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Cold Shift Issue

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#21 ·
I'm pretty sensitive to operational issues...but like you said maybe its so subtle that I don't notice it anymore.
I'll pay close attention looking for it during next drive.
If I don't notice it, maybe we can meet up and compare notes seeing you're in Atlanta.
 
#22 ·
cpapjack said:
Sorry I haven't responded sooner. Been kind of a busy week and because of that, I had to reschedule my appt. to next Wednesday, the 24th. I will certainly update you after.
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So I took my Durango in for my 9:00 appt. yesterday.I should've known I was going to run into problems when the Service Advisor said right away that they were backed up and two people called in sick. :( I explained my issues to him, and asked if to have my Rango back by 4:30. He said that shouldn't be a problem. 3:00pm rolls around and I hadn't heard from the dealer yet, so I called to get a status. The person I spoke with said they still hadn't looked at my vehicle yet, but would be soon and would call with an update. 45 minutes later, I get a call from the Service Advisor I dealt with when I dropped it off. He said they still hadn't looked at it yet, but it was next in line. I asked him what I was supposed to do for a vehicle, because it was obvious it wasn't going to be ready by 4:30. He didn't really answer me so I asked if they could give me a loaner. His response was that he could, but they didn't have any. I was starting to get furious at this point. So he said give me a few minutes to find something and I'll call you back. 1/2 hour goes by and I still hadn't heard from him. So I call back again, and he told me he hasn't been able to find anything. I started to go off on him and he said that I could give you your Durango back and you can reschedule your appointment. I said fine, as I needed it for that evening.

I will give this dealer 1 more try, as they've been good to me in the past. But if it doesn't work out next time, I have 1 more dealer in the area I could go to. After that, the next closet dealer is 45 minutes away.

So I will be following up today with my Case Manager that was assigned to me from Dodge. I will report back after my next appt.
 
#23 ·
I have no bump downshifting to first..or any gear. 2wd Hemi Citadel.
I paid close attention while cold, warm and towing my boat.
I did note my truck will not downshift into first until below 5 mph or almost to a stop or complete stop.
Only way I could tell was to watch the dash gear indicator.

So note this bump some of you are talking about is not present in my D.
 
#24 ·
OK, I've been following this thread since it started because my SXT does the 'bump' too. Not only on downshift when cold, but at all temps, and from 2~1. It's most noticeable when coasting-up to a traffic light at low speeds.

I tend to theorize that this is normal behavior for "eco mode". You know -- using the engine''s compression to slow the DD down sorta like a "Jake Brake" on a dump truck. Beats me, but it is kind of an odd sensation.
I haven't run it in "Thrash mode" long enough to see if it learns a different shift routine, but maybe I'll try that after reading some of the replies above.
 
#25 ·
UPDATE - I had an appointment at 7:30 yesterday morning. I ended up getting the same Service Adviser as I had the week prior, which I was hoping wasn't the case. So I explained to him once again what the issues were. He asked what time I needed it back and I said 3:00pm and he wrote down 2:00pm on the work order. He said he'd call later in the morning with an update. The day goes on, and at 3:21, I still had not received a call. A bit irritated, I proceed to call and the girl who answered the phone said it was done. I asked why no one ever called me when I was promised someone would, and she said the Adviser must've forgot. That really irritated me even more. I left work at 5 and on my way there, my Case Manager from Dodge called. I explained to him about the very poor customer service I've been receiving from this dealer. (I myself am in the customer service business, so I take these things very seriously) He was very apologetic and without my asking, offered me 3 years of oil changes and tire rotations for free to use at any Dodge dealership I choose. (thank god because it won't be this one!) He then explained to me what the dealer found with my Rango, and not to my surprise, they found nothing wrong. They said it's operating as it should. :mad: I explained the issues again to my Case Manager and asked what the next steps would be? He said they would order a "Black Box" and install in the Rango. I would drive it for a week or so and then return it to the dealer so they can further analyze the data with a Dodge Engineer.

So the saga continues. Now I wait to hear from them as to when they will install this "Black Box."
 
#26 ·
I thought most modern vehicles already have a blackbox. Im curious why they would have to put one in.
 
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#27 ·
What recording is in the vehicle's standard system "black boxes" is not at the level of detail needed to diagnose most problems.
 
#28 ·
Hello, did anyone ever found out what the issue was? Mine does the exact same thing. I have a 2013 SXT 6 Cyl. It only does it when the engine is cold. I’m thinking about doing a transmission oil change soon just to see if that helps somehow. Thank you.
 
#30 ·
jordonjohnson8733 said:
Did the flush help at all?
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Hi Jordonjohnson8733,
Sorry for the super delayed reply. I just saw your message. Unfortunately, the flush didn’t solve the issue, it’s still acting the same. I came back to the thread hoping someone might have found a fix or figured out what’s causing it.

Has anyone had any luck? Thanks in advance!
 
#31 ·
Do a reset of the canbus system. Disconnect the negative battery cable and then press the brake for 30 seconds to drain the bus system. Reconnect the battery and drive it to allow the transmission to relearn itself.
 
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#33 ·
Well, a harder 1-2 shift and maybe a 2-1 shift is fairly normal when the transmission is cold. Is that what you have?
 
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#34 ·
Tin Foil Hat said:
Well, a harder 1-2 shift and maybe a 2-1 shift is fairly normal when the transmission is cold. Is that what you have?
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Yes, that’s exactly what I’m experiencing. The hard shift only happens from 1st to 2nd gear, and only when the engine is cold. What’s strange is that the shifts from 2nd to 3rd and beyond feel totally normal, even when it’s still cold. It’s just that 1st to 2nd. After driving for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, the shifting becomes smooth like nothing was ever wrong.
 
#35 ·
That's normal enough to not worry about it. How many miles on the car? If under or near 100K then it's the time for a trans fluid and filter change.
 
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#36 ·
Tin Foil Hat said:
That's normal enough to not worry about it. How many miles on the car? If under or near 100K then it's the time for a trans fluid and filter change.
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Got it. It has about 178K miles on it, so it’s definitely past that 100K mark. I did a transmission fluid change a while back just to see if it would help, but unfortunately it didn’t make a difference.
 
#37 ·
With the fluid already done it's just drive time now.
 
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Maurito
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