8 speed clunk?

[Z-dculus]

.....
My truck has the dreaded "S" in the 11th digit of the VIN and has all ready had 5 warranty claims. Have told them that claim #6 and I'm getting a Lemon Law Lawyer

AT this point I am SICK of this truck, especially since so MANY folks advised me against the Dodge brand.

whats the deal with the "S" as the 11th digit of the VIN?

 

[Z-dculus]

bump?

 

[Andy578]

whats the deal with the "S" as the 11th digit of the VIN?

just tells you where the truck was built. S is for Warren MI

 

[redpauly11]

Chrysler just put a new transmission in my 2014 ram 1500 for this same problem. Anybody who says the aggressive downshift from 2nd to 1st gear just before coming to a stop is normal does not know what they are talking about. Or that the learning transmission is somehow learning and causing this. After the 3rd time to the dealer, I made a bigger deal about it and finally got somewhere. The transmission tech got on the phone with Chrysler after observing what I was complaining about. Chrysler asked the tech for the computer readings to the tranny and then had him do an update and asked for the readings again and a road test. All was the same so Chrysler replaced the entire transmission because this is not a normal thing. Drives like butter know right out of the dealership. If I try really hard I can tell when it is going from 2nd to 1st gear but I do not feel my truck surge as a result anymore. if you are having this problem, this is no where near a normal thing. Cant believe I thought this was just the way it was supposed to be. Just feels like a normal transmission now. Go get your new transmission. I am still feeling a slight looseness/clunk maybe 10% of the time from a dead stop at takeoff. This might be a completely different issue--tbd-not sure.

 

[Tach_tech]

Chrysler just put a new transmission in my 2014 ram 1500 for this same problem. Anybody who says the aggressive downshift from 2nd to 1st gear just before coming to a stop is normal does not know what they are talking about. Or that the learning transmission is somehow learning and causing this. After the 3rd time to the dealer, I made a bigger deal about it and finally got somewhere. The transmission tech got on the phone with Chrysler after observing what I was complaining about. Chrysler asked the tech for the computer readings to the tranny and then had him do an update and asked for the readings again and a road test. All was the same so Chrysler replaced the entire transmission because this is not a normal thing. Drives like butter know right out of the dealership. If I try really hard I can tell when it is going from 2nd to 1st gear but I do not feel my truck surge as a result anymore. if you are having this problem, this is no where near a normal thing. Cant believe I thought this was just the way it was supposed to be. Just feels like a normal transmission now. Go get your new transmission. I am still feeling a slight looseness/clunk maybe 10% of the time from a dead stop at takeoff. This might be a completely different issue--tbd-not sure.

I'll start off by saying I'm a chrysler tech and have been since 2006. It's not normal in the sense that it's supposed to happen, but it's normal in the sense that I have yet to drive a 1500 with the 8 speed that did not do this to some degree.

Your issue must have been excessively harsh. I've fixed about a dozen trucks by doing the relearn procedure which is quite lengthy, many trucks fix themselves within the first couple months. One truck required a new valvebody. Honestly I'm still of the belief that this issue is a software issue not hardware. My own truck had the harsh downshift from 2-1, but after doing the relearn it was all good.

Glad your truck was fixed by replacing the transmission, which I believe is a rare case for it to need that.

 

[SomeGuyInTexas]

I just wanted to throw in my experience - got my 8 speed 2014 Laramie 4x4 w/5.7 in end of December. Almost within 24 hours of reading this thread I noticed the "clunk." It happened off and on for about three weeks, but then disappeared. I don't know if I was ignoring it until reading the thread or not - but I was definitely hyper aware of it after I read the thread. (Is there a medical term for car-issue hypochondriac-ism?) Every time I drive the truck, I look for the clunk, but it is definitely gone now...

 

[Andy578]

Honestly I'm still of the belief that this issue is a software issue not hardware. My own truck had the harsh downshift from 2-1, but after doing the relearn it was all good.

I fully agree it's a software issue especially with how widespread it seems to be, there's just no way ZF is making that many bad transmissions. The software simply seems to be telling it to shift to 1st too early. I think it's made worse due to the low gearing so it feels like a really hard shift

As I've said earlier in the tread my clunk is pretty much gone. Every so often i can feel it but not nearly as bad or as often

 

[Copperhead7310]

Mine does it too but it seems to be getting better, I drove several before I bought mine and they all did it. I dont want to say it's normal, but I definitely felt what you describe. I'm just giving my truck some time and hopefully it will go away / learn.

 

[Cajunman]

I know this may sound crazy but your problem may be that the slip yoke isn't or wasn't greased at the factory. I had the same exact problem with my 2009 Z71. Brought it to the dealer and they repacked everything. Fixed my problem, so before you pull your hair out, check this option.

 

[coleflo]

I'll start off by saying I'm a chrysler tech and have been since 2006. It's not normal in the sense that it's supposed to happen, but it's normal in the sense that I have yet to drive a 1500 with the 8 speed that did not do this to some degree.

Your issue must have been excessively harsh. I've fixed about a dozen trucks by doing the relearn procedure which is quite lengthy, many trucks fix themselves within the first couple months. One truck required a new valvebody. Honestly I'm still of the belief that this issue is a software issue not hardware. My own truck had the harsh downshift from 2-1, but after doing the relearn it was all good.

Glad your truck was fixed by replacing the transmission, which I believe is a rare case for it to need that.

Does part of this procedure require that you drive the truck for several hours?

 

[Tach_tech]

Does part of this procedure require that you drive the truck for several hours?

How long it can take varies greatly based on traffic and having access to long flat road. The truck has to be driven in a manor that shifts happen between a certain rpm range and a certain torque range. Dealer I'm at it usually takes about 90min and were pretty close to some long straight back roads. If you have a lot of inclined roads and traffic it could take much longer.

 

[j cal]

Anyone else notice this clunk much worse in 4wd?

 

[coleflo]

Anyone else notice this clunk much worse in 4wd?

No, but I notice it much less ...or not at all.. in tow/haul even without towing anything.

 

[coleflo]

I've come around to believe this. My truck has about 30,500 on the odo, and it has taken me all this time to agree with the 2/1 shift issue.

One thing I have noticed is that while using tow/haul, it will not do it.

Also, it will not do it for a while after using tow/haul.The dealer has been able to duplicate to an extent, but they do not know how to fix it.

This exactly.
Except I have the 5.7

 

[twooldfarmers]

my Ford Explorer Sportrac had this 'bump' at a stop

required a reflash on the transmission pressures and after that it was fine

technician said internal pressures were initially too high

he had no control over the update, just hook it to the lap top and walk away while Fords server did the work

it had felt like everyone described, as if you had been gently bumped from behind

 

[Brady18]

Has anyone had these issues before tuning and then no longer noticed it after a tune?

 

[SomeGuyInTexas]

Has anyone had these issues before tuning and then no longer noticed it after a tune?

I had the clunk for a short while when I first got my truck. When I got my Trinity and loaded up the HF tune, the clunk came back - but within a week or so was gone again. My experience tells me that the truck and transmission learns how one drives and makes adjustments. YMMV...

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[coleflo]

I had the clunk for a short while when I first got my truck. When I got my Trinity and loaded up the HF tune, the clunk came back - but within a week or so was gone again. My experience tells me that the truck and transmission learns how one drives and makes adjustments. YMMV...

Sent via Tapatalk

Well, I'm at 11k and am the only one who has driven the truck and it hasn't learned yet.

This issue is the only reason why I haven't ordered a diablo w/custom tune yet.

 

[jdogbyo]

I've been to the dealer twice for this and it still does it. I was w/o the truck for over two weeks between the two visits. I think it is software related as well. It will get better and worse over time. It is really odd. I'm at 11,000 miles and it seems to be going back to the worse side of the spectrum. In addition to the clunk when coming to a stop, I also get a pretty heavy clunk 75% of the time when accelerating from a dead stop. This is so frustrating. I don't know what to do. Maybe i'll try a different dealer and see if I get a different result...

 

[coleflo]

I've been to the dealer twice for this and it still does it. I was w/o the truck for over two weeks between the two visits. I think it is software related as well. It will get better and worse over time. It is really odd. I'm at 11,000 miles and it seems to be going back to the worse side of the spectrum. In addition to the clunk when coming to a stop, I also get a pretty heavy clunk 75% of the time when accelerating from a dead stop. This is so frustrating. I don't know what to do. Maybe i'll try a different dealer and see if I get a different result...

What all did they do/replace in their attempt to fix your truck during those 2 weeks?
Valve body replacement? Relearn?