[RAMTX]

Need some advice from my fellow friends from ForumZ.
I just drove 2000 miles from texas to NH to visit my parents. I could take my wife's Dodge Caravan (I don't look cool on it, lol), but I chose to take my 2011 RAM.
About 1000 miles into my trip I start to hear a loud growling, rattling drone noise from the bottom of my truck, the noise did stop if I let up on the throttle. The noise starts around 69 to 76 mph and when I get on my destination I also notice it around 35 to 40 mph.
Around 1600 miles into my trip the noise became louder and very noticible.
I took it to a local Dodge Dealer in New Hampshiere and they took it in and called me back later with a diagnostic of a (maybe) bad converter.
They want to drop the transmission down and start do diagnostic it, (can take 2 weeks if need any parts, according to the service manager) but I told them that I had to go back to Texas next tuesday, so they just did a TSB 18-023-11 recall. I just drove it back from the dealer and the noise became worse in low speed (low RPM) after the TSB.
What do you guys think about this problem, could it be a bad converter? If I drive it back to Texas, Am I risking to damage it even more and leave my family and I on the road?

Need any advice. thanks.
My RAm is 10 months old and 13,000 miles.

 

[Razorbass]

Can't say for sure what the problem might be but the thread below has a lot of info from other members about the TC problem. Hope this helps.

http://www.ramforumz.com/showthread.php?t=93998

 

[RAMTX]

Can't say for sure what the problem might be but the thread below has a lot of info from other members about the TC problem. Hope this helps.

http://www.ramforumz.com/showthread.php?t=93998

Thanksfor the info, I will drop it off at the Dealer tomorrow, the noise became worse as I drove it around tonight.

 

[Guest]

Sounds like the upgrade they did has a problem!

 

[RAMTX]

Sounds like the upgrade they did has a problem!

The upgrade made it worse MADDOG. The dealer just called me back few minutes ago, and my truck will need a new Torque Converter. There is a wait list on it, according to them, looks like others dodge owners are experience the same problem. This is my first dodge and my first long trip with it, and to be honest, I am very frustrated. I will have to flight my family back to Texas ($$$$) and stay in NH till the truck get fixed (there is a rush order on the TC, mabe will be here on jan 2nd).:smiledown:

 

[TransEngineer]

May be too late now... but if it's the converter "warble", you can drive it back to TX with no problem. The "warble" is strictly a noise issue (rattle of the turbine hub spline) and not a durability concern.

But if yours has gotten progressively worse, then maybe you have some internal failure (i.e. more than just a rattle), and in that case you would want to get it fixed before heading home. Unfortunately I can't diagnose it over the internet... the warble noise is typically not very loud, only during light cruise conditions, and goes away if you're in MDS mode. Maybe the dealer found something more suspicious...

 

[HeyBrownDog]

The upgrade made it worse MADDOG. The dealer just called me back few minutes ago, and my truck will need a new Torque Converter. There is a wait list on it, according to them, looks like others dodge owners are experience the same problem. This is my first dodge and my first long trip with it, and to be honest, I am very frustrated. I will have to flight my family back to Texas ($$$$) and stay in NH till the truck get fixed (there is a rush order on the TC, mabe will be here on jan 2nd).:smiledown:

F*$# that.....get on the plane too, and head home with the family. Tell Dodge they can ship your truck home. This Torque Converter BS is honestly getting out of hand.

I have a trip planned next week with my family also. I think we'll take the wife's 2011 Traverse as my 2011 Ram Sport gives me very little confidence about the reliability of my truck. I too have the noise, and some vibration at the same speeds....sounds like a ticking time bomb to me. Just turned 1600 miles.....Priceless!

 

[thiggins]

Someday there may be a nasty recall, but they really don't want to do that.

 

[Rough 01]

I just found out today that my 2011 Sport needs a new torque converter too. The dealer I went to, Go Dodge Arapahoe (Denver area), was very helpful and very willing to help. They said my TC will be in tomorrow but I asked them to wait until Monday to do the work. It's supposed to snow 12" tonight and I really didn't want to be in a rental car for that.

The only thing I would suggest to others is to bring in the star case number along with the write up. This helped out the mechanic that was diagnosing mine immensely. He hadn't heard of the TC issue previously and the star case number allowed him to quickly research the issue. Don't say, "This is obviously what it is" but ask, "Does it sound like this to you or is it something else?". I asked to take the mechanic for a ride and show him the sound it was making so he could listen for it as we drove around (this also helped him out). All in all, this has gone very smoothly for me and I wish you had gotten the same experience.

 

[t05ks]

Owners of the 2500 hemi's are you having coverter problems too?

 

[Rambunkshuss]

Owners of the 2500 hemi's are you having coverter problems too?

I dont believe they are. Most that notice the TC noise are the people in 1/2 ton trucks with MDS. Just my own opinion, this torque convertor crap is out of control. Dodge needs to step up and RECALL & REPLACE them ALL in the 1500 trucks. All of these trucks have this TC issue. Most people that are NOT on the forums dont complain of it because they are not informed ther IS a problem. Usually those kinds of clueless people aren`t even aware that the sun came up yesterday. My bet would be, ther TC`s are bad too and they dont even know it. So my thought on that subject, ther`s more bad torque convertors than good ones out ther running around if you include the people that arent even aware of this issue.

 

[RAMTX]

F*$# that.....get on the plane too, and head home with the family. Tell Dodge they can ship your truck home. This Torque Converter BS is honestly getting out of hand.

I have a trip planned next week with my family also. I think we'll take the wife's 2011 Traverse as my 2011 Ram Sport gives me very little confidence about the reliability of my truck. I too have the noise, and some vibration at the same speeds....sounds like a ticking time bomb to me. Just turned 1600 miles.....Priceless!

I took my RAM to this trip thinking that my truck was the best for this long trip. I had confidence even though my truck was on the dealer a few times before 5000 miles (K36, eratic idle, door seals). if you have noise and vibration at the same speed as mine had, take it to the dealer and have them verify it. I drove 1000 miles into my trip thinking about break downs in the midle of the HWY somewhere , and the only thought i had on my mind was disbelieve. How a new truck could have transmission problems. (tramsmission problems was the reason that I never own a Dodge product before, this is my first DODGE).

I need to go back to Texas and I can't till my truck is fixed, and I will pray that this problem will end after the new TC.

 

[articcatbill]

RAMTX did you try contacting Chrysler customer service about your problem? I would contact them and try to work out transportation arrangements that do not cost you $s. You are under full warranty I would ask for a one-way rental to take you and your family home and then plane tickets to go back and get your truck when it is done. Just a thought, I find when contacting customer service I like to be able to tell them specifically what I want from them.

 

[RAMTX]

RAMTX did you try contacting Chrysler customer service about your problem? I would contact them and try to work out transportation arrangements that do not cost you $s. You are under full warranty I would ask for a one-way rental to take you and your family home and then plane tickets to go back and get your truck when it is done. Just a thought, I find when contacting customer service I like to be able to tell them specifically what I want from them.

Thanks I will call them right now!!!!!!!!!:smileup:

 

[articcatbill]

I really hope you have a good experience with them. I prefer the calm but firm approach, but everyone is different. Let us know how it goes for you.

 

[RAMTX]

A simple phone call made to the CHRYSLER Corporation changed everything. I call them up following articcatbill advise, I asked for a rental and for them to ship my truck back to Texas. The Chrysler costumer service made a phone call to the Dealer as I was wainting in the other line, he came back after few minutes with a positive answer to my problem. The local Dealer promissed to send a driver to pick up a new part (Torque Converter) in Rhode Island Dodge Dealer today and my truck will be done by tomorrow. He also said if the problem is not solved, He will set up a rental car and the proper shipment of my truck back to Texas. I will wait till tomorrow and hope for my truck to be done. I never thought that a new truck needed to have the transmission dropped. I love my Dodge RAM but I am disappointed with the mechanical quality.

 

[HeyBrownDog]

A simple phone call made to the CHRYSLER Corporation changed everything. I call them up following articcatbill advise, I asked for a rental and for them to ship my truck back to Texas. The Chrysler costumer service made a phone call to the Dealer as I was wainting in the other line, he came back after few minutes with a positive answer to my problem. The local Dealer promissed to send a driver to pick up a new part (Torque Converter) in Rhode Island Dodge Dealer today and my truck will be done by tomorrow. He also said if the problem is not solved, He will set up a rental car and the proper shipment of my truck back to Texas. I will wait till tomorrow and hope for my truck to be done. I never thought that a new truck needed to have the transmission dropped. I love my Dodge RAM but I am disappointed with the mechanical quality.

It sucks that your Ram is broken, but this is a great example of quality customer service. I'm gonna give a little love back to Chrysler when I hear your up and running again. Keep us all posted how you make out. :smileup:

 

[RAMTX]

It sucks that your Ram is broken, but this is a great example of quality customer service. I'm gonna give a little love back to Chrysler when I hear your up and running again. Keep us all posted how you make out. :smileup:

I was very surprised with the Excellent CHRYSLER costumer service. The local dealer called few minutes ago with an update on my TC, they got it and it will be installed tomorrow morning. The local dealer also ask me if I could give them a positive feedback with Chrysler Coorporation (first they told me that my truck will not be done till jan 2nd, after chrysler call them, it will be done in 2 days, what a difference). .

 

[Graygoose]

wow, that is great customer satisfaction. Trust me, Ive had many GM, trannies had issues there too, bad 4L60e's...the new ones have issues as well. Sad to have issues, but as long as they take care of me, I'm good. Good luck on yours!

 

[TNC]

wow, that is great customer satisfaction. Trust me, Ive had many GM, trannies had issues there too, bad 4L60e's...the new ones have issues as well. Sad to have issues, but as long as they take care of me, I'm good. Good luck on yours!

And don't forget the good ol' GM 700-R4 before the 4L60...LOL!