dkenny

and I do thank you..
to the OP..any questions..contact mcmopar..
enough said..

-dkenny

stevestp

Hi I own a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 4X4 5.9L diesel truck. I'm having issues with the transmission slipping when I accelerate or go into pass mode. It seems to rev high, when I take my foot off the pedal it goes into gear. when I accelerate normally it seems to work but I do feel a bit of hesitation going from 1st to 2nd gear. any suggestions? thank you

AlpineRAM

Do the standard transmission mantra first:

Fluid level- Check at operating temperature, engine running, selector in neutral. Must be between min and max.

Fluid state: Color, transparency, smell - please describe.

Last service: when were the bands adjusted, the filter changed etc.

stevestp

Hi and thanks for responding. My transmission fluid level was higher than should be, I pumped some out. No Burnt smell, colour was good, not sure when the last adjustment to the bands were done. Would that make a difference? I don't know when the filter was changed. A Transmission company is going to run a diagnostic on it Thursday and let me know whats going on. any other suggestions are welcomed. Thanks again

AlpineRAM

Since the AT needs it'sd fluid to operate the clutches, and the oil pump sucks through the filter it is paramount to have a known good filter.
The front band is also crucial for passing, since with a lose band the transmission will shift 3-1 instead of 3-2 for passing.
And with the "hesitation" you describe for 1-2 it seems that your front band is applying late or not applying completely.
Let's hope that it's just the adjustment! (Cheap 10 minute job) instead of the front band burned up (transmission needs to be pulled)
(The rear band is for reverse gear only, but with the pan off for the filter change you can take a look. )

HTH

stevestp

Great thanks very much. I'll let you know after the shop does a diagnostic on it.

Regards

stevestp

I took my truck to a very reputable Transmission shop. Apparently it's slipping out of 2nd gear. No codes and all electronics working properly. They want to drop it and go in and have a look. That said, they might as well do a rebuild. I asked the guy, if this was your truck and your were keeping it, what would you do to make it better, he mentioned 3 things to help out and make the shifting crisper, better torque and better quality. Ill let you know exactly which parts he recommended, but it sounds like he knew what he was talking about. All in I'm looking at about $4800 Can. Super excited to get it done and over with. thanks again...more to come once I know more about the parts.

AlpineRAM

In my opinion (without having seen what your transmission shop has seen) it would be better to do the following:

Adjust the bands, throttle valve cable,measure pressures, change fluid and filter and then do a road test. (for quite some miles, with a trailer or 5th wheel)

And then work from the results of that.

I had some transmissions on the workbench (removed by other workshops) where after disassembly I found nothing except misadjustments that would signify that the transmission had less than 80% of it's life expectancy left.
So basically after only one fifth of the mileage when you would need to tear it down and replace the "consumables" in there like frictions and steels, they removed and wanted to rebuild perfectly serviceable transmissions simply because the adjustments were wrong.

SIXSLUG

I'd go with what Alpine said....

stevestp

Hi and thanks for responding, my only concern is that if I do what you mention, It could end up costing me more in the long run, will it be a temporary fix or will it last. million dollar question !! I have a little over 180,000 kms on it now and have been told by others as well that's usually when they start to go. I just feel that if I rebuild it now, I won't have to worry about any breakdowns when towing my boat long distances. It's going to have to get done probably sooner than later anyways, but I will talk to them about it and see what they have to say and what kind of cost I'd be looking at. Pretty sure they will have a look and let me know whats going on before they go ahead. Thank you again for your comments, I really do appreciate it. stay tuned.

Steve

AlpineRAM

You know, this is just my personal opinion, and I did not have a look at your truck.

I think that it is clear from the shop's point of view that they need to inspect and rebuild to give you any kind of warranty.
On the other hand I have some customer trucks that have more than double the kilometers on the transmission with nothing more than standard maintenance and adjustments on stock trucks, towing trailers weighing 3500 kgs.

I would suggest simply adjusting the front band, and a guy with some experience can judge a lot just looking at the position of the adjuster bolt. (The further in the more the band is worn.)

If you want to upgrade for peace of mind and are not hard pressed for funds, doing a good rebuild with some upgrades is definitely a good thing.

If you intend to increase the power output you will need upgrades, and you will need to tell the shop what you want to do with your truck so that they can tailor your transmission to fit your needs.

stevestp

I appreciate your input, It helps me to understand. I'll bring this to their attention and see what they have to say. I have discussed what I will be using the truck for and they have made their suggestions. I'll fill you in more, I bring the truck in to them tomorrow. Thanks again, much appreciated.