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Stuck in 3rd Gear, after oil pan replacement

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Adrian97c

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
So after spending too much $ on oil pan replacement, I picked up the 17’ RT AWD from shop & on way home I noticed it was idling different. Next morning upon cold start it sounded rattley as I approached the front end (remote start)… then got in & as I started driving, I saw dashboard lights flash.. stability control & check engine! &… it was then stuck in 3rd gear!!

I slowly brought it back to the shop & told them… they put me in a rental & it’s been 4 days. What are your thoughts? I’ve seen comments online that it could be from trans solenoid, conductor plate, TCM software, new tranny, to restart car 3 times in a row?
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
cambo said:
Did you try in rapid succession restarting three times in a row ? this worked for me
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Did that get rid of your errors on dash? I did not try, since this happened shortly after picking up my Durango from getting oil pan replaced.. I took it back to them, assuming they screwed something up. It’s been there for 4 days now, no word yet.. they put me in a rental.
 
#6 ·
Adrian97c said:
Did that get rid of your errors on dash?
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Yes it did clear the errors in the Dash. Cant remember what they were but definitely engine light cleared, my mechanic couldn't believe that it reset he deals with lots of engine light issues in NY you cant pass inspection with the light on. My remote start stopped working as well around the same time not sure if they had something in common. It would occur randomly maybe twice a year
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
So tires plus called me back, they admitted the issue is beyond their techs abilities. So they filed a claim with their quality control department, they will have my car towed to dodge so they can further diagnose & hopefully fix.

Will update thread as I learn more
 
#9 ·
Adrian97c said:
So tires plus called me back, they admitted the issue is beyond their techs abilities. So they filed a claim with their quality control department, they will have my car towed to dodge so they can further diagnose & hopefully fix.

Will update thread as I learn more
Click to expand...
Please confirm if I understand correctly:

1) The auto service changed the trans fluid and filter which requires replacement of the plastic OEM pan with the embedded filter.
2) The correct fluid was used.
3) After completing the fluid fill procedure, the car was driven for while to make sure the fluid temperature was above 190 degrees. This allows the trans thermostat valve to open and allow flow through the cooler, which will further remove trapped air from the system. Then the fluid level was checked again and fluid added as necessary per fluid fill procedure.
4) The problem became noticeable after the fluid cooled down which would lower the fluid level even more and possibly cause a shifting issue if the fluid was low.
5) A shift issue can cause the transmission to go into limp mode, which makes the transmission stay in 2nd or 3rd gear until the engine is shutdown and restarted. It may also require clearing the code but it may return if the issue is not resolved. The remote start will not work also when you have the error.

A low fluid level can cause all of these issues. Did the auto service check the fluid level after test driving it with the fluid temp above 190F?

How many miles are on the vehicle and what does your fluid temp normally run at?

Did the auto service file a claim with the insurance as an admission they did something wrong?
 
#10 ·
Post #89 has a lot of information about the ZF8HP70 - Fluid Change, Temperature, Cooling, Pan, Filter Change

In the section "Adjusting the Fluid Fill Levels:", check out the YouTube video by John Kelly of WeberAuto it starts at the a point most relevant to the proper fill procedure and associated issues.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
They replaced the oil pan that holds motor oil. They also tried replacing my driver side ballast to see if they could get my headlight working again. Yes they are admitting things went haywire after they performed the service.
 
#12 ·
Wow. Does not make any sense. Engine oil pan should have nothing to do with your shift issue. Maybe they damaged an upstream O2 sensor. That would definitely make it run bad. What happened to your oil pan?
 
#16 ·
There is no proof they caused any damage and the issue occurred sometime after the engine oil change. If the shift problem occured when you attempted to drive away from the service center, and you could not drive away, "maybe" with evidence, there could be liability at best. They probably offered to look at it for you without accepting fault. Did they charge you for the time to analyze your transmission related issue? If not, that was very generous.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
Enthusiast said:
There is no proof they caused any damage and the issue occurred sometime after the engine oil change. If the shift problem occured when you attempted to drive away from the service center, and you could not drive away, "maybe" with evidence, there could be liability at best. They probably offered to look at it for you without accepting fault. Did they charge you for the time to analyze your transmission related issue? If not, that was very generous.
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I get it, but one things for sure… after searching this & the FB group.. this seems to be “a thing”. Will be looking to trade this in before it continues to spiral. Sucks that I just paid it off & just hit 100k miles.
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
Update: I’m SOL now. I’m down $3k from the initial work & now I will need to pay to tow it to Dodge, then who knows how much they will charge me to fix the limp mode & stability control errors… oh I’ll be needing to pay for a rental during the rest of the downtime… life it def doing its thing on me.

Any estimates for fun how much Dodge dealer will ask for?
 
#19 ·
$1,000,000,000 and then they'll say, no problems found and we can't duplicate them. LOL
 
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#20 ·
Adrian:
Sorry that this thing has turned into a mess gone down a rabbit hole for you. Are you saying this place charged you $3k just to replace the engine oil pan? If so, that would have been my first clue that they would never see my car again!

Dealers were charging $1k a while back for this job. but the price has gone up some as of late like everything else. Did you have them show you the leak? Were you experiencing oil loss and/or drips/stains on your driveway or garage floor?

Unfortunately, this is a very expensive lesson to not let "tire and lube places" do such in depth work unless you KNOW them well.

At this point, I'd blame the shop, and not the Durango. I don't recall any other instances of folks having this issue after an oil pan replacement.

Don
 
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