so from what i gather, its either a good one or not.

So if im buying a used truck, chances are that its okay, because trucks im looking at will have alot of mileage on them, so if the transmission fails, its not likely that it would be due to the fact that its a "bad" transmission.

so i guess if its used, got plenty of miles, always ran well, and currently runs well, it should be fine.

thanks for your help guys.

do you know if the failing transmissions are more common on a certain year range or what? i know they all have the "same" tranny in them, but perhaps materials or methods used to construct them were changed towards the end of the run? like, 99 more reliable than a 95, per say.

 

100,000 miles on mine. as far as I know its original,the only thing I did was was change the T.C. and install a shift kit about 20k. miles ago.

 

Wow Im surprised to see all the postive answers this time around. We had this question about half a year ago and everyone bashed the auto trans. I would not buy the auto trans after spending over a year in this forum reading all the problems. I like the idea of just getting a new clutch and its back to new. I have heard and read alot of auto transmissions that were never the same after the rebuild. So much so they sold the truck. If you have to get an auto make sure you service the fluid alot and if you do it yourself look at the magnet inside the pan and see how much metal it is collecting. Im always amazed in my wifes dodge - it collects alot of metal. Buying a stick would be the way to go in my mind. Keep looking these trucks are not rare and with high fuel prices I'd bet someone is looking to sell. Try a google search on autotrader.com gives pictures and stuff.


goodluck

 

hey, another quick question.

Were the transmissions junk for the entire run of the second generation, or did they get better as the trucks got newer? For example, would a 2001 be better off than a 97, for reasons other than mileage and simply being a newer truck?

 

What I heard from a dealer was that the later the model the better the tranny. Starting from 99 until 01 do have improved trannies vs. the 94-98 models, I think he said. Don't know if he was right on that? . Surely someone here knows better.

What I learned: Try to switch the O/D off as often as possible. In city traffic, when you start in the morning until you've driven a few miles. Only keep it on if you're going over 50-60 mph or you do some constant driving over longer stretches of highway. Also, if you're into towing, keep the O/D off. The trans of the 1/2 ton 1500 by the way isn't designed to haul any really heavy stuff. You should pick a 3/4 ton 2500 Ram instead. My tranny's been beaten (as has the truck ...) until around 70k mls. That's when I bought the truck . I'm changing all fluids every 8k mls now. I hope that'll keep it running for a little while.

 

I have a 2001 QC 4x4 I bought new. I put like 15000 miles on it a year. It almost never goes off road, doesn't tow regularly, and I generally baby it. My tranny pan gasket was leaking at 20k. Took to dealer who replaced gasket, fluid and filter. tranny had been acting "funny" since I bought it - I had dealer check it out 2 or 3 times - always "thats normal". At 40k the tranny burned up on the highway on the way home from work. Dealer rebuilt tranny and replaced converter under p-train warranty. Still acted funny to me. 60k tranny getting worse. Took to different dealer. Tranny burnt up again. Dealer replaced converter, valve body, and rebuilt tranny again under warranty. I put an auxillary cooler on it after that. 72k on truck now. Just pulled my Nova home (360 Miles) using overdrive on the freeway and running 70mph. Haven't had a problem yet. If you get an auto - make sure it has a factory or aftermarket cooler on it - or put one on it. The factory tow package has the aux cooler sandwiched between the rad and the ac condenser. If there is not one there - you need one. Make sure the fluid is not discolored. I have a friend with an 01 2wd that has over 150k on his and has never serviced the tranny and has never had a problem. I guess I got a bad one. Something else to remember on dodge trannies - when you start the truck after sitting overnight or for 8 hours or so, you need to drop shifter into "N" and let it run for 20-40 seconds to get the tranny fluid circulating. The pump doesn't turn in "Park".......

 

The pump turns in park. It is the manual valve in the valve body that does not let the fluid flow in park. You can get a new manual valve from Transgo that will correct this problem. It can be installed during a fluid filter change w/out taking the valvebody apart. If you idle alot in park, the oem valve is a major cause of overheating.

 

Thanks for clarifying that. I actually heard that "the pump doesn't turn in park" from a mechanic at the dealership. I guess the basic idea is still the same - either change that valve out or let it idle shortly in "neutral"........

 

First tranny and converter trashed at 60,000. Dealer installed a factory reman. 10 months later they did it again.

 

With the Dodge auto tranies it not a matter of if it goes out its a matter of when it goes out. If its original or a chrysler reman I wouldn't put to much faith in it. If it was rebuilt by a shop that knows how to set up a dodge trans ( pressures, end play , planetaries) you will have very little problem.