2014 Transmission Replacement Issues

[BearcatRam]

I'll try to keep this short. 2014 Ram 1500 with 5.7 Hemi and 8 speed transmission at 265,000 miles. TLDR: whining sound in R,1,2 gears. Dealer 1 said gears are failing, dump truck or replace trans for 10k. Dealer 2 said pump failing, replace with salvage trans at 4k. Dealer 1 advised nothing but bad things happens after you replace the trans.

In Reverse, 1st and 2nd gears I have a whine sound when under power up to ~2,000 RPMs. It also seems to be "searching" for overdrive in upper gears at lower speed (cruising at 35-55 mph). My trusted dealership in Columbus refuses to diagnosis it officially because they would have to drain the transmission fluid and is worried that will cause more issues or at least make the current issues much worse. They thought it was gears starting to shear / break. Told me to get rid of it and quoted $10k for a full transmission replacement. Dealership 2 in Cincinnati opened the transmission and scoped the pump and diagnosed it as a failing transmission pump but said I did have some metal shavings in the fluid. Quoted me $4k for a salvage transmission replacement. I called dealer 1 back and they again advised me to dump the truck and told me that they have heard nothing but horror stories when replacing transmissions in 4th gens because the computer in the transmission is linked to the rest of the computers and if you don't take the original transmission computer out and swap it into the replacement trans, then you can't clear the codes and it constantly throws fault codes until it kills itself. Has anyone in this forum experienced the current issues I'm having, and has anyone replaced a trans without transferring the original computer and how has your truck been since?

 

[audiophile]

I would take it to a reputable independent transmission shop for a third opinion and quote. Dealership 1 is correct that often if a trans is starting to fail, draining and replacing the fluid can make it much worse or fail altogether. $10k seems high but not surprising for a dealership.

I checked with my brother-in-law who owns his own transmission shop. He said they can't get the electronics in order to rebuild them so for new or refurbished you would have to go through the dealership. However, he did say that they have put used units in trucks with no issues.

 

[BearcatRam]

I would take it to a reputable independent transmission shop for a third opinion and quote. Dealership 1 is correct that often if a trans is starting to fail, draining and replacing the fluid can make it much worse or fail altogether. $10k seems high but not surprising for a dealership.

The 10k was explained to me to purchase a brand new replacement transmission then tear down my current transmission and the new to put the original computer in the new transmission. That is supposed to prevent the issues with not being able to clear codes.

Unfortunately it seems I'm stuck between a rock (Replacement cost) and a hard place (inflated truck market).

 

[Wild one]

The 10k was explained to me to purchase a brand new replacement transmission then tear down my current transmission and the new to put the original computer in the new transmission. That is supposed to prevent the issues with not being able to clear codes.

Unfortunately it seems I'm stuck between a rock (Replacement cost) and a hard place (inflated truck market).

I put a brand new 8 speed in my 14 a few years ago.I had to have it married to the truck but that was it. My dealer tech buddy brought the dealers tool over to my place and married it to the truck right on my driveway.We never changed the transmissions computor. The local dealer did use my Vin number when they ordered the transmission though.Between 14 and 15 there was a change in the TCM's,but you can swap the TCM from your transmission into a newer 8 speed if you buy a used 2015+ 8 speed. They aren't that hard to swap,i'm 61 and did it myself on my driveway with a floorjack and my truck is a 4X4,so had to contend with the extra hassle of the T-case,but it wasn't that difficult to do.