Hi all,

New to the forum and i have a problem that i could use some help with. I recently (2 days ago) purchased a used 2003 Dodge Ram Van 1500 Regency Progete conversion van from a dealership. The vehicle has 63,000 miles on it and was in great shape or so i thought. The van has a 318 V8 and as of reading quite a few post i think it has a 46RH trans but im not sure yet.

And the story Begins......once upon a time at a dealership far away.....

On the test drive we were unable to get over 35mph due to traffic conditions but all seemed well with no signs of any issues. Suspension was tight, no adverse noises, shifted well, brakes worked and all the kids (5 in all) had room to stretch. i couldn't of been happier. Price was great for the mileage and condition and comparisons put the van closer to the 10K price and not the 8K that the dealer had it listed for.

Well as soon as my wife got the van to 45 MPH or thereabouts it started chugging a bit and a little gas would seem to straighten this all out. Well after getting the vehicle home i drove it and OH Man i thought the tranny was going to come through the floor board when i got to 45MPH and wasnt accelerating hard. Started lugging real bad right when you get to about 40-45 MPH and the trans and driveshaft seemed to be stuttering. I also noticed a pronounced random clicking at that speed that seemed to be coming from the passenger side of the doghouse. Now this condition is only when not accelerating at a decent rate...when accelerating at a decent rate the shifting (into what i would imagine would be 4th) would happen without any incident. Also the vehicle seems to run pretty rich at startup but it seems to straighten out when warm but i havent driven it enough to be sure. One last issue is that the heater/air conditioner only seems to blow from the floor/defroster and i have read that this could be a one-way valve/vacuum issue, but i wasn't sure if this could possibly be related.

Took it back to the dealership (Honda dealer by the way, who would of figured they would keep a full size van from a trade in to sell) and spoke to the GM. He had one of the mechanics there take a peak and they seem to think it may be the Catalytic Convertor. Also i am in luck as the dealer also has a dodge dealership and they are sending me there to have the mechanics tale a look and see if they can get it straightened out. So at least they are trying. Otherwise i would loose what i think is a great van because i dont want to buy an immediate problem and they have already said they will take it back if we cant get it fixed (Whew).

I have read on other posts that the proper trans fluid (ATF+4) is key to the proper running of the vehicle. I have checked it and it is full and doesnt smell or appear burnt although it was a bit bubbly when warm. Also the oil smells gassy and definitely needs to be changed.

And hopefully the story ends happily ever after.

Any help regarding this issue would be greatly appreciated as i don't want to lose the van and i also dont want the guys at the dealership taking me for a ride although they seem to be standing behind the vehicle so far.

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

I believe that if the tranny dipstick had bubbles on it, it is a sign it has too much fluid.

Torque converter clutch chatter is a symptom of the incorrect fluid. When my van had TCCC it started after 47mph under light accelleration. It was a shuddering that would go away if acceleration was stopped, or a downshift was forced.

A flush with ATF +3( in 2002) at a dodge dealer solved the issue. You cannot really trust any mechanic to actually use ATF +4, unless it is a mechanic you trust previously and who is aware how finicky chrysler trannies are about the correct fluid. A Honda dealership would not know this. The person who traded the Van in could have gone to Jiffy lube for a flush for all you know

My transmission is an A 500 and in an '89 so I do not know how similar a TCCC event would be on yours.

Oil that smells like gas is no good. Have they checked for engine codes? You could be misfiring on a cylinder or two, which might mimic TCCC at higher speeds in top gear.

Good luck.

 

Landyacht....Thanks for the quick reply.

I was hoping that a bad transmission problem wasnt the case as the dealer will only go so far to get the problem resolved before it gets to costly. Well i suppose we shall see what the Dodge mechanic says and hopefully the originally diagnosis of a bad catalytic convertor will solve my issue. I have scanned the older posts and seen a similar condition to mine being solved by a Cat change which may account for the Rich condition at start-up and the fouled oil(maybe the dealer didnt change it as they said they did is what i suspect so it may be old).

As far as misfiring...there hasnt been any check engine light occurrences and i havent noticed any drivability issues but im just not familiar enough with the fan and i may be missing something. I have a scan tool but i havent plugged it in just yet so i will post results tomorrow when i do.

Also the air conditioning issue seems to possibly stretch to the rear air conditioning (the things you learn when you talk to your wife). Apparently the air is cold at the floor and defroster in the front but is not cold in the rear. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks again for the help and i will keep the post updated on progress, hopefully my adventure will help someone else.

 

Either a fuel injector is acting up over there, or one of the spark plug wires is jumping to ground. To me it sounds like the tranny is okay and you're dealing with a misfire.

 

Thanks Alloro....i thought that the sound might be an injector but couldn't figure out the randomness of it. Will they intermittently misfire/mess up at higher speed/lower RPM?

Well the Story really does continue....Today i was going to run the vehicle to the dealership so that they can resolve the issues and it wouldn't start. We got a little rain last night and I thought maybe that was the issue. I spoke with the Dealer and they thought the Catalytic convertor was completely clogged and suggested beating it with a hammer to loosen up carbon and maybe it would start. I tried that Multiple Times and no luck. Pulled the doghouse and checked fuel, which was there, and spark at the cap which was there but looked weak. tried starting fluid and no luck....so i figure it might be a spark issue. The cap and rotor, while not being in the greatest shape was dry and the wires were dry. It is currently getting towed to the Dodge Dealer that will supposedly resolve all of my issues as the vehicle still falls under the 7/70K drivetrain warranty. They are also supposed to resolve the AC issue.

I guess my question is it possible that all of this relates to the supposed Bad Catalytic convertor? i would hate to get the vehicle back from the dealer and have this issue occur next time we get a rain. Or could i be dealing with something else that i am missing. Completely separate, does anyone know where i could purchase a factory remote unlock key fob other than a dealer. The vehicle has remote unlock but the key fob is not available apparently.

Thanks again for any help.

 

Sounds like your van has been neglected for some time.

1. Regardless, flush the tranny and put ATF+4 in. You have no idea what's in there now. Your Tranny is a 46RE. http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2006/21-010-06.htm
1989 - 2003 (AB) Ram Van/Wagon

2. Have you tested the ignition coil?

3. Read the 2001 & 2002 Geno's Dodge Truck/Van TSB site for your van. http://dodgeram.info/tsb/index.html The 2003 will not reflect what your van has.

 

Thanks Stev...

You know the van seems to have mechanical issues but in so many ways has been taken care of...the interior, exterior and suspension are great and up until this chain of events i really thought i found a great vehicle.

thanks fior the advice...I figured from most of the posts that i have read that the tranny fluid change was highly recommended.

i did not check the coil but did use a screwdriver at the cap and pulled a plug wire to look at the spark...it was a light orange color and appeared weak and a visual inspection of the coil showed it to be a little beat/rusty with some of the metal wrapping cracked and probably in need of a change. Which will most likely be done with once i get it back unless the dealer changes it as part of the remedy.

Thanks for the info on Geno's site it is a great one stop resource.

I will continue to post as i really hope that my information will help someone else as much as the forum has helped me so far with just general information.

Is there a good service reference besides the Dodge service manuals for this vehicle? I looked and chilton/haynes dont have one that applies to my vehicle specifically. I have seen the various 2003 supplemental guides from dodge on Ebay and i would assume that these supplement another manual....would anyone have an idea of what this would supplement (an earlier year or a main manual?)?

Thanks again

 

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/__?_from...manual&_sacat=

Don't know which ones you need.

 

When you get the van back, yes change the rusty ignition coil.

ALSO, clean the IAC. It's been 7 years since the van has been on the road. Usually this is one of those things totally neglected until you hop in the van and need to be someplace quick.

How To Clean the IAC ...
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-r...n-the-iac.html

 

Landyacht...thanks for the response i figured it out and ebay is definitely the way to go about $30 for all four 2003 manuals and i would need to buy the 2002 service manual as the one from 2003 is a supplement.

Stev....I figured that whatever the dealer doesnt do i will be doing as far as a complete tuneup, filter and fluid changes. Would be best considering its a used vehicle and i dont have any history.

Great post on the IAC cleaning it looks like a good/easy maintenance item!!! Could the IAC be the cause of the erratic drivability issues at 45 MPH im having?

You know the more i think about this van the more i want to start some decent projects. I am thinking soundproofing at first just due to some road noise even though it is a conversion. If i do i will post pictures, products and results.

May seem like a noob question but since this is my first full size van (other than various work vehicles which i didnt maintain) does most engine work happen from the interior/doghouse side? It seems access is phenomenal but the mess may be a bit much as everyting is finished.