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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.
kcram
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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.
kcram
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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.