My Dodge Cummins D250 with A518 auto trans started to slip after the fluid change. It has 190,000 miles and operated just fine before the fluid change. I used a new filter and pan gasket and filled it up with 4 qts of ATF+4 as recommended. Now the engine revs quite high before the truck starts to move. After it warms up real good it does grip better, but not as good as before the fluid change. When the truck is cold the trans slips badly again. Should i try some dexron 3 in it to see if the grip is better? Can the bands be adjusted to tighten up the trans? Thanks.

 

Don't use dex 3 that'll take the trans out for sure.....have you checked the fluid level again?.. Did you get the filter installed correctly? Sounds like ita having a hard time pumping till the fluid warms up and thins out.. or maybe the filters hitting the pan..

 

You walk up to a running machine.
You do something to it.
It now does not run.

It's what you did.

 

Check the fluid level again. I think it should have taken more than 4 quarts.

 

What he said!

Sent from my HD2 using Tapatalk

 

In a 47RH (very similar, same trans case) it's in the neighborhood of 6.5 quarts. Been there, done that. Also make sure the filter is sitting correctly and that it is tight.

Personally, i use tractor hydraulic fluid instead of ATF. ATF+4 is for Caddys, not diesel pickups

 

I think he knows that

 

Couple of things, 1st Dex won`t hurt the unit at all, look at the dipstick, spec is dex2 or 7176 fluid. Not to start an oil war but dex is grippier than +4 so it *should* help with slip/shudder. That being said, did you ck the fluid level in neutral? IF you checked it in park it is likely underfilled.

 

I thought the manual said use dex2 only if atf plus wasn't available and to change it as soon as possible...I've seen a few peoples trans go out within a month or two and they ran dex instead of atf plus...maybe it was all a coincident but I think ill stick to atf plus or add the modifier

 

Just did my 92. It has the A518 auto with OD. Dropped the pan and changed the filter, held 9 qts. of trans. fluid. Like what was mentioned earlier, check fliud level in Neutral, not Park.
Bill

 

OKAY! Just for grins I drained the fluid out of the pan, (drain plug installed last fluid change made it easy) and this time I added Dextron and took it for a test drive. It shifts solid like before the fluid change and no more slipping! I'm guessing that with a high mileage trans with fresh synthetic fluid the worn clutches just won't grip as tight? Anyway, I will just go with it for now and hope I can get another few years before a trans rebuilt is neccesary. Thanks for your input guys.