2016 trans issue's

[mrbb]

first sorry on long read here but appreciate any help/suggestion,

OK so I have a 2016 2500 4x4 6.7 auto trans (non Aisin) 5500 miles,
I am having issue with it shifting funny and just plain driving funny
when going slow speeds (20-35 mph) and on windy twisty like Mountain roads, can crest a steep hill with a curve/turn and be at about 25 mph and have to let off throttle, and it was like back shift, get a BIG loud clunk, and feels like the rear end is jumping
like a screwed up back shift??
will also do this on level ground in slow moving traffic again, going say 25, slight throttle in put and have to let off , it will buck and shake the truck?/ almost feels like if you were hit from the rear and shoved forward, like a lack of fuel then a boost then real fast back off!


Next and this just started yesterday, was 5 degree's out, so cold
let truck warm up for about 10 minutes, got in and drove easy, all seemed ok for the first mile(mostly all down hill to this point so coasted mostly!)

got to a stop sign at with a left turn needed that took me up a pretty steep hill for about 1.5 miles
pulled out as normal, picking up speed easy, NO hard acceleration at all!

as it would shift from say third to 4th, it would buck and felt like trans was slipping, and grabbing and slipping, whole time would still pick up speed, but felt very BAD, like a clutch slipping!!


got up to speed limit 55 mph, and it still would do this off and on, did it for about 5 miles and then stopped>

OK maybe trans was cold??? had to be some place so kept going


30 minutes into drive, should be warm by now??? stop at a stop sign, again a big hill to get up and same deal shifting very bad and slipping and bucking

get to a farm I was headed to, and now at 25-30 mph doing same thing on level ground??

drive home, same deal here and there no hill needed

today same deal at start up, (now 60 degree's, so warmed up)
ran BAD, 5 miles in to trip got on Hwy, got up to 75 mph and was like bucking and slipping again??
for about 5 miles then all good??
what the heck could be wrong here??
calling dealer Monday, so stuck till then and looking for feedback

Thanks
and sorry on long tread!

 

[tp0d]

Check fluid level, could be low? mebe a gasket leak somewhere

thats all i got..

good luck

-j

 

[mrbb]

OK checked and double checked fluid levels, all spot on, NO leaking fluids any where under truck, all is dry and clean!

took truck today on a 120+ mile trip
was actually shifting good and running good,
BUT at about 45 minutes into the trip, the check engine light on dash came on and will NOT go away!

if it wasn't for the light being on, I would have said truck ran great today????

the shifting issue's I had, all seemed worse when air temps were Below freezing, Fri/Sat here is was below 10 degree's outside

Today its near 60
SO, I am wondering if the temps have anything to do with it??
almost wonder if there is water in the trans fluid and its making ice or??? and thats the cause of the BAD shifts

will be at dealer tomorrow and will update with what they say/do

but I am not a very happy Ram Truck owner, I would like to think a NEW 60k truck SHOULD be problem free for the first yr at least! (if not a LOT longer)
less than 3 full months in and back at dealership for issue's SUCKS!
But does sadly seem to be more common than not, these days??
every thing made today seems like its just waiting to break!, so they can charge you for repairs of it??
OH well?

 

[Eagle6.7L]

Hi,Mr.bb,I am by no means a Chrysler tech,but I did see in my owners manual on pg.482,that during cold temperature's the transmission will operate differently.Engagement of the torque converter clutch is also effected as well.Also on pg. 487 as well. It talks about how this transmission operates under extreme cold.When we were in New Mexico this winter the morning temps were around 19 degree's.I would set the cruise control up to allow for a more rapid warm up.I have friends in Canada that own this year truck and operate it in extreme weather as well,they always have said to me most is just allowing the temp to come up on this truck before operating.This helped alot,along with my cold weather cover for the front grille.But with the temp swings that you are experiencing from 5 degree (which was posted in your first post) to 60 degree's can one really blame the transmission fluid operating viscousity this being the MOPAR ATF+4.Also if I might ask is this your first diesel with Dodge or RAM.Also how many miles do you have on the truck,this too is important as well.The clunking sound you hear from your driveshaft,has been posted here as long as the days of old.

 

[mrbb]

thanks, and yes I get crazy temp swings, so that is why I don't use the grill cover, can be -5 and 60 next day any more here!
truck has about 5300 miles on it or the likes!
, so LOW miles, got it week before X mas (dec 2015)
and YES this is my first personal owned diesel, but have driven many from work and such, and I have owned about 20 or so HD 3/4 ton trucks over the yrs(most bought new and kept till about a 120-150k and the traded in again on next new one, have owned about 8-9 Dodges now in a row too)


the clunk I heard from drive shaft isn't like a U joint clunk, its a sound that to me is generated by the trans back shifting and taking control of the drive shaft, as if output shaft and rear end speeds differ when it back shifts and causes things to jump about some??
NEVER ever had this in other trucks, so, its new to me, and doesn't seem like LONG life if it does this a LOT

as for reading the manual, sadly I will admit I didn't read the whole thing, have bad eye's and small print kills me!

but I have owned a LOT of trucks, and driven in some super cold weather(a long time snowmobiler, in some places that had minus 40 temps)
and YES many trans will shift HARDER in cold
but never had one slip like this did, and I drove truck many times in sub zero days and it didn;t do it
so I cannot say its, ?? designed to work this way in cold, or would have done it ALL the time in the cold temps
NOT just start last 3 days, with the slipping, and NOW< again Engine light is on, so something is a miss for that!

 

[tp0d]

If you have a CEL, something is not right.

Possible you have a connection issue on a plug for the trans, sometimes it gets a signal, sometimes it doesnt, or could add resistance to the ckt, causing a solenoid to not open properly. Cold can cause things to contract, and lose connection, then things warm up, expand, and problem goes away. I doubt water has gotten inside trans tho

Definitely an issue for the dealer to track down, you need to compile a list of exactly what it is doing so they can properly troubleshoot it, and I wouldnt take the truck back until they get it all figured out. It shouldnt be slippin like that when new, for sure

I see you have good taste in music

-j

 

[mrbb]

HAHA< thanks for the music like LOL

and yes something is for sure wrong

MY worry here is I bought the truck out of state, SHOULDN"T be a big deal, but dealers here get all pissy, when you bring them repair work and didnt buy off them

its NOT like I didn't give them a chance to sell me a truck, they just are always thousands higher than I can buy else where, so I don't buy locally due to it
I go to them every time too, and says WHAT"S you BEST offer
and tell them straight up I am looking around for the best deal
I even tell them the best price I get ELSEWHERE, and see if they will meet or beat it
and they all laugh and say NO WAY!!
and then here I am now, with NEED for there help LOL

so, will see how Monday goes!! not expecting a fun day or experience again!!

to me business is business, they SHOULD be happy to get the work, not like the economy is booming in my area!
but these folks here I swear , will let pride or?? make them go under before they learn work is work!!

 

[DonFitzwater]

Where are you located?

It would help a little if you filled out your signature with truck info also.

 

[mrbb]

NE Pa , if your in AK< your 4,000 miles away from me LOL

 

[TFucili]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Sadly, I have had serious issues with new vehicles dating back to the 80s and with Fords, Chevys, Toyota, Volkwagen, and Volvo. As to your issue, does the speedo make any wild swings or jump up/down abnormally? I had a 4-Runner that had a flaky speed sensor which confused the ECM which made the trans do all sorts of weird things. Seems to me someone on here, or maybe another forum, had one that the filter was not seated/installed properly and had some scary behavior, as well.

 

[mrbb]

thanks, NO all gauges seem to work just fine

I too have had a few NEW vehicles with some major issue's
back in the 80's I had a chevy that I swear was a a lemon, but they wouldn't to lemon law on it, just kept sticking new parts on it
from replacing the frame, 3 motors 5 trans and about 14 rears (front and back)
I swear I had repair receipts for over a 100 k on that truck in the first 2 yrs, all paid for by Chevy, and they still wouldn;'t lemon law it!!
at the end of it, I ended up with a restraining order keeping me out of the dealership that sold it to me LOL
something about me pulling a service manager thru his booth window and chasing him under a car, and then expressing how I was thinking about driving truck thru there showroom window HAHA!
needless to say, that was my last Chevy!
SO< yes I know things can be bad, even when new
lots of Mondays out there for hang overs and lack of workers that care about there jobs and or pride in there work or ???

so, yes bad things slip by QC all the time in everything I guess
just disappointing to get one of the bad one's! or problems just so soon

I also, have adjustable pedals that DON"T work sonce new, I was letting go till first service
also, have my remote start that seems to work and NOT work at will
and I have had a few times now, a "SERVICE ELECTRIC BRAKE SYSTEM" error that comes on and goes away at will too!
again was going to wait till first service to have looked at, as all seem rather minor to me, to NOT be worth a visit and aggravation of dealing with there, WHY DIDN"T YOU BUY HERE crap!
they seem less Bit@hy when you let them have a service to do, and then bring up a different issue !
learned this trick a while back as a way to not get flack about buying else where!
like a hand trick LOL

so, just couldn;'t make it till first service it seems HAHA!

such is life, cannot sweat the small things I guess!

 

[RVTRKN]

My 68rfe is terrible in traffic, to the point I have to keep it in 2nd or 3rd gear in bumper to bumper, and in the city, I keep it in 4th. The way you describe it seems the same I experience, but not the cold/warm issues. I attribute it to the 3:42 rear diff, as it puts my RPM's @ 1000, and doesn't like to down shift when throttle is applied slowly. I've tried tow haul and it shifts even worse. I don't like the 3:42 rear diff, as it puts the CTD at too low of RPM when cruising at 45-50 MPH in 6th. It also causes my engine to ping until RPM's are @ 1500. The clunking happens when you let off of throttle then back in it in traffic.

 

[Jones2014]

I am happy with my 68RFE

I have a 2014 crew cab 4X4 cummins 68 ref bought new in late 2014 At first I was not very happy with this transmission as my last truck was a 90K mile Duramax/ Allison that shifted and performed like a dream . Initially I had some of the driveline backlash type clunk at low speeds under certain conditions and a tendency to shift too soon and to me lug the motor that was to me very tight and not broken in at all . I now have 11 thousand miles on her and almost half towing a 9 thousand pound trailer and now it is shifting a lot better and smoother and the engine has loosened up and this truck just keeps running better every time I drive it. I am a very happy first time Ram owner . This truck is a monster compared to my old duramax. Its built like a tank I have never driven such a solid feeling vehicle.

 

[mrbb]

I too was hoping and expecting maybe after some miles it would smooth out.
But to be honest it seems to be going the other way, when I first got truck, it shifted smooth as glass, and been getting harsher and harsher as miles came on, and then this slipping deal?? Isn't making feel better, all the more my last dodge, the trans went as well, , however that one never had any lead up, went from working just fine to dead on side of road LOL pump failed

Will again update as I learn more from dealer?

 

[RVTRKN]

No change in mine at 21K miles.

 

[mrbb]

OK an update
took truck to my local dealer
and as expected , didn;'t go so well!
they seem to dis like folks that buy a vehicle else where! an today was NO different!

first question was DID YOU BUY IT HERE!! and went down hill from there LOL!

so, they pulled codes, a "PCM P0421"
and then a " PTS B129025"

SO< this is where things went south ,
the service manager tells me this.
" we cannot get your truck in for a week , and that I should NOT drive the truck as is!"

also he ONLY know's what the one code means""
doesn't know what second code is for?? won't know that till next week!!, direct quote from service manager to me, DON"T KNOW WHAT IT IS!!

HIS Suggestion is, I take truck to a different dealer
and have it towed there, as again says I shouldn 't drive it or will do damage to it??
AT which point I am NOT happy to hear.
I bring up that , this sounds like a bullcrap excuse, why would I have to TOW my truck to a DODGE dealer when I am AT a Dodge dealer right now with it!

He says,
well normally we would give you a loaner vehicle and let you have that till we can fix your's, but were all out of them, so?? cannot help you till next week!

I say, you have a lot full of vehicles so??? pick one! lol

they then says, THATS NOT an option, BUT There is a rental car shop up the road that I can go and RENT a vehicle from!
and that DODGE WILL Gladly pay for it!!(turns out to be a lie)

they also suggest I again TOW vehicle to a different dodge dealer for faster service, and that DODGE Will gladly pay for that too!!(also a lie)

at this point I am far from happy and tell them they are full of crap
IF I am AT a dodge dealer, and as a NEW DODGE vehicle owner and under warranty
IF I am entitled to a loaner vehicle due to MY vehicle being un drive able
that's on them to figure out HOW to get me a loaner, NOT me going to a rental car shop and getting one!
that SHOULD be an agreement between them and DODGE< on how they handle situations and NOT the customer to figure out!!

they refuse, telling me to call a tow truck and have it towed to nearest DODGE dealer

which I then say HOW do I know another dealer will take it since you's don't want it???

they have NO answer!!
or suggestion, just say they cannot help me for a week or so!!
NOT a happy camper at this point at all, and understand why folks go postal! LOL

SO< trying to find out what the error codes are, I called the dealership I bought the truck off, as the salesman I dealt with was a good guy!, and thought maybe he could get me an answer on IF I can drive truck or not, and if he had any suggestions. As didn't really wat to be calling a tow truck to tow my DODGE to a DODGE dealer when I am AT a DODGE dealer!!

I gave him codes and he called me RIGHT back, and said OK to drive truck, and one code is a common issue right now and DODGE is still working out a REAL FIX< as they don't have one, but neither one is a issue or will hurt my truck to drive to next dealer!!


SO< before just driving to another dealer, I called first, gave a quick run down if issue's and they said come on in, if need be, they will give me a loaner no Problem
VERY nice compared to first dealer experience !!

SO< of I go to dealer #2 about 25 miles away!

get there all goes smooth
they clear my codes, re flash things,
CANNOT find any issue's with trans, but say that doesn't mean there is NO problem, just they cannot get things to show during visit
suggest I just drive a while and see if it acts up again
I do think problem might be low temp related, and well, might NOT get cold temps again till next winter, as its warming up now here so???

But problem is recorded, so if it acts up, its on record..

also they confirmed what my salesman told me, DODGE knows about the issue but doesn't have a real fix right now, so??
problem with engine service light MAY come on again for same issue till they resolve a way to correct it !!
NOT the best news to hear either, but?? things happen

I also called Dodge Customer care to file a complaint against the first Dodge dealer, as to me its just plain Bullcrap, so sent a customer to a different dealer when your at a dodge dealer with a warranty claim, plus they did LIE to me, as NO way Dodge was going to pay for towing when it was AT a dodge dealer already!!


so for now, NO check engine light

sorry on long read, too!

 

[RVTRKN]

Been there, still doing that, I had to wait 3 days with an appointment prior to dropping off truck for rear diff issue. Which by the way at 12K miles completely scrambled and took 10 working days due to parts acquiring.

Last time was a simple inspection for a recall my boss wanted taken care of while I was on vacation, so I set appointment with service writer, and he said it would be taken care of right away. Because the issue was so easy it would be done same day, so I set up someone from office to get it when done (I would be on vacation) after dropping off. When I arrived on Saturday with truck and an appointment, I was told it would be a week, because a different service writer was taking truck in and only his team is allowed to perform repair even if it was just an inspection. So off to my destination with a sour note, and let owner know of the bullcrap. When I called a day earlier than expected due to leaving early (damn good thing) they told me it just got fixed after 7 days. If I would have left a day latter, I would of lost a day's pay.

Customer Service has sure gone downhill since they combined all makes in one. BTW, the dealer the truck was bought from is the same dealer and they were a Chrysler dealer not a Dodge dealer.

 

[mrbb]

dealer (first one) I went to today, is SUPPOSED to be the biggest RAM truck seller, and a full blown RAM?dodge truck dealership
I understand walking in cold isn't easy
but at same time, when you PAY for a service(loaner) you should get it
having a dealership tell you to TOW it to a different dealership, is just SAD to me
I wasn't in any hurry to GET MY truck back, just needed a way to get around till it got fixed, or HOPED fixed LOL
I personally think there is a MAJOR lack of CARE in folks anymore about doing a GOOD job, or pride in what they do
its a dying emotion if you ask me!!
its all but ME< and don't care about others
BUT that just gets everyone screwed, and folks cannot seem to get it!!

 

[jacknife]

Dealers are required to service the brand they sell whether bought at their dealership or not, of course you probably will not go to the head of the line. lol

 

[gsbrockman]

Unless someone can point out to me otherwise, I'm quite sure NO dealership is REQUIRED to give ANYONE a LOANER vehicle.
Some service contracts / extended warranties may have provisions for rental COVERAGE, however.
If a dealership is NICE enough to offer one a loaner, that's great.....but it's not carved into stone that they are REQUIRED to provide one----especially a brand new unit {loaner} right off the lot.