6.4 transmission staying too high

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Rbertalotto

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Boston
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2018
Engine
6.4L
“I started running the transmission manually ”

How do you do this? On my 2018 the buttons on the shifter only tell the transmission what gear to not shift above. I can not manually shift it....or I don’t know how.

My 2018 with 6.4 does none of this gear holding stuff. It shifts great with no issues. I have 32,000 miles on it as we speak.
 

Angels-shadow983

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2016
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6.7 Cummins
I'm having a similar issue with my 16 2500 diesel. It takes the engine brake completely out of the equation.
 

pwjouster

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2018
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6.4 Hemi
24k miles on my 6.4 with 4.10s.

worst transmission tuning in the game... the transmission is a beast, but its tuned for reliability. It still reliable over 500HP, so everyone complaining needs to sack up and get a new PCM and tune.

3.73 and 4.10, both suck with the tuning.
Both are geared fine for stock tire size, and 35+ should be 4.10 gears.
Pedal Commander helps.
Edge Pulsar gave great power(not using anymore) and helped alot.

Its not the gears, its the tuning.
The truck bogs around all day, and sits in 6th from 35MPH to 105MPH.
i start the truck and 100% of the time i shift the gear select into 6th or activate TowHaul.
MDS is a joke. Tow Haul mode is very close to solving the problem. The only issue is the rough downshifts, and actually holding onto lower gears just a tad too long.


TOW HAUL mode for when im alone, but its uncomfortable for my GF or passengers.
It will shift and behave just like my previous car....a Charger Hellcat.

Trust me, Tow haul/Pulsar/pedal commander combo with a cold air and exhaust....just as much fun on the fun spectrum as a hellcat.
This truck boogies, and once diablo has the 18+PCMs figured out....boost is the last item on the checklist.
 

HammerHead

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Georgia/Florida
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2019 4Runner
Engine
4.0
58,000 miles
3.73 gears

Transmission is holding too high of a gear when leaving roundabouts, typically 3rd sometimes 4th gear trying to accelerate from 20mph.

When cruising at 50 mph, the transmission goes into 6th gear and hangs on to about 1200 rpms.

In both scenarios the engine sounds bogged down. MDS is functioning normally.

The dealership said “that’s the nature of the beast”.

Bought the truck a little over a month ago. Didn’t pick up on it on the test drive. Looking for any input on how “normal” this is or any leads on a potential solution.
When your cruzing around town put the truck in manual mode and select 4th gear and leave it there. Helped me Big Time!
 

kiloRAM

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E. TX
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2017
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6.4 HEMI
3.73

Mine tries to keep extremely low RPMs all the time (like everyone elses) so much to the point that it works harder than it should when I need to go a little faster. It holds 3rd gear at a way to slow speed and seems like it aggressively resists a downshift from 3rd. I remember one time when I was in traffic trying to get around someone without getting rear ended, I kept have to dig deeper and deeper, deeper (still no go) and deeper into the gas pedal when it finally downshifted. It lurched so hard at that point I'd swear it skipped 2nd and went all the way to 1st, at which point my wife gets pissed because she does not like jerky (aka not smooth) driving. It would be no problem if it would just downshift like every other automatic I've had.

There is nothing wrong with my truck. I would expect a Prius to drive like this to save gas but I dont expect my big old 6.4 to do this.
 

Rbertalotto

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2018
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We need the new rolls Royce transmission that uses GPS to select the proper gears based on terrain......amazing technology
 

Bladesmith

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1997
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5.9
, I have a new 18 2500 6.4 - 3:73, Whats the Trans Quick Learn? and whats a pedal commander? where can you get these things? Sorry for being so ignorant but I've been driving a 97' dodge for 22 yrs. and I've never heard of this stuff.

Thanks
 

CincyCuda68

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6.4
This has been the consistent complaint with the 6.4 rigs. I have been dealing with this for 5 years. Tow/Haul is a little bit better as it at least gives you 2nd more often. I hear a Pedal Commander somewhat helps.

I still maintain that I love everything about the truck but I would like to meet the guy who programmed the tranny and just punch him in the balls and walk away.
I believe the 66rfe was designed originally for diesel but I could be wrong. So it may not be the design but you should punch the executive who decided to use it in the gassers without re-engineering it to be optimal for the 6.4
 

mtofell

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Hemi 6.4
I believe the 66rfe was designed originally for diesel but I could be wrong. So it may not be the design but you should punch the executive who decided to use it in the gassers without re-engineering it to be optimal for the 6.4

The ratios come from the diesel - 68rfe. So to that extent it's designed for it. I'm not sure about the programming.

To me there are 2 problems - the bad gear spacing (mainly the large 1-2 gap) and the stupid shifting (holding gears, skipping 2 at a time when downshifting, etc.). The poor shifting can be eliminated by just shifting manually or using tow/haul of pedal commander, etc. The crappy ratios just are what they are. The only time it really bothers me is when towing heavy. There is just a dead spot around 30-40MPH where you can't hold 2nd. Usually, this occurs when going up a decent grade. The truck will literally just slam back and forth between redlining 1st and lugging 2nd. I feel like if I don't slow down and just let it stay in first that the whole tranny is going to fall out the bottom of the truck.
 
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