Just wanted to document what I experienced, in case it helps anyone.
Started up my '04 1500 (4.7L 545RFE Automatic) one afternoon, and noticed it had low power when I pushed the accelerator. The Check Engine Light Illuminated.
Went and got the codes read.
P0755 - Transmission Solenoid Malfunction.
The computer had the trans in Limp Mode.
I took it back a couple times and got P0750, P0755, and P0760 I think.
After reading here and other places online, I came to the conclusion that I needed to replace the Solenoid Pack. $320 from Dodge.
I went ahead and changed the Tranny Fluid and Filters while I was in there. Pretty simple change out, although of course the first time you do it is always the hardest...
Darn....nothing changed with the new pack.
I stopped by my local Tranny shop. The guy seemed pretty knowledgeable, and quickly decided it must be the valve itself in the valve body. He said if I brought him the valve body (it's just a few bolts past the Solenoid Pack) he would bore out the offending cylinder, and put in a large piston ($200 if I removed/installed myself)....this should fix what must be a sticking valve. He said it was common in these transmissions (mine has 140,000mi).
I took it out, gave it to him, and came back a couple days later. He said it had, indeed, been very worn.
Unfortunately I reinstalled it and still, no change!
Since the Solenoid itself, nor the valve it actuates was the culprit, it had to be either the wiring or the computer itself.
I left on vacation and asked him to figure that out....I had had enough of crawling under that thing for a while
He called me up and said it was the computer...$750 from Dodge, + $125 to program it, + $50 to install.
I asked about remanufactured or junkyard computers, but he recommended not going that route....apparently they are not a sure bet. Some of the online reman suppliers are unscrupulous, and the junkyard computers might work but also might shift horribly and be a waste.
I wasn't ready to spend $1000, so I drove it home. Did a little more online searching....found the $180 ebay computers (and tons of reviews complaining about them), found the Cardone remans for $275 + core + $125 for programming....
My brother said I should just find one at a junkyard. I did. It matched the first two strings of the part number on my computer. I asked the lady at the counter if I could just pay her $40 to try the computer, rather than their normal "replacement warranty."
(I wanted to either drive away with a good computer, or be done with them....no desire to find the computer was bad, and now I'm tied to them and waiting for them to find another one for me to try).
She took me up on it, and I went out and installed it.
It worked, so I paid the rest of their price ($120).
Been driving perfect for a week now.
Only thing that's noticeable is that my ABS light is blinking. I assume this is because the donor truck's computer had ABS, and mine doesn't...so it thinks it's "broken."
Anyway....all this to say, if you're having transmission problems reported as bad solenoids....you might be well off to make sure your mechanic tests the computer early on!
Started up my '04 1500 (4.7L 545RFE Automatic) one afternoon, and noticed it had low power when I pushed the accelerator. The Check Engine Light Illuminated.
Went and got the codes read.
P0755 - Transmission Solenoid Malfunction.
The computer had the trans in Limp Mode.
I took it back a couple times and got P0750, P0755, and P0760 I think.
After reading here and other places online, I came to the conclusion that I needed to replace the Solenoid Pack. $320 from Dodge.
I went ahead and changed the Tranny Fluid and Filters while I was in there. Pretty simple change out, although of course the first time you do it is always the hardest...
Darn....nothing changed with the new pack.
I stopped by my local Tranny shop. The guy seemed pretty knowledgeable, and quickly decided it must be the valve itself in the valve body. He said if I brought him the valve body (it's just a few bolts past the Solenoid Pack) he would bore out the offending cylinder, and put in a large piston ($200 if I removed/installed myself)....this should fix what must be a sticking valve. He said it was common in these transmissions (mine has 140,000mi).
I took it out, gave it to him, and came back a couple days later. He said it had, indeed, been very worn.
Unfortunately I reinstalled it and still, no change!
Since the Solenoid itself, nor the valve it actuates was the culprit, it had to be either the wiring or the computer itself.
I left on vacation and asked him to figure that out....I had had enough of crawling under that thing for a while
He called me up and said it was the computer...$750 from Dodge, + $125 to program it, + $50 to install.
I asked about remanufactured or junkyard computers, but he recommended not going that route....apparently they are not a sure bet. Some of the online reman suppliers are unscrupulous, and the junkyard computers might work but also might shift horribly and be a waste.
I wasn't ready to spend $1000, so I drove it home. Did a little more online searching....found the $180 ebay computers (and tons of reviews complaining about them), found the Cardone remans for $275 + core + $125 for programming....
My brother said I should just find one at a junkyard. I did. It matched the first two strings of the part number on my computer. I asked the lady at the counter if I could just pay her $40 to try the computer, rather than their normal "replacement warranty."
(I wanted to either drive away with a good computer, or be done with them....no desire to find the computer was bad, and now I'm tied to them and waiting for them to find another one for me to try).
She took me up on it, and I went out and installed it.
It worked, so I paid the rest of their price ($120).
Been driving perfect for a week now.
Only thing that's noticeable is that my ABS light is blinking. I assume this is because the donor truck's computer had ABS, and mine doesn't...so it thinks it's "broken."
Anyway....all this to say, if you're having transmission problems reported as bad solenoids....you might be well off to make sure your mechanic tests the computer early on!
