Is this true or not?

[Tolson93]

So, today at work i was helping this guy put a deer stand in his van.. Got on the subject that i own a dodge ram.. He was saying something about needing to warm up the truck in neutral to save on the transmission? or something like that, has anyone heard that before? or can deny/ confirm that?

 

[Razzaa]

What transmission was he talking about? If I drive backwards everywhere will that also save my tranny? Lol jk jk

 

[Casper]

Was he using a treble hook, or just live bait?

 

[Tolson93]

Come on now, im new to the automotive world here haha. I do feel kind of stupid and gullable after reading your guy's posts though haha. It sounded like he was telling the truth so i thought i would ask on here!

 

[CC12RamLove]

Can't say anything about the tranny. I let my truck run in park for a few minutes when i first start it to get oil to the top of the motor and when i put it in gear i am easy on it at first, dont just stomp on the skinny pedal.

 

[mudjunky]

I think your budy is smoking some of the good

 

[MegaMouseGW]

Ok I will bite on this one. Warming up your truck in neutral has proven to be bad. It is better to just go out and drive it. Now in winter you may want to sit there and warm it up to get the heat to your interior.
Now diesels are a different story. They do need to be warmed up to give you proper performance. But as far as your tranny goes it really does not get too much heat from the engine itself. It builds the heat up while you are driving around.

 

[dodge dude94]

Warmed up, no.

First start after sitting a while? Possibly, but unlikely if the TC drainback valve in the oil cooler is doing its job properly.


However, if you've driven it a while, and are sitting idling, put it in neutral because the fluid pump in the trans. doesn't pump when in park.

 

[Ramunit]

Warmed up, no.

First start after sitting a while? Possibly, but unlikely if the TC drainback valve in the oil cooler is doing its job properly.


However, if you've driven it a while, and are sitting idling, put it in neutral because the fluid pump in the trans. doesn't pump when in park.

Right on the money, there is a TSB regarding drainback and the solution was to put the truck in neutral for a few seconds before you put it in drive to avoid slip. The solution was to change out the spin on filter with a new part number that is updated.

 

[BigSloth]

Warmed up, no.

First start after sitting a while? Possibly, but unlikely if the TC drainback valve in the oil cooler is doing its job properly.


However, if you've driven it a while, and are sitting idling, put it in neutral because the fluid pump in the trans. doesn't pump when in park.

Not exactly. The pump moves fluid and builds pressure anytime the engine is running. Park has no effect on pump action, it's essentially neutral with a mechanical lock of the park sprag in the trans, not the TC/pump. a 545RFE moves enough fluid in park to completely drain the trans in about 35 seconds when you accidentally break a cooler line off the radiator. trust me.

the pump runs in every auto when in park, where the fluid goes varies by make. But all autos made in the last few decades do move fluid through the cooler in all ranges.

Right on the money, there is a TSB regarding drainback and the solution was to put the truck in neutral for a few seconds before you put it in drive to avoid slip. The solution was to change out the spin on filter with a new part number that is updated.

I dont recall any mention of leaving it in neutral, that's not what bulletins do. It indeed states to change the spin on filter to an updated part number to correct the problem. Though in my experience I have found this rarely corrects the issue.

To the OP- there is no need to warm up the transmission in neutral before moving. MegaMouse nailed it down, the best way to heat the transmission fluid is by driving around. The guy is probably misinterpreting the bulletin stated above.

 

[dodge dude94]

Not exactly. The pump moves fluid and builds pressure anytime the engine is running. Park has no effect on pump action, it's essentially neutral with a mechanical lock of the park sprag in the trans, not the TC/pump. a 545RFE moves enough fluid in park to completely drain the trans in about 35 seconds when you accidentally break a cooler line off the radiator. trust me.

the pump runs in every auto when in park, where the fluid goes varies by make. But all autos made in the last few decades do move fluid through the cooler in all ranges.

.

Well, gotta remember I'm going off the 46RE, which does NOT pump in park, which is why those of us that delete the check valve in our cooler lines have to idle in neutral for a few seconds or install a shiftkit.

 

[BigSloth]

No. I'm sorry but you have been misinformed. The oil pump of every automatic transmission is directly behind the torque converter, the hub of the torque converter directly drives the internal gear of the pump. Any time the engine is running, fluid is being moved through the pump. The torque converter does not stop in park, it moves with the engine. The same fluid pressure available in neutral is equal in park. Fluid moves through the hydraulic circuits of the transmission and cooler. In park, just like in neutral, there are no clutches being applied, therefore there is no power moving to the output shaft of the transmission. The only difference between park and neutral is that in park, the parking sprag is engaged, locking the output shaft to the transmission case. In neutral it is disengaged. There is no arguing this, this is 100% textbook FSM automatic transmission operation.

"with the selector in the NEUTRAL position, operation is nearly identical to the PARK position. The only operational difference is the park sprag has been disengaged, allowing the output shaft to move freely" That is straight out of the 44/46RE FSM.

I'm not trying to argue with or "lecture" you, but you have been misinformed, and I dont like to see false information being spread around. I do this for a living, and am just trying to help.

 

[still_bluenoser]

While we're at it, is there any truth to the old idea that you should limit using reverse on a cold automatic tranny? My 83 year old grandfather will only park his vehicles so he can drive forward once he starts in the morning.

His favorite vehicles all had two speed transmissions, so maybe they got it figured... lol

 

[MegaMouseGW]

While we're at it, is there any truth to the old idea that you should limit using reverse on a cold automatic tranny? My 83 year old grandfather will only park his vehicles so he can drive forward once he starts in the morning.

His favorite vehicles all had two speed transmissions, so maybe they got it figured... lol

No truth in that one at all. Reverse is used so seldom the damage it does to a tranny would be extremely minimal unles you try to drag race in reverse or just drop your vehicle straight from drive to reverse (which is damn near impossible to do to modern trannies).

 

[Ramunit]

Not exactly. The pump moves fluid and builds pressure anytime the engine is running. Park has no effect on pump action, it's essentially neutral with a mechanical lock of the park sprag in the trans, not the TC/pump. a 545RFE moves enough fluid in park to completely drain the trans in about 35 seconds when you accidentally break a cooler line off the radiator. trust me.

the pump runs in every auto when in park, where the fluid goes varies by make. But all autos made in the last few decades do move fluid through the cooler in all ranges.



I dont recall any mention of leaving it in neutral, that's not what bulletins do. It indeed states to change the spin on filter to an updated part number to correct the problem. Though in my experience I have found this rarely corrects the issue.

To the OP- there is no need to warm up the transmission in neutral before moving. MegaMouse nailed it down, the best way to heat the transmission fluid is by driving around. The guy is probably misinterpreting the bulletin stated above.

You have to understand, it is impossible to drive around with the drain back problem. what's being said is you have to put the truck in neutral to get the fluid going to drive it that is only with the train back issue related to the filter, that is unknown TSB.

 

[dodge dude94]

No. I'm sorry but you have been misinformed. The oil pump of every automatic transmission is directly behind the torque converter, the hub of the torque converter directly drives the internal gear of the pump. Any time the engine is running, fluid is being moved through the pump. The torque converter does not stop in park, it moves with the engine. The same fluid pressure available in neutral is equal in park. Fluid moves through the hydraulic circuits of the transmission and cooler. In park, just like in neutral, there are no clutches being applied, therefore there is no power moving to the output shaft of the transmission. The only difference between park and neutral is that in park, the parking sprag is engaged, locking the output shaft to the transmission case. In neutral it is disengaged. There is no arguing this, this is 100% textbook FSM automatic transmission operation.

"with the selector in the NEUTRAL position, operation is nearly identical to the PARK position. The only operational difference is the park sprag has been disengaged, allowing the output shaft to move freely" That is straight out of the 44/46RE FSM.

I'm not trying to argue with or "lecture" you, but you have been misinformed, and I dont like to see false information being spread around. I do this for a living, and am just trying to help.

If this is true, then why is it that all Dodge trucks state in their manuals and FSMs that the fluid is to be checked in neutral as opposed to park? If the pump pumps in park as you say it does, then that wouldn't be an issue.

No truth in that one at all. Reverse is used so seldom the damage it does to a tranny would be extremely minimal unles you try to drag race in reverse or just drop your vehicle straight from drive to reverse (which is damn near impossible to do to modern trannies).

I did that once........

 

[mudjunky]

parking pin should not be engaged to get a proper level that's on every vehicle

and if you think think that's weird wanna know how to check fluid in a hlvw(Canadian forces 6 wheels heavy cargo truck)
chalk the wheels put it first remove park brake wind up to 1500 rmp get under it and stick your finger in the fill hole. im a pretty fearless guy but the first time I dint this im 99 percent shure I pooped a lil

 

[BigSloth]

You have to understand, it is impossible to drive around with the drain back problem. what's being said is you have to put the truck in neutral to get the fluid going to drive it that is only with the train back issue related to the filter, that is unknown TSB.

Ah ok I get what you're saying.

If this is true, then why is it that all Dodge trucks state in their manuals and FSMs that the fluid is to be checked in neutral as opposed to park? If the pump pumps in park as you say it does, then that wouldn't be an issue.


I did that once........

There could be a slight difference in pan level based off of gear position. I didn't write the manual, and that's irrelevant anyway. Park is a NON HYDRAULIC, solely mechanical
Function of the parking sprag, it mechanically locks onto the output shaft of the transmission, all the way at the back. Absolutely nothing besides that happens when you select park. It is physically impossible for the pump to stop pumping while the engine is running, it would cause the converter to lock and stall the engine.

If for some reason beyond comprehension you still don't understand, go see for yourself. Turn the truck off, Check the fluid. It will be high. Start the truck and leave it in park, it will be near where it needs to be. Engine off-pump don't pump. Engine running- pump pumping. Thats as simply put as it gets.

 

[HemiLonestar]

Auto trannies for dummies

 

[MegaMouseGW]

Auto trannies for dummies

This post is the exact reason I prefer a stick shift over an automatic.