2001 Auto transmission

[chuck3]

Stealer

Took it to the stealer hehehe, good one. LMAO.

 

[GBerry]

? should be worried?

??? well here goes last weekend a friend and I were delivering 2 cords of maple firewood to one of his customers had the wood on my 7 x 14 trailer aprox 1600 lb trailer weight + the wood we figured or guessed about 7000lb in wood for a total of about 8600lb. ok now the intersting part with to OD off and going up hyway 26 in Portland OR. 6% grade 45 mph heavy on the go pedal and trying not to hold up traffic the trans was doing some irratic shifting would drop to 2nd rpm up to 2900 to 3100 then up to 3rd rpm down to 2400 aprox then to 4th gear and 2000rpm all in a couple of seconds the trans stayed in 4th for 10 to 15 seconds and did its shifting altzheimers decisions making thing allover again the trans did this 4 times each time I let out of the go pedal a little more to get it to stop this shifting pratice

SO WHAT DO YA THINK?

Guy Berry

 

[Slick]

Perhaps maybe there is a bad one in the bunch! But without knowing all the specifics, has transmission been abused overheated etc. , how many miles on the trans, has it been serviced properly, has the truck been bombed, and also for heavy demand you can shift the trans to 2nd or even 1st if need be - have done that with manual shift on ocassion. But there again maybe its a junker trans but I still like my auto.

 

[redneckdr]

AUTO

drivetrain control module problem maybe??

 

[jeepit]

Trying to decide between auto or stick. From what I read here the auto seems to be doing well for most members. I would like to know are the guys running the auto/4:10 towing in overdrive and at what rpm and what the guys with auto/3:55 towing in overdrive or 3rd and at what rpm???

 

[Extreme1]

I'm glad to see you guys with the newer trucks aren't having any trans problems to speak of.



The '94s and (I think) some early '95s had problems. It seems the lube flow to the O/D unit wasn't sufficient. This means that towing well under the load limit at speeds encountered in the western US would overheat the O/D. I was told by a friend that owns a trans shop that the parts would look like someone took a torch to them.



Also, it took several thousand miles for this to appear. The problem was remedied and if anyone has, or knows someone who has an older truck, there is a simple repair to prevent it but the trans must be completely disassembled to do it.

 

[Fireman Dave]

Jeepit,



I have the 3. 54 auto. I tow in 3rd which is around 2400 rpms at 65mph. It likes that range and pulls great. Towing in OD is too much of an rpm drop for my taste. If you tow a lot, give the 6 speed a good look. I like the auto, but I'd look at the stick more next time if I planned on towing more. I don't tow that much, so the auto works good for me. The one downside is it'll cost me a chunk to upgrade it if/when I decide to juice up the engine.



Dave

 

[jeepit]

Fireman Dave, I tow 2 times a month 6500lbs trailer. Most other use is around town which is why the auto may be a better choice. I assume the 3:54 gets good mileage also? I have a gasser now that when going on the flats with trailer loaded against the wind it will come out of OD. What I want to do is put it in OD with cruise and let it go. Or would I need the 4:10 to do that. I realize mileage will drop then.

 

[Fireman Dave]

jeepit,



Personally, I'd probably go with a 4. 10 if I wanted to tow in OD. The down side is empty it'll be screaming on the highway. With the 3. 54, I use OD when not towing and just hum along. I like to tow in 3rd to take it a little easier on the transmission (no planetary gears turning in 3rd). Also, it never shifts on the highway in 3rd. In 4th, it would be back and forth between 3rd and 4th. After frying a minivan trans last year, I'm a little more paranoid about trans. failure, I guess. A lot of guys tow in OD without problems and swear by it. I like to keep it in 3rd. My trailer weighs about 6,000lbs, by the way. On my 5600 mile towing trip in June, I averaged 10. 5 mpg (and I've seen as high as 12). I attribute those numbers to wind resistance of the trailer and wind conditions. In OD, I figure I'd pick up maybe 2 mpg, but it feels like I'm lugging it. I have experimented with OD towing some since, but I still like 3rd the best - and maybe that's because I'm used to it now. I have to admit, I don't know if I'm right or wrong to tow out of OD, but it just feels better to me. I think it really comes down to a personal choice - doesn't seem to be a clear right or wrong answer. It is fun to kick around, though.



Dave

 

[redneckdr]

auto transmission

what towing i've done with my auto and 3. 54, has been three-four thousand pounds or so. not much of a test. i tried it both ways, but probably will tow in 3rd with od locked out. i agree that with od rpms probably aren't high enough, and the seat of my pants says more strain on engine and transmission. transmission temp was steady at 180, both ways, though.

 

[FAllen]

Auto transmission

I'm pulling a 27ft 5er that weighs around 8000lbs dry.



I have the 3:55 gears and find what works best for me is to tow in O/D on the four lane highways (60+ Speed Limit Highways) and with O/D locked out on the two lane highways (50-55 Speed Limit Highways).



You'll find that your will be running at just around 2000-2200RPM on the two lane roads with the O/D locked out which I find just about right.

 

[HEYBOSS]

Auto w/4:10

Originally posted by jeepit

Trying to decide between auto or stick. From what I read here the auto seems to be doing well for most members. I would like to know are the guys running the auto/4:10 towing in overdrive and at what rpm and what the guys with auto/3:55 towing in overdrive or 3rd and at what rpm???

I have the 3500 4X4 auto 4:10 and love it. I tow in OD above 60mph, sweet spot is 2100-2200 rpm in OD and puts me at 68-70mph. OD off at 60mph I'm running 2700 rpm and I feel that's screaming pretty good, also the coolant temps climb a bit higher than in OD. My fifth wheel empty is around 9300lbs, truck and 5er loaded weighed in at scale over 18000lbs. I guess it comes down to how much weight you're going to haul, don't forget that the auto with 4. 10 has a higher tow rating than 3. 55 it's also faster off the line and can hold better a bigger load on a big hill. The HO with the 6 speed and 4. 10 has the highest tow rating. Running empty I usually drive an average 70mph and really don't feel that the engine is screaming, they're also running taller tires in the 2000-2001 models.

Good luck with your decision, Fred.

 

[dodger22]

I pull a 10,000lb fifth wheel with my truck (see sig) 3. 55 rear end. I drive with the o/d locked out until about 2200-2400 rpm then put o/d back on easing off on the throttle very slightly until it kicks in and locked up. When the rpm drops to about 1600-1700 it is still possible to accelerate. I try to maintain a speed of about 65-70 mph on the highway and have not experienced any problems in 20,000 miles.