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Dodge Ram: Problems & Solutions
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The 287 CI engine (4.7) was designed by Chrysler engineers and is currently manufactured at Chrysler foundries in the U.S. and Mexico. It was not a Mercedes design and is not manufactured anywhere else in the world.
The transmission you are referring to is the 545RFE. It is a pure Chrysler design, is fully electronic, fully adaptive, and has six distinct forward speeds. This transmission was first used in '99 on the Jeep Grand Cherokee behind the 4.7 engine. It has since migrated to Dodge trucks where it has proven to be an extremely solid and robust design. It has no known inherent design defects. Since it's introduction there have been only two component quality problems, both transducers, and had affected a very small population of 2002 versions. There has been one shift program update (PCM) on Dakota and one on RAM. These corrections resolved a quirky cruise control/shift quality issue, nothing debilitating. There have been only a hand full of reports of catastrophic failures within a short period of time after vehicle delivery, indicating an assembly problem. Problem and especially failures since are extremely low. I have talked to three transmission rebuilders who stated they have never had one apart!!
In short the 545RFE is probably one of the best and most reliable transmissions currently available in an American designed light-duty pick-up truck.
Regards,
Dusty
If you have the 4.7 engine in any Chrysler or Dodge vehicle, the automatic transmission is the 545RFE.
Regards,
Dusty
I would appreciate any help anyone can provide. We'll leave in the morning fairly early to get started.
Thanks in advance for all the help.
You just wonder how many of these "new" vehicles have been run to death the first few hours. I had a vehicle brought in from another dealer once, but I paid extra for flat-bed service. Last thing i want is a new vehicle with 300 miles on it driven by Earnhardt wannabees.
If you have a 4.7 engine in any Dodge truck, the only automatic transmission available for it is the 545RFE.
Bests,
Dusty
They replaced the oil pump (was down to 10 psi) and oil press sending unit, plus the TPS, and (I guess they weren't thinking) they replaced both cats (I never said anything about the cats when I dropped it off) and the muffler. The truck was out of its emissions warranty by 5 months (5/50k for over 9900 GVWR trucks), they assumed it was still in so did the work, no charge to us. Needless to say the truck is 100% better, guess the other cat (one we didn't replace) was coming apart too.
The Cummins engine by itself is ready to punch the clock and get to work... think some guy taking delivery of a brand new Peterbilt babies it home from the dealer for a few hundred miles, or does he hook up a trailer and get busy? It's the rest of the Ram that you're really breaking in... drivetrain especially.
kcram
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Thanks to all for the input. Got to start moving to get ready to get on the road. It is getting light so I need to check fence and cows before we get away.
Thanks again to all!
Bob
That's fairly normal with the crappy diesel that's generally available. I get zero smoke on start-up if running a premium diesel, but that's hard to find. As new fuel requirements go into effect in '06 we should start seeing more and more premium diesel. Should be no smoke beyond that initial puff though, even when pulling hard.
Ever sence, the trans hesitates every once in a while between gear shifts at 30mph. I need to get in for a flush asap but, does anyone have any other suggestions?
BUT...
do have the torque converter checked when you go for service. Since you were not in OD, the TC was locked when the line blew, so it may have unlocked to a dry state and caused some problems (thus your rough shift).
kcram
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kcram
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At a cold startup I get the puff of blue smoke for a half-minute or so, And then on a hard accelaration I will get the stream of black smoke. I think the cause of that is what you called "babying the motor syndrome". I drive 30 miles each way to work but all on open highway always empty. The truck vary rarely gets over 2000 RPM. I have noticed that if I pull on to the road and plant my foot in 3rd gear, then 4th, 5th, and 6th, with each gear the smoke seems to be less. I am assuming that it is blowing out all the garbage that gets built up in there.
A friend of mine with a 92 dodge cummins has about 240k on it right now was telling me that when he comes down out of the hills from hunting camp, he is pretty much idling down the rough stuff in 4-lo and 1st gear with his trailer. that trip takes him close to an hour, when he gets to the highway he said every time he gets into the throttle for about ten miles he gets quite a bit of smoke.
We do live in Oregon which I have always been told we get the worst fuel out of the whole U.S. There are evidently not a lot of restrictions or standards for are gas and diesel.
What is the reason they are switching to this premium diesel. Is it mainly environmental reasons. Do you think it will cause any problems with these motors? I have heard that these injection pumps on the new motors aren't as good as the late 90's ones. Will this premium diesel give enough lubrication to these components?
Thank you for all your input, you seem very knowledgable with these trucks, what is your background.
Joe
I was reading the owners manual on engine breakin while we were waiting for our insurance company discount coupon to be FAX'd to the dealer and it indicated, as someone else had, that you can tow with it immediately, and that actually breaks the engine in faster. Just keep it under 50 when towing for the first 500 miles.
I noticed, to my surprise, that the standard radio in the 3500 ST has great sound. And the new diesel is so quiet you can actually hear it while driving without having the volume at a level that would drown out a 747 taking off.
I just thought about it sitting here writing this post. In the excitement of the purchase I did a walk around and checked to be sure I had the spare tire, the receiver for the trailer tow package, the folding tow mirrors, and all that, but didn't ask if the tow package comes with the ball mount that goes into the receiver. Anybody know offhand?
Thanks for all the help on this purchase, folks.
Bob
That truck can't pull it very well, too much weight on the axle of a 3/4 ton as you can see it's squatting pretty good. The dually squats about 6", levels the truck out almost perfectly. I'll have to get some pics of the '03 hooked up sometime.
From what I understand, babying the motors causing deposits to build-up quickly in the intakes so then when you really get on the go-pedal all that gunk gets blown out the exhaust. I drive a VW Jetta TDI most of the time and it can do the same thing. I've got performance mods on it so it will smoke more easily.
The new fuel is required by whomever (EPA, or something) and is taking us from 300ppm sulphur down to 15ppm. It's all emissions related, particularly because sulphur is holding-back high-tech emissions equipment on the diesels. I try to run BP Diesel Supreme which is 30ppm sulphur and higher cetane. I'm not aware of any lubrication issues with the new fuel. California has had low-sulphur diesel required for quite some time. My TDI seems to have the most positive results running the premium fuel (BP Supreme). It's substantially quieter, more powerful, basically never smokes or smells even on cold start-up, and doesn't seem to effect mpg. The fuel itself also has a very light odor, nothing like normal diesel and it's clear as water. I'll be interested to see if every ones diesel is this good in 2006 or if BP is doing something special beyond just getting the sulphur content down.
I've written quite a bit about Dodge truck transmission in this forum, enough to write a discertation. So as not to bore the rest, the Dodge "RE" series transmissions are robust, strong, and durable...with qualification.
The current RE series is a direct decendant of the famous A-904/A727 that was noted for there extreme tolerance for neglect and abuse. The basic archetechure remains the same today but with a number of refinements.
The A904 was a smaller version of the A727. These were unique among American manufacturers with three planetary gear sets. The larger version was always used in Dodge trucks regardless of engine. In the 1980s Dodge upgraded the three-speed a/904/A727 to overdrive. These became the A500/A518 transmissions. This is when problems started.
One must understand that when a vehicle is in overdrive the lower engine RPM drops the transmission's pump pressure. The lubrication of the A500/A518 overdrive unit was adequate for "normal" operation, but was often exceeded during low temperature operation especially when used under loads or during snow-plowing operations.
Chrysler addressed this issue in a number of ways. New versions now prevent the overdrive unit from engaging until the engine comes up to temperature. They also increased the kick-down sensitivity so that acceleration under load kick into a lower gear sooner. Cheysler added a anti-drain back valve to prevent fluid syphoning from the torque converter after shutdown. This later introduce another problem...valves becoming clogged when the fluid became dirty.
When Chrysler adopted electronic shift controls they changed the transmission nomenclature to "RE" for "rear wheel drive, electronic, or "RH" for rear wheel drive, hydraulic. The "RH" series was used mostly on earlier Dakota 3.9 engines and are as bulletproof as any transmission gets.
Electronic controls brought a new wave of issues, mostly shift solenoid problems. On older valve bodies the solenoids would become sticky with the dissapation of the ATF. A later solenoid design had problems with the solenoid plungers becoming magnetized over time. This caused erratic or failed shift action. To make matters worse, the electrical connectors used in older years failed to keep out moisture and dirt.
Then there's the ATF itself. Chrysler has specified it's own fluid since the 1970s, but allowed the use of Dexron. What most people are unaware of is that the A904/A727s were "fill-for-life" transmissions except after the addition of Dexron, after which the fluid must be changed every 30K.
As Chrysler added design changes the ATF's ability to withstand the stresses of a much wider temperature operation became acute. In the 1980s Chrysler indtroduced ATF+ which was an advanced fluid similar to Dexron, but contained friction modifiers and various chemical to keep the fluid from premature oxidation. After ATF+ came ATF+2, ATF+3, and now ATF+4. This last version is a semi-synthetic blend that has an extended full temperature operating range. It is extremely stable.
Unfortunately and combination of minor maladies, improper vehicle operation, lack of prescribed maintenance, and the use of the incorrect ATF has caused a population of Dodge truck transmissions to have problems or go belly up.
The basic mechanicals of the current "RE" series are erxtremely durable. Bulletproof, actually. Many design changes have been incorporated to protect the transmission from inadvertent operation. Enough to say that if you maintain this transmission to specification, I believe you'd have a problem with a Ford or GM first.
The new 545RFE transmission used on the 4.7 and Hemi equipped RAMs in significantly different and has not had and issues so far. Your truck with the 5.9 has problably got the 46RE. It utilizes an overdrive lock-out which should be used when towing heavy loads. In 2002 transmissions shifts were strictly temperature dependent. Coupled with a change to a larger capacity pump issues of overdrive lubrication starvation are practically non-existent today. The valve bodies were completely redesigned in '98. Issues with shift solenoids are now very low and the electrical connections now have high environmental integrity. The anti-drain back valve can still be a problem if the fluid gets dirty. Chrysler has added electronic circuitry to sense flow.
Best regards,
Dusty
interesting read...and even though you make a good case for how strong the RE series trannies are or should be if meticulous maintenances is adhered to...i'd still like to see chrysler ditch em for something that has less parasitic loss and at least five forward speeds.
the talk on other forums is that a 6 speed automatic is coming for the dodge trucks in '06. i'm presuming it will be based off the 5-45RFE which itself has a MUCH better rep than the RE series.
Thanks for any help
jim
How's it going? Have you started to see fall up there in the Dakotas yet?
Yeah, I hear that the RE series trannies are supposed to be filled with parasitic loss, but I've never had anyone tell me how or why. In many respects the A727/A904 heritage transmissions contain similar architecture as transmissions designs from other companies. There will always be loss in an automatic transmission. Even manual gearboxes have loss and some are more than a automatic.
The 545RFE does not use mechanical accumulators to control clutch engagement, so one traditional source of loss has been eliminated in the new series. Actually, the 545RFE does have six forward speeds now, it just that only five are used for the vehicles normal (start-to-road speed) sequential shift pattern.
The rumor is that the next generation of Dodge truck automatics will be based on the 545RFE design.
Bests,
Dusty
When you puked the transmission fluid there are a number of sensors that recorded pressure loss. If the PCM saw this long enough there's a good chance that you've got a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) store in the PCM. Some, especially those related to the transmission, force default modes and could possibly cause erratic shifting.
It's also possible that you took some life off of the a clutch face, too. I'd have a dealer check this out and I'd tell them what happened. Yes, the torque converter could be locked. That'll cause a slip-shift but should also be accompanied by harsh shifts overall.
Regards,
Dusty
i'd like to see what i consider a real 5 speed automatic in the trucks. i don't really care for the 5-45RFE's two overdrive ratios. that seems strange to have that in a truck tranny, at least to me anyway. i'd like to see one overdrive ratio and a very short 1st gear ratio with the remaining four spread out nicely in between those two thus keeping the engines more effectively in their torque bands...
as for the weather...we never really had summer so it's felt like autumn now for several months...
To a certain extent lower gearing has occurred through higher numerical rear axle ratios where the overdrive transmission ratios make up for the lower gearing in the final drive ratio. Most manufacturers still use approximately a 3.00-to-1 first gear ratio, but now with higher numerical axle ratios.
Best regards,
Dusty
Any suggestions? Oh, there is a TSB on changing the lube...
kcram
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but, from what he said it still sounds like a limited slip problem...?
Dusty, anyone have a reason this would happen?
What does the 545RFE stand for?
I own a '04 cummins that I just love. I was suprised to see the latest Motor Trend mag rate the ford #1 , Chevy #2 and Dodge #3. In the things that really count, the Dodge is the best in my opinion.
Jack
Yeah, this one isn't as clear:
5 = number of forward sequential speeds
4 = number of forward non-overdrive gears
5 = torque rating (500 lbs. ft.)
R = rear wheel drive
FE = fully electronic
Please be advised that the 545RFE is actually a six speed transmission. There are two second gear speeds - 1.67:1 and 1.50:1.
For current series it works like this:
1st # = number of forward sequential speeds
2nd # = approximate torque rating in one-hundred pounds/feet
1st alpha = R (rear wheel drive), L (longitudinal front wheel drive), T (transverse front wheel drive)
2nd alpha = E (electronic shift control), H (hydraulic shift control)
For older series the letter "A" was used for all transmissions, manuals included. The following digits simply represented a design series.
It wasn't too long ago that one of the magazines rated the Dodge Cummins the number one truck. Goes to demonstrate that the assignment of number "one" is more subjective than people would like to think.
As far as I'm concerned the Dodge diesel version is number one by a long shot. Of course my criteria is heavily weighted on the side of reliability, longevity, and performance.
Best regards,
Dusty
I cannot see a reason why you'd have a problem of this type just going from the 80-90W regular to the 80-140 synthetic. Like Emale, my first suspicion is they forgot te friction modifier.
Let us know what you find out.
Bests,
Dusty
Thanks for the help.. It would be nice if Edmunds would post TSB... I found this one on dodgeram.info/tsb
Has anyone on here switched from 3.73 to the 4.10 (4X4?
Tires and tire inflation also can weigh heavily on how bad a truck hops. It's basically a combination of unsprung weight, suspension components, tires, etc. It likely will not do it with the 5th wheel hooked, simply because you have that much weight. The hitch itself doesn't weigh enough to really make a big difference.
maybe dusty can comment about this...?