300M Transmission Problems?

Hi,

I purchased my -00 Chrysler 300M about two months ago and the tranny gave up almost immediately at 120 000km, so I got the transmission replaced for a new "factory rebuilt" transmission at my local transmission shop. They used Mopar ATF+4 and the transmission went through the training process.

As I do not have any experience how a brand new 300M should feel and sound, I have a few questions:

  1. Transmission makes low-pitch "tractor-like" sound when engine/transmission is cold.

When I start the car in the morning or after workday (outdoor temperature is about 15-20 Celcius) and is set the transmission into "R"/"D"-position, the transmission makes low pitch, "tractor-like" sound for a minute or so when driving slowly. Is this normal, or should the transmission be silent right after starting the engine?

  1. Transmission seems to slip and engine feels powerless

Sometimes, when I drive the car in the city and make a turn, and the accelerate moderately back to 50km/h, it feels that the transmission is slipping for quite some time as the the engine revvs up and it feels powerless. At the same time fuel consumption skyrockets. It seems like the transmission stays at 3rd or 4th gear and slips quite heavily. Only way to get out this situation is to accelerate a little so that the transmission shifts to a smaller gear. This happens also when driving uphill at slow speed about 30-40 km/h.

  1. Transmission slips very badly or misses a gear

Sometimes, when I make a turn to a highway at 20-30km/h and make a very fast acceleration, the transmission makes a kickdown, the engine screams and revvs to 5000+ RPM in one second as if the gear would be in neutral or the gear wouldn't be not locked. After that the transmission seems the catch up and RPMs go back to 1500 range and the car accelerates okay.

Does anybody have similar experiences and/or suggestions what could cause these phenomena and what to do about them?

Thanks,

- Tim

Reply to
Tim
Loading thread data ...

These transmissions are solenoid controlled. Solenoids like to be either energized or unenergized - when you energize them, they like to slam to the other position. What you are hearing is a trick to get a solenoid to smoothly change state when it goes into gear. They hit the solenoid with a series of pulses rather than a solid +12 volts - it's called duty cycling. It prevents the tranny from slamming into gear. Most people describe the sound as a light chatter. You should hear it going from neutral or park into drive or reverse.

An '00 should have OK firmware in the TCM. I know 99's had a TCM firmware update to reduce behavior similar to what you're describing.

What you're describing may be normal - I can't tell the degree to which it is happening - but I have two Concordes - same transmission - my trannies will do a little hunting and slipping under certain specific conditions. I could probably duplicate it at will.

But again, I can't tell if yours is the normal amount of such behavior or if you have problems. You might have the fluid and filter replaced and have the dealer check for the latest TCM firmware.

Also - before you spend any money on fluid or re-flashes of the TCM, disconnect the battery for a couple of minutes (disconnect ground jump post on passenger side at strut tower) and then re-connect. This will put thru TCM through the learning process again. People often comment that the tranny is better behaved at the defaults (i.e., before it learns) and gets worse as time goes on - many recommend periodically resetting it for better overall behavior. There's also a fuse you can pull to do the same thing, but I forget which one.

See answer to 2. above.

If there is a problem with your tranny, it you maybe should have the solenoid pack checked out. But put it thru a re-learn first.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

I have a 00 3ooM I purchased new with about 19,000 miles. The tranny does not make any of the noises or have any of the symptoms you describe. The only thing I hear from the tranny is the typical Chrysler hydralic solenoid noises when it is shifted into gear from park.

Steve

Reply to
Steve Stone

Thanks Bill. I checked the car's manufacturing data and it states the car was actually manufactured 12-99 - not '00 as I stated earlier.

So, what you just described might very much be due to an old TCM firmware. I will visit our local Chrysler representative and ask them to upgrade my TCM firmware.

- Tim

Reply to
Tim

Actually I should have said MY (model year) '99. There's a TSB on it. Does not apply to MY '00, which yours is. However, I have read posts on LH-specific sites of people getting better tranny behavior just from having the TCM reflashed - i.e., not an upgrade - just re-loaded.

Be aware that the dealer is going to charge you to do that - anywhere from $55 to $120. I would try re-setting the TCM by removing power first - zero-cost. If that doesn't do it, then new fluid/filter and reflash - either order you choose.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

Bill,

I have tried also this TCM re-training but it didn't solve the problem. And the transmission oil ATF+4 and filter should be fine as the tranny came from Holland as "factory rebuilt" about a month ago.

Did I understood you correctly that my 300M which is manufactured december '99 is actually year '00 model - and should not have these software issues?

I called my dealer and reserved a time for re-flashing to make sure that everything is alrite. They will charge around $60 and they will also evaluate this replacement tranny at the same time.

I my opinion a car with this price tag should have a well behaved ie. smooth transmission. Let's hope that re-flashing will solve these issues.

- Tim

Reply to
Tim

I think the M's were started late in their first year of production, model year 1999 - IOW - out of cycle with the normal car manufacturing year. I assume that they started the '01 model year back in sync with the car manufacturers' model year (I believe around the August or September '00 time frame). If I'm right, yours is model year '00. The TSB only applied to '99 model year.

HERE'S THE REAL WAY TO TELL: The 10th digit (third from end) of the VIN is the model year. X is '99, 0 is 2000.

Your dealer can tell what revision level of the firmware is in yours and compare it to the latest revision level.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

Was it a cry factory rebuilt or other rebuilt? You should have a 50K 3 year cry warranty on a factory rebuilt transmission. Take it back and have the check it on there dime. MT

Reply to
MT-2500

I would verify that no additives were used with ATF +4. Some shops cannot resist sticking an additive in with the fluid.

Reply to
Art

All the better to bump up that invoice, eh? The profit margin on that crap is unreal.

Reply to
DeserTBoB

Art,

I have an appointment this friday at the local Chrysler distributor and I will ask them to evaluate the condition of the transmission by driving with the scan tool connected, so that they can collect all relevant data and get the "feeling" of the tranny on the road. I will also ask them to upgrade the TCM firmware, if necessary. I will post the results here.

- Tim

Reply to
Tim

Update: I had my TCM upgraded with the new firmware. The new transmission makes the shifts more softly now, yet it appears to be more precise when shifting. So the 60 euros spent wasn't that bad.

Thanks guys for the help and suggestions!

- Tim

Reply to
Tim

Thanks for posting back and letting us know how it went.

10-4 on the pcm update. Also a note on when installing a new transsmission besides checking for updates on pcm the pcm always needs to be reset/adjusted for a breakin peroid. Good Luck MT
Reply to
MT-2500

I'm puzzled about the MY, but the dates on TCM's aren't always accurate

- must be the case here. Anyway - glad the problem is solved.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

Bill,

According the invoice, the update is 04606517AD.

- Tim

Reply to
Tim

You need to talk to the dealer about info on the update. It is more or less a dealer thing. Good luck MT

Reply to
MT-2500

Hmmm - that's funny - the firmware update that was put into my '99 TCM about 4 years ago per the TSB is 4606517A*E* - one revision *later* than your revision level. Oh - well - they both seem to be good revisions. Maybe someone somewhere along the line determined that the ...AD revision was the best overall.

BTW - in that previous post where I said "...but the dates on the TCM's aren't always accurate", what I mean to say was "...but the dates on the TSB's aren't always accurate", meaning model years of vehicle applicability.

The important thing is that it's good now - don't look back!! :)

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.