins is the better performer overall.
When it comes to automatic transmissions this might be a draw. Older Dodge diesels got the 47RE. It is a four-speed and uses the same rugged drive architecture as the A727, even a little beefier. There were problems with shift solenoids (mid-to-late '90s), but that was later corrected.
The new Allison has been far from problem free. Planetary gear set noise, pump pressure regulation, and dragging clutches have been the most common complaints. The Allison is a six-speed, I believe, and a more diesel friendly transmission.
The Dodge received a new 48RE in 2003 and so far its been nearly problem free...so far. The shift design is different in a number of respects and more refined than the 47RE predecessor. It also has a larger margin of rating, so breaking sun gears and input shafts (a common problem on non-Allison GM autos behind a Duramax) is very unlikely.
As to the trucks themselves, without any hesitation I think the Dodge is a better platform. They handle better, have a stronger and more rigid frame, and overall a more refined vehicle. My company started to purchase Dodge RAMs in 2002 and they have been exceptionally well constructed and very, very few problems.
We have 2 2003 Dodge Rams abd we are verey happy with them. both have been perfect, both in assembly, and both in reliability. me and my husband had owned fords for nearly 25 years and we just had gone the limit with them to many problems, and ford just never stood behind their mistakes. our last 2 trucks were lemons from day one. My dad has been a dyed in the wool chevy man all his life, yet hes had some real bummer chevy trucks. the people that we know that have dodges just aren't having any problems with them, so we decided to give them a try. we love these new rams.
Back in December I asked the question why my '95 5.2L is taking longer then normal to start. It only happens when it's cold (below about 65 degrees), and it always starts. I've changed the wires,cap/rotor, plugs and coil (with a know good one)with no help. I checked the air temp sensor, and it checks out good. My manual says I have to use a DRB to check the idle air motor (on the back of the TB), but is there an easier way... without a $3000 tool? I'm running out of things to check.
ps. thanks Dusty for your reply. BTW my engine is multi point fuel injection.
I think there are some diagnostic machines on the market that are a lot cheaper, maybe in the $200 range(?). My local AutoZone will ODB-read the codes for free. Maybe others will do the same.
The Idle Air Control Motor is most certainly high on the list of suspects. This is a stepper motor, has two windings and is controlled by an output voltage from the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). There are several failure modes. If one winding circuit is open it can limit the IAC to increment just one motor step in either direction from normal "hot" idle. I have also seen IAC motors seize. They usually have a Viton rubber pintle which can break apart and cause motor seizing.
There are some sensors that influence idle speed. The Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor can fail in the "hot" mode and falsely signal the Powertrain Control Module that the engine is warm when it is really cold. This of course would be too low an idle for cold operation and lead to stalling.
The Throttle Position Sensor monitors the throttle valve position and sends a signal back to the PCM. It is a linear resistor and I've seen them look open to a ohmmeter in various positions acrossed its range.
The Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor monitors manifold pressure (negative of course) and is also used to give the PCM a barometric signal. Basicaly, the MAP sensor signal is sent to the PCM and is used to determine the injector pulse width. At cold idle the pulse width should be longer than during warm or hot operation. If defective this can cause rough idle and stalling.
There could be a PCM problem, but for your sake lets hope not. I don't remember if you commented on warm (normal) idle quality. If its really good and you have no hestitation or stumble at acceration, you can likely rule out a throttlebody base gasket. I've never seen one fail on a Mopar anyway, but it could cause you to have a lazy cold start.
I didn't mention it before, but the engine runs great after it starts. It just seems to have trouble starting cold. One thing I did notice was If I crank it for a second or two, stop, then try again it fires right up (like normal). I've checked the stored codes, and the only thing I get is 12, 37 and 55. 55 is 'all done', and 12 is something about engine not reaching temperature, 37 is something about the auto solenoid.
Code 12 is battery disconnected/discharged. It's the only code I've ever had on my Ram in nearly 8 years, and only shows up when the batteries have gone belly up. Code 37 indicates a low voltage situation at the transmission temp sensor.
Hard starting is a common symptom of a battery about to say good night for good. A fresh 12-volt will cure what ails you.
I've had this code since last year, and the battery is only 1 1/2 year old. Could this mean something else is screwy? The engine turns over just as fast is ever.
JTO, you may also want to check your battery cables. Battery could be fine, but if the juice can't flow from the batt to the starter or anywhere else (thus the code 37), that could be the cause of all the low-voltage readings. Last time I had the batts swapped was in September 2002, a little over 3 years since the previous fresh batteries. Dealer also ordered new cables because they detected a low-juice reading in the cable between the two batteries. Really made a difference.
LOL... just out of curiousity I checked 4 other Dodge trucks. All of them had code 12 stored! I'm not to concerned with that one, but I thought I'd try this: Tomorrow morning I'll hook another battery (jump) to what's already in place. If it starts right up I'll assume the battery (and/or cables) are on their way out. The engine turns over fast without slowing at all, though.
BTW is the IAC the same on the V6 and the V8 (3.9-5.2)?
Update 3March04: 17.2 mpg with 10-30 Syn oil. 2450 miles update week 2. Hp printer P1000 installed. 7plugs@12volts. AAA NiMHyd battery charger. Looks like a COP CAR INSIDE. I use it for Foreclosure Research on the road and bidding @ Real Estate Foreclosure auctions at several Court houses. Fujitsu Notebook seems to get WIFI by driving around slowly. Best results are by colleges, schools, computer stores and office buildings. Nextel Mount 4 speaker phone. 15.5mpg 1st 1000 miles. Switching to Syn oil at 1 week old! Got it for 40% off $17270 vs $28688(sticker+tax&Lic)04Ram 1500 4dr Cab 5spd auto 4.7L-v8 tow package, mags 265x70x17 Goodyear’s In other words, the dealer wanted me to pay 66% more than what I paid! IRS said =100% tax write off + 35 cents per mile=$17,500 = $34,770 total estimated write off for 2004! $120 Aluminum Tool chest! 55W fog lights are my running lights and "30W BLUE" fog lights in the grill facing the "radiators". Glows "blue" at night. Police laptop mount! 800 watt inverter with "fan, switch, 2 plugs, fuse, Led. Also got a 15v 1.8watt solar trickle charger behind the right rear headrest with velcro! German deal for $20! "1.5million candle power flood light" charged too! Mounted Magellan Gps & Delorme Gps2Notebook. Glad 2 be a member here!!! Oh, will put my 01 Kawasaki 650 KLR & 01 Ktm Super Duke on the back bed. Also have 1 of those trailer hitch 2 bicycle racks, very heavy item.
howdy! does anyone know what failure code# 1740 refers to? the scanner reads: "1740 manufacturer code". vehicle is 2000 ram1500 w/25k mi. and starts/runs fine. resets code in 3 to 5 days, 60 to 150 miles, after clearing. thank you.
TCC or O/D Solenoid Performance Rationality error detected in either the torque convertor clutch or solenoid or overdrive solenoid system. Might try to inspect/clean the connectors on the tranny. It seems that the 46re's had a few problems in the solenoid/connector areas.
We're looking to buy a used (w/in last 5-6 years) heavy duty (3/4 or 1 ton) diesel for hauling our horses (2 horse BP; 4 horse GN). Word is that Dodge has the best one on the market. We're surrounded by Ford people and would like to hear from people who have experience w/ hauling horses with a Dodge. Also, we're pretty new to the diesel engine and would appreciate any feedback about that--i.e., MPG, reliability, banner years, etc. Thanks in advance!
We raise Morgans and started pulling our trailers with Dodges a bout a year & half ago. we owned fords before and have grown tired of all the repairs an d poor reliability. a lot of people around here have Dodges, I would say almost half of them. A lot are diesels, we have 2 2003 gas models, both with hemis. they are the best running and most reliable trucks weve ever owned. they are solid. Not one problem so far. Three of our neighbors have older ones and they have been real good. No rust after 10 years, something you won't find in a gm truck!
I don't haul anything but rear end with my Cummins Ram, but I agree with RomanRam - all the big 5th wheel trailers around here are behind Rams and F350's - about half and half I'd say. Nobody I see seems to haul anything big behind a GM product. Another point - Dodge has a lot fewer dealers than Ford or Chevy, and you seldom see advertising for the Cummins Ram (only the Hemi). Yet the Heavy Duty Ram is over 34% of all HD trucks sold now - almost purely on word of mouth!
Does anyone have any concrete information on a possible refreshing of the Dodge Ram for the 2005 model year (on sale in October 2004). Automotive News publishes a future model directory that states that the Ram will receive a refresh for 2005 but I have not seen it else where.
I am assuming the the refresh would primarily consist of an interior refreshing. Have any of you Ram poster heard from dealers, etc? Dusty, have any of your sources mentioned anything about this?
I haven't seen any pictures but I think there is going to be a front exterior change. I don't know about interiors. The big (bigger?) news is a change and/or addition to the power plant line-up. You might see a 6.0L+ hemi introduced mid-'05.
If there is a conversion kit to convert a V10 auto transmission to a manual tranmission? We love our V10, but hate the tranny........which is already showing signs of going south at a mear 18k miles. Just a thought we were kicking around since its the number one thing we would change about the truck......otherwise its perfect.
I was wandering about a power plant change if dodge might on the 05-06 1500 ram have a diesel in mind? It sure would be neat to have a hemi and a diesel to choose from . thanks
For wanting to convert it to a manual is because its a work truck, it tows heavy trailers and hauls big loads. A manual would last a lot longer than the 47RE that it has in it.
Anyway, the V10 was available with a 5-speed manual from the factory, so I know this is doable. We would plan on trying to find a donor truck to pull the steering column off of and possibly some of the wiring/electronics/computer stuff. Other than that we would buy a new manual tranny and clutch. I'm thinking about asking the dealer, they are pretty awesome and just might do it.
Its a ways out, just dreaming for the moment. We have an ESC on it so that will cover the failing auto tranny right now, but I'm sure it will fail again after the ESC is up.
This was a much simplier thing to do with a '50s and '60s car or truck and I have done a number, both auto-to-manual and the reverse as well.
Without checking my Dakota, I'm going to guess that the floor pan sections are the same from manual to automatic. It would be much more cost effective to make vehicles that way and Chrysler has a tradition of doing things that way, too. I would also guess that the firewall has a hole in it for the clutch line, now plugged with a grommet of course.
There are still a whole host of other things I will suggest to consider before attempting this changeover. I'm going to guess that the transmission mount and cross member are likely to me different. Unlike Ford (mostly) and sometimes GM cars, the bellhousing layout will probably be the same, but this is something that you need to verify. It is also possible that driveshaft length is different and even more likely that the front driveshaft spline is different, too. Since the V10 is based off of the LA series, there is a possibility that there is a difference in the crankshaft between manual and auto.
In the area of electronics I think you'll find that you will need to replace the PCM with one for a manual transmission. My guess is that not doing so you will be forever throwing codes, especially going from auto to manual since the PCM will be expecting to hear from the transmission constantly via serial bus signals. It's not just a matter of not getting the temp signals from the auto transmission. Now I would think that a PCM from either a auto or manual will connect up just fine to the main wiring harness, but you'll need to add a clutch signal circuit at the very least.
A few years ago my son wanted to buy a brand new out-of-the-box five speed transmission for his '91 Dakota (3.9 V6, 200,000 miles at the time). If I remember correctly the price would've been $1600 over-the-counter from Dodge. He later had this transmission "rebuilt" for just over $600 and only two or three parts were replaced (his complaint was noise and "notchy" shifts into first gear).
If you can find a wrecked RAM with everything you need I'm going to guess that you'd be looking at anywhere from $2-3K as a do-it-yourselfer. Then there's the downtime and your time for doing this. If you're just passionate about doing this you need no justification. From a cost perspective, however, it might be something to give great thought about before you start committing yourself and the necessary funds.
Whatever the conversion cost will be I really think it will be more than the cost of a very thorough 47RE rebuild, if that's what's necessary. Since I don't know how you've maintenanced this transmission or what the current symptoms are that makes you believe that the transmission is on the way bye-bye, I would suggest having your dealer or a trustworthy independent shop look at this 47RE and give them their opinion. I know two people that have older RAMs with V10 automatics that use them for towing and they've yet to have any trouble with their 47REs.
At 18K I suspect this truck is still fairly new. If you'd consider going through all this trouble just to get a manual, maybe you should also check into what the cost would be to just trade it for a V10 with a manual and the way you want it. I think you'd have better piece of mind in doing so which is something you can't put a price on.
Wow, thanks......The truck is a 1999 Ram 3500 dually 4x4, we purchased it used in November with 11,300 miles on it.
Main things we are seeing from the tranny that have my attention are.....RPM jumps of about 400 while doing 65 in o/d. Also very rough shifts, its doing a lot of the same things that the 2001 Dodge 2500 V8 46RE we had did right before the tranny died.
At the moment we have an ESC on the truck, so if the auto is on its way out that will cover it, this was just thinking on down the road. We really do love our Ram, its a great truck other than this, which I'm still not sure if its just a quirk or what.
This truck was also the one that my husband backed into a tree and that went through the cooling lines and the radiator. When we got it back from the body shop it was 3 qts low on tranny fluid, then 5 days later blew a cooling line in the yard while hubby was moving our big trailer. He shut the truck off right away, but I can't help but wonder if the damage was already done.
This might be a clue to your problem, though. Your truck may actually be suffering from lack of use.
Loss of transmission fluid on an automatic can most certainly lead to premature damage. It all depends on the circumstances and pretty much based on how long and how much the clutches were slipping before stopping operation. I've seen it go both ways, burn't clutches real quick and others no noticeable harm done.
The 47RE is a VERY tough transmission architechure. It would take a lot to burn out clutches or lose enough facing material to cause a problem. Dirty or excessively oxidated transmission fluid could most certainly accellerate clutch wear. A partially clogged filter could also cause fluid starvation or at least low line pressure at higher RPMs. This can also lead to premature clutch wear.
The RPM jump at road speed of about 400 RPM indicates that the transmission is coming out of overdrive or the torque converter is unlocking. Both conditions could be normal. It depends on load and engine demand (driver or driver conditions).
Assuming that you have a sense that it is not normal due to a change in the vehicle's behavior under same or similar or conditions, both of those symptoms could be related. On the 46-47REs harsh 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 upshifts and/or 3-2 downshifts are related to a torque converter lock-up solenoid failure or malfunction. This is a problem I have actually seen on a 46RE. Since your truck is obviously driven sporatically or very little (age versus mileage) this would be a ripe service use condition for the solenoid to just become stuck in one position. If true, the 400 RPM increase at times is likely due to the transmission sensing a problem because the torque converter is locked at all times, causing the transmission to shift out of OD sooner than normal under load.
Since you've owned this vehicle have you ever changed the transmission filter and/or the fluid?
Has there ever been Dexron-Mercon ATF put into this tranny?
I'm not sure of all of its service history other than we are the 4th owner and its previous owners seemed to be whiney about everything with it. It has a service history at the Anchorage Dodge dealer about a mile long. However, it was ALL related to its steering problems, we recently had a steering gear box put in it, and from what we gathered it was the 3rd one for this truck. After that the truck has been really good.
My husband said that its always been a bit harsh shifting, but mainly when it was cold, usually when it warmed up it was a pretty happy truck. Of course drive it in town and it throws a major fit, constantly shifting back and forth no matter what we do and it HATES going 45 mph, will fuss and carry on about it. Lots of its fussiness we chalk up to being quirky.
We are going to put on a lift tomorrow and listen underneath, I have a sneaking suspicion that the rattle we hear when it warms up is the cats. Will also change the t-case fluid and look to see how hard it will be to change the trans filter and fluid. If its too hard we'll drop it by the Dodge dealer to be done.
When the trans cooling line broke it lost all its fluid, but my husband shut it off immediatly before it ran completely dry. It has relatively new fluid in it because of that, but does need the filter changed.
The truck was bought new in Anchorage and lived there until we bought it, so I'd imagine it was a city driven only vehicle. It also had a camper on it for part of its life. Very strange history since none of its owners kept it very long or drove it very much.
We don't know what the body shop put in it, but when we got it back from them after the cooling line was replaced (the one that blew) the truck was 3 qts low on tranny fluid. My husband said he put 3 qts of Amsoil ATF in it. Other than that we have no idea what's in there, guess I'll be making a phone call tomorrow.
The temp is in the 40's today outside, but my pissed off level is MUCH higher. I just pulled out the paperwork from the body shop and it says ATF- $1.93/qt. Now I KNOW that the Mopar ATF+4 is approx $8/qt from the dealer because we had to buy 2 quarts after we got the truck back. I'm going to make a phone call tomorrow and find out EXACTLY what they used and if they say Dexron-Mercon they are in for a not so pleasant butt chewing and it WILL be fixed THIS WEEK. I'm afraid if that's the case the damage is already done. I probably better warn my dad too since he just had body work on his Dodge done there that involved the tranny. Stupid people, NEVER AGAIN!!!
Edit: Just got off the phone with my dad and he said that he knows they put Dextron-Mercon because he found an empty bottle under the hood of his truck. I'm on the phone tomorrow, I'm soooooo mad.
Good golly, I'm sorry. Yeah, I just had a feeling. This scenario is just so common with Dodges. Usually Dodge is blamed. This time at least you have documentation to prove it.
I wish the best for you. It's possible a complete flush and new filter may keep you from having to tear that 47RE down. I would also advise having the bands adjusted. The problem is that ATF+ has a friction modifier in it that Dexron doesn't and prolong usage without it probably has worn the clutch facings and loaded up the fluid with facing material. The torque converter solenoid may not be bad, but the valve may be stuck because of dirt. Or, the valve body is so full of crud.
By the way, you can still use ATF+3 in that transmission and I know its available at auto parts stores. Not quite as damaging to the pocketbook as ATF+4.
In the mean time it looks like a warming trend is about to hit the Anchorage area!!
I'll find out for sure tomorrow, but the symptoms the truck is showing all point to the wrong fluid in it. Poor truck.....I knew something was wrong. Makes me want to sue the heck out of that body shop.
We drove the truck to the body shop today to ask them what they put in it.
The general manager came out and I asked what type of fluid they put in the transmission of our truck. He went to find out and was gone for a while, when he came back out he had a smile and produced a bottle of Dexron III/Mercon and said that was what they put in. My husband looked at it and said "then we have a problem", the guy's face just fell. He thought for sure that was the correct fluid, but called the Dodge dealer (after I explained the difference) they confirmed it was indeed the wrong fluid.
They kept the truck and are sending it over to the Dodge dealer to have the tranny flushed and the filter changed. We are hoping there is no damage and that will fix the problem, if not, they have agreed to replace the transmission if it comes to that. We have a Dodge Neon right now as a rental and I will go pick up the Ram tomorrow.
Truck was very fussy going in to town, lots of slipping and shudder shifts. I'm guessing the damage is done, but am really hoping its not. I can see where people would be quick to blame Dodge, but this is certainly not the truck's or Dodge's fault.
I'll keep you posted and THANK YOU so much for the information, it really made a big difference in this situation.
It's too bad that they screwed the transmission up, but be pleased that they identified their mistake. There are literally thousands of Dodge truck owners that aren't even aware today that Dexron-Mercon ruined their transmission. It sounds like you're dealing with a reputable -- if not very well informed -- body shop. There have been businesses that took the skate at the customer's expense.
A flush may work...for a while. But it sounds like it just went too far. At this point for your benefit it might be better to get that 47RE rebuilt.
Late to this party, but I can vouch that the 47RE is a good box - hooked to the Cummins, my 1996 47RE has 108,000 on it right now, and outside of a cooling line leak this past winter, the trans has never had an problem. I keep a few bottles of Quaker State ATF+3 handy - found it at PepBoys for about 2-and-change per quart.
Jolie, do NOT accept the truck if the trans slips even once when it's returned to you. Considering how long it ran on the DexMerc, there could very well be damage that would only be detected in a teardown. The whole point of Chrysler using "ATF+" is the differing lubrication properties. My owner's manual says Dex-III should only be used "when the recommended fluid is not available," and it can cause "unsatisfactory shift quality and/or torque converter clutch shudder." In other words, top off with DexMerc if you absolutely have to, but get it out of there as quickly as possible. Since this shop filled the entire unit with DexMerc, there could be internal issues.
roman, you're correct that the owner's manual doesn't make it sound too critical a difference, but the chatter/shudder you get can be worse than leaving a truck in 4WD on dry pavement. When anything inside a trans shudders like that, it's not getting properly lubricated, and just as a t-case can explode from overuse on dry pavement, you don't want to put that kind of heat and wear on a transmission that should last you hundreds of thousands of miles without much effort. Using DexMerc in a Chrysler automatic is like putting straight 50-weight oil in an engine designed for 0W-30... even though it may turn over and run, you're not doing the engine any favors, and you sure as heck shouldn't do a complete oil change with it. Let's face it... the body shop filled this trans with the wrong fluid - this was not an emergency top-off.
Unfortunately, none of us will be there when the pan is dropped. I would hope the dealership will call Jolie if they see shavings in the pan - shouldn't be there otherwise.
Is reputable and they already have a heads up that there could be damage. Unfortunatly we towed a trailer while the dex/merc was in the tranny, I'm hoping that didn't hurt things even more. We honestly had NO idea that the poor truck has the wrong fluid in it, if we did this would have been fixed right away, not 3000 miles later.
As for the body shop trying to get out of a new tranny, well, they admitted to the Dodge dealer that they had the wrong fluid in it. I think there's plenty of witnesses as to the problem.
The body shop does employ mechanics........well, they did, not sure now after this mess. The general manager said they are going to take a hard look at things and possibly go to subletting mechanical work out to the dealer service depts.
I have a long history with this body shop and I think they will stand behind what they did even if it costs them big bucks. Especially since they have admitted that they were wrong.
I think our poor Dodge wishes we had left it on that used car lot back in November.
Comments
Just my thoughts:
* Since you plow it is possible you've bent a rim slightly.
* Commercial load range tires are generally more susceptible to manufacturing irregularities that can cause vibrations.
* Minor flat spots may not be eye-ball obvious but enough to cause a speed-related vibration.
* You've lost a wheel weight.
Dodge truck tires and rims are matched-mounted at the factory. This means that the tire run-out high spot is matched to the rim run-out low spot. If you have gotten the vehicle stuck and tried to power out it is possible that the tire slipped on the rim and these run-outs are no longer matched.
You may be able to check the run-out marks by looking at the inside of the tire and wheel. On conventional wheels Chrysler presses a spherical indentation on the vertical face of the outboard flange of the rim (a little "O"). There is always a permanent mark on the inside of the wheel but you'll need to pull the tire off to see it.
On styled wheels Chrysler uses some other kind of marking method. On my Dakota the wheels are marked with an "X." The tires are always marked for a high spot. Mine came with little red and green sticky-dots.
Bests,
Dusty
Best regards,
Dusty
Dusty
The glove box literature provided has something from Goodyear, Michelin and BFG. Guess its a crap shoot what gets installed on the trucks ? THe tires were rebalanced with what is called the best wheel balancer available . I havent checked for an s in the tread , I will , If I had to guess the vib seems to fast to be a shimmy . to me it feels "mechanical " But who knows, yet
I thought someone manufactured some sort of device that could pinpoint the causes of vibrations. Am i dreaming ?
I too have had only moderate success with goodyears . My best experience with GY were the 275/40/17 that came with my 88 Corvette .So far the 17" GY on my CTS have been great ....14K miles LOL
tire type installation isn't a crap shoot. do you have the offroad package or something? wondering since almost every ram i've seen has either goodyears or michelins. those bfgs are all-terrain tires, right. i'm no tire expert but suspect the tread compounds, etc in all-terrain tires could cause more vibration than regular old tires.
btw, did you try swapping the fronts with the backs...?
I have almost always had exceptional performance from my Michelins. I put over 90K on two separate sets of them. The last set of Michelins were a disappointment on my wife's Avalon, only doing a little better on mileage than the stock Bridgestones which only went 22K. Then again I used the recommended replacement tire equivalent of the Bridgestone touring. That may have been my mistake.
As to vibration, front suspension components aren't usually the problem at a young mileage. Usually. Like the rest, I think White is probably having a tire or wheel problem. The tire rotation (front-to-back) is a good place to start.
Regards,
Dusty
We still don't have our 99 Ram back yet, maybe next week. Will be 3 weeks tomorrow that its been down.
All season tires for the HD Rams are either Michelin LTX A/S or Goodyear Wranger SR/A.
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my 2001 2500 was a great truck.any sincere info. is appreciated. ext.cab quad cab.Thanks for your help
When it comes to automatic transmissions this might be a draw. Older Dodge diesels got the 47RE. It is a four-speed and uses the same rugged drive architecture as the A727, even a little beefier. There were problems with shift solenoids (mid-to-late '90s), but that was later corrected.
The new Allison has been far from problem free. Planetary gear set noise, pump pressure regulation, and dragging clutches have been the most common complaints. The Allison is a six-speed, I believe, and a more diesel friendly transmission.
The Dodge received a new 48RE in 2003 and so far its been nearly problem free...so far. The shift design is different in a number of respects and more refined than the 47RE predecessor. It also has a larger margin of rating, so breaking sun gears and input shafts (a common problem on non-Allison GM autos behind a Duramax) is very unlikely.
As to the trucks themselves, without any hesitation I think the Dodge is a better platform. They handle better, have a stronger and more rigid frame, and overall a more refined vehicle. My company started to purchase Dodge RAMs in 2002 and they have been exceptionally well constructed and very, very few problems.
Regards,
Dusty
email me at your convenience...i have a link i'd like to share with you. i can't post it here...it pertains to the 48RE.
My manual says I have to use a DRB to check the idle air motor (on the back of the TB), but is there an easier way... without a $3000 tool? I'm running out of things to check.
ps. thanks Dusty for your reply. BTW my engine is multi point fuel injection.
I think there are some diagnostic machines on the market that are a lot cheaper, maybe in the $200 range(?). My local AutoZone will ODB-read the codes for free. Maybe others will do the same.
The Idle Air Control Motor is most certainly high on the list of suspects. This is a stepper motor, has two windings and is controlled by an output voltage from the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). There are several failure modes. If one winding circuit is open it can limit the IAC to increment just one motor step in either direction from normal "hot" idle. I have also seen IAC motors seize. They usually have a Viton rubber pintle which can break apart and cause motor seizing.
There are some sensors that influence idle speed. The Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor can fail in the "hot" mode and falsely signal the Powertrain Control Module that the engine is warm when it is really cold. This of course would be too low an idle for cold operation and lead to stalling.
The Throttle Position Sensor monitors the throttle valve position and sends a signal back to the PCM. It is a linear resistor and I've seen them look open to a ohmmeter in various positions acrossed its range.
The Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor monitors manifold pressure (negative of course) and is also used to give the PCM a barometric signal. Basicaly, the MAP sensor signal is sent to the PCM and is used to determine the injector pulse width. At cold idle the pulse width should be longer than during warm or hot operation. If defective this can cause rough idle and stalling.
There could be a PCM problem, but for your sake lets hope not. I don't remember if you commented on warm (normal) idle quality. If its really good and you have no hestitation or stumble at acceration, you can likely rule out a throttlebody base gasket. I've never seen one fail on a Mopar anyway, but it could cause you to have a lazy cold start.
Let us know what you do and how you make out.
Best regards,
Dusty
I didn't mention it before, but the engine runs great after it starts. It just seems to have trouble starting cold. One thing I did notice was If I crank it for a second or two, stop, then try again it fires right up (like normal).
I've checked the stored codes, and the only thing I get is 12, 37 and 55. 55 is 'all done', and 12 is something about engine not reaching temperature, 37 is something about the auto solenoid.
Hard starting is a common symptom of a battery about to say good night for good. A fresh 12-volt will cure what ails you.
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Regards,
Dusty
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I'm not to concerned with that one, but I thought I'd try this: Tomorrow morning I'll hook another battery (jump) to what's already in place. If it starts right up I'll assume the battery (and/or cables) are on their way out. The engine turns over fast without slowing at all, though.
BTW is the IAC the same on the V6 and the V8 (3.9-5.2)?
15.5mpg 1st 1000 miles. Switching to Syn oil at 1 week old! Got it for 40% off $17270 vs $28688(sticker+tax&Lic)04Ram 1500 4dr Cab 5spd auto 4.7L-v8 tow package, mags 265x70x17 Goodyear’s In other words, the dealer wanted me to pay 66% more than what I paid! IRS said =100% tax write off + 35 cents per mile=$17,500 = $34,770 total estimated write off for 2004! $120 Aluminum Tool chest! 55W fog lights are my running lights and "30W BLUE" fog lights in the grill facing the "radiators". Glows "blue" at night. Police laptop mount! 800 watt inverter with "fan, switch, 2 plugs, fuse, Led. Also got a 15v 1.8watt solar trickle charger behind the right rear headrest with velcro! German deal for $20! "1.5million candle power flood light" charged too! Mounted Magellan Gps & Delorme Gps2Notebook. Glad 2 be a member here!!! Oh, will put my 01 Kawasaki 650 KLR & 01 Ktm Super Duke on the back bed. Also have 1 of those trailer hitch 2 bicycle racks, very heavy item.
Rationality error detected in either the torque convertor clutch or solenoid or overdrive solenoid system.
Might try to inspect/clean the connectors on the tranny. It seems that the 46re's had a few problems in the solenoid/connector areas.
Good luck,
Steve
Another point - Dodge has a lot fewer dealers than Ford or Chevy, and you seldom see advertising for the Cummins Ram (only the Hemi). Yet the Heavy Duty Ram is over 34% of all HD trucks sold now - almost purely on word of mouth!
I am assuming the the refresh would primarily consist of an interior refreshing. Have any of you Ram poster heard from dealers, etc? Dusty, have any of your sources mentioned anything about this?
Regards,
Dusty
Anyway, the V10 was available with a 5-speed manual from the factory, so I know this is doable. We would plan on trying to find a donor truck to pull the steering column off of and possibly some of the wiring/electronics/computer stuff. Other than that we would buy a new manual tranny and clutch. I'm thinking about asking the dealer, they are pretty awesome and just might do it.
Its a ways out, just dreaming for the moment. We have an ESC on it so that will cover the failing auto tranny right now, but I'm sure it will fail again after the ESC is up.
Without checking my Dakota, I'm going to guess that the floor pan sections are the same from manual to automatic. It would be much more cost effective to make vehicles that way and Chrysler has a tradition of doing things that way, too. I would also guess that the firewall has a hole in it for the clutch line, now plugged with a grommet of course.
There are still a whole host of other things I will suggest to consider before attempting this changeover. I'm going to guess that the transmission mount and cross member are likely to me different. Unlike Ford (mostly) and sometimes GM cars, the bellhousing layout will probably be the same, but this is something that you need to verify. It is also possible that driveshaft length is different and even more likely that the front driveshaft spline is different, too. Since the V10 is based off of the LA series, there is a possibility that there is a difference in the crankshaft between manual and auto.
In the area of electronics I think you'll find that you will need to replace the PCM with one for a manual transmission. My guess is that not doing so you will be forever throwing codes, especially going from auto to manual since the PCM will be expecting to hear from the transmission constantly via serial bus signals. It's not just a matter of not getting the temp signals from the auto transmission. Now I would think that a PCM from either a auto or manual will connect up just fine to the main wiring harness, but you'll need to add a clutch signal circuit at the very least.
A few years ago my son wanted to buy a brand new out-of-the-box five speed transmission for his '91 Dakota (3.9 V6, 200,000 miles at the time). If I remember correctly the price would've been $1600 over-the-counter from Dodge. He later had this transmission "rebuilt" for just over $600 and only two or three parts were replaced (his complaint was noise and "notchy" shifts into first gear).
If you can find a wrecked RAM with everything you need I'm going to guess that you'd be looking at anywhere from $2-3K as a do-it-yourselfer. Then there's the downtime and your time for doing this. If you're just passionate about doing this you need no justification. From a cost perspective, however, it might be something to give great thought about before you start committing yourself and the necessary funds.
Whatever the conversion cost will be I really think it will be more than the cost of a very thorough 47RE rebuild, if that's what's necessary. Since I don't know how you've maintenanced this transmission or what the current symptoms are that makes you believe that the transmission is on the way bye-bye, I would suggest having your dealer or a trustworthy independent shop look at this 47RE and give them their opinion. I know two people that have older RAMs with V10 automatics that use them for towing and they've yet to have any trouble with their 47REs.
At 18K I suspect this truck is still fairly new. If you'd consider going through all this trouble just to get a manual, maybe you should also check into what the cost would be to just trade it for a V10 with a manual and the way you want it. I think you'd have better piece of mind in doing so which is something you can't put a price on.
Best of luck,
Dusty
Main things we are seeing from the tranny that have my attention are.....RPM jumps of about 400 while doing 65 in o/d. Also very rough shifts, its doing a lot of the same things that the 2001 Dodge 2500 V8 46RE we had did right before the tranny died.
At the moment we have an ESC on the truck, so if the auto is on its way out that will cover it, this was just thinking on down the road. We really do love our Ram, its a great truck other than this, which I'm still not sure if its just a quirk or what.
This truck was also the one that my husband backed into a tree and that went through the cooling lines and the radiator. When we got it back from the body shop it was 3 qts low on tranny fluid, then 5 days later blew a cooling line in the yard while hubby was moving our big trailer. He shut the truck off right away, but I can't help but wonder if the damage was already done.
This might be a clue to your problem, though. Your truck may actually be suffering from lack of use.
Loss of transmission fluid on an automatic can most certainly lead to premature damage. It all depends on the circumstances and pretty much based on how long and how much the clutches were slipping before stopping operation. I've seen it go both ways, burn't clutches real quick and others no noticeable harm done.
The 47RE is a VERY tough transmission architechure. It would take a lot to burn out clutches or lose enough facing material to cause a problem. Dirty or excessively oxidated transmission fluid could most certainly accellerate clutch wear. A partially clogged filter could also cause fluid starvation or at least low line pressure at higher RPMs. This can also lead to premature clutch wear.
The RPM jump at road speed of about 400 RPM indicates that the transmission is coming out of overdrive or the torque converter is unlocking. Both conditions could be normal. It depends on load and engine demand (driver or driver conditions).
Assuming that you have a sense that it is not normal due to a change in the vehicle's behavior under same or similar or conditions, both of those symptoms could be related. On the 46-47REs harsh 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 upshifts and/or 3-2 downshifts are related to a torque converter lock-up solenoid failure or malfunction. This is a problem I have actually seen on a 46RE. Since your truck is obviously driven sporatically or very little (age versus mileage) this would be a ripe service use condition for the solenoid to just become stuck in one position. If true, the 400 RPM increase at times is likely due to the transmission sensing a problem because the torque converter is locked at all times, causing the transmission to shift out of OD sooner than normal under load.
Since you've owned this vehicle have you ever changed the transmission filter and/or the fluid?
Has there ever been Dexron-Mercon ATF put into this tranny?
Bests,
Dusty
My husband said that its always been a bit harsh shifting, but mainly when it was cold, usually when it warmed up it was a pretty happy truck. Of course drive it in town and it throws a major fit, constantly shifting back and forth no matter what we do and it HATES going 45 mph, will fuss and carry on about it. Lots of its fussiness we chalk up to being quirky.
We are going to put on a lift tomorrow and listen underneath, I have a sneaking suspicion that the rattle we hear when it warms up is the cats. Will also change the t-case fluid and look to see how hard it will be to change the trans filter and fluid. If its too hard we'll drop it by the Dodge dealer to be done.
When the trans cooling line broke it lost all its fluid, but my husband shut it off immediatly before it ran completely dry. It has relatively new fluid in it because of that, but does need the filter changed.
The truck was bought new in Anchorage and lived there until we bought it, so I'd imagine it was a city driven only vehicle. It also had a camper on it for part of its life. Very strange history since none of its owners kept it very long or drove it very much.
Sure is a beautiful truck though.
Bests,
Dusty
Edit: Just got off the phone with my dad and he said that he knows they put Dextron-Mercon because he found an empty bottle under the hood of his truck. I'm on the phone tomorrow, I'm soooooo mad.
I wish the best for you. It's possible a complete flush and new filter may keep you from having to tear that 47RE down. I would also advise having the bands adjusted. The problem is that ATF+ has a friction modifier in it that Dexron doesn't and prolong usage without it probably has worn the clutch facings and loaded up the fluid with facing material. The torque converter solenoid may not be bad, but the valve may be stuck because of dirt. Or, the valve body is so full of crud.
By the way, you can still use ATF+3 in that transmission and I know its available at auto parts stores. Not quite as damaging to the pocketbook as ATF+4.
In the mean time it looks like a warming trend is about to hit the Anchorage area!!
My bests,
Dusty
"Trust...but verify"
--- Ronald Reagan
The general manager came out and I asked what type of fluid they put in the transmission of our truck. He went to find out and was gone for a while, when he came back out he had a smile and produced a bottle of Dexron III/Mercon and said that was what they put in. My husband looked at it and said "then we have a problem", the guy's face just fell. He thought for sure that was the correct fluid, but called the Dodge dealer (after I explained the difference) they confirmed it was indeed the wrong fluid.
They kept the truck and are sending it over to the Dodge dealer to have the tranny flushed and the filter changed. We are hoping there is no damage and that will fix the problem, if not, they have agreed to replace the transmission if it comes to that. We have a Dodge Neon right now as a rental and I will go pick up the Ram tomorrow.
Truck was very fussy going in to town, lots of slipping and shudder shifts. I'm guessing the damage is done, but am really hoping its not. I can see where people would be quick to blame Dodge, but this is certainly not the truck's or Dodge's fault.
I'll keep you posted and THANK YOU so much for the information, it really made a big difference in this situation.
A flush may work...for a while. But it sounds like it just went too far. At this point for your benefit it might be better to get that 47RE rebuilt.
Keep us posted.
Best regards,
Dusty
Jolie, do NOT accept the truck if the trans slips even once when it's returned to you. Considering how long it ran on the DexMerc, there could very well be damage that would only be detected in a teardown. The whole point of Chrysler using "ATF+" is the differing lubrication properties. My owner's manual says Dex-III should only be used "when the recommended fluid is not available," and it can cause "unsatisfactory shift quality and/or torque converter clutch shudder." In other words, top off with DexMerc if you absolutely have to, but get it out of there as quickly as possible. Since this shop filled the entire unit with DexMerc, there could be internal issues.
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Unfortunately, none of us will be there when the pan is dropped. I would hope the dealership will call Jolie if they see shavings in the pan - shouldn't be there otherwise.
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As for the body shop trying to get out of a new tranny, well, they admitted to the Dodge dealer that they had the wrong fluid in it. I think there's plenty of witnesses as to the problem.
The body shop does employ mechanics........well, they did, not sure now after this mess. The general manager said they are going to take a hard look at things and possibly go to subletting mechanical work out to the dealer service depts.
I have a long history with this body shop and I think they will stand behind what they did even if it costs them big bucks. Especially since they have admitted that they were wrong.
I think our poor Dodge wishes we had left it on that used car lot back in November.