68RFE With a Mind of Its Own - BiPolar & Oppositional Defiance Syndrome

[CumminsExtreme]

Hello Everyone,
Great to find this site through web searching a therapist for my relationship challenge. I have a love/hate relationship with my new relationship with Big Red, a Fire engine wild child 2007.5 Dually 3500 4x4 with the 6.7L & 68rfe combo. Although she is a fine looking machine, she comes with baggage. The auto trans does what it wants to do, and does it well...automatically.

Hoping one or more of you can counsel me through this relationship epidemic, as I am losing the love.

First noticeable issue is surging, if you are at a stop light the truck feels like it wants to push you through the intersection.
I have been starting to shift to neutral and coast into the traffic lights, than shift to drive when the light turns green.
Second noticeable issue is when shifting out of reverse to park or drive to neutral there is a great noisy release of pressure.
It feels like the Torque convertor is locked up even at rest, and the truck continues to boost even though you are stopped.
Third noticeable thing is the manual shift +/- buttons on the gear shifter do not work at all.

Fourth is a mystery problem, sometimes the truck will be shifting fine through all 6 gears. Then after stopping at a couple traffic lights, will suddenly not shift into the higher gears leaving me at 2500+ RPM at 50mph. When this happens I pull over on the side of the road and shut her off completely. I remove the key from the ignition. Than I put the key back in the ignition, and drive away and all the gears work again like nothing has happened. Sometimes I have to repeat this process 2 times before it takes again. How Moody she is.

Fifth is a strange mixed bag also, I fiddled with the +/- button on the gear shifter and it suddenly went into 4th and would not come back out. This was especially scary when I was at a intersection with a loaded trailer. Talk about disrupting those around you with that! Some concerned motorists shared some very nice words and finger gestures with me, needless to say neither I or Big Red felt good after those incidents.

Additional Info: In her previous relationship in addition to some cosmetic surgery, her previous man got her high
on a Edge Attitude Juice Programmer, which she still has to this day. I found that the OBDII plug was not plugged in. So I plugged that in and things actually got WORSE. My trans temps started spiking. No wonder it was not plugged in, so I followed suit and let the dead dog lay. Not plugged in = normal temps. Ok strange. Also, her previous relationship liberated her of her Catalytic. Not sure if any of this is playing into the drama.
I recently flushed the fund, there was no changes after the fluid change. I have not yet dropped the pan.

The reason I do not give up on the trans completely, is she is pretty faithful with being able to carry other trucks such as a Superduty F350 Crewcab on a hauler trailer with ease. I am hoping this relationship problem can be something relatively easier to fix than completely giving up and replacing a transmission.

I was previously the adopted dad to a great son, a White 2003 3rd Gen 5.9L 46re 4x4 3500 Dually that literally was most loyal kid a father could have. In 5 years/200k our relationship mostly only yielded normal services such as fluids and brakes. Only once I had a malfunction in the trans with the 3rd gear start off, which I was able to change out the pressure switch and solenoid to never have those issues again. Unfortunately a hit from the rear end accident ended our relationship prematurely in December 2017. I will sorely miss him. I didn't stay lonely long, Soon after I met Big Red.

 

[zetatre]

Wondering if it's sucking air through a cracked/misplaced filter: have you dropped the pan?

 

[CumminsExtreme]

I have not dropped the pan yet. I had the fluid flushed and it made no change.

 

[transe]

Have a dealer or shop check the fault codes in the TCM. Sounds like it's going into limp mode, so you probably have one or more fault codes set.

 

[CumminsExtreme]

Have a dealer or shop check the fault codes in the TCM. Sounds like it's going into limp mode, so you probably have one or more fault codes set.

Wow,

The hardest part about getting someone who needs help to get help is getting them to ADMIT that they have a problem...

Ok, so finally I got her to give up the goose... and wow I have some codes to read... Whats with Gals giving Mixed Signals???

TCM Codes:

P0871 Overdrive Pressure Switch rationality

P0218 High Temperature Operation Activated

These Above were found on a Maximus scanner

------------------------------------------------------------

In addition to the TCM codes I also have these ECM & BCM Codes:

(Found on my portable handheld scanner)

P2080 exhaust gas temperature

P2084 exhaust gas temperature

P244a ( not listed )

P0128 coolant temperature below thermostat regulating temperature

P2080 Exhaust Gas Temperature Circuit Range/Performance Bank 1 Sensor 1

On board Diagnostics:

EGR bank one fail


Calibration Identifications (CID):

ECU 1

CID 1: 55351435BH

CID 2: 010600

Cvn1: BA988F91

ECU 2

CID1: 05187276AD

Cvn1: 47104B22

 

[transe]

I would suggest that you drop the pan and check the filters, and also replace the valve body assy (which is likely the cause of the P0871 fault).

 

[Ozymandias]

it doesn't make sense to change the fluid without changing both! filters in the pan.
code reading; never trust in a scanner that isn't Chryslers WiTech, some are sometimes right but others fail miserable and gives totally wrong informations and codes to the user.
diesel trucks are way trickier to read then a common gasser.

diagnostic diagnostic diagnostic is the first to do, and do it properly.
it is totally nonsense to throw parts at it without that first.

 

[CumminsExtreme]

Well I’m glad There are Great Doctors in this House!!!

Varying opinions , but a couple consistent opinions:

A) Drop the pan and change the filter
Could this cause the consistent always locked on Torque Convertor? I still have a sneaky feeling it’s electrical. But nonetheless , I’ll drop the pan and change the filter.

B) Could this be the complete valve body or the electric solenoid pack? After many YouTube searches
Many 68rfe problems revert to this.

 

[transe]

Your Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) is not actually "stuck on," because if it were it would stall the engine whenever you come to a stop. You are experiencing TCC drag, and that is usually due to a momentary dip in line pressure. That, in turn, is most often caused by an improperly installed (or defective) filter. Look for a spin-on filter that is loose, or a main (flat) filter where the snout is not pushed up THROUGH the seal in the pump. Also check that the filter seal in the pump is tamped in so the metal flange is FLUSH against the pump casting all the way around (not tilted in the bore). Oh, and I'm assuming your fluid level is OK, so if you haven't checked it, do that first.

In 2007-2009 trucks, P0871 is most often caused by a worn Solenoid Switch Valve (SSV) bore in the main valve body. This is not in the solenoid module, it is in the valve body itself. P0871 can also be caused by a bad solenoid module (bad pressure switch), or by a wiring problem, but the worn SSV bore is the most common. If you buy a valve body assy from Mopar, it will come with a brand new solenoid module included.

 

[CumminsExtreme]

Your Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) is not actually "stuck on," because if it were it would stall the engine whenever you come to a stop. You are experiencing TCC drag, and that is usually due to a momentary dip in line pressure. That, in turn, is most often caused by an improperly installed (or defective) filter. Look for a spin-on filter that is loose, or a main (flat) filter where the snout is not pushed up THROUGH the seal in the pump. Also check that the filter seal in the pump is tamped in so the metal flange is FLUSH against the pump casting all the way around (not tilted in the bore). Oh, and I'm assuming your fluid level is OK, so if you haven't checked it, do that first.

In 2007-2009 trucks, P0871 is most often caused by a worn Solenoid Switch Valve (SSV) bore in the main valve body. This is not in the solenoid module, it is in the valve body itself. P0871 can also be caused by a bad solenoid module (bad pressure switch), or by a wiring problem, but the worn SSV bore is the most common. If you buy a valve body assy from Mopar, it will come with a brand new solenoid module included.

 

[CumminsExtreme]

Fluid level is correct.

Yes the engine does not stall, but if I don’t stand on the brake It will push me through the intersection. Even when the light turns green I dont even have to step on the accelerator pedal. Just let off the brake and it climbs up to speed.

Only reason I don’t have codes from the dealership is because they are Bad Doctors. Their prognosis was just to replace the whole transmission. Not going to happen. Just write me off for the whole enchilada right off the pop. Fat chance. Maybe I will need to go to a different dealer in another city and just tell them I am paying for the diagnosis to get the codes only and that I am fixing it myself. No sly moves.

I agree, diagnosis the problem- don’t throw parts at it.

I mean if recommending a entire trans to fix this problem is the solution... why stop there? Why not recommend a divorce and just go buy a new truck. Whatever.

 

[transe]

So if the drag is constant, just not momentary, then it's likely you have either a bad converter or a sticky / stuck valve in the pump.
What happens when you first start it up and drop it in gear? Do you get the "push through a stop sign" right away? Or is not until your TCC has been engaged for the first time on that trip? And once it starts, does it remain as long as the engine is running, or does it come and go?

 

[Ozymandias]

I highly recommend to go with TransEngineer step by step, he is our Source for Knowledge about this Transmissions because he was a vital part of the Engineering Team of it.

I'm happy to see him in this Thread.

 

[CumminsExtreme]

So if the drag is constant, just not momentary, then it's likely you have either a bad converter or a sticky / stuck valve in the pump.
What happens when you first start it up and drop it in gear? Do you get the "push through a stop sign" right away? Or is not until your TCC has been engaged for the first time on that trip? And once it starts, does it remain as long as the engine is running, or does it come and go?

Yes, the push is immediate from start up. Doesn't matter if the vehicle was cold from sitting all night or hot from driving or even towing.

It is equal power in forward or reverse. If I am sitting in a gravel/dirt lot with my foot on the brake the rear tires will dig a hole. So If I am not going to move, I shift into neutral before coming to a complete stop. I do this coming into traffic lights and stop signs as well. If I wait until I am already stopped and than shift to park or from drive to reverse and reverse to drive there is a unloading of power that comes from the drivetrain. So it is less obnoxious to shift to neutral before stopping (if I can).

This "load up" or "push through" has been consistent since I bought the truck and does not change.

 

[transe]

OK, then it sounds like your TCC is indeed "stuck" (or at least, dragging) all the time. The fix for that is to replace the pump and converter. Or you can pull the trans, split the pump apart and check for a stuck (or worn) valve, and if the pump looks OK, then just replace the converter.

You'll still likely need a valve body assy to fix the P0871.

 

[p-Bar]

I know this is a 48re but interesting

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...-surging-when-stopped-but-shifts-fine.264724/