Need help 68rfe

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Boseal

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2011
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Need help with my 68rfe 2011 ram 2500 6.7 hauling load threw New Orleans got into stop an go traffic at 30 mph check engine light poped on. Thought it was for fuel filter but it was trans. It went into limp mode stuck in 4th I drove 20 miles dropped off lumber an on way home stopped cut it off let it cool crinkled it back up an noticed if I barley push throttle it will shift threw all 6 gears no problem, but any kinda load on it past 1700 rpm it will hit limp mode is this valve body an selonid or are the clutches toast. It just up did this out blue for last 100,000 miles I have had goose throttle to shift into 6 th or run high rpm an left off of it quick to make it shift. Also the trans fluid was real bubbley an weak looking but did not smell burnt an was still red
 

crash68

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when was the last time the transmission fluid and filter were changed?
You shouldn't see bubbles in trans fluid, air being mixed in due to possible being low.
 

Jeepwalker

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Or, if possibly the seal around the transmission filter was a little 'off' or cracked (sucking a little air). If the transmission fluid was 'foaming' then it can screw up normal operations inside the tranny. They don't like 'foam' ....if any of that was going on.

There are solenoids inside the transmission which can also go flaky or fail. I've replaced a couple in our Jeep GC (same tranny). Er, I should say, I had the dealer replace them. But it's not a difficult DIY job. I would pull the tranny codes first and see what comes up. Then ensure (again) the fluid is the correct level (let the tk warm up but don't drive). See what comes up in the codes.
 

Burla

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What temp was the trans at that time, and what is the code?

Valve body is the weak spot, but if this is original trans and it resides behind a cummins that tow or hauls a lot, it could be very possible a rebuild is on order. This is the decision everyone in your spot needs to make because generally speaking a trans shop wont be giving you much if any credit for those new parts or warranty on them if you need clutches. So the decision becomes do I spend about a grand on a VB and fluid/filters and maybe another 300 on a solenoid, or end up with 3-5k rebuild? Who even know how much ish costs today, it likely was a lot more then yesterday.

I kind of don't mind dyi stuff I can handle, so personally I would attempt a fix. You can even save a little money with a kit, rebuilds your piston rings and pistons in VB and gasket so no leakage. The main thing to do it make sure check balls are in the correct place if you pull the VB apart. Look up synthetic filter option for rfe thread with metal thread upgrade.
 

HEMIMANN

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I've never seen foam in transmission oil, but I experienced a similar scenario with my RV transmission, an Allison 1000.
This transmission has very limited thermal expansion capacity and will puke oil out the vent if barely overfilled. Then it will burn and smoke on the hot transmission case.
This happened to me on a very hot day pulling a boat up a steep hill.
Notably, something similar happened to you when pulling a heavy load.

Check your oil level.
 

Jeepwalker

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I agree on the overfill (Sorry, I missed the "High on the stick" description). Get some PVC (clear) hose that'll snake down your tranny fluid fill tube and suck a little fluid out with a suction gun until it's at the right level when measured with the truck at operating temperature (see link below if you're not sure what a suction gun is). Overfill can/will cause foaming. That might be the only issue

Also, If that doesn't do the trick, before you condemn the tranny, the solenoids in these can flake out ..as I've said before. They affect shifting. Not difficult to replace (If that indeed turns out to be an issue), nor uber expensive.

 
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Burla

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You may need a reflash as well after either the VB or Solenoid.
 

06 Dodge

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At 75K your past the 60K service interval for your transmission, it should be serviced with a new filter & fluid every 60 months or 60K this is the same service interval for the old four speed 48re behind my 06 CTD and for the 68 ref in my 2022...
 
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