Of course the dealership isn't going to tell you it's the transmission dude. They know if they tell you it's the transmission you're going to take it to the transmission shop, which doesn't make the dealership any money. Replacing engine parts makes the dealership money, and if it doesn't look like you want to do that then they're going to take as long as possible to diagnose the problem, because they're charing you by the hour.

 

With dealerships (or any shop really)it's best to set a limit for diagnosis. 1-2 hours is a good place to start and have them report back after that.
As for what was said above, It's real easy to damage the crank sensor or tone wheel/flex plate when installing the trans. That will definitely cause driveability problems.

 

Well here is my goal with the dealership. They will be getting money for assessing it, so I don't think they'll give me an inaccurate assessment. If it is the engine, and they can fix it, I will have them do it, because I just want my truck running. But before I do anything, I will let you guys know what they say, and you can help me what you think I should do. My dad was the one wanted an assessment. He knows it might be a 2-3 hour labor cost to assess it, but he just needs to know what's going on with it, otherwise we're just aimlessly floating. So I'll find out what they think it is, and I'll report back to here before I let anyone touch that truck. We are also going down to the dealership as well for them to physically show us what is wrong with the truck, and make sure it's going to fix the problem if we do let them do it. But as I said, I'm not letting the dealership touch my baby until I let you guys know what they came up with, you can mark my word.

 

Take the damn truck back to the tranny shop or tell them to fix it or your going to sue the **** out of them...........IDK who these guys are but they are retarted

Remember the customer is always right

 

I'm trying to keep up with all this **** that's being said but there is just too much crap!

 

Calm down every one
If the engine is running like sh*t it will effect how the tranny shifts.
Lets wait and see what the dealer says. If they get it running properly and it still doesn't shift right he has every right to go back to the trans shop and raise hell.
If the trans install is the cause of the poor engine performance even doubly so!

 

Here is my suggestion.

After the Stealer is done diagnosing your truck. Pay the piper and leave with just information and nothing being done to your truck. At the very least, you'll have an idea what to work on in the future and a wallet that's still got a few cents left in it seeing as how parts are normally upped in price 2-3 times at most places as normal retail cost.

Now put the truck in park, engage the parking brake, and rev that engine to see how she runs. If she is running like she always did, then there is not much to worry about when it comes to the engine except a cheap plenum plate gasket.

For the transmission. Go to the tranny shop and demand to know exactly what kind of fluid was put into your tranny. If anything but the specified fluid was put into the tranny, it absolutely will not run right. If you find that the fluid is not at least a name brand ATF+3 fluid; make the shop replace all of the fluid because Dodge transmissions are not designed to work with anything else. The only other substitute that is acceptable is good old high quality ATF+4 . If they don't have it, go to an autoparts store and buy some fully synthetic ATF+4 valvoline transmission fluid. The system in most of our trucks contains about 16.5 quarts. So with your extra deep tranny pan and tranny fluid cooler, you'll probably need an extra 4-5 quarts so just get yourself 2 cases for a total of 24 quarts of fluid. Now go back to the tranny shop and have them swap the fluid if the wrong stuff is in there. Watch them do everything and anything! And try to get the shop to pay for the fluid because that kind of thing is absolutely supposed to be taken care of properly when a tranny is rebuilt for $4000.

If that doesn't solve the problem. Stick around the shop and hassle their asses with a calm head and that warranty slip that says that they have to fix it if there is a problem. So seeing as how you got 3 years to deal with this issue, remind them that your not going anywhere for a while so the sooner they get this issue resolved the sooner you'll be out of their hair. Have them drop the pan, adjust bands, check the fluid filter, pull the valve body, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera... Have and watch them do as much to that thing as possible in order to have it run right. Just don't go into a rage. You have to be persistant and precise so that they can't throw you out like a nuisance.

If all that doesn't help. Have them pull it to be rebuilt again because that Mother******* thing is under warranty!

 

The tranny shop should have never let the truck leave running like that.......they atleast should have told him what was going on

 

I agree. The few times I've taken mine in, my mechanics have diagnosed the issue within an hour. I'd definitely have check in on them if its going to take longer then two.


Thats not necessarily true. As others have pointed out, if they know you'll pay them $$$, they will sometimes, depending on who runs the dealership, feed you a bunch of crap and make you replace parts that don't need to be replaced. And then charge you their labor rate as well.

It depends on the dealership. My family found a great dealership about an hour and a half away. My family and extended family has purchased 12+ cars from them in the past ten to fifteen years, and they have always treated us great and never done us wrong. Every car we've purchased from them has been in tip top shape with little to no problems, and if there was something little wrong, it was either so small we just fixed it ourselves or they fixed it for free. My mother bought a 2000 Pontiac Bonneville from them once, and it didn't have remote keyless entry, which she wanted. Well, with a little talking, they threw it into the deal for nothing extra.

The problem is, most dealerships are not like that. Most are out to make $$$, not to help you and make $$$. So unless you know the dealership guys personally, or your dad knows them or the owner, I wouldn't trust them 100%... heh, I wouldn't even trust them 50%. I thought it would be hard to replace the headlight bulbs in my wife's 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee when we first got it, because I was used to my 1995 Dakota and reaching around into the engine compartment behind the housings. Its impossible to reach behind housings without removing the battery, battery bracket, etc. in that Jeep. I asked a guy I thought I knew at a local dealership (not the good one I mentioned before) if it was very hard, and he told me it wasn't bad, but wasn't that easy. So I stupidly went ahead and paid them $50 or so in labor to put high end light bulbs that I had already bought into it.

I later learned that, to replace the bulbs, all you have to do is remove one, I repeat, ONE sucker'n bolt (albeit a long one) from the center top of the assembly and BAM, the whole housing slides forward and out and you can replace the bulb. Takes five minutes at most. That was a really minor thing, but I have never trusted dealerships since, unless I, or a close family member, knows the owner/manager.


I agree with Slomojo, don't have the dealership do anything to your truck. Let them tell you what they think is wrong with it, and go from there. Attempt to fix some, or all (depending on what they say and if they are right), of it yourself or with your dad. Like I said earlier, they may feed you full of crap about how you need a new this or that when it's probably just the transmission.

Next time you get to a situation where they won't accept "starter checks", work something out with your dad. Have him write a check from his account, and write him a check from your account (or simpler yet, transfer the money from your account to his). He isn't out anything except one piece of paper and a little bit of time, and you get the comfort of knowing you can cancel it if necessary.

I also agree with Slomojo on the rest of his post. Be level headed but persistant with the tranny shop.

 

Jason, Force, Rabbler, and Slomojo...you all make great points. And I agree as well, I am completely perplexed they would give me my truck back running like that. I know they did this. My engine has always been great. When they said it had a misfire I was very shocked because I've never experienced a lack of power. It still idles and starts great too. This chugging, and lack of power, and big drag it has is truly brand new. I'm just so annoyed they'd give me my truck back like that. Like I said, either nobody never test drove the fricken truck, or they knew something was wrong with it, and they were trying to buy more time and money with that lsd job. I'm very displeased. So, looks like my truck will be stuck over at the dealership over night. They didn't get time to do the truck today. I'll find out what's wrong with the truck by tomorrow, and then I'll report back to what is wrong with it and see what you guys think. Really though I'm using the dealership for info just to know what's wrong. But I plan to make the transmission shop pay for all of this crap. The truck has never stuttered like that. It idles and starts great, it just doens't make sense how its driving so poorly now, and has complete lack of power. Anyways, I'll let you know guys, sorry for all of the hassle and the very long thread. But this has been one giant epic nightmare all winter for me. Ranging from the headers, and now this bull**** transmission ordeal. Hope you guys have the patience to stick with me on this one. I'll have a whole other round of information for you tomorrow, and I'm going to need you guys to act fast to tell me what you think about what the dealership says. Thank you all very much, and I appreciate every one of your guys' input. And I will check what fluid they used as well when I bring it back there!! Thank You!