Denver Alyse Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 (edited) Deleted Edited December 1, 2014 by Denver Alyse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
probak118 Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 Join the club, seems a lot of us have the shifting into gear "clunk" etc.. ! That would be great if our DJs learned how we drove, our route, our . .stops and the times we needed to be there ! My DJ must still be learning after 2 + years LOL., many of us have had our DJs in for updates etc...hard to believe this issue seems somewhat acceptable by the manufacturer. Let's just hope that enough of us complain with every visit and the obvious gets addressed because they really are a nice vehicle. ChopRod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecrazyfoo4u Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 Yep, the jerky transmission is a known issue on pretty much every single DJ. Some people get it fixed with the software TSB, but for most it appears like the software patch doesn't fix the issue. I've just learned to live with it and kind of "work around" the issue. I find that shifting from park into reverse slowly pretty much gets rid of the clunk. And accelerating either slowly (~25% throttle) or fast (~75% or greater throttle) will greatly improve the 2nd and 3rd gear shifts on my vehicle. For some reason driving with moderate throttle will induce the clunks. I would be very amazed if Dodge bought back your vehicle for the transmission clunks. I don't think they'll ever do that. ChopRod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 I too have just adopted my driving style to pretty much eliminate the clunks and weird shifting at part throttle.. ChopRod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 I wouldn't say that mine shifts "smoothly", but it certainly doesn't clunk or surge... Perhaps the way I drive is suited for this transmission?? It is a topic that I see a lot though, so you are not alone. I do occasionally notice a clunk from 2nd to 3rd when driving down my drive to the street... About the time I get ready to apply the brakes, the vehicle is ready to shift into 3rd. Sometimes it will shift up when I am no longer accelerating and give a light "clunk"... It is definitely not something that happens all the time though and I am able to control whether or not it happens. jkeaton 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denver Alyse Posted November 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2014 (edited) ..... Edited December 1, 2014 by Denver Alyse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
probak118 Posted November 19, 2014 Report Share Posted November 19, 2014 Wow, good luck. Maybe the start of something to eventually benefit all us DJ owners having the issue ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolly Posted November 19, 2014 Report Share Posted November 19, 2014 Wow, good luck. Maybe the start of something to eventually benefit all us DJ owners having the issue ? More likely to benefit the lawyer! Lobitz68 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted November 19, 2014 Report Share Posted November 19, 2014 More likely to benefit the lawyer! Ha! For the shifting to be bad enough for me to involve a lawyer it would have to be pretty bad. I don't know how Dodge could say that shifting THAT bad was normal. Honestly, people are too eager to sue these days. The "issue" sounds to me from the description to be exactly what the dealership suggests. To say that only one person should drive the car is dumb (doubt that was actually said with a straight face), but if the people driving the vehicle have 2 very different driving styles and they are swapping back and forth often, I could see how it may act that way. I'd bet my lunch that if driven a tad bit more aggressively, the "issue" would go away. rolly and jkeaton 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted November 19, 2014 Report Share Posted November 19, 2014 A lawyer? Wow, just wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 19, 2014 Report Share Posted November 19, 2014 (edited) I get an occasional clunk when I move it first thing in the AM; park or reverse. Smooth at all other times. Edited December 2, 2014 by dhh3 ChopRod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkyssxt Posted November 21, 2014 Report Share Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) Dhh3 that is called the garage shift. The initial shift from Park to drive or reverse. When the fluid has drained from servos, clutches, pumps, pistons, torque converter, etc. The shift from 2-3 being solid has to do with the gearing. It applies the clutches more firmly because of the torque range it is intending to land in requiring more holding power. Why the 3-4 shift is so soft(bad drop in torque range due to the gear ratios between the 2 gears) the adaptive Trans sees someone driving aggressively and shifts aggressively. If it hasn't adapted to the next driver just yet and they're soft on the throttle, the solid shift will be much more noticable(almost to the effect of an electronic shift kit) worn/damaged/loose motor mounts can exacerbate the problem, making it much more noticeable. I'm not saying there isn't something wrong with your DJ, but your husband may be moonlighting as a street racer... Try disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes or so. Reconnect it and go for a drive. See if the surging continues. Edited November 21, 2014 by Sparkyssxt dhh3 and Lobitz68 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted November 21, 2014 Report Share Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) Dhh3 that is called the garage shift. The initial shift from Park to drive or reverse. When the fluid has drained from servos, clutches, pumps, pistons, torque converter, etc. The shift from 2-3 being solid has to do with the gearing. It applies the clutches more firmly because of the torque range it is intending to land in requiring more holding power. Why the 3-4 shift is so soft(bad drop in torque range due to the gear ratios between the 2 gears) the adaptive Trans sees someone driving aggressively and shifts aggressively. If it hasn't adapted to the next driver just yet and they're soft on the throttle, the solid shift will be much more noticable(almost to the effect of an electronic shift kit) worn/damaged/loose motor mounts can exacerbate the problem, making it much more noticeable. I'm not saying there isn't something wrong with your DJ, but your husband may be moonlighting as a street racer... Try disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes or so. Reconnect it and go for a drive. See if the surging continues. Best description I've seen so far... I just say accelerate a little faster. Same concept and the outcome is smoother shifting. She already has a lawyer though, so clearly she isn't interested in any sort of normal resolution of a minor issue... SUE THEIR PANTS OFF!!!! WOOT!!! Edited November 21, 2014 by Lobitz68 jkeaton and dhh3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecrazyfoo4u Posted November 21, 2014 Report Share Posted November 21, 2014 They should make DJ's with the individual driver settings (that typically control seat/steering wheel/pedal position), but then add transmission settings to the mix that's adapted to each driver. That would be GENIUS! jkeaton 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 22, 2014 Report Share Posted November 22, 2014 After the initial clunk (BTW, this does not happen very often - I should have been more clear in my post), once the 1 - 2 shift has occurred, I do not feel it shift at all, and do not even feel the the "lock-up". Initial start of the day, I try to give it enough time to get all of the juices flowing. Occasional clunk going into R if I run in and out of a store, but after reading all the posts, I am not concerned, and if an issue develops, my warranty will cover it. What? Me Worry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silenze Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Transmission shifted so hard from a stop i thought someone rear ended me. Oh well You get what you pay for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey_SeXT Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Transmission shifted so hard from a stop i thought someone rear ended me. Oh well You get what you pay for You get what you pay for??? I tend to think that my DJ is worth a little more than that statement. I know plenty of people that have issues with their German imports and costed way more than our DJ's so please don't make it sound like we've all purchased some cheap entry level econo-box that is just to take us from point A to point B. rolly 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Just as an FYI, according to my window sticker, the transmission is made in the USA (Kokomo, IN.) and the engine is made in Mexico. I will be watching the engine more closely than the transmission. When I removed the plastic engine cover, I found a sombrero! ChopRod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Transmission shifted so hard from a stop i thought someone rear ended me. Oh well You get what you pay for Maybe it has a shift kit and sure, go on and trade it in on something that costs twice as much. Maybe you'll be happier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 Transmission shifted so hard from a stop i thought someone rear ended me. Oh well You get what you pay for Ha! Dramatic much?? You should jump on the other person's lawsuit... Maybe together you guys can get enough of a settlement to get an awesome imported car like a Toyota or something. How cool would that be? Think about all the years of trouble free ownership and that huge trade in value... Man, what a great deal that would be. jkeaton 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shata Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 I get an occasional clunk when I move it first thing in the AM; park or reverse. Smooth at all other times. Same First Shift of Day from P to R to D. The R to D is normally where I have little Clunk/Jolt after that no issues. I say its normal for this tranny but hell in 30k miles when warranty is gone im sure it will drop outa car. Normally how it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 If you are concerned, then get an extended factory warranty that will cover you for however long you plan to own your vehicle. I wish we had OEM lifetime PT warranties available in Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 Same First Shift of Day from P to R to D. The R to D is normally where I have little Clunk/Jolt after that no issues. I say its normal for this tranny but hell in 30k miles when warranty is gone im sure it will drop outa car. Normally how it works. Mine clunks too but what I have learned is to keep my foot firmly on the brake and give it a second or two between shifts before I release the brake and hit the gas. It seems, on mine at least, that shifting quickly between park, drive or reverse without my foot in the brake and giving it a second to fully engage causes the clunk. Other vehicles I have do not do this, but I am learning how to adjust my driving style to eliminate these pesky little noises on the DJ. I don't blame the car, I blame myself for thinking every vehicle should behave the same way. rolly 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChopRod Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 Mine clunks too but what I have learned is to keep my foot firmly on the brake and give it a second or two between shifts before I release the brake and hit the gas. It seems, on mine at least, that shifting quickly between park, drive or reverse without my foot in the brake and giving it a second to fully engage causes the clunk. Other vehicles I have do not do this, but I am learning how to adjust my driving style to eliminate these pesky little noises on the DJ. I don't blame the car, I blame myself for thinking every vehicle should behave the same way. Mine only does the rare clunk- R to D. If your shoe is touching the throttle pedal at all- makes it worse. Have foot on the brake pedal of course but sometimes its a matter of having it off to the side a little and often don't realize its touching the throttle pedal. Stupid shoes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 Interesting that the OP deleted his/her posts in this topic - I guess they were somewhat embarrassed by their claim that a harsh shift could be a buyback issue. Mine downshifts on decelleration when I would prefer that it not, and if I shift from park before the RPMs come down after a cold start it will be 'harsh', but the transmission works reasonably well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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