[5th Gen : 08+]: 2008 Transmission failure, replacement, still issues
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03-14-2018, 03:07 PM
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2008 Transmission failure, replacement, still issues
Hello,
I own a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT. In 2016 the transmission had a major failure. Large lurch while driving and then would not come out of park into drive (reverse still worked) without jerking and shutting off. Local Dodge Dealer said it was a transmission and torque converter failure. Van had 160k and no other issue so we paid for replacement. Since then we have had nothing but issues with harsh shifting problems, mostly in lower gears. We returned the van to the dealer multiple times and they did the following.
-Multiple relearns
-Multiple "parameter resets" on the transmission (claiming the clutch volumes were out of spec 2-4)
-checked all recalls and flash updates
-replaced the PCM (claiming it was causing the issues, did not fix).
To their credit they never claimed there "wasnt an issue", they admitted they felt the harsh shifts, but they just kept trying resets and never getting good results. After about 1 year... the transmission failed again! It began making a loud grinding noise, dealer said the "differential bearings spun and damaged clutches". As it was under warranty, they replaced the entire transmission, torque converter, solenoid pack, etc... again.
After this repair the harsh shifting is still happening, maybe even worse now. We have returned it twice and they can not find the problem. They tried...
-added external transmission cooler (no effect)
-multiple relearns and "parameter resets" on CVI 2-4 (after this it drives a "little" better for 1-2 days but then harsh shudder shifts return)
The service manager claims that the clutch volumes are moving "out of spec" and causing this issue. He says resetting parameters fixes it temporarily but it returns after a few days of driving. They are officially out of ideas, claiming something external is causing this. He literally said I can just keep bringing it back to have the same thing done and I'm tired of wasting my time.
Has anyone ever had a new transmission still encounter harsh shifting (lower gears). Could it be something outside of the transmission that these guys just dont know about? They claim to have spoken with Dodge Mater techs multiple times and cant find an answer. I have read online that battery issues or alternator issues can cause drops in the CVI values. This battery was replaced last year but the van has always had a "slow crank" which kind of makes me suspicious they might be the right direction on a hidden power issue? They tested the alternator and said everything is within range.
The last CVI 2-4 value was at 14, they reset and it jumps back to 33. But after some driving/learning it goes back down again.
The dealers only guess is a "wiring issue" outside the transmission... which of course they want to bill thousands of dollars to troubleshoot. I hesitate paying a different shop for help as we have this new transmission still under warranty.
I own a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT. In 2016 the transmission had a major failure. Large lurch while driving and then would not come out of park into drive (reverse still worked) without jerking and shutting off. Local Dodge Dealer said it was a transmission and torque converter failure. Van had 160k and no other issue so we paid for replacement. Since then we have had nothing but issues with harsh shifting problems, mostly in lower gears. We returned the van to the dealer multiple times and they did the following.
-Multiple relearns
-Multiple "parameter resets" on the transmission (claiming the clutch volumes were out of spec 2-4)
-checked all recalls and flash updates
-replaced the PCM (claiming it was causing the issues, did not fix).
To their credit they never claimed there "wasnt an issue", they admitted they felt the harsh shifts, but they just kept trying resets and never getting good results. After about 1 year... the transmission failed again! It began making a loud grinding noise, dealer said the "differential bearings spun and damaged clutches". As it was under warranty, they replaced the entire transmission, torque converter, solenoid pack, etc... again.
After this repair the harsh shifting is still happening, maybe even worse now. We have returned it twice and they can not find the problem. They tried...
-added external transmission cooler (no effect)
-multiple relearns and "parameter resets" on CVI 2-4 (after this it drives a "little" better for 1-2 days but then harsh shudder shifts return)
The service manager claims that the clutch volumes are moving "out of spec" and causing this issue. He says resetting parameters fixes it temporarily but it returns after a few days of driving. They are officially out of ideas, claiming something external is causing this. He literally said I can just keep bringing it back to have the same thing done and I'm tired of wasting my time.
Has anyone ever had a new transmission still encounter harsh shifting (lower gears). Could it be something outside of the transmission that these guys just dont know about? They claim to have spoken with Dodge Mater techs multiple times and cant find an answer. I have read online that battery issues or alternator issues can cause drops in the CVI values. This battery was replaced last year but the van has always had a "slow crank" which kind of makes me suspicious they might be the right direction on a hidden power issue? They tested the alternator and said everything is within range.
The last CVI 2-4 value was at 14, they reset and it jumps back to 33. But after some driving/learning it goes back down again.
The dealers only guess is a "wiring issue" outside the transmission... which of course they want to bill thousands of dollars to troubleshoot. I hesitate paying a different shop for help as we have this new transmission still under warranty.