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Kooshball
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2004
10:28:07
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 Subject: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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This question has been posted before but I could not find anything specific to my model. I have a 2000 4.7L SLT plus. It is 2WD, with the heavy duty service group, 4-speed automatic, and 3.92 anti-spin diff and hs ~57000 miles on it.
The tranny has never quite shifted right even after many trips to the dealership. The colder it gets the worse it gets. Most of the time it just won't shift into high gear until the truck has warmed up but sometimes it is less then smooth going from 2nd to 3rd. I have replaced the speed sensor, and am now turning to a better fluid. The owners manual says ATF+3, so will i get a benfit from using ATF+4, or will I have problems?
Thank you.
David
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Kowalski
GenIII
10/10/2004
11:17:27
|  RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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If the manual says that - its wrong. You should be running +4.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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shank
GenIII
10/10/2004
11:32:13
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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Yes, ATF+4. I have only seen it at the Stealership for about $5/QT. There are aftermarket Synthetics aout there, but a replacement tranny is about $3K. Stick with the stealership's +4.
Want some coldweather driving advice? See Kowalski!
Only thing I gotta worry about downhere is Meltdown from the heat.
Good Luck
Next time a Honduh wants to race
Ask him how many sheets of plywood he can haul?
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daffydak
GenIII
10/10/2004
12:13:53
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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my manual for my 00 says the same thing. my guess is that maybe ATF+4 wasn't out yet? dunno.. mine won't go into tq ocnverter lockup, until its been driven for ~1 1/2 miles or so... I was under the impression that it's normal for it to do so.
however, I don't know what fluid is in my dak. It had fluid/filter change, before I owned it. (about 12k ago) and it shifts fine. It shifts WAY better then the 42RE I had in my 98 :-) that was a clunky indecisive(sp) transmission, if there ever was one!! though sometimes (when cold) my 45RFE is kinda rough in the 2-3 shift. I just figured that it's bacause of the 2 second gear ratios. and maybe it still goes into the "passing gear" for a split second because of my driving style...... then into third.... it has a sweet kickdown though :-P
just my .02
00 CC Sport Plus 4.7L 4X4 Auto, 3:55 LSD
Flowmaster orig. 40 series (2 chamber) muffler, adjusted tps to .76V, ported TB, home brew intake setup w/K&N filter, more mods to come!!!
Dan
MOPAR=More Power!!
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Vote_Bush
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2004
19:02:11
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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Sounds normal, 45rfe transmission (4.7 tranny) doesn't shift into overdrive until trans fluid reaches a certain temp. (Warms up) ATF +4 wasn't out yet in 2000. Mine also has +3. Dodge recommends to change it to +4, however I just keep using +3. ( I'm cheap and too lazy to go out of my way to get it at the dealer) As for 2nd to 3rd, mine does that also, I'm assuming yours slams into 3rd sometimes, however I can virtually eliminate it shifting like that by driving carefully. I believe it's the shifting logic in the computer. I've learned to work the throttle to stop it. Driving it smooth helps. As in a steady gas peddle.
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DSW
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2004
19:24:35
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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I put ATF+3 into my tranny at 60K because the 00 manual said to use ATF+3. Later that week I went to the Dodge parts dept for something and they said ATF+4 was supposed to be used?!? I ran ATF+3 for 20-30K with out ill effects. I flushed and filled with Amsoil Universal ATF at 80-90K and it's been running great ever since, at 138K now and the Amsoil fluid still looks great ;)
ATF+4 is better fluid than ATF+3, you will not suffer any ill effects. I decided to go with Amsoil since DC was trying to jack me $7/qt for ATF+4 a couple of years ago. I heard the price of ATF+4 has come down since then, but I am going to stick with Amsoil.
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Kowalski
GenIII
10/10/2004
19:32:28
|  RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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Maybe +4 is all some of you guys need then ? Mine runs great with it, had it since new (changed once).
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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Marc
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2004
22:13:28
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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ATF +4 is standard on all chryslers 01 and newer, anything older will take ATF +3. If you don't want to spend the $ on +4 then you can use Max Life DexIII(they will back up their product on chryslers). Also if your trans is to cold it won't shift; its designed to do that. It says it right in the manual.
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Kooshball
Dodge Dakota
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10/10/2004
22:37:12
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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Is there a thermostat on the tranny cooler that may be modified to allow the tranny to come up to temperature quicker?
And why, after 4 years can I still not go into AutoZone and buy ATF+4?
David
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Kowlski
Dodge Dakota
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10/11/2004
15:11:20
|  RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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Sorry Marc, the 45 RFE transmission that has been behind the 4.7 since '00 has been designed to work with +4, not +3. You might be right about the other transmissions, but not that one.
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Atlantic BLue
Dodge Dakota
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10/11/2004
18:27:43
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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The tranny will not shift into OD until it gets up to temp like it was mentioned earlier and it does state that in the manual.
Mine will shift hard going from 2nd to 3rd sometimes also. I thought that the service manager at the dealer was crazy when he told me that it was common to get occasional 2-3 rough shifts with the RFE trannies and I didn't believe it until I read about others with the same issue. The frequency of rough shifts seem to have subsided a bit over the miles though.
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hey
Dodge Dakota
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10/11/2004
21:11:48
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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Atlantic Blue, check out this thread. there is a flash for harsh up-shifts for the RFE. Good luck!
http://www.dodgedakota.net/boards/gen/15037-1.html
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Atlantic BLue
Dodge Dakota
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10/11/2004
21:58:57
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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Thanks. I've had that one done plus another one in the spring and didn't find it made too much of a difference with the harsh shifts although it did improve the points where it shifts. It doesn't come out of OD as much on the highway anymore and the shift points are a little higher RPMs than before.
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JM_in_TX
Dodge Dakota
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10/12/2004
13:21:07
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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My '03 w/545RFE also takes a long time to lock up in the winter. I have to drive anywhere from 2-4 miles before it will hit high. Surely there is a temp. sensor somewhere that can be checked or changed.
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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10/13/2004
06:59:47
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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Message:
The truth is, DC's trannys are JUNK, period!
They are ALL running on borrowed time.
Kooshball, you're VERY luckey you got up to 57k
before you noticed problems. My 02 with 24k shifts
hard at times and once in a while when the
converter locks, I really feel a jult. I don't
bother to take it back to the "Stealership"
(good call, shank) either. They have no idea what
to do about it.
Use the ATF+4. The 00 manuals said to use +3
because +4 was not made yet.
DC always working on ATF upgrades because they
know their trannys are JUNK!
I've bought my last Auto.. Stick will be my next
no matter what make I buy next.
Good luck
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right on
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/13/2004
09:09:55
| RE: 4.7 2wd tranny issues / fluid
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Yeah! And some day your gonna die too!
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