I had the 45RFE in my '01 Dak, and it did pretty much the same thing. Only I didn't have the Tow/Haul mode, just O/D lockout. I found that it got into 3rd, locked up the TQ, then it wouldn't unlock for nothin'! I'd hit a hill at 80km, and by the time the top passed, I'd be down to 40km, still in 3rd lockup, engine lugging horribly. Or if it did decide to downshift, "Houston, we have lift-off!" This is one of many reasons I traded that truck in on my current Ram 1500, with 5-spd rowing machine. It goes into the gear I select, and stays there til I say so.
I have the same issue with my Ram and to solve that problemm I take it out of T/H and turn OD off. It seams to keep the tranny from searching by time you reach the summit of the hill. It still kicks down but the power band stays longer. Then it will litterly run up the mountain
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.
Carl and "D"
Drago the Rotten Rotty (Service Dog)
2007 4x4 Quad Cab Hemi Ram/ 2008 Keystone Hornet 26 RBS
That is a nice feature I really appreciate, but unfortunately they did not add the ability to lock out fourth and fifth gear until the 2006 model year.
Glenn (Dad) & Beth (Mom)
David & Audra (the twins 7 YO)
2006 Rockwood 8281SS
2006 Dodge Power Wagon (2500) 5.7 Hemi, auto, 4.56
I believe there is a flash update for the computer that is suppose to correct this complaint. On the Dodge Forums they discuss this same complaint and have reported that a flash of the PCM corrected the issue. I have had no issues of the TC staying locked up and lugging the engine, but found it annoying having the trans shifting from 4th to 3rd and back to 4th constantly while climbing a hill. I do not have a trans oil gauge so I don't know just how hot the trans is getting, but I figure if the computer lets it happen it must not be bad for it.
Dave & Ellen, Don and Ross
'04 Dodge Durango 5.7 "Ya, it's got a Hemi" 3:55
Reese Dual-Cam WD
Jordan Ultima 2020
'05 Surveyor SV255RS
This is just the reason I will never have an auto tranny to pull with.
They are great when hooking up and backing in some place's,BUT when it comes to running down the highway it is hard to beat the 5 or 6 speed.
You can shift when you need to by listening to your pickup. I would guess that 99% of the big rigs that pull heavy loads are NOT auto.
GOrsted wrote: Unfortunately that is not the first time in which Chrysler has published difficult to understand or incorrect information. In the above quote, they have already referred to gears 1 through 4 and then to: "An ADDITIONAL OVERDRIVE RATIO(0.67:1)" - this is fifth gear. It is correct that there is an alternate second gear for downshifts, but the 545RFE has 6 forward gears and functions as a 5 speed with two second gear ratios, one for upshifts and the other for downshifts. The 45RFE does not have the 0.67:1 OD ratio.
Now to add the the confusion, the 45RFE and the 545RFE are the EXACT SAME TRANSMISSION, nut for nut and bolt for bolt. The only difference between the two is the PROGRAMMING of the three sets of planetary gears (most autos only have two sets).
I has the 45RFE in my Jeep Liberty (right before they started putting the "cheap" trannies in them). It did a good job towing and was still running strong when I got rid of it at 75,000 miles. Of course, due to the smaller V6 engine and the gearing, the 5th gear would have just lugged the engine so it was programmed out.
I assume that the other 5 speed autos out there (for GAS trucks) use more evenly spaces ratios? A lot of the trucks I looked at while shopping still used 4 speed trannies (3 + O/D) so they still have the wide ratio problem. The manual tranny option on most trucks severly downgrades the towing capacity (unless you go for a big diesel).
Ultimately, I was looking for a midsized pickup but with a V8 for towing. Don't need or want a big, full sized pickup for my daily driver. That made the Dakota the only game in town. Guess I have to live with the quirky tranny. At least the Dodge truck V8s seem to handle the high RPMs required by the tranny well, very smooth. Other V8s often start vibrating and fussing once they get over 4000 rpms.
Paul (Mouse)
2007 Flagstaff Shamrock 17 Hybrid (heavily modified for boondocking and winter camping).
2007 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4, 4.7L HO, factory tow, 3.92 gears.
Equil-i-zer Hitch, Prodigy.
Yamaha EF2400 Generator (quiet, cause I care!)
I agree when she locks up in 3rd gear the engine is in it's peak pulling mode. Mine locks out about 3000 rpms and goes up the hill as fast a I want until the stupid things shifts and dies!!
2007 Dutchmen 29QG-S
2003 Dodge 2500 Quad Cab 4x4 5.7 "Hemi"
Equalizer and a Prodigy
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