transmission up/down shift

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Merle

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2020
Posts
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Iowa
Ram Year
2019
Engine
5.7
Has anyone had an issue with the 8 speed not holding in 8th gear. mine downshifts to 7th at the slightest incline then back up, kinda like a yoyo
Its a 2019 ram classic 5.7 with the 8 speed transmission.
 

phantomfixer

Senior Member
Military
Joined
May 11, 2019
Posts
113
Reaction score
118
Location
Lakeland
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7
Has anyone had an issue with the 8 speed not holding in 8th gear. mine downshifts to 7th at the slightest incline then back up, kinda like a yoyo
Its a 2019 ram classic 5.7 with the 8 speed transmission.
That seems normal to me.8th gear is almost like an overdrive.You need to be traveling at a pretty decent speed to stay in 8th gear.If you come to a hill it's not staying in 8th gear
 

TruckNut

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2015
Posts
1,066
Reaction score
517
Location
Tennessee
Ram Year
2017
Engine
5.7 Hemi
Do you have the 3.21 or the 3.92? That alone could make the difference in jumping back to 7th gear.
 
OP
OP
M

Merle

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2020
Posts
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Iowa
Ram Year
2019
Engine
5.7
Am I the only one that as observed this condition or is it prevalent on all 5.7 w/8sped
 

Ridgerunner665

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2019
Posts
230
Reaction score
255
Location
US
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7
Any auto transmission with 8 to 10 gears is going to be "busy"...its just them doing what they were designed to do.



Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

tidefan1967

Senior Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2018
Posts
2,941
Reaction score
4,862
Location
Summerville, South Carolina
Has anyone had an issue with the 8 speed not holding in 8th gear. mine downshifts to 7th at the slightest incline then back up, kinda like a yoyo
Its a 2019 ram classic 5.7 with the 8 speed transmission.
That is completely normal operation with 3.21 gears even on very slight grades. If you had 3.92's it would happen a lot less. Don't give it another thought because it isn't hurting a thing.
 

kurek

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2019
Posts
2,498
Reaction score
3,440
Location
Northwest
Ram Year
2015
Engine
Hemi 5.7
If you've changed tire size or added accessories that change the aerodynamics or weight significantly it could affect the shift profile too. These transmissions do have some adaptive program features to provide consistent behavior as the fluid and clutches age so if yours is new it may just be finding its groove. I have not owned a vehicle with the 8HP but I had one with the 9 speed (also made by the same company) and that thing supposedly has 40 distinct shift maps it picks between & requires a bit of driving to establish patterns.
 

PoMansRam

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2018
Posts
2,089
Reaction score
2,549
Location
East Aurora NY
Ram Year
2019
Engine
Hemi
Sounds normal.

The 8spd in my 2017 Pentastar powered Ram 1500 w/ 3.21 gears adapted a little differently. Mine holds 7th if there's any inclines or slight throttle movements, but like said, holding in 8th for long periods of time is rare.

I actually prefer to keep tow mode on all the time. It won't go beyond 7th. A little loss in fuel economy.
 

Potatomafia

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Dec 8, 2019
Posts
168
Reaction score
179
Location
Tampastan, FL
Ram Year
2015
Engine
5.7L
My 2015 with 3.92s will downshift to 7th or 6th when going up a slight hill or speeding up slightly on a 70mph freeway. Sometimes it seems to hang in 7th and won't upshift back to 8th even after I completely let off. I usually have to coax it back into 8th using the Shift+ button on the steering wheel.
 

crash68

ACME product engineer
Staff member
Administrator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Posts
10,701
Reaction score
16,709
Ram Year
2015
Engine
3.0 EcoDiesel
My 2015 with 3.92s will downshift to 7th or 6th when going up a slight hill or speeding up slightly on a 70mph freeway. Sometimes it seems to hang in 7th and won't upshift back to 8th even after I completely let off. I usually have to coax it back into 8th using the Shift+ button on the steering wheel.
You can push that Gear + button all you want, it does not force an upshift unless you have the transmission tuned. From the factory the Gear +/- just limits the gear the trans will shift up to.


It's all about the available torque for the demand, I can drive up over freeway overpasses @ 70mph without the trans downshifting, the turbo just builds more boost. :-D
 

Pull Ya

U.S. MARINE VETERAN
Supporting Member
Military
Joined
Jan 16, 2012
Posts
15,787
Reaction score
23,056
Location
Cedar Creek, Tx
Ram Year
2015
Engine
5.7 Hemi
I manually keep my 8 speed in "7" anytime I am driving under about 50mph. It seems to cure the problem you have described.
Jay
 

Mitch1204

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2019
Posts
21
Reaction score
7
Location
Dayton, TN
Ram Year
2002
Engine
5.9L Cummins Diesel
I'm not familiar with this generation but I'll tell you a story on my 2002 5.9L diesel as it might be a similar problem. It has a 5 speed auto and about 50mph it would jump back and forth between 4th and 5th repeatedly and jolt you around. They called it the 4th gear hunt. The dealer was clueless to it. I read many solutions and finally figured it out. What Dodge did is run the PCM wiring harness directly behind the alternator. The alternator puts out a magnetic field sending distortion onto the wiring harness. So instead of sending a clean signal to the PCM it was distorted confusing the voltage was 4 volts or 5 volts hence the shifting back and forth.
The fix was to pull the harness over the alternator and attaching it to the radiator shroud with cable ties. it sounds funny but first wrap it in tinfoil then electrical tape as an extra shield. I also run an extra ground wire from the battery ground to a PCM mount bolts. It has been shifting perfect ever since.
It might not apply to you but see if your harness runs directly near the alternator.
 

Rick Gabler

Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2020
Posts
77
Reaction score
56
Location
Minneapolis
Ram Year
2019
Engine
3.6L V-6
Has anyone had an issue with the 8 speed not holding in 8th gear. mine downshifts to 7th at the slightest incline then back up, kinda like a yoyo
Its a 2019 ram classic 5.7 with the 8 speed transmission.
 

Grad12

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
Posts
269
Reaction score
42
Ram Year
2014
Engine
v6 3.6
50-60 mpg, mine will stick to 8th gear, I have to adjust my gas pedal for inclines. Above that, with wind and hills it's in between 7th and 8th. 2014 3.6 3.21.
 

Marshall

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Posts
976
Reaction score
723
Location
Sk, Canada
Ram Year
2014 sport
Engine
5.7 hemi
My 2015 with 3.92s will downshift to 7th or 6th when going up a slight hill or speeding up slightly on a 70mph freeway. Sometimes it seems to hang in 7th and won't upshift back to 8th even after I completely let off. I usually have to coax it back into 8th using the Shift+ button on the steering wheel.
I have never had that happen, mine 3.9grs eco light is on most of the time on a level road, I presume it would be in 8 th?, I just leave it in drive most of the time.
 

Robert Armstrong

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2019
Posts
5
Reaction score
4
Location
North Carolina
Ram Year
2019
Engine
5.7 Hemi
Has anyone had an issue with the 8 speed not holding in 8th gear. mine downshifts to 7th at the slightest incline then back up, kinda like a yoyo
Its a 2019 ram classic 5.7 with the 8 speed transmission.

I have a 2019 new design Big Horn with 5.7 and 3.92 differential ratio and trailer tow package. I have not observed any dropping out of 8th gear in normal driving. When towing a camper - the 8th gear is locked out - and it drives normally in 7th gear. No issues so far.
 

Quint

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Posts
298
Reaction score
157
Location
Minnesota
Ram Year
2021 Big Horn 1500
Engine
5.7L v8 eTorque
50-60 mpg, mine will stick to 8th gear, I have to adjust my gas pedal for inclines. Above that, with wind and hills it's in between 7th and 8th. 2014 3.6 3.21.
I think this is the winner. My 2015 5.8L with 3.21 gears does just fine in 8th gear on the highway. If I start pushing much past 65 or 70mph, or up a hill, or into the wind, it will downshift. It does not lock out of 8th gear if I have the Tow/Haul button on while towing, but I need to be more in the 60mph range and maybe going downhill for it to settle into that gear.

This is all normal for the 8-speed tranny.
 

rwhjr

Senior Member
Joined
May 4, 2018
Posts
912
Reaction score
707
Location
maryland
Ram Year
2017
Engine
5.7
I’ve got 5.7/3.21/8speed with a 6” lift and 35s. So it should theoretically have more trouble holding 8th than a stock truck but it’ll hold it still without any issues.

Now if I hit an incline or really want to speed up, of course it’s going to downshift. That’s what it’s supposed to do, but I don’t sense any issue holding 8th at highway speeds and I’m always watching since I use the +/- buttons and can always see what gear it’s in.

I always hear guys act like 3.92 gears are gods gift to the Ram but honestly I don’t tow heavily and I don’t drive it like a race car so I have no complaints and love the 8 speed.
 
Top