PCM Flash 32370231AJ

[DonFitzwater]

You got it right. The least slip the better, and with more throttle should come even more pressure to keep things strong.

Hits the rest of the driveline harder, and grandma may not like it, but it's better for the hardest and most expensive thing to fix. That goes for torque converter clutches too.


Now a full boost hard shift could beat a converter a little bit, but the right way is a more durable converterr, not to castrate the valve body

And you'd also be incorrect. The shift flare is taken care of by the torque converter

 

[smokemifugotem]

And you'd also be incorrect. The shift flare is taken care of by the torque converter

so it's the torque converter clutch slipping as it slowly locks up? sounds like the tcc is in for a very hard and maybe a short life unless chrysler/fiat have broken new ground in the r&d dept. and came up with a way to make friction without making heat. it makes me wonder if they were afraid of transferring firm shifts through the u-joints and rear end because i can't imagine why else they would allow so much "flare".
i know they neutered the computer to prevent hard launches to be more kind and gentle to the driveline.

 

[My427stang]

And you'd also be incorrect. The shift flare is taken care of by the torque converter

Very eager and honestly want to know why you say it, because I am not an enthusiast, I am a builder and ECM programmer (performance Ford gas motors for the ECM work) and that goes against any performance application I have ever seen in 25+ years of doing performance work

Walk me through it, a fluid coupling like a converter is uncontrolled other than RPM and load, if you are saying the Ram converter is electronically controlled stall to induce slip when not locked (not lockup clutch) then I'd ask why they take a simple, effective device and use it to do that.

If you are saying the lockup clutch engages early and during a shift they lock and unlock it, then I'd also ask why would such a small device be used for something that can be controlled in so many other ways

Also, please define "taken care of"

I find it very hard to believe that they attempt to shift and lock/unlock the converter at the same time. If that is the case, why?

 

[My427stang]

I found some stuff

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...-flare-question-for-trans-guy?highlight=flare

At least in THAT thread, he is describing a TC lock unlock, makes perfect sense in the upper gears. I have seen it in Ford 7.3s too and you can easily get rid of it using programming and it saves converters too. When done right, it'll almost feel like an added gear. Unfortunately we cannot do that on the Ram yet

I'll keep looking, but I am not talking about only that, I have seen plenty of slow shifts with RPM increases in other gears too. Almost like the throttle reference is backwards (slower, looser shifts when you are towing as opposed to harder) or there is possibly no load compensation/throttle reference which has a similar effect. I am sure that is NOT the case, but it feels like it in the lower gears, especially on boost

Context is everything, would love to see if Transengineer chimes in here, because I do agree it's got a lazy TC clutch engagement and disengagement, but I also think it has a crappy strategy for each shift increasing slip. The torque these motors have, if the VB and TC programming was done right, could go everywhere from solid shifts to blowing off the tires during the shift, which would probably not be good for grandpa or truck sales, but would be good for the transmission

 

[smokemifugotem]

on mine i'm guessing by the way it shifts that in the higher gears the torque converter unlocks then it upshifts then the tc s-l-o-w-l-y slips back into lockup. then it repeats this long drawn out process for the next upshift. and going up hills in 3rd or 4th gear if i let off it will immediately upshift and slam into the next higher gear making a clanking sound that seems to come from the rear end while sending a shock wave through the drive train you can feel. it seems pretty violent sometimes. my '05 automatic shifted a lot better.

 

[Kirwin]

It didn't make any difference in my case. I'm still confused about the operation of the brake.

I come off a ramp from a downhill freeway at 60+ mph in Tow/Haul and Manual Exhaust Brake mode. Using just touches on the brake pedal, the exhaust brake will engage through every gear all the way down to 2nd, and release at about 20mph in second gear. I use the brake pedal to come to a stop at the light. This is the kind of operation I would expect from the brake. I then let my foot off the brake and give just a touch on the throttle (it's still down hill) to turn right down a short, steep grade with a speed limit of 35mph. I don't speed here because there's a light at the bottom of the hill. Even if I manually hold the truck in second with the button, it will roll right through 20mph and keep accelerating with only the compression of the engine to help slow the truck, no Exhaust Brake at all.

I now have a CTS gauge installed and the VGT parameter (which seems to go to 100% when the exhaust brake is operating - I guess it reads percent-closed) stays up in the 40% range (40% closed) in this circumstance. In other words, it's still positioned to provide boost, not braking.

To my thinking, in the "Manual Exhaust Brake" mode, the vanes should stay 100% closed unless I step on the accelerator. Right?

I assume the "Auto Exhaust Brake" mode should vary the pitch of the blades between partially open and fully closed as necessary to hold the truck's speed constant, even downshifting to produce more braking force if the fully-closed vanes alone won't hold the requested speed. Right?

Maybe Bob4x4 or Sag2 can let me know if I am assessing the function of the VGT correctly...

My understanding is slightly different. In auto, the brake applies when speed exceeds the set point of either the cruise set speed or the speed at which it detected 0% throttle. It applies, speed decreases, then it releases, then if the truck gains speed again it applies again. My truck cycles like this. Its not a variable process at leas in my truck. I manual mode it applies when it sees 0% throttle as long as there isn't something that is inhibiting it, like engine speed too low, or gear to high. It won't forcible down shift unless tow haul is active. This is how I understand it t be. Ken Irwin

 

[My427stang]

Had mine done today

TSB 18-030-14 Rev A - Long list of things addressed, was mostly interested in transmission, DEF and cold idle performance.

RRT 14-011 - BCM module, tech said my fuel heater was not engaged as well. Pretty amazing as I made it through a Nebraska winter!

RRT 13-071 - Lots of radio enhancements, haven't noticed what they are yet, but a couple minor changes in the display

P26 ABS recall - The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module on about 176,500 of the above vehicles may contain software that causes an intermittent loss of the speedometer, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and/or Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).

I drove away and it immediately felt different, but I only have 12 miles on it after the flashes. Seems to be slightly more responsive immediately off idle, didn't notice any negatives, may shift smoother and seems to not lurch as I let off the gas when approaching a stoplight.

Game plan is to run it for a few days then add my TSB for a little more throttle response, I haven't tried it yet, was waiting for these flashes,

So far so good with the flashes above though!

 

[JHayward]

Got my flash done this AM. Flare from 3rd to 4th is 95% gone now. They must have finally hired a transmission programmer from GM.