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Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Need some Trans advice
- Thread starter EFielding
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Failure Rate
Hohn: Don't get discouraged!! Look at the facts. The total membership of the TDR is at or less than two (2) percent of the total Dodge production of Dodge/CTD. If every member's transmission gave up within warranty it would be within the failure rate that is called "industry standard", which is much higher.
If you look at the failure rate of those who stay within the weight limits and do not add aftermarket HP enhancements, it would be very low. I can knock on wood for 73K. I had the DTT upgrade done last spring at that mileage. However there were no serious issues in the transmission; that is towing up to 26K GCVW.
IMHO
Hohn: Don't get discouraged!! Look at the facts. The total membership of the TDR is at or less than two (2) percent of the total Dodge production of Dodge/CTD. If every member's transmission gave up within warranty it would be within the failure rate that is called "industry standard", which is much higher.
If you look at the failure rate of those who stay within the weight limits and do not add aftermarket HP enhancements, it would be very low. I can knock on wood for 73K. I had the DTT upgrade done last spring at that mileage. However there were no serious issues in the transmission; that is towing up to 26K GCVW.
IMHO
BBradley:
Well your luck is holding better than mine! Thanks for the reply, tho. Maybe I'm not holding my mouth right... . Good luck!
Stseeber:
My '99 is bone stock, too, except for the deeper Mag/Hytec transmission oil pan. Interference is highly likely as the cause, but I don't have any high output electronics like you. The day it started poppong in and out again was a day that was no different than any other. I'd been driving for around four hours, and as soon as I got off the freeway, there it was. I didn't even have the radio on that day! I was using the cell phone, but I do that everyday! So it seems like it's an "internal" interference, unless a cell phone can do it, because that's the only "external" possibility.
I don't think DC is motivated to do much about it, because it's in "the past". I don't know what's different about the '01-'02 trucks - could be a lot I 'spose - but they don't have the problem. Meanwhile we grasp at straws.
It certainly ain't right the way it is!
Deezuldon
Well your luck is holding better than mine! Thanks for the reply, tho. Maybe I'm not holding my mouth right... . Good luck!
Stseeber:
My '99 is bone stock, too, except for the deeper Mag/Hytec transmission oil pan. Interference is highly likely as the cause, but I don't have any high output electronics like you. The day it started poppong in and out again was a day that was no different than any other. I'd been driving for around four hours, and as soon as I got off the freeway, there it was. I didn't even have the radio on that day! I was using the cell phone, but I do that everyday! So it seems like it's an "internal" interference, unless a cell phone can do it, because that's the only "external" possibility.
I don't think DC is motivated to do much about it, because it's in "the past". I don't know what's different about the '01-'02 trucks - could be a lot I 'spose - but they don't have the problem. Meanwhile we grasp at straws.
It certainly ain't right the way it is!
Deezuldon
Hey Deezul....
Do I detect that your still having the same problem???
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner. Been busy. So far... 2900 miles on the wiring relocate from the wiring bundle (for the apps sensor) across the front of the engine, and no problems. Haven't had a hiccup! Maybe you might want to try the wiring relocate.
I'll keep an eye out on the board to see if you solve yhe problem.
Stseeber may have the diagnosis correct; electrical interference with the apps.
Lemme know.
Ed
Do I detect that your still having the same problem???
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner. Been busy. So far... 2900 miles on the wiring relocate from the wiring bundle (for the apps sensor) across the front of the engine, and no problems. Haven't had a hiccup! Maybe you might want to try the wiring relocate.
I'll keep an eye out on the board to see if you solve yhe problem.
Stseeber may have the diagnosis correct; electrical interference with the apps.
Lemme know.
Ed
Well, wouldn't you know it...
Yesterday I took my truck to the dealer. Late in the afternoon they called and said they couldn't duplicate the problem! My response: "NO WAY! Does it all the time - every time. " They even sent the Service Manger out on a 35 mile drive and claimed it never did it's spastic lock/unlock thing.
So I went to the dealer this AM, service tech riding shotgun, scanner plugged in, while I drive. It wouldn't do it! IT WOULDN'T F'in DO IT! And it hasn't all day! What the F is going on here! Do I look like the idiot or what? (Did the truck somehow know they were gonna kick it's a--?) It's fine. It works right. This is really weird! After exactly 5,506 miles it was going spastic on me, EVERY SINGLE TIME I got to 42 in OD. Now it's healed itself. Damn!
Certainly supports the theory of transient electronic interference! I agree, Ed, worth checking the TPS (APPS) wire, moving from the bundle. Also going to get serious about Emjay's Strategy controller. It does a bunch of neat things, one of them keeping the TCC locked until a preset speed at which you get to program in.
Damn this is frustrating!
Let's keep the thread alive for those of us with the '99 & '00 trucks with the problem. One of us will eventually come to a resolution!
Deezuldon
Yesterday I took my truck to the dealer. Late in the afternoon they called and said they couldn't duplicate the problem! My response: "NO WAY! Does it all the time - every time. " They even sent the Service Manger out on a 35 mile drive and claimed it never did it's spastic lock/unlock thing.
So I went to the dealer this AM, service tech riding shotgun, scanner plugged in, while I drive. It wouldn't do it! IT WOULDN'T F'in DO IT! And it hasn't all day! What the F is going on here! Do I look like the idiot or what? (Did the truck somehow know they were gonna kick it's a--?) It's fine. It works right. This is really weird! After exactly 5,506 miles it was going spastic on me, EVERY SINGLE TIME I got to 42 in OD. Now it's healed itself. Damn!
Certainly supports the theory of transient electronic interference! I agree, Ed, worth checking the TPS (APPS) wire, moving from the bundle. Also going to get serious about Emjay's Strategy controller. It does a bunch of neat things, one of them keeping the TCC locked until a preset speed at which you get to program in.
Damn this is frustrating!
Let's keep the thread alive for those of us with the '99 & '00 trucks with the problem. One of us will eventually come to a resolution!
Deezuldon
Don't get too excited, but....
Take a look at the filtering performance of the EMJ-001 STRATEGY HERE . The top trace is a square wave log sweep input into the TPS input, and the bottom trace is the output from the STRATEGY. Pretty schweet, huh? Soon I'll post real TPS signals before and after the STRATEGY controller. Stay tuned!
Take a look at the filtering performance of the EMJ-001 STRATEGY HERE . The top trace is a square wave log sweep input into the TPS input, and the bottom trace is the output from the STRATEGY. Pretty schweet, huh? Soon I'll post real TPS signals before and after the STRATEGY controller. Stay tuned!
Another Observation
Emjay is the Strategy for sale yet? I will be in line to try it.
Well I have been keeping up on this thread but have not posted because I have become more confused. .
Here in TN several weeks ago the weather turned from daytime temps in the 80s to the 60s all at once. The darn (new if you recall my last post) auto trans in my 99 all on it's own started acting right, no hunting. All on it's own! I swear did not touch a thing!
Now I am totally confused, is it temp sensor, trans coolers, temp of the APPS (TPS) causing noise, or just a coincidence. Just what the hell is going on here?
Emjay is the Strategy for sale yet? I will be in line to try it.
Well I have been keeping up on this thread but have not posted because I have become more confused. .
Here in TN several weeks ago the weather turned from daytime temps in the 80s to the 60s all at once. The darn (new if you recall my last post) auto trans in my 99 all on it's own started acting right, no hunting. All on it's own! I swear did not touch a thing!
Now I am totally confused, is it temp sensor, trans coolers, temp of the APPS (TPS) causing noise, or just a coincidence. Just what the hell is going on here?
Hey, KRobinson
The PCM has several shift curves, one of them being a low trans sump temp curve. Other than that, I don't know of any trans parameter that is temperature-controlled. The trans will behave slightly different with cold fluid, but again, I would be skeptical as to its effect on shifting, as it would gradually go away, as the trans warmed up. The TPS voltage does drift slightly with temperature. One fact that is clear from a symptom and repair perspective, is that the TPS/APPS signal quality to the PCM is marginal at best. TDR does not allow solicitation for products in this forum, but you can get my web site URL from my profile. That should answer your questions. Oo.
The PCM has several shift curves, one of them being a low trans sump temp curve. Other than that, I don't know of any trans parameter that is temperature-controlled. The trans will behave slightly different with cold fluid, but again, I would be skeptical as to its effect on shifting, as it would gradually go away, as the trans warmed up. The TPS voltage does drift slightly with temperature. One fact that is clear from a symptom and repair perspective, is that the TPS/APPS signal quality to the PCM is marginal at best. TDR does not allow solicitation for products in this forum, but you can get my web site URL from my profile. That should answer your questions. Oo.
Deezuldon: My Stock 99 like I said before has done this off and on since day one. Had three clear days this week but it started up again this morning. 44-51mph... . Went to local dealer yesterday to request TSB18-02-99 be done and that I had already had diagnosed the problem. He said his service mgr would not allow him to perform upgrade without diagnosis charge? Also claimed DC had froze all software upgrades until sometime later this month? Have I missed something in a previous thread? I did read another thread about the diognosis charge so was ready for that. Steve in northern Ca. 
stseeber
Well that sucks! I didn't know that they're freezing the upgrades. What's up with that? So what're you gonna do? Pretty frustrating isn't it?
As to my recent disappearance of the problem when the truck arrived at the dealer, I'm pretty convinced they threw a quick reflash in there and didn't say anything - to anybody. Odd that it would continue to lock & unlock incessantly for a week, and then just by merely driving it to the dealer and leaving it in the sun, it fixes itself? Yeah right!
It has not hiccuped a single time since then. What's that a couple weeks now? Pretty suspect. These things just don't fix themselves.
I think Emjay has the final solution. And it'll make the shift points where they should be. Instead of dropping into TCC lock in overdrive at 42 and what? 1300 rpms? Will be able to move that up to shift at a higher and more reasonable rpm. That's just too low - too hard on the clutch surfaces with all that Cummins torque at that low an rpm!
Good luck s. t. ! I sympathize! I know where you're at with the frustration. Look up Emjay and see what he's doing.
deezuldon
Well that sucks! I didn't know that they're freezing the upgrades. What's up with that? So what're you gonna do? Pretty frustrating isn't it?
As to my recent disappearance of the problem when the truck arrived at the dealer, I'm pretty convinced they threw a quick reflash in there and didn't say anything - to anybody. Odd that it would continue to lock & unlock incessantly for a week, and then just by merely driving it to the dealer and leaving it in the sun, it fixes itself? Yeah right!
It has not hiccuped a single time since then. What's that a couple weeks now? Pretty suspect. These things just don't fix themselves.
I think Emjay has the final solution. And it'll make the shift points where they should be. Instead of dropping into TCC lock in overdrive at 42 and what? 1300 rpms? Will be able to move that up to shift at a higher and more reasonable rpm. That's just too low - too hard on the clutch surfaces with all that Cummins torque at that low an rpm!
Good luck s. t. ! I sympathize! I know where you're at with the frustration. Look up Emjay and see what he's doing.
deezuldon
Just had the same seeking problem with my '98. 5 47RE and had the torque converter replaced as it was toast (came apart) at 75K and then the APPS replaced and it still did the seeking bit. Called Stephen at DTT in BC and he has an electrical filter fix for $50 plus shipping that fixes the problem. Your Apps is receiving electrical signals from your alternator or other wires and causing mis-information to be transferred. If you can't get the filter get the latest flash program from Dodge It's 18-02-99 but the filter is permanant. Stephen at DTT is super helpful and makes great Transmissions and converters. 1st Class operation
Well, if $50 will fix it - go for it!
The final resolution to my transmission hunting problem was installation of the Emjay Strategy controller. I know that did it for certain - a couple times I disconnected (actually bypassed) the system, and the problem was back immediately. So for anybody that has that narrow band of trucks in the 98. 5-99 vintage that has had to deal with the frustration of the transmission hunting...
Look up Emjay! The Strategy controller is definitely the fix! (By the way, I'm approaching 175,000 miles on the stock transmission. Knock on wood!)
The final resolution to my transmission hunting problem was installation of the Emjay Strategy controller. I know that did it for certain - a couple times I disconnected (actually bypassed) the system, and the problem was back immediately. So for anybody that has that narrow band of trucks in the 98. 5-99 vintage that has had to deal with the frustration of the transmission hunting...
Look up Emjay! The Strategy controller is definitely the fix! (By the way, I'm approaching 175,000 miles on the stock transmission. Knock on wood!)
there is a grey ground wire between the battery and air box on passenger side. has a grey connector in it. pull the connector apart and clean it out. then put it together and pull apart a few times to clean the crud off the inside . most of the time this will fix the tc lock and unlock problem.
When my 99 starts the hunting thing between 45 & 50mph it tells me that I need to tighten & clean all my battery connections. Works every time... . My independent transmission shop explained that loose or dirty terminals cause the electronics to pick up electrical interference and fool the transmission. . Just my two-bits... ... ... ... .
You 99 Guys are not the only ones with this problem... ... My 01 does the same thing- going to the trans guy next week
You all need to check out Emjay's Strategy controller. Not only will it solve the problem, but it gives you three modes: Towing, Loaded, and Stock.
Worth every penny!
(And by the way - been through all the kind suggestions. Wasn't any of those. Maybe mine is more stubborn? Who knows? Anyway check out the Strategy if you want to end the guessing!)
Worth every penny!
(And by the way - been through all the kind suggestions. Wasn't any of those. Maybe mine is more stubborn? Who knows? Anyway check out the Strategy if you want to end the guessing!)
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Issue 128 – Digital Version
Digital Magazines
FREE!
TDR Test Drive - Digital Edition
Renew
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
Back Issues
Subscription Status
Address Change Form
Buyer's Guides
Ram Diagnostic Trouble Codes
The Perfect Collection
The Perfect Collection Vol. II
TSB Updates
Dodge/Cummins Historical Overview
Cameron Collection
What Makes Us Tick?
Product Showcase
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