coadman

My son has a '01 Dodge 2500 4x4 with automatic transmission. He purchased this truck last July. I'm thinking it has around 80,000 miles(if memory serves me correct, as it's presently in the shop!). The past few weeks he has been having some transmission problems, whereas when he starts out the transmission downshifts and goes up to about 3000 rpms, back and forth. Sometimes it will come out of it, and sometimes it doesnt until he has stopped the truck for a period of time. It is in the shop for the 3rd time in this 3 week time period for this same problem. First, after checking codes, they thought it could be a "solinoid" causing the problem, so they changed that, drove it for a mile, and no problem. We took it home, and 2-3 days later same problem started again. Back to shop, checked more codes, noticed tranny fluid was low(noticed this the first time also),and there were air bubbles in the fluid. Removed the pan, and found the wrong size transmission filter in it, "they" told me it had colapsed a small screen in the filter restricting fluid flow"? They replaced the filter, flushed the system, installed new fluid. Test drive, by them, no problems. We took it home, a few days later, problems started again. Son was getting pretty irate at this time for all the shop time his truck has put in, as of late, but we took it back to the same dealer.(only Dodge dealer within 60 miles, but I know the head mechanic, and he's a straight up guy). The truck has been in the shop now for 3 days, my son checked on it this morning on his way to high school(he's a senior), and he just called me with the news(NOT GOOD!) They told him it needed a new transmission(they thought). Said it could possibly be the pump in the tranny, as they could tell by the testing, that it was weak, but they would have to pull the tranny out to change the pump, so wanted to bring up the idea of a new transmission. They told him a new transmission would be $1200, plus the $800 for the labor to R&R, making it a $3000 job. My son about S**T, as he is a high school student, and has only made one payment on this truck. What do you guys recommend, having it checked by another dealership, shop for a rebuilt transmission somewhere, look for a tranny in a salvage yard, I'm open for suggestions?
thanks,
coadman

tool

Personally I'd shop for a rebuilt tranny somewhere else..... take it to a shop that KNOWS transmissions they will know more than a Dodge dealer. Plus parts are always cheaper ANYWHERE besides from Dodge.

Seriously, a fuel injector line was $130 dollars cheaper from Cummins than it was from Dodge. Half the price.


p.s, you said $1,200 + $800 = $3000 ? which was the typo? Is it $1200 + $1800 =$3000 or is it actually $2,000?

RCW

The $1200 price, plus $800 labor is about half what we would expect to pay Dodge around here.

If you want to save a buck, check with www.txchange.com and give them a call on their 800 #. If your son has anything on the ball, he can do it himself. Just get a rebuild kit for about $600 from them. The instruction book is another $20 (but they may just throw it in for free if he asks), and then he needs an old bedsheet to lay it on, and a place to work. Transmission jacks rent for around $12 a week, and all he needs are normal mechanics handtools, and may have to rent a specialized tool or two.

These are simpler than standard transmissions, they just take paying attention to detail, following the instructions, not losing the ball checks and springs out of the valve body, and maintaining a very clean environment.