I just got the letters today. I knew it was coming since I checked the link. Maybe I'll have them reflash the puter to make it a HO while I'm there.

 

Reflash to make it a HO? Sorry, not going to happen.

 

After reading this thread last night, I spoke to my dealer this morning who had to investigate the recall. He called back a few hours later to say that the campaign involves replacing the transmission cooling lines and possibly the cooler. He said that if the cooler needed replacement it might also mean the transmission requires replacement.

Not to make a big deal out of this, but I wonder how they are able to tell whether the transmission has been damaged. It seems to shift fine. the truck only has 9,000KM (5,400 miles) on it and has been shifting normally, except for the occassional slow upshift into OD. If the transmission gets replaced, are they using a remanufactured unit, or putting in a new one?

I don't really care except my greatest fear is getting stranded at some point on the highway while pulling my horse trailer. I told the dealer that when the truck is being used to trailer horses, I am usually hauling a couple of show horses worth $60,000 (combined) and would hate to be waylaid on the side of the road with a failed transmission! He says he understands and will make sure the transmision is 100%

My question is: How do they know if the transmission is unaffected, once coolant has gotten into it??

Once again, this forum is an excellent resource!!

 

If you ever have your hands in the synthetic ATF that they put in our tyrannies, you would notice it has a very distinctive color, smell, and a real funky consistency. Just speculating, but I would think if the trans had coolant in it, at least the color and consistency would change with even a little bit of coolant and should be pretty easy to detect just by coating your finger with it. Who knows, they may have a handy little tester strip like they make for antifreeze to tell if it is good or bad.

Replacing a tranny is an easy 6 hours labor for the dealership. If they even suspected it had coolant in it, they would be all about putting in a new one for you.

 

New or remanufactured is my question! My transmission has 5,000 miles on it. If they install a reman unit from an '03, it may have 30,000 miles on it and I know enough to know that they don't replace everything when they do a factory rebuild.

 

Kind of off thread but related; I got TWO recall notices today, C42 is to resolve the problem with water getting into the connectors on the PCM (Power Control Module) effecting the cruise control and/or shifting into or out-of overdrive. The info sheet advises owners that "if rust or corrosion is found on either the PCM connectors or on the transmission wiring harness, both the PCM and the harness will be replaced". If no corrosion is found, an additional moisture seal is added over the harness plug to keep out moisture. Pardon me but couldn't it still rust later on, if water had ever made its way inside the connector? Has anyone had to have their PCM replaced?
The other C44 recall is to reduce the vibration transmitted up to the trans cooler by replacing the transmission cooler line. I understand this is done by installing a new cooler line that has a short rubber hose near one end. Just curious, will the rubber hose continue to be inspected for rot and replaced as needed under warranty? This seems like deja vu to me, a number of years ago we had a car trans cooler line replaced under warranty for the same problem at the radiatior trans cooler. 4 or 5 years later a leak developed at one of the factory rubber hose crimps requiring replacement of the entire trans cooler line again at my expense, said the dealer service man. Of course I refused to pay for an entire cooling line and opted instead to simply replace the rotted rubber with new rubber and screw tite clamps instead of crimp ons.
Dodge.com "Recall Info" lists the recalls but clicking on them doesn't provide additional info so I thought you guys that have already had them completed might enlighten me. Is the rubber located where it can be replaced years from now without replacing the entire cooling line?
Thanks lots,
Nat

 

Well, I took my 03 in on Tuesday and it is still at the dealer ship. The first PCM didnt fix the problem, now they are going to put in another one.






2003, 3/4, QC, 4X4, 48RE, SLT, 410,S

 

Nat, go to page three. There is a picture posted of the flexible hose fix. The line was just a steel line... no rubber. I do not know what kind of pressure is under that hose, not sure hose and screw type clamps would hold but a hydraulic hose shop could definately put new new hose and crimp new ferrules on if you were to develop a leak.

 

I checked! No Recalls for me!

coobie on TDR stated that it effected 97,000 trucks built before November 24, 2003, mine was build November 27, 2003!

However, I think I will look and see exactly what my lines look like!

coobie's post

 

Took my Ram in for the recalls ...took 1 1/2 hours and that included washing it and cleaning out the interior.

 

Did you ask them what they spilled?
Nat

 

After reading all of these comments on recalls I called my service manager and asked about both of the problems. According to him no recalls in Canada yet!! Have any of you Canadians had these recalls????

 

Hey, nxpress... your right on it being the C44 recall for the transmission cooler line.
I had mine done and it took about 20 mins. to get it done..Talked to the shop supervisor at my dealers and he said if it goes, it can lead to a big bunch of problems, including possibly replacing or rebuilding the tranny...

 

My truck was built on November 25, I checked the website and there appears to be no recall for me. Aren't the trucks built over a few days, I'm pretty close to the 24'th.