Dodgezilla

So I have my trailer loaded to the back doors with my friend's furniture. I'm estimating that it weighs in at around 12,000lb right now. Maybe a bit more. The converter is kind of loose and sometimes it takes almost 2000 rpms before the truck even starts moving from a stop. I am being very easy on it as I take off from a stop. Once it's going it pulls fine though. Just driving across town for a few miles my fluid temp in the pan reaches around 220 degrees (This is with having to stop at a lot of traffic lights and with several hills along the way). It never gets hot enough to make the dash light come on but when I come to a stop I can definitely smell that the trans has heated up. Is my truck gonna be OK? I'm hauling the trailer to Tampa this week and I just don't need any issues. I'm sure the temps will be lower on the highway. The last part of my outing I put the trans in neutral everytime I came to a light and it seemed to help some. I also turned the A/C on so the fan would come on but the fan in this truck does not seem to work nearly as well as the one in my old 03 truck did...
Basically I guess I'm asking if anyone else experiences this in a similar situation.... (Trans is 100% stock)

Dodgezilla

My engine temps stay at the same temp as the trans too.....

Danavilla

Driving around town, your TC won't lock up. The fluid shear in the converter adds to heat build up. Try manually shifting, starting in a lower gear. My feeling is that your temps are a bit high even at that. I've only gotten that warm a couple of times on very slow, uphill, pulls where the speed limit was below lockup speed.

Dan

justin mcfall

I have seen 240-260 on my temp gauge and the dash light never came on. Took it to the tranny shop and had it flushed and the shop guy said it wasn't that bad. The new synthetic tranny fluid they have now can withstand some abuse..

BigIron70

Did you have the recall done yet? Customer Satisfaction Notification No. C44
Transmission Cooler Line

Dodgezilla

I'm not sure what has been done to this truck as I have only owned for a few months. There are no stickers under the hood...

CarlJensen

Get your VIN and run it through. They will tell you what has been done and any thing needed.

http://www.dodge.com/webselfservice/...m%28%27R%27%29

Dodgezilla

Thanks Carl. According to that site, the only thing undone is the steering linkage recall that just came out. I am currently trying to get a full dealer history for my truck. I guess I could just climb under the truck and see if it's been done too....

wiskeyVI

I would get the smell from time to time towing my 5ver.
The local Dodge Diesel Mech adjusted the band that can be gotten to outside the tranny and it stopped.

Dodgezilla

I could easily adjust the band but I've just read too many stories of failures after doing that. My trans only has 32000 miles on it so it really should not need the bands adjusted. What it really needs is a better converter. It's just not in the cards for me at the moment.....

justin mcfall

I have mine done once a year when i do the tranny flush and new filter and i have had no problems. I hate the stutter shifts. When i get a better converter and valve body,then i will be able to live with the stutter shift. Oh,dodgezilla i have 80,000 on the truck,stock tranny and pull my 29ft toyhauler on SW-3...

Dodgezilla

Thanks. Maybe I'll mess with that later. I'm gonna drop my pan and replace the fluid and filter when I get back from my trip. I'll inspect the bands then....

cincydiesel

Dave Goerends told me personally to always adjust the bands accordingly. When I had mine rebuilt with all the goodies at 70,000 miles I seen what not adjusting them will do.