I rented a Mini Excavator last weekend. Machine and trailer weigh right around 10,000lbs. Anyway I was driving it back to the rental shop and the road I take there has a steep section of about 9% grade for 3,000 feet. It progressively gets steeper until the top. Well about halfway up I had to drop it into first gear and I was still losing speed and watching my tranny temps hit almost 260 degrees. It got so bad that I thought I wasn't going to make it up the hill, I ended up cresting the top of the hill at about 11 mph and the truck was FLOORED. Is the 48re really this bad of a tranny or do I have other problems? I know if it was a stick I would have flew up that hill. Needless to say I am VERY dissappointed. Any suggestions?? Thanks



Jason

 

you have other problems

i have the same tranny your do.

3.73, drw qc. long bed, i pull my rv with my jeep flat towed behind (12K lbs rv and jeep) through the colorado mountains all the time with no trouble. never gets out of third gear regardles of the grade. vail pass is nine miles of 7-8% grades i never even know its there

 

You have something wrong. Mine tows our 5er anywhere i want to take it at any speed i want. I would have your looked at. Almost sounds like a fuel issue, maybe you have the infamous plugged injector.

 

What were your EGT's? If they weren't real high, I would say that you have fueling problems.(dirty fuel filter maybe) With you having the pedal to the floor, 1st gear, you are low on power. Check air filter also. You need fuel and air and your truck should not have seen anything lower than 3rd gear for that pull.

 

Maybe a boost leak? Earlier '05s came with intercoolers with plastic tanks that like to rupture. Or maybe there's a Holley four barrel hiding underneath the air filter!

 

I took my 16,000 pound fiver up a 12% for 2 miles in Newfoundland. I am stick, but that should not matter as far as power is concerned. I used 2nd with about 2/3 throttle, 2400 rpm.

 

When they stall out on a hill with a trailer, the next thing that happens is you start sliding backwards, uncontrollably. Very fast, I might add.

Anyone that says they had rather go up a bad hill, instead of go down a bad hill, has never had trouble climbing a bad hill.

I had much rather be looking the way I am sliding as to be sliding backwards.

 

That's strange because the same thing happened to me Monday towing our 12,000 lb. 5th wheel.My driveway is about 30 deg. at the top & I have to make a hard left turn when I get there with gravel on right side of truck & concrete on the left side of truck. The truck started to spin in the gravel so I let off of the pedal & when I tried to move again the truck wouldn't move or spin gravel and I had the pedal pressed half way down or more. My tranny temp was 210. I then put it in 4 wheel drive ( high) & it still wouldn't move or spin in the gravel. I was shocked & didn't know what to do so I sat there in neutral until the tranny cooled down. I decided to try 4 low & it pulled right up with no trouble at all. What to do now!!

 

Wow. If nothing is wrong that sure doesn't show well for the 48re. I know I can pull 12000 up grades and not have to go to 1st gear.

 

Yes you can stall an auto trans on a very steep hill, the TC will just spin and the truck won't move, the easiest way on the steep hills is LOW range!! Use it! We all use low range on the boat ramps.

 

I was just over that pass going eastbound, pulling an empty 20 ft enclosed trailer. I made it up OK, certainly wouldn't say I didn't notice it was there. I was going about 55 mph, I was trying to keep EGT around 1200 max. XZT was bypassed at the time, tranny was in tow/haul mode. I realize altitude shouldn''t have as much of an affect on turbocharged engines, but I was chalking the experience to altitude, as the truck ran much better once I got past Denver.
That was my first experience at altitude with the CTD, I have towed my 30 ft fifth wheel up along I-81 through TN/VA/PA/NY, nothing like the grades and duration seen in the rockies, but hills nonetheless and those I can safely say I didn't notice.
So, does anyone think that there might be something else wrong with truck, if it seems a little lethargic at altitude but fine everywhere else?

Scott

 

Well my EGT's were 1250-1300. I don't think I have an injector problem as the truck runs great other than this, I really think is was a matter of the tranny not getting power to the ground. I would have used 4 lo, but this is a paved road with couple sharp corners and I had 4 cars behind me. I was more concerned about even getting up the hill. As far as the air filter goes I have a BHAF that only has 3,000 miles on it so I don't think that is an issue either. I am thinking it is time for a tranny upgrade, I really would like to have a stick after this experience but I do too much city driving when I am not towing. I think it is really beligerent of DC to install such a loose TC and then claim you can tow 12,500 lbs with it. I know that had I come to a stop I would have never got going again. Thanks for all the input.


J

 

As far as boost, I do have the plastic intercooler, but my gauge held steady at 18 psi the whole time, not sure what else I would look for if it was leaking other than fluctuating boost numbers???


J

 

11MPH in 1st. What were your RPM's?

 

If I remember correctly they were about 2,400 so the TC was definitely not transfering power.