My transmission broke last week on my 2005 Ram 1500 with only 60,121 miles on her. Today the dealer says she gets a full rebuild on the tranny, everything new inside as I am told. Unfortunately since Dodge warranty is picking up the tab (thankfully) there is nothing outside of a factory rebuild they say they can do.
Does this sound correct? Is there anything I can do or request be done to provide a better longer lasting transmission?

The truck is stock 4x4 quad cab, hemi engine and has been babbied. mainly run around picking up kids with it. No racing, off road or the like. I have towed a 2 horse trailer a couple times a year with it, the last two summers.

Thanks for any and all Help!!

 

well they wont modify the stock tranny for you for free..but seing that you dont do anything serious ide suggest a diablo tuner or superchips to firm up the shifts..or on the cheaper side of things you can get a resistor that plugs imbetween the transmission and the ecm that gives it more line pressure around 40 bucks i think..cant remember from where tho? makes it less hard on the clutches in the tranny by firming up the shifts

 

You have to watch out with that. If dodge is warrantying it if you put a chip and they find out your warranty is gone.

 

Let them rebuild it under warranty. The 545rfe is actually a pretty stout transmission, especially compared to precious Chrysler automatic transmissions. If it has a weakness, it's 2 prime, but you generally have to have added some serious HP mods or abuse it a bit for it to fail.

I've got a good buddy who had a 2nd gen Ram with a lot more suspect transmission who had to have it rebuilt at 63k miles. He sold the truck at 120k and never had a tranny problem again.

Rebuilds have a bad rap because of bad shops. If properly done, they can last as long as a new transmission.

 

Yeah, any rebuild shop that only wants to warranty their work for 6 months but claims OEM rebuilds by certified reps i wont mess with. A good and proper engine and trans rebuild should have WAY more than a 6mo warranty.

 

My biggest worry has been that for as gentle as Ive been to the truck and it shells the tranny, what would happen if I decide to really start playing with it! Which I had hoped to start adding power to her in the future.

The dealer mentioned something about a reverse pin causing the failure, so all new guts, a complete rebuild they say. Initially they said the rebuild was going to be around $4,000 but when I drilled down on everything further then it was around $1,100 in parts plus 9.7hrs in labor, equalling around $2000. I was hopeing for a new unit off the shelf but they only do that when the rebuild cost is greater than 70% of the new off the shelf unit. I guess one would really have to distroy the tranny to get that new unit.

The bummer of it is warranty coverage. As I am told, Dodge covers the rebuild only til the end of the regular warranty period, and the dealer (Woodhouse in Blair, Nebraska) for only 12mths or 12k. So basically its on my shoulders a year from now if this was done correctly. Plus, I can't upgrade it to be stronger in any way since its warranty coverage. I am thinking I need to talk to them this morning about a longer warranty as I really was planning to keep her for another 5 or more years with the low miles I put on her.

I still find it weird the way it happened: pulled her out out of the climate controlled garage, to warm up. Then a few minutes later put her into gear and NOTHING! Not a hint of anything in any gear. Plus I didnt hear a bang or klank, or noise of any kind, Weird I say. BTW, she is very heavy to push, even in a relatively flat driveway!!!!

Should I look at any protection for the tranny like deeper pan, different tranny cooler? (They recognized that the tranny wasnt abused from what they could see, to how I had told them I use it and its failure.) I had put a drain plug in the pan and was changing fluid each year with filter every other.

 

If the fluid was not burnt and you don't tow often, you don't really need a larger, finned pan (PML or MagHytech), but they certainly won't hurt anything.

Out of curiosity, did you change the fluid at 30k? At 60,121 miles it would have been just past due for it's second fluid change. Often, just after a fluid change someone would experience the EXACT SAME symptoms as you and it's due to incorrect placement of the filter and/or gasket.

 

Yes, tranny oil and filter at 30k then fluid at 45k (drain pan plug installed) and was just getting ready for another oil and filter change.

I just returned from the dealer. My original service advisor didnt know what the heck he was talking about. When there he advised me they were still waiting on a seal kit, but when I finally met with the tranny rebuilder in back, it was done and ready to go back in the truck! Needless to say after half a dozen discrepancies with my service advisor, I now have a NEW service advisor.

The tranny builder said "everything is new inside" a complete rebuild and that the pump just gave out then the reverse pin next. all gears, etc in perfect shape. He too said it didn't show signs of wear, except for the damage areas but all will be good in the end. I guess they up date to newer designs on the guts, like the pump, so these are much stronger than the original. (the tranny builder at the dealer was very detail oriented and proud of his work over factorys remans, so at least I felt good.)

I also found out if I put a shift kit in during warranty then no warranty. So that wont happen til warranty is up. I like the idea of a deeper tranny pan just to be safe.

Question: 1) Where can I locate a good price on a deeper pan? 2) What brand of oil and filter kit, is best to use for changes in the tranny? 3)Is a shift kit a good option for the future? Brand? 4) Should I think of an extended warranty? If yes, where do I find a good one at a good price? 5)Anything else to DO or NOT to do??

I sincerely appreciate all the advise & help!

 

Trucks back and actually is quite an improvement. Seems to be a better tranny!


Thanks everyone!!!!