Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Trans. Failure- Need TDR Advice/Help

[Stoutscout]

Seems to me as if my trans. has caught the "failure bug" I keep reading about. Can't get off the line from stop without putting the pedal near the floor and then I'm only doin' about 15 mph. A few seconds after I come to a stop I can feel a bump or two comming from under my feet and the truck lurches forward. Here are my questions: Is my warranty 3/36 or 7/70? I asked two different dealers and got conflicting results. Are there any Tech. Svc. Bulletins that might save my bacon? Finally, any TDR member know of a good shop to do the repairs in the San Jose, CA area? I start a new job on Tuesday and need my truck. Any help you can shoot my way is much appreciated.

 

[HBarlow]

I can only answer one of your questions. Our warranty on '01 Rams is 3 years/36k for the truck and, if I remember correctly, 5/100k for the Cummins engine. '02 trucks have the 7/70 warranty.



Harvey

 

[BillGotthelf]

HBarlow is correct you only have a 3/36000 on the trans. If you are paying for the rebuild I would seriously spend a little more cash and get one of the aftermarket transmissions. Do a search on auto transmissions. I don't want to start a war-different manufacturers use different methods to accomplish the final product. You can't go wrong. You also will not believe the extra pickup by using one of these transmissions. Also if you choose to bomb your truck in the future you will not have to do anything to your trans to handle the power.

 

[Steve M]

That's either your governor pressure sensor or solenoid. I had that problem on my '01. 5. Had it fixed at our local Chrysler Jeep dealership. Not a big deal at all. I had them do a transmission service while I was there just for good measure. They said my transmission looked great and no signs of wear. It was done in less than two hours and they even vacuumed my truck out for me. I bought my '03 with a 47RE. They're good trannies for stock power.

 

[Steve M]

One more thing... The lurching you're feeling is the transmission shifting up through the gears and then you take off in third. With the governor pressure sensor thinking you're moving, it's allowing the transmission to shift while you're sitting still. Take it easy on it til you get it corrected. You can shift manually and go through 1,2,3 to save on heat buildup.

 

[Stoutscout]

Thanks Steve, good advice

I asked a guy at AAMCO this morning and he said the same thing. Manually shift through the gears. He estimated it would cost around $600 to fix. That's w/o lookin' inside. Does that sound about right? He mentioned it could be a "valve" or "valvebody" somethin' like that? How long can I go shifting manually before I run the risk of serious damage? Money is kinda tight right now. If any shadetree mechanics out there are interested I have some stereo equipment I could barter with in return for help with my transmission. If interested please see my post in the Classifieds section of the TDR. Otherwise if anyone knows a good place to get the work done near San Jose, CA please let me know. Thanks for your help.

 

[Steve M]

Absolutely not. The governor pressure sensor is a 20 minute repair. I would stear clear of AAMCO. This is a common problem with the 47RE. You don't need a rebuild. They see an opportunity and you're it. Call Dodge or even a Chrysler dealer and tell them you have symptoms of a bad governor solenoid or sensor and get an estimate. This has nothing to do with the transmission being worn out or damaged. It's a small component in the valve body. I wish I knew what the part cost as mine was warranty but they were done before I finished my cup of coffee in the waiting room. That included changing the fluid and filter while they had it open and then vacuuming out the cab.

I got bit by AAMCO when I was 17. My transmission wasn't shifting right and the fluid was dissapearing. Now I know I had a bad modulator. It was a common problem with the C-6 ford trannies. For about $15 I could have fixed it myself in 15 minutes. That education cost my almost $700. That was alot of money for a teenage janitor after school in '78.

 

[Steve M]

I missed one. You can shift your transmission manually until you get in a better position to have it fixed. It's only a control problem in the valve body. Shifting it manually is telling the valve body what to do instead of it doing it automatically. It's all a matter of fluid pressure balances controlling shifts. The PCM comunicates with the transmission by means of these sensors and solenoids.

Don't condemn the house because a light bulb is out...

 

[Stoutscout]

1 more ?

Thanks, you're really savin' my bacon. I shoulda' know somethin' was up when the AAMCO guy told me he has a F**d diesel. You mentioned you had the trans. flushed. Should I do this? Do you recall the cost? Or do they automatically do it when working on the trans? I read all these posts about ATF. Should I switch now to synthetic or wait until I have the trans upgraded later? Not towing so much now that I sold my International Scout and superbikes, just a lot of fwy miles.

 

[RBSOB]

Way to go, SteveM

Just in case no one else says so..... JimG.

 

[Steve M]

Mine came to $84. ~. Personally, I prefer to use Chrysler spec transmission fluid. Other than the governor pressure solenoid failure, I haven't had any transmission trouble in my '95, '01. 5 and now my '03 is working as it should in it's first two months and 4500 miles.

They didn't flush the transmission fluid out. Just a pan drop fluid and filter change. At 28,000 miles it was still cherry red and smelled good. I changed the fluid and filter in my '95 at 50,000 miles. It still looked good too. I ran my 1-ton Dodge maxivan over 140,000 miles and the pan had never been off. The fluid was pale but it still shifted and pulled like new. I don't recommend that but it sure worked for that one. I sold it to a carpet company and it's probably still working hard.

 

[CumminsPuller]

Steve M...........

You stated that you bought a 03 with a 47Re..... I thought the new trucks had the 48RE in them?????



Jason

 

[Uncle Joe]

Word to the wise:stay away from AAMCO... ..... its the MIDAS of trany shops,no body leaves with a bill for less then $500,no mater what the problem is.

 

[Steve M]

Jason, the first run of '03 standard output automatic Cummins trucks had 47RE's. Then the HO with auto had the 48RE. Now the standard and HO both have a 48RE. If you go standard transmission, you can only get the standard output with a 5spd and HO with 6spd. I dont feel slighted at all. I've had very good service from my 47RE's. My truck will remain stock 250hp/460ft-lbs so I don't foresee any problems with it. I'd like to have a HO/48RE just to have it but our SO/47RE tows our 5th wheel 70mph uphill, against the wind, however you want to pull it.