The 47RE in my truck was replaced at Chrysler with a new one about a year and a half ago, along with the coolers and TC. This actually translates into about 90,000 miles. The TPS is new. The Transfer case is a new Chrysler piece. Rear end is fresh rebuilt. The driveshaft is junkyard, but the universals are new and it was professionally balanced. When I check the fluid there's what I would think are an unusual amount of bubbles in it on the stick, but I wouldn't know if this is normal or not.
The trans has been serviced once, about 12K ago. We used ATF+4. These issues were present before the service, and the fluid change/band adjustment didn't change anything. Hopefully this doesn't mean I waited too long to service it and the damage was done. I know it was way too long to go without a service on a Dodge auto in a work truck, but on the other hand the fluid looked and smelled fine and I know people who never adjust bands and they don't have these issues. Anyway:

The first thing is that it upshifts into second hard. There isn't a load or speed where it goes in smooth, although more load sometimes means it bangs in harder. With a loaded trailer, say 5 ton, sometimes it will stutter going in to second. Like instead of banging in hard once, it'll thump a couple times while shifting. This is rare, but it happens. 2-3 is smooth as silk, as is 3-4, without exception. It's not even that it bangs into second that hard, not enough for my wife to ask WTF is wrong with my truck, but enough that compared to the other two upshifts it's pretty obnoxious.

The other issue is a vibration. I only think it's the transmission- and I suspect the TC- because the truck goes down the road smooth as glass until the TC locks. Right after lockup there's a throbbing pulsation that feels like tires, but as I said it's only when the TC locks. If the bed is full of weight or I'm pulling a trailer, I don't feel it. If I keep accelerating after the TC locks and get up around 60mph, I won't feel it. After about 60mph it goes away. But from the TC locking up to about 55mph, maintaining any speed in that zone it's vibrating pretty bad. I feel it in the floor, seat, steering wheel. Would a TC do this?
Also, (and this has only happened twice since the trans was put in, but) I came to a stop light and sat there in drive with my foot on the brake. When the light turned green and I went to take off it acted like it was in neutral for a couple seconds. It didn't start rolling backwards, it just felt like I couldn't get beyond the stall speed for the TC. Then it tightened up and off we went. Twice in 90K is hardly a chronic issue, but why would it do that at all if nothing was wrong?

Unfortunately I've been getting the runaround from the dealer who put it in, apparently if there's not idiot light saying that there's a trans problem, then there isn't a trans problem- and test drives all seem to come back with the verdict "unable to duplicate the symptoms". I'm getting nowhere with this, and I drive this truck all day every day for work so I really need to figure this out. Mods, such as they are, are in my sig. Any input is appreciated!

 

Oh. So, I never updated this. I wasn't happy with where it shifted into OD at WOT (too early) so I figured I'd tighten up the kickdown cable a little. I only meant to go a click or two, but accidentally zipped it all the way out to full tight. I figured it was as good a place to start as any, thinking I could loosen it up a click at a time until it was where I want it.
Well, not only did it do what I wanted it to do, but the hard shift into second has completely vanished and the vibration after TC lockup is almost completely gone as well. I tried loosening it up a couple more clicks one at a time to see if it could be improved upon, but it only got worse again. Fine, full tight it is.

I find this whole situation unusual, since I don't know what the kickdown cable would have to do with how hard it does the 1-2 upshift, but I'm not complaining. Concurrently, I don't know why it works best full tight. I'm under the impression that you don't want it that tight, and it isn't like it's an old cable and just stretched out, it's only a year or so old. I don't understand why this fixed the problems at all, but I figured I should update here anyway.

 

Well for starters its not a kickdown cable, its a throttle valve which determines line pressure and much more. Incorrect adjustment can be a major cause of transmission failure. Sounds like you have a tps issue and could probably use a band adjustment. Have someone hold the throttle wide open, the tv lever should have ⅛ or so additional travel if pushed by hand.

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That makes a lot more sense, I've only ever heard that it determines at what speed it shifts into lockup (or downshifts out of it, as the case may be). The TPS is good, according to my multimeter readings and the Dodge diesel maintenance tips" here. I'm about due for another trans. service/band adjustment, but like I said, it didn't make a hair's bit of difference last time.

 

Its likely that loose throttle linkage or that the pcm is perceiving something other than what your seeing with your dvom. Its also possible that the same interference found in the 24v apps circuit is causing your issue. Another possibility would be a failing alternator "leaking" ac voltage causing issues.
You may also have mechanical issues but fix electrical/control systems first.
Something im curious about is line pressures, have they been checked?
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No... how would one go about that? Any of it actually, I'm game for checking anything that might be causing me to hate this transmission. I don't know where the PCM is, and I'm not familiar with the 24V issue although I believe it's the same tranny so it wouldn't surprise me. The alternator was replaced last year with a higher amp unit. All I know about the electrical in this truck is that I can't keep the driver's side battery terminals clean to save my life. No amount of scrubbing or dialectic gooping can keep them from corroding up like popcorn within a couple weeks, which doesn't seem right to me, but I can't get any cooperation from our mechanics to do anything productive with my truck unless it comes in on a flatbed.

 

Speaking from experience, repairing a customers vehicle isnt always easy and it's even harder to please the customer when there's a reoccurring and intermittent issue.
There are noise filters available that will help with any noise in the circuitry of the TPS causing erratic shifting. I honestly I feel it's more likely that there is a internal issue. But we find internal issues by eliminating outside causes first. So, Verify via PID information exactly WHAT the transmission is doing sensor/solenoid wise before doing anything (Need a scan tool. ) Next, Request a line pressure test, have a local shop hookup a set of gauges and perform the procedure found in alldata or factory service manuals. Make sure they experience the complaint while they've got the truck. Make sure you give them a complete vehicle history and a good explanation of the problem. If it occurs more hot, Only cold etc....
I think it's going to be best in this situation to find a quality transmission shop to perform the diagnoses. I'm not doubting your ability but finding transmission issues can be a challenge for a seasoned tech and there are some specialty tools required (pressure gauges, scan tool etc)
Hope this helps!

 

It might. All I know is that whatever scan tool the Dodge techs used told them there was nothing wrong with it. I don't believe they did a line pressure test. But as I said, adjusting the cable has all but eliminated all my concerns when I started the topic.

What remains to **** me off is that it feels like the TC slips way more than it should to get going to me, always has. I read here somewhere that the stock TC has a stall speed of 1600, which I think is not only lower than it actually is but also way higher than it should be. If I'm on level ground and take my foot of the break in Drive, the response is lethargic at best. Accelerating from a stop at 1600 RPM it has all the enthusiasm of a Prius full of fat people. Actually, I think the Prius would blow my doors in at 1600. Accelerating at 1800-2000 there is a discernible tightening in the TC and it gets motivated pretty well for a 7,000lb truck, but not fast enough to justify screaming away from every stoplight at two grand.
I've had three tranny's in this truck, they all felt exactly the same: the original with 100K on the clock, the new Chrysler replacement when the original went south, and this new Chrysler (and all coolers and lines) when that last one puked it's guts plowing. On the other hand, I spent the last two decades driving stick shifted sports cars, so I'm used to lockup as soon as the clutch is out. When I take my foot off the brake in gear, I want this thing to move. I want a TC to start tightening up right off idle, a 1200-1300 stall would be fantastic. So, I'm more likely to think I'm biased, and have unrealistic ideas of how an automatic should behave than that there's something still wrong with it. I'm about ready to just yank it again and dump a few grand into a built one and be done with this stock crap.

 

The fact that eliminated the symptoms indicates there is most likely an issue causing line pressure to be lower or higher than expected or the cable wasnt functioning enough until you tightened it

 

Based on how loose the convertor feels, I suspect the line pressure is low if anything. Then again, it never slips in lockup, so maybe not. I've never driven an auto of this generation that didn't feel loose, but our newer Dodges (we also have an '06 and an '07 in the fleet) sure don't. They don't necessarily feel that much stronger power wise, just that they're ready to go as soon as they're in gear. Put either of the newer dodges in D and let go of the brake and it's going 25mph before you can even get your foot on the gas. That's how I want my '98 to feel.