47re Computer flash

[BLanders]

I have been having trouble with my transmission up shifting into 4th and OD. Sometimes it wants to hang in third and will not shift till you let off the throttle.

I called my dealership today and guess what after 8 months we finally get a flash for the computer that is suppose to alleviate this problem.

I get mine done Wednesday. I'll let you know if it fixes the problem

 

[David Muench]

I get mine done Thursday night, along with a few other reflashes and warranty items.



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=73691



Let me know how yours goes.

 

[Brian-NX9O]

Please post more details!



I have not been happy with the 47re and its O/D behavior. I seem to have both the hanging without shifting and shifting too early issues. I have had moments where it hangs in the lower gear and will not go into O/D on flat level highway, no wind, steady at 65mph and an empty 8x20 enclosed cargo trailer in tow. The most memorable was I-5 northbound "near" Corvallis, OR from the Oregon Highway 34 onramp. I had to let it coast down to about 55mph before O/D would kick in. I guess I could have hammered it to 70mph based on the reflash post.



I wonder if the reflash will help this: Empty or loaded with light throttle it will upshift to O/D at about 44mph. Usually this is not a problem empty, but it makes a really sick chugging sound for a moment when I am towing my trailer. I have interpreted this as the dreaded lugging, but this is my first diesel so I am not absolutely sure. I have been trying to remember to set the overdrive off when I am towing in traffic, but sometimes when I get off the highway I forget.



I also had a scary situation where I was climbing a fairly steep hill with O/D off. (Alabama Highway 40 at Hale Gap, just across the river east of Scottsboro according to Delorme Street Atlas. ) Truck and trailer combined gross weight estimate no more than 13K. The truck and trailer were rolling well at 40mph. I had just come around the final turns near the top and needed to pull over the last few hundred feet of climbing. That last section is a bit steeper, so I gave it just a little more throttle (nowhere near WOT). In a flash there was no more pull and the engine RPM shot up to 4000 before I could get my foot out of it. The engine and transmission sorted themselves out and were responding properly when I carefully put my foot back into the throttle. We got up the last bit of hill putt-putting at about 20mph. That is not what I expected/wanted from the CTD.



I love the truck, but the 47re worries me in the stock condition.

 

[CKimball]

I too complained of the same exact issue and was told it was "fan roar"... love that... hey give a person that just spent 38k for a vehicle some credit on what he is complaining about and think about what you tell him!... I was not happy in the fact that a service manager of "25 years" would tell me that AND put it on the ro as the cause!... I figured out that if you let it go to 62 mph the govenor makes it shift. very annoying and dangerous when getting on the freeway when it holds!... i believe the reason it does this is because they dont want the kickdown so sensitive that it hunts when towing... . I did adjust my kickdown cable (there is a post on this somewhere here) so it holds in the lower gears a little longer and obtains a firmer shift, this adjustment however, did not fix the holding in 3rd tho... I believe that will be in the computer... ... BUT I STILL LOVE MY TRUCK!!!

Cameron

 

[David Muench]

The TSB only mentions that this cures the not wanting to upshift problem. I sure hope it helps the going into OD too soon problem, but I am not holding my breath. It was bad stock, but it is even worse with 35" tires.

 

[BLanders]

Flash is done

Flash didn't take too long and so far so good transmission shifts much smoother does not hang on up shifts at all (so for). My dealer adjust the kick down cable a while back and it shift at 3400 rpm with the new flash it still shifts at 3400 but it is much smoother going from gear to gear (firm but smoother instead of hanging and waiting till everything gets right)

 

[BillGotthelf]

The shifting problems are associated with electric spikes or interference to the transmission from the PCM. The throttle info takes a long way to get to the PCM. It goes from the throttle position sensor (not called this on the 03's) to the ECM then to the PCM then to the trans. The older the truck the more these spikes mess up the trans. However with the 2003 47re's the voltage problems are showing up much sooner. We are testing a small addon box that has eliminated these voltage spikes and greatly improved shifting on all model year autos. We have one installed on a 2003 DRW towing a 13000 fifth wheel from Fla to the Carolinas and he is telling us his shifts are smoother and quicker with no delays or hangups between gears including lockup. Dodge has a reflash for this problem on pre 2003 autos but it doesn't work-just ask the aftermarkets trans builders. You cannot get rid of this problem by changing software in the computer.

 

[CKimball]

Bill... Pardon my ignorance but who are "we"?... . I am intrested in what you may have to offer if you are an aftermarket dude!... tell me more... for I have a 03 DRW and tow 14. 5k 5ver with my Jeep inside...

Cameron

 

[BillGotthelf]

Okay sorry if this turn out to be a long post. Maybe we is stretching it alittle. My local trans shop has one heck of a mechanic/tech that is computer literate (me too). I had them rebuild my trans (99) like they did to my 96 that towed 13000 lbs over 70,000 miles with their parts and a DTT TC and never had a problem. After the rebuild and a custom made TC (by them) I complaint that the TC would not hold the power of the truck, it felt like the TC was slipping. I ordered all the parts from DTT but before they would put them in they wanted to solve a problem that they found with voltage fluctuations between the ECM to PCM to trans. They called Bill Kondalay with DTT but even though they had seen this problem before they did not know of any one fix to this problem. Dodge has a reflash for the PCM that was supposed to fix this problem. After calling two local dealers who said the same thing-yes there is a reflash for that problem cost $70 and it has not fixed a single truck they reflashed!! They did not want to do it unless I knew it probably would not work. Well the trans shop had run into this problem before in varying degrees on other CTD's with autos. They "fixed" some by putting a small resistor in one of the lines, removing the TPS signal wire from the harness and isolating it, putting a resistor on the injector pump wire, changing a battery. As you can see many things effect these voltage fluctuations. The fluctutions were NOT completely fixed but reduce to a level that did not seem to effect trans as much. My truck had corrosion on the grounding pins in the wiring harness behind the air filter. This reduced the fluctuations enough so that the slipping feeling went away. Unfortunatly the computer graph did not lie and the TC was still unlocking at around 10% of the signals every second. After pulling out the electrical schematics for the truck my friend spent a weekend of testing and came up with the "HAPPI" box. They have tried it on 5 different year trucks and (including mine) and it totally eliminated all voltage fluctuations to the trans. A by product of this is the trans seems to shift faster and lockup is STOUT. THe trans shop owner has a 2003 dualie with a 47re and he had the same hangup between shifts and tc not locking or unlocking at times. They put one on and no more shifting problems and truck seems to shift from gear to gear faster. He is currently towing a fifth wheel (13000 lbs) around 4000 miles and will be back after Memorial Day. All these trucks were stock except mine and it improved all. They are getting ready to test in about a dozen trucks and if it works like the ones in the current 5 trucks they will be put on the market. Should not be to pricey either-less than 1/2 the price of one of the trans rebuilders lock up boxes.



Oh yea box only measures 1"x3"x4" and uses 4 small wires.

 

[Steve M]

All this makes me want that Patriot Blue 3500 SRW QC LB 4X2 5spd/4. 10 with a handfull of nice options that much more.

It's still on the lot. I think I'll go pay my favorite salesman a visit...

 

[CKimball]

BIll... . no worries about the long post... . it enabled my to have a second beer!! ... intresting... and I AM VERY intrested in the "HAPPI BOX"... in fact... my hand is raised to be a guinea pig... either way PLEASE pm me when its avail... everything you wrote makes sense infact i will throw one item into the equation... . Static electricity... my truck shocks the poop out of me EVERYTIME i get out... rain or shine, fog you name it and static guard doesnt do a thing... I have never had a vehicle do that so bad and often and I am not a total sparky but one with any electrical knowledge would have to agree that static electricity could reak havic on a electrical system nowadays. . especialy with all the chips and incremental readings the sensors accept..... let me know if and when the box is avail

Cameron

 

[BLanders]

From all the information I can gather the shifting problem was with the 4X4. The 4x2 and the 4x4 used the dame computer software to control the Transmission. the 4x4 being heavier and sitting higher with more wind resistance is what was I was told was the problem. Since getting the flash on Wednesday It seems to have cured my problems. I am happy as I can be with the truck now. Can't wait to start doing a few up grades.

 

[David Muench]

I only have a few miles since mine was reflashed last night, but it does seem better. The OD still engages far too early, but it does seem to go into 4th easier when you've got the hammer down.