[Stuck2theAxles]

I have a 2010 a 2011 and just got a 2012 for a work truck and ill tell you what i hate the way they programed the transmissions to have the split second and be a true 6 speed it has a very smooth excel on moderate load but when its in MDS and trys to torque it out and not down shift and when you get on the freeway and it doesnt drop a gear to actually use your 390HP and just bogs it makes me want to crash the truck into a wall and use my GAP insurance !!! Opinions please:smileup:

 

[Dragvan]

I went from a 2004 to this 2012 and was very disaponted in the so called 6 speed. Its the same tranny lol. All dodge did was give the two 2nd gears a choice in manual mode. It is a marketing thing and a bad one if you ask me. I really was expecting a new tranny. The 2500s actually get a real 6 speed but not the 1500s. Just a reprogreammed old one lol. I still like the tranny never had a problem with the 04 and I think its better than the 04. I really like that I can pick a gear when towing just have to remember 3rd is the alternate 2nd and is a whole 300 rpm differance from 2nd. 4th is now the real 3rd and your 1 to 1.
It does feel like its lugging around some times with the mds on. If it really bothers you turn the tow mode on, it turns off the mds but you will lose your 2nd overdrive 6th gear well actually 5th gear lol.

 

[deekum1627]

will the predetor program fix this issue your having??

 

[Stuck2theAxles]

thats exactly what ive been doing because my 2010 has 4.56s with a superchips to turn MDS off so im always around 2000-2500 RPM and the truck loves it, the VVT Hemi's love higher RPMS and what gets your dick harder than a V8 revving up right ??? so its a win win haha but i am def going to the dealer to see if they can reflash this crap to help with the it cuz mine is so bad it shudders under more than 60% percent load while trying to torque it out and not down shift and also under WOT sometimes

 

[Stuck2theAxles]

HAAA if they made a programmer for it i would have already bought it Diablo is just now saying they might be releasing something for the 11s now , for some reason the ECMS are more complex or something who knows but as soon as they come out it will be owned thats for sure

 

[GTyankee]

I personally don't like the way the Electronic Controlled Transmissions from Chrysler shift
mine is the 2009 545RFE the RFE means Rear Wheel Drive, Fully Electronic Controlled
It is the most unpredictable transmission that i have ever driven
While using Cruise Control, the same hill, the same speed, the same weather conditions, will give you different results at certain spots on that hill, some times a lazy shift, some times a neck jarring shift, sometimes nothing at all until the road speed drops 6 or 7 mph below the setting that the cruise control is set at.
Then there is the same hill, same speed, everything the same, EXCEPT, if it is daytime or night time, everything changes again
The damn thing is unpredictable

 

[TNC]

I've had lots of trucks over many years, most of them with auto trannys. It's a little surprising to hear such varied reports and opinion on this Ram tranny. I do not doubt that some of these reports are actual mechanical and/or software issues not intended in the design and operation of the tranny. However, a good many/most of the complaints seem to be related to the operation as designed. And it seems that some are possibly directing their complaints at the tranny when perhaps it should be directed at the feedback from the MDS.

Regardless, from my experiences with a '12 Express so far, I find this tranny to operate with excellent performance and smoothness. I've found the shifts to be seamless and consistent. This is my first Dodge. All the GM auto trannys I've had over the years didn't perform as well as this one to this point. I drove Crown Vics with a 4.6 for many years with whatever Ford tranny they came with, and I don't really consider that they performed any better than this Ram. In the cases where there's not a mechanical or software malfunction, maybe some are more sensitive to the chararacteristics of the Ram tranny.

I'm not a stars-in-the-eyes kind of vehicle owner. They all have some kind of warts and annoyances. Now, tomorrow I may find a pile aluminum and ATF under the truck after leaving a stop light, but right now I'm liking the tranny.

 

[tobyjohnson11]

I have a 2012 4x2 with 3.21 axle. I love the transmission, now that I learned the shift points. I can do about 90mph in 2nd gear which is kinda like having a 4 speed tranny.

When I set my cruse at 68 and I am in 5th running about 1700 rpm. When I set my cruse at 72 and I am in 6th running about 1650. What I do is set my cruse at 72 and let it shift into 6th, then I decel back to about 68 and I run about 1500 rpm in 6th and can get very good mileage.

I actually waited to get a 2012 over the 2011 becauuse of the updated tranny.

My mds stays on alot more than the 2011 I drove with 3.92 axle. I drive alot of highway miles and I wanted the best mpg and I feel like I am getting it.

I did a 90 mile highway trip the other day at 60 mph and got 22mpg. I also did a 150 mile trip with highway and city driving and got 19mpg..

 

[mikennrg]

I have a 2012 4x2 with 3.21 axle. I love the transmission, now that I learned the shift points. I can do about 90mph in 2nd gear which is kinda like having a 4 speed tranny.

When I set my cruse at 68 and I am in 5th running about 1700 rpm. When I set my cruse at 72 and I am in 6th running about 1650. What I do is set my cruse at 72 and let it shift into 6th, then I decel back to about 68 and I run about 1500 rpm in 6th and can get very good mileage.

I actually waited to get a 2012 over the 2011 becauuse of the updated tranny.

My mds stays on alot more than the 2011 I drove with 3.92 axle. I drive alot of highway miles and I wanted the best mpg and I feel like I am getting it.

I did a 90 mile highway trip the other day at 60 mph and got 22mpg. I also did a 150 mile trip with highway and city driving and got 19mpg..

That's very good mileage. Do you have a tonneau cover or a fan delete?

 

[HeyBrownDog]

Lots of mixed reviews about the new or reprogrammed transmission. For me personally, I was skeptical of what I perceived as a marketing ploy after hearing it was actually the same transmission. That made me a little nervous, but ultimately the 2011 incentives are what steered me toward my purchase as well as seeing no MPG improvement from the 2011 to the 2012. :4-dontknow:

 

[titanman2789]

Regardless, from my experiences with a '12 Express so far, I find this tranny to operate with excellent performance and smoothness. I've found the shifts to be seamless and consistent.

I find it very smooth as well. I like it. I think this trans 'issue' may be a case of personal opinion. What I see is a lot of people comparing this trans to this car or that car. Which is fine. But it's not to say this trans sucks. It's just how you reference a trans you liked or didn't like. I have 1200 miles on my Express so far and MDS stays on when I want it to and goes off when I need it to. It sometimes downshifts when I would not expect it to when I'm trying to go a bit faster, but when I do need it to downshift it always does and I watch that speed needle start goin' up real fast :smileup:. Could be that some people are just being extremely picky? I don't know. If you really don't like it you can give me your truck because I like these 4th gen Rams.

I'm interested to see if people still have the same complaints about the trans after 5k miles, 10k miles, 20k miles, 30k, 50k etc, when it's all broken in and has some miles on it. :thk:

 

[SFVDOC]

I have about 2000 miles on my '12 4x4 with the 3.92 gears and L/S. Yeah, the tranny is kinda funky when it does the 2-3 shift thing but I am getting use to it. The main thing for me is reliability. If it doesn't give me any problems them I am good with it.

 

[brad12kx]

Even in my 2010, the trans 'was' a bit funky. After putting on some miles, it certainly got better, and when I started to drive it more aggressively, it improved even more.

THEN, I got a tuner (Sorry 2011/12 owners ), and disabled the MDS, then picked up a Sonnax line pressure booster for the trans. NOW I have a truck! It shifts firmly and is highly predictable......IMO, the way it should be in a truck. :smileup:

 

[speedfrk]

I find it very smooth as well. I like it. I think this trans 'issue' may be a case of personal opinion. What I see is a lot of people comparing this trans to this car or that car. Which is fine. But it's not to say this trans sucks. It's just how you reference a trans you liked or didn't like. I have 1200 miles on my Express so far and MDS stays on when I want it to and goes off when I need it to. It sometimes downshifts when I would not expect it to when I'm trying to go a bit faster, but when I do need it to downshift it always does and I watch that speed needle start goin' up real fast :smileup:. Could be that some people are just being extremely picky? I don't know. If you really don't like it you can give me your truck because I like these 4th gen Rams.

I'm interested to see if people still have the same complaints about the trans after 5k miles, 10k miles, 20k miles, 30k, 50k etc, when it's all broken in and has some miles on it. :thk:

Actually, I'm comparing mine to my 05 and the 05 was programmed much better than this truck. I don't think there is a mechanical issue, it is just the way they programmed it for gas mileage. My biggest complaint is the MDS kicks in when the transmission already has the engine lugging at 1100 or 1200 rpm at 30-40mph and then the whole truck shudders and the exhaust gets a loud resonance in it and it just feels like something is wrong. If someone is riding with you, you feel like you need to apologize for it. Leaving it in 5th helps since it disables the MDS. If I had taken more than a 10 minute test drive, I probably would not have bought this truck. the trans is annoying and the seats are really uncomfortable- at least for me. Considering how much I loved my 05, I'm a bit disappointed. But the truck does look great...

 

[titanman2789]

I agree that when the MDS kicks in you can feel it sometimes, especially at those lower speeds. I'm not sure why MDS has to kick in at lower speeds. I wish that Dodge would have made it so that MDS only turns on above 45 mph or when cruise control is on. Oh well, I usually drive with MDS off, especially when I'm driving around town
Also, you can set it the -/+ to 6 and MDS stays off.

 

[DWWHemiguy]

I'm thinking it has to be a programming issue because mine does shift much better when I put it in 6th and let it shift on it's on. When I shut off the MDS on my Charger it made a big difference as well.

 

[GTyankee]

When i posted above, i said it was unpredictable shifting, i am referring to a 5 % grade, the climb is from 800 feet above sea level, up to 4500 feet, very few flat spots to let the MDS kick in.
I always set the cruise control at 70 MPH, always the weight is the same
My transmission should act the same way, at the same spot, every time, not varying at all
The highway is 3 lanes going East, so there is no traffic to go around, there is nothing out that way to go to, except 3 casinos, nearest town of over 500 people Eastbound is almost 100 miles away

The transmission just is unpredictable, i make the same trip twice a week & i have 59,000 miles on it

 

[speedfrk]

here is a quote from an article on fuel milage on msnbc and the problem Ford had when they tuned the car for the EPA mileage cycle. I suspect that this is the problem with the transmissions in the 12's with the 6 sp. My truck is so annoying that I'm really considering trading it on something else. I'm constantly either turning the tow/haul on/off or shifting it with the switch on the gear shifter. Not what you would expect from the latest and greatest technology.

But the push for a high EPA rating can occasionally backfire. When J.D. Power and Associates downgraded Ford in its Initial Quality Survey last year, one of the reasons was a balky transmission in the new Ford Focus that had been specifically tweaked to maximize mileage. The maker has since revised the software used to balance fuel economy and ride comfort but it remains to be seen if that will drop Focus below the sought-after 40 mpg figure.

 

[ShooterRT]

This is my 3rd Ram and the best one yet. My 2012 outperforms every other ram 4wd ive ever owned or been in. In the mountains or on the hwy it doesnt even have to downshift and never loses 1 mph. Its power and smooth gear transition (high or low speeds) is flawless and is even intelligent enough to shift how you want it to shift.

 

[speedfrk]

This is my 3rd Ram and the best one yet. All of you that think there is anything wrong with the transmission are poorly mistaken and just dogging what you should be proud of. My 2012 outperforms every other ram 4wd ive ever owned or been in. In the mountains or on the hwy it doesnt even have to downshift and never loses 1 mph. Its power and smooth gear transition is flawless and is even intelligent enough to shift how you want it to shift. control your foot and drive your truck. you are in charge. not you truck.

Glad you're happy with yours... it must be more intelligent than mine. Mine is fine on the hwy also. It is around town where it is retarded. Today, I was driving on a road in town at 35 mph. My intelligent truck was in 5th gear lugging the engine down to 1000rpm. The truck was shuddering and the exhaust was resonating loudly. When I stepped on the gas, there was a definite lag and then it down shifted 2 gears and lurched fwd. I'm not the only one who experiences this behavior.

I've had 8 Dodge trucks in the past 12 years and this one is certainly better in many respects but the engine/transmission software is terrible.