Are the newer Dodge autos any good? What year did they get better?

Are the newer Dodge autos any good? ...

I hope so!! I've got the 48RE in my 04 CTD Ram. I think it became optional in 03 and standard in 04 - as opposed to the 47RE.

Put a Transgo trans tune up kit @$95 in it and the 47re holds up nicely. quick firm shifts. Change the fluid. use the ATF+3 rated commercial brand of fluid.

The engine you are getting is capable of phenominal HP and TQ with mild bomb. Has the better P7100 injection (mechanicla) pump in it too.

That is a lot of money for that many miles isn't it?

You can get rebuilt trannies from Phoenix transmission in AZ. for about $900. You can get a DTT or ATS tuner for @ $3,000 with awesome TQ converter

The late model auto has more frictions just like that is done by DTT and ATS in the 02 and earlier trans, the Torque converter is the same POS as the earlier ones. I understand that if you change the vavle body and T.C. you will have a really solid trans.

This sounds like old mans tales to me but this is some second hand knoledge for you.

The tranny doesnt pump fluid in park, but it does in nutral. If you shift to nutral before going into gear and dont floor it off the line a stock dodge auto will last 200k plus.

Personally, when i got mine rebuilt I put a gague on it. I found I was overheating it on every hill unloaded. I assume thats what killed my torque connverter, which took out the rest of the tranny.

FYI: when the trannys are going out, they leak through the overflow on the front of the tranny.

This sounds like old mans tales to me but this is some second hand knoledge for you.

The tranny doesnt pump fluid in park, but it does in nutral. If you shift to nutral before going into gear and dont floor it off the line a stock dodge auto will last 200k plus....

The pump not running in Park in stock form is true. Not sure about the 200K plus part though ;)

The Durango sits for at least a week at a time now. When I start it up, I shift into neutral and let it idle for about 30-45 seconds prior to moving into any drive gear. They do suffer from "morning sickness" where the TC drains down back into the pan over time. Driving off right away is pretty hard on it otherwise.

...Personally, when i got mine rebuilt I put a gague on it. I found I was overheating it on every hill unloaded.

Mine did too - to some degree. Tranny guy advised that we remove factory cooling from the loop and just use an external "cooler" - not specifying which kind. Went got nice big tube-and-fin and installed. Under normal circumstances, it was warm. Towing it was hot. Some research revealed that the the stacked plate coolers are SIGNIFICANTLY more efficient than ther tube-and-fin. Now temps are quite nice. 135-150 unloaded and 150-170 towing (depending on outside air temp and terrain).

Of course now I tow with my Ram, so the gauge is mostly a wheeling instrument.

Everytime I drive my Dodge I start it and put it in N and let it idle, then release the Ebrake and roll out of the drive. I never shift from R-N-D or D-N-R while the truck is still rolling. I baby mine cuz it has so many miles on it, but would not hesitate to take a road trip anywhere in it.

i have 119k on my 97 auto. no problems at all. truck is pretty much new to me(driven it 4k). i also let it sit in neutral for a bit before i drive. when towing in od, i try not to let the rpm's go below 1800 towing, if so then i usually turn the od off. have any of you guys put in a shift kit or anything? wondering if that will help the trans at all(saving up for a dtt or ats, but not for a while)? are there any other tips to keeping the autos alive, especially while towing? just trying to learn as much as possible bout this thing---brad TIA

I have and old 92 CTD auto.
Different tranny - BUT, mine will not pull out on a hill (driveway) after sitting all night unless I let it idle a while while in neutral, then bump reverse, and then hit drive. It will slip if I go straight to drive from park.

My Dad has a 2000/2001 Dodge gasser for a company truck, he says his does the same thing.