'04 Transmission question for Service managers
From : driveramridequad
Q: its been a while since i last posted but i have a transmission question and hopefully the service managers that hang out can help... i have a 2004 ram 2500 quad cab 4x4 with 5.9l diesel/auto 48re i thinkvin# 3d7ku28c94g21xxxx and i have almost 78000 miles. i started having some minor shifting problems seemed to take a bit longer to shift under light throttle but no noticable problems with the transmission or driving it otherwise during june/july but due work and the northern california fires i wasnt able to take it to the dealer immediately. then the check engine light did come on mid august during a 1500 mile road trip so within a day or two of returning home i took it to the dealer for diagnosis. just to be up-front i had not had the transmission serviced as is suggests at 30/60k but only did light towing and daily driving nothing harsh or heavy load related. however i did have the engine serviced every 5/6k miles and took it to the dealer for any warranty related work the last being a faulty fuel lift pump problem in late 2007 while still under warranty the diagnosis is as follows directly from the dealer service sheet scantest codes p1756 govenor pressure sensor and p1757 govenor pressure soleniod. perform further inspection found transmission govenor pressure soleniod/transducer and sensor with internal failure govenor pressure solenoid/transducer stays at 46-16 psi at idle and should be at 0 psi. note found transmission fluid dirty and burnt during inspection. recommend transmission assembly replacement and flush transmission fluid first. do i have any options short of replacing the transmission at a cost of $4300+/- as quoted by the dealer with a 3year/36k warranty. while i know i do have some responsibility for not having it serviced i wouldnt expect it to fail to this degree with only 78k miles... however i did find a tsb 21-009-07 that is addressing the exact part i had go bad. can i just have the specific part replaced as indicated in the tsb and flush/new fluid or is a new tranny the only option i have thanks in advance for your help and patience... .
Replies:
From : geekboy
snip my 2001 2500 with diesel and automatic now has 175k with no issues yet. proper maintenance and correct use of the overdrive lockout button will allow a dodge automatic tranny to last a long time. michael well mine was modded with extra band dtt torque converter and self-cooling transmission cooler..still konked out at 120k did you make it a habit of turning off the overdrive while doing city type driving i personally think that is the key to longevity with a dodge transmission. it is just as important as locking out the od when towing heavy loads. they do not like to be lugged in overdrive. those times where they are dropping in and out of od in the 35 to 50 mph they start to generate heat due to low fluid flow. the heat scalds the fluid the lugging continues to create heat and hot scalded transmission fluid ruins the transmission. once i learned this and started applying it i stopped having trouble with dodge automatics. the engine was modded also and had no problem towning while in od. it never searched nor lugged. i tried cutting out od before and the transmission actually did seem to perform as well. they guys who rebuilt it could not give a exact reason whyi t failed but based on observations of the parts it seems to me that maybe there was not enough fluid flow around the area where the tc connected to the transmission. some teeth inside it where chipped a bit and some surrounding parts were blackened including some bands. strange thing is there was no discoloration or foul smell in the fluid. i also had a temp gauge for it and i never saw it go over 200. if i did see it around 200 it was usually in city driving in the summer and i would put it in neutral at lights. the time it failed was mid spring and the temp gauge was within the norm i usually saw of 180. after driving it a while after the rebuild i did notice it started operating a bit cooler. i now have three dodge automatics that are wayyy up in mileage with no issues. i have a friend that has three dodge dualies with diesels and automatics. he put a little sign on the dash reminding his drivers to turn off the overdrive for city driving. two of these trucks have over 300k and the other is pushing 500k all on their original transmsissions. all three of these trucks haul poultry equipment on gooseneck trailers every day of their lives. of course locking out the od for low speed driving may be a fluke but it works for him another friend and myself. between the three of us we are averaging over a quarter million miles per dodge auto with no problems. of course your mileage may vary this is imho and all other internet discliamers. michael .
From : geekboy
not many allisons on trucks that pull heavy loads. i mostly see them on busses box vans and rvs. snip a mix of top posting that made the post almost impossible to discypher i have a 96 gmc topkick with a 3116 caterpillar and a allison automatic. 297000 miles on the original tranny the truck has a big heavy 43 high ranger bucket utility bed and has pulled a trailer behind all this for most of its life. i wouldnt hesitate to start off across the country in this truck either. service and proper driving technique is the key to longevity. most times when heavy duty equipment fails early it is operator error. not always but the case but most of the time folks didnt treat it right. michael p.s. what were the reasons for the mods you did on the tranny that has failed i was second owner. the original guy is retired used the truck mainly for towing a 5th wheel travel trailer. .
From : geekboy
on wed 17 sep 2008 020414 -0500 geekboy nerdrevenge@nerdythree.net wrote snip i learned my lesson last time. never buy a diesel pickup truck with automatic transmission. but i was a bit luckier..i had the 47re and they had been out a while so it only cost $1100 for a rebuild. my 2001 2500 with diesel and automatic now has 175k with no issues yet. proper maintenance and correct use of the overdrive lockout button will allow a dodge automatic tranny to last a long time. michael well mine was modded with extra band dtt torque converter and self-cooling transmission cooler.. theres something wrong with that statement! g nope. instead of the radiator being in the front it was under the bed with a fan attached that activated via thermostat. thus it would stil be cooled while sitting still. still konked out at 120k .
From : peterd
on wed 17 sep 2008 020414 -0500 geekboy nerdrevenge@nerdythree.net wrote snip i learned my lesson last time. never buy a diesel pickup truck with automatic transmission. but i was a bit luckier..i had the 47re and they had been out a while so it only cost $1100 for a rebuild. my 2001 2500 with diesel and automatic now has 175k with no issues yet. proper maintenance and correct use of the overdrive lockout button will allow a dodge automatic tranny to last a long time. michael well mine was modded with extra band dtt torque converter and self-cooling transmission cooler.. theres something wrong with that statement! g still konked out at 120k .
From : nunya
not many allisons on trucks that pull heavy loads. i mostly see them on busses box vans and rvs. snip a mix of top posting that made the post almost impossible to discypher i have a 96 gmc topkick with a 3116 caterpillar and a allison automatic. 297000 miles on the original tranny the truck has a big heavy 43 high ranger bucket utility bed and has pulled a trailer behind all this for most of its life. i wouldnt hesitate to start off across the country in this truck either. service and proper driving technique is the key to longevity. most times when heavy duty equipment fails early it is operator error. not always but the case but most of the time folks didnt treat it right. michael p.s. what were the reasons for the mods you did on the tranny that has failed .
From : nunya
snip my 2001 2500 with diesel and automatic now has 175k with no issues yet. proper maintenance and correct use of the overdrive lockout button will allow a dodge automatic tranny to last a long time. michael well mine was modded with extra band dtt torque converter and self-cooling transmission cooler..still konked out at 120k did you make it a habit of turning off the overdrive while doing city type driving i personally think that is the key to longevity with a dodge transmission. it is just as important as locking out the od when towing heavy loads. they do not like to be lugged in overdrive. those times where they are dropping in and out of od in the 35 to 50 mph they start to generate heat due to low fluid flow. the heat scalds the fluid the lugging continues to create heat and hot scalded transmission fluid ruins the transmission. once i learned this and started applying it i stopped having trouble with dodge automatics. i now have three dodge automatics that are wayyy up in mileage with no issues. i have a friend that has three dodge dualies with diesels and automatics. he put a little sign on the dash reminding his drivers to turn off the overdrive for city driving. two of these trucks have over 300k and the other is pushing 500k all on their original transmsissions. all three of these trucks haul poultry equipment on gooseneck trailers every day of their lives. of course locking out the od for low speed driving may be a fluke but it works for him another friend and myself. between the three of us we are averaging over a quarter million miles per dodge auto with no problems. of course your mileage may vary this is imho and all other internet discliamers. michael .
From : driveramridequad
thank you thank you thank you tom i have been sweating this problem since i was told it was a 4300$ repair. in your experience is this a common problem and with the governor/soleniod replacement vs. the entire tranny replaced does this generally correct the issue without any further issues we do have a reputable transmission repair shop in town that i will check with in the next few day or so. do i have any options short of replacing the transmission at a cost of $4300+/- as quoted by the dealer with a 3year/36k warranty. i would absolutely replace the governor pressure solenoid and sensor adjust the bands something you should always do during each service change the fluid/filter and drive it. i would not blindly hand them over $4300 especially when most transmission rebuilds go for $2500 or so - maybe a little more for yours since your torque converter would be a little more expensive without trying the low-cost option first. take it to an independent transmission shop tell them you want the solenoid and sensor replaced the fluid flushed and changed and bands adjusted. or if youre reasonably handy you can do most of the above yourself. you only need to remove the pan from the transmission - the whole governor assembly comes out with four bolts two torx screws and a couple of electrical connections. .
From : tom lawrence
do i have any options short of replacing the transmission at a cost of $4300+/- as quoted by the dealer with a 3year/36k warranty. i would absolutely replace the governor pressure solenoid and sensor adjust the bands something you should always do during each service change the fluid/filter and drive it. i would not blindly hand them over $4300 especially when most transmission rebuilds go for $2500 or so - maybe a little more for yours since your torque converter would be a little more expensive without trying the low-cost option first. take it to an independent transmission shop tell them you want the solenoid and sensor replaced the fluid flushed and changed and bands adjusted. or if youre reasonably handy you can do most of the above yourself. you only need to remove the pan from the transmission - the whole governor assembly comes out with four bolts two torx screws and a couple of electrical connections. .
From : geekboy
your advice is valid if the gearbox is an automotive variant and not an industrial unit like the big allison 6 speed. however the new gearbox dodge is offering is a heavy duty unit designed for high torque diesel engine applications and although i chose the manual 6 speed with my 04 3500 i would now elect the new automatic as it is much stronger than any previous unit. steve not many allisons on trucks that pull heavy loads. i mostly see them on busses box vans and rvs. thank you thank you thank you tom i have been sweating this problem since i was told it was a 4300$ repair. in your experience is this a common problem and with the governor/soleniod replacement vs. the entire tranny replaced does this generally correct the issue without any further issues we do have a reputable transmission repair shop in town that i will check with in the next few day or so. i learned my lesson last time. never buy a diesel pickup truck with automatic transmission. but i was a bit luckier..i had the 47re and they had been out a while so it only cost $1100 for a rebuild. do i have any options short of replacing the transmission at a cost of $4300+/- as quoted by the dealer with a 3year/36k warranty. i would absolutely replace the governor pressure solenoid and sensor adjust the bands something you should always do during each service change the fluid/filter and drive it. i would not blindly hand them over $4300 especially when most transmission rebuilds go for $2500 or so - maybe a little more for yours since your torque converter would be a little more expensive without trying the low-cost option first. take it to an independent transmission shop tell them you want the solenoid and sensor replaced the fluid flushed and changed and bands adjusted. or if youre reasonably handy you can do most of the above yourself. you only need to remove the pan from the transmission - the whole governor assembly comes out with four bolts two torx screws and a couple of electrical connections. .
From : geekboy
snip i learned my lesson last time. never buy a diesel pickup truck with automatic transmission. but i was a bit luckier..i had the 47re and they had been out a while so it only cost $1100 for a rebuild. my 2001 2500 with diesel and automatic now has 175k with no issues yet. proper maintenance and correct use of the overdrive lockout button will allow a dodge automatic tranny to last a long time. michael well mine was modded with extra band dtt torque converter and self-cooling transmission cooler..still konked out at 120k .
From : tom lawrence
i have been sweating this problem since i was told it was a 4300$ repair. in your experience is this a common problem i wouldnt go so far as to call it a common problem but as all things electronic can fail from time to time its not an unusual problem either. and with the governor/soleniod replacement vs. the entire tranny replaced does this generally correct the issue without any further issues in your case i would think so. your shifting problems are due to the lack of proper governor pressure. if there isnt a bunch of debris in the pan and the things not slipping like crazy then recommending a transmission replacement is like recommending a heart transplant because of a little indigestion. we do have a reputable transmission repair shop in town that i will check with in the next few day or so. okay but at the same time if the fluid really is cooked youd be best served to get it changed out asap. dont let a minor problem turn in to a major one. .
From : nunya
snip i learned my lesson last time. never buy a diesel pickup truck with automatic transmission. but i was a bit luckier..i had the 47re and they had been out a while so it only cost $1100 for a rebuild. my 2001 2500 with diesel and automatic now has 175k with no issues yet. proper maintenance and correct use of the overdrive lockout button will allow a dodge automatic tranny to last a long time. michael .
From : geekboy
thank you thank you thank you tom i have been sweating this problem since i was told it was a 4300$ repair. in your experience is this a common problem and with the governor/soleniod replacement vs. the entire tranny replaced does this generally correct the issue without any further issues we do have a reputable transmission repair shop in town that i will check with in the next few day or so. i learned my lesson last time. never buy a diesel pickup truck with automatic transmission. but i was a bit luckier..i had the 47re and they had been out a while so it only cost $1100 for a rebuild. do i have any options short of replacing the transmission at a cost of $4300+/- as quoted by the dealer with a 3year/36k warranty. i would absolutely replace the governor pressure solenoid and sensor adjust the bands something you should always do during each service change the fluid/filter and drive it. i would not blindly hand them over $4300 especially when most transmission rebuilds go for $2500 or so - maybe a little more for yours since your torque converter would be a little more expensive without trying the low-cost option first. take it to an independent transmission shop tell them you want the solenoid and sensor replaced the fluid flushed and changed and bands adjusted. or if youre reasonably handy you can do most of the above yourself. you only need to remove the pan from the transmission - the whole governor assembly comes out with four bolts two torx screws and a couple of electrical connections. .
From : tom lawrence
is the lebaron photo a threat bg. $4800 and a picture of my 78 magnum. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving $4750 and a picture of my 87 lebaron denny yea thats real fair like using a moab to kill a fly. but im not scscscsaarrrd. $4700 -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving as you well should be. i have a female teenager in the house backing me up. $4600 denny .
From : steve lusardi
your advice is valid if the gearbox is an automotive variant and not an industrial unit like the big allison 6 speed. however the new gearbox dodge is offering is a heavy duty unit designed for high torque diesel engine applications and although i chose the manual 6 speed with my 04 3500 i would now elect the new automatic as it is much stronger than any previous unit. steve thank you thank you thank you tom i have been sweating this problem since i was told it was a 4300$ repair. in your experience is this a common problem and with the governor/soleniod replacement vs. the entire tranny replaced does this generally correct the issue without any further issues we do have a reputable transmission repair shop in town that i will check with in the next few day or so. i learned my lesson last time. never buy a diesel pickup truck with automatic transmission. but i was a bit luckier..i had the 47re and they had been out a while so it only cost $1100 for a rebuild. do i have any options short of replacing the transmission at a cost of $4300+/- as quoted by the dealer with a 3year/36k warranty. i would absolutely replace the governor pressure solenoid and sensor adjust the bands something you should always do during each service change the fluid/filter and drive it. i would not blindly hand them over $4300 especially when most transmission rebuilds go for $2500 or so - maybe a little more for yours since your torque converter would be a little more expensive without trying the low-cost option first. take it to an independent transmission shop tell them you want the solenoid and sensor replaced the fluid flushed and changed and bands adjusted. or if youre reasonably handy you can do most of the above yourself. you only need to remove the pan from the transmission - the whole governor assembly comes out with four bolts two torx screws and a couple of electrical connections. .