Transmission Problem
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Transmission Problem
I have a 1995 model Ram Van. I changed oil and filter in the transmission and mistakenly filled it with the wrong oil. The transmission was fine until i did this then it started slipping part of the time when shifting gears both ways up and down. I drove it a couple hundred miles before discovering what I had done. Upon discovery of filling the tranny with wrong type oil I changed the oil and filter again to what was supposed to be in it. It still doesn't shift right, maybe a little better than with the wrong oil, but not much. I wondering if there is enough oil left in the torque converter to keep this problem going or is using the wrong oil for only 200 miles enough to damage the tranny peramently. If anyone can help with this problem. I would apperciate it a lot.
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don't think you've done any significant damage to your tranny, but can't say for sure. Just dropping the pan only gets about 4 quarts out, and the tranny holds 10 or 12 or something like that.
When You dropped the pan to put the right fluid in it, was there metal in the pan or fuzz on the magnet?
Some might recommend having it flushed and refilled with the correct fluid, but there is no Guarantee that the tranny shop will use the right fluid(atf +4). Don't trust AAmco or any shop not to use Dextron with an additive.
There are reports of a lot of trannys failing right after a flushing. Whether this is due to a flush causing the filter to clog and destroy the tranny or the fact that the owner had it flushed when It became evident something wasn't quite right and would have failed anyway, flush or not, is a matter up for debate.
Also I think it's possible the flushers wind up trying to reverse flush it intentionally or ignorantly, causing failure some other way. I'm not sure of the last statement so don't flame me.
I would recommend dropping the pan again, replacing the filter, and while the pan is off, installing a drain plug. Then you can easily drop at least 4 quarts of mixed dextron and Atf + 4 and replace with all Atf +4. Doing this 2 or three times will get most of the incorrect fluid out.
I have left mine to drain overnight with the uppermost line disconnected from my extra tranny cooler and managed to get almost 7 quarts out with the nose on a slight incline.
If it helps sooth your mind, many years ago I had my tranny rebuilt at Aamco. It started shuddering when the torque converter was trying to go into lockup at around 10k miles (torque converter clutch chatter). At 11.5k miles( I was driving x country), AAmco denied there was a problem but did a service on it(fluid/filter change), and it immediately got worse. I raised enough stink that they replaced the torque converter with the clause that if it fixed the problem then It was covered under warranty, if it still existed I was responsible for the costs.
It did not fix the problem, in fact it got even worse, probably due to a new tranny mount. I claimed the problem was gone and now out of the warranty period, I left the state.
I drove another 1400 miles with it shuddering when accelerating from 47 to 55 mph and later found out online how demanding these trannies are when it comes to correct fluid, and how AAmco and other shops use their bulk universal fluid and then put in an additive and claim it's just as good.
I had it flushed at a Dodge dealer, and 50K miles later with many fluid changes as well, it is still going strong with not a shudder since.
I never noticed any slipping or otherwise weird shifting gears 1 through 3 and overdrive anyway with the wrong fluid in a newly rebuilt tranny. Only the shuddering when the lockup was trying to engage.
When You dropped the pan to put the right fluid in it, was there metal in the pan or fuzz on the magnet?
Some might recommend having it flushed and refilled with the correct fluid, but there is no Guarantee that the tranny shop will use the right fluid(atf +4). Don't trust AAmco or any shop not to use Dextron with an additive.
There are reports of a lot of trannys failing right after a flushing. Whether this is due to a flush causing the filter to clog and destroy the tranny or the fact that the owner had it flushed when It became evident something wasn't quite right and would have failed anyway, flush or not, is a matter up for debate.
Also I think it's possible the flushers wind up trying to reverse flush it intentionally or ignorantly, causing failure some other way. I'm not sure of the last statement so don't flame me.
I would recommend dropping the pan again, replacing the filter, and while the pan is off, installing a drain plug. Then you can easily drop at least 4 quarts of mixed dextron and Atf + 4 and replace with all Atf +4. Doing this 2 or three times will get most of the incorrect fluid out.
I have left mine to drain overnight with the uppermost line disconnected from my extra tranny cooler and managed to get almost 7 quarts out with the nose on a slight incline.
If it helps sooth your mind, many years ago I had my tranny rebuilt at Aamco. It started shuddering when the torque converter was trying to go into lockup at around 10k miles (torque converter clutch chatter). At 11.5k miles( I was driving x country), AAmco denied there was a problem but did a service on it(fluid/filter change), and it immediately got worse. I raised enough stink that they replaced the torque converter with the clause that if it fixed the problem then It was covered under warranty, if it still existed I was responsible for the costs.
It did not fix the problem, in fact it got even worse, probably due to a new tranny mount. I claimed the problem was gone and now out of the warranty period, I left the state.
I drove another 1400 miles with it shuddering when accelerating from 47 to 55 mph and later found out online how demanding these trannies are when it comes to correct fluid, and how AAmco and other shops use their bulk universal fluid and then put in an additive and claim it's just as good.
I had it flushed at a Dodge dealer, and 50K miles later with many fluid changes as well, it is still going strong with not a shudder since.
I never noticed any slipping or otherwise weird shifting gears 1 through 3 and overdrive anyway with the wrong fluid in a newly rebuilt tranny. Only the shuddering when the lockup was trying to engage.
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Joined: May 2008
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The pan was clean the second oil change but on the initial change it had a lot of real dusty looking stuff on the magnet. The van has almost 90K on it I purchased it with about 48K so I'm not sure if it had been serviced before or not but if I were guessing I would guess it hadn't. I appericate the reply it helps a lot. Thanks!