transmission slipping

[dieselsmoke]

new to the site, so i apologize if this has already been covered. Wondering what you guys think. My 2015 ram 2500 diesel transmission is slipping. It only happens after the truck sits for awhile and is cold. On start up if I put it in reverse or drive when its first running and attempt to move the trans slips. If I let it sit in gear for maybe 10 seconds without hitting the go pedal its totally fine. I towed a camper 200 miles to the race in dover last week with not one problem. I had a 2012 ram with the same engine and trans and never had this feeling. Its only got 1600 miles on it. Obviously not normal but wondering if anyone else has had this happen. Thanks from NJ

 

[MyOhFive]

how long of a sit are we talking here? hours? days? weeks?

 

[Raist11]

Have you checked the fluid level? Sounds like it's low on fluid. Then of course comes the question, if it's low.. why is it low?

 

[dieselsmoke]

I notice it overnight or after it sits at work all day

 

[MADDOG]

No codes? If not, I can think of two possibilities.

1. Low fluid
2. Trans pump cavitation which can be due to low fluid or a pump defect.

Has it always done this?

I suppose it's off to the dealer for a check up.

 

[dieselsmoke]

no lights on so no codes. ive only had it 2 months and only noticed it a 5 times. i dont normally start it up and immedietly put it into gear but when i do it slips. What is the proper procedure for checking the fluid? Warmed up running and in neutral??

 

[Raist11]

no lights on so no codes. ive only had it 2 months and only noticed it a 5 times. i dont normally start it up and immedietly put it into gear but when i do it slips. What is the proper procedure for checking the fluid? Warmed up running and in neutral??

Yep, sounds right. The reason it slips when you immediately put it into gear is the fluid isn't warm. Once the fluid warms up I guess it expands, lubricates.. I honestly don't know exactly what it does but just that once it's warm it's able to do it's job when the level is low. When low and cold, it can't do it's job and the tranny will slip.

I had a couple cars when I was a kid that had tranny leaks. I ended up having to sit a few times with it in neutral to warm things up before I could go anywhere.

 

[dieselsmoke]

so i just took it on the highway got it the trans temp to 170 then checked it while running and in neutral. The level is just below, the low level hole. So maybe its a 1/2 quart low. I cant see that causing my slip problem but maybe. im going to add some fluid and see

 

[Raist11]

so i just took it on the highway got it the trans temp to 170 then checked it while running and in neutral. The level is just below, the low level hole. So maybe its a 1/2 quart low. I cant see that causing my slip problem but maybe. im going to add some fluid and see

Its below the low level when warm? That can definitely cause the problem.

 

[mtofell]

Yeah, what you are describing is textbook low fluid behavior. But, like someone mentioned, why is the fluid low? Any spots where you park? It could also be leaking out while running. I'd be on my back under the truck looking for drips. I suppose it's possible it just came from the factory a bit low. How many miles and how old is the truck?

 

[Raist11]

Yeah, what you are describing is textbook low fluid behavior. But, like someone mentioned, why is the fluid low? Any spots where you park? It could also be leaking out while running. I'd be on my back under the truck looking for drips. I suppose it's possible it just came from the factory a bit low. How many miles and how old is the truck?

2015 with 1600 miles in the op.

I would say take it to the dealership before adding fluid. That way they can see for themselves that its low and research why.

 

[dieselsmoke]

warmed up the the fluid level is just below the low level hole on the stick. I got the truck brand new april 10th and it only has 1600 miles on it. There are no spots on my driveway so it must have come from the factory low. Where should I fill it too? Right between the two holes? Or right up to the other hole?

 

[Raist11]

warmed up the the fluid level is just below the low level hole on the stick. I got the truck brand new april 10th and it only has 1600 miles on it. There are no spots on my driveway so it must have come from the factory low. Where should I fill it too? Right between the two holes? Or right up to the other hole?

I would seriously consider taking it to the dealership as is. Let them top it up and figure out why it is low. If they feel it may have come like that, they can feed that info back to the plant. Serious defects like this would usually get back to the originating group. Or if something is wrong, they can fix it.

 

[dieselsmoke]

UPDATE!!! Just wanted to post my outcome in case someone else should have the same problem as me. Dropped the truck off at the dealer Thursday night so they could have it cold for friday morning. They called Friday and said that they could not duplicate the problem but the pcm needed an update as per a tsb. So I went this morning(Saturday) so that I could show them the problem because I didn't think a computer flash was going to be the fix however it was. I started it up, put it in gear and immediately the trans engaged. So this must be a known problem if there is a tsb out on it. Thanks for all the feedback

 

[hjsmith00843]

My 2015 feels like it sometimes gets stuck between gears. truck has just over 1000 miles on it.

 

[Geoff17]

UPDATE!!! Just wanted to post my outcome in case someone else should have the same problem as me. Dropped the truck off at the dealer Thursday night so they could have it cold for friday morning. They called Friday and said that they could not duplicate the problem but the pcm needed an update as per a tsb. So I went this morning(Saturday) so that I could show them the problem because I didn't think a computer flash was going to be the fix however it was. I started it up, put it in gear and immediately the trans engaged. So this must be a known problem if there is a tsb out on it. Thanks for all the feedback

So I had the same issue with my Ram, I have a 2015 6.4 Hemi and it would hesitate when I wouldn't drive it for a few hours, they flashed mine and it worked for a little while, then it went back to doing that again, so be on the look out, im trying to get mine back into the shop to have them take a look at it again, its really annoying!

 

[Rustycowl69]

I may be way off here, but hasn't the method for checking fluid level changed? Long ago, it used to be checked at operating temp, on level ground, run thru all the gears, ending in neutral. In one, I can't remember which year, but my newest cars are several '02's, it's supposed to end in Park, then check. I remember thinking, that's odd, when I read it, because I thought that it's a lot safer, but is it more accurate? Anyway, I can't say if the method has changed back, since I don't have anything newer. Maybe some of you 4th geners can check their manuals and weigh in here.

 

[Kotta390]

It's either low fluid or the torque converter bleeds back down which is what some of the 545rfe TCs did. I can bet you that it's one of the two things I described.

Edit* I just noticed there was a second page lol. Interesting that a flash fixed it.

 

[-yeaok-]

experiencing same issue

Also in Nj, 5.7 3.92 8 speed. After letting the truck sit overnight and cooling off, there seems to be a slip or caught between gears when cool; usually only notice it when immediately shifting into gear and driving away at normal speed/acceleration. Truck has less than 3200 miles.

 

[Rzrman328]

Man...the stories ya hear about these new trucks and their quirks.....reminds me to just keep what I got lol.

Good luck gentlemen.