I'm hoping someone can give me some advice. I apologize for the long story I'm about to tell but the details may be important.

I have the GDE Hot Tune, TCM Towing Tune, and 140K mi on my CRD My torque converter had not been replaced but had been holding up ok but it did exhibit some stuttering and would sometimes not disengage right after starting after sitting all day (so you had to shift in N and wait a minute then the problem would go away).

About two months ago driving home a terrible noise came from my drive line. It seemed to come from the rear or transmission. It sounded like metal scraping metal but the CRD kept going but was popping some (which was scary). I drove the 2 mi or so home and started tearing it down.

I already had bought a euro torque converter and it was sitting in my garage. So I replaced the torque converter, flushed the trans cooler, finished putting in the pump and clutch part of the Transgo kit (I did the valve body many miles ago), replaced the filters with Wix, put it back together, and put in new ATF+4.

Then I learned that my transfer case was shot so I had it rebuilt for a painful $900.

Once I got it back and the CRD back together everything seemed wonderful. It was driving the best it ever has until ....

So I noticed driving home it was shifting weird (more harsh). Then the next morning driving into work things went nuts. It wouldn't shift into OD and I could smell hot / burning ATF+4. Luckily / strangely, I was just about 2 mi down the road so I limped home (engine control went into limp mode). There was a CEL so I read the code and it was a P0700 (no others). I pulled the transmission dip stick and the smell of hot / burned fluid greeted me. The level was at the cold fill line even though it was clearly not cold. I had been checking the level every couple of days since putting it all back together so it should not have been low.

Ok, well now I'm sick at my stomach. I removed the + battery cable and let it cool down. Then I re-attached the battery cable. No CEL but the engine is still in limp mode even in park sitting in the driveway (just won't rev-up normally). So I can back up and pull forward but I haven't dared take it out of the driveway.

So now I need to make a decision. What should I do next?

1. I could drop the pan and I expect to find burnt fluid and probably nothing else.

2. I could take it to the local dealership and have them check the codes and do a diagnostic.

3. I could take the transmission out and go through the valve body, the pump, and the clutch but I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

4. I could buy another transmission from a salvage yard but who knows what I would end up with.

4.a. I found a 545RFE out of a 2006 Dodge 1500 4x4 with only 31K for $750 but I don't know if it will work with the CRD (maybe electronic or other differences)?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I just don't know which way to jump (so to say). After the transfer case cost and this the wife is saying fix it and get rid of it but I like it . When its right its great.

Thanks in Advance,
Mark

I'm by no means an automatic transmission person but just to start the ball rolling:
1. the 2n paragraph mentions "disengage" where I think you mean "engage" given the subsequent comments. If so that's the well known tranny fluid drain back issue that a variety of DCJ vehicles have had since at least the 1st generation mini-vans. In theory new filters will fix the problem or just do the idle in "N" a bit; issue is harmless and unrelated to your other issues.
2. P0700 is simply an ECU code saying the TCM has stored transmission codes which only a dealer or dealer equivalent code reader can pull. Those codes need to be pulled although I'm not sure I'd recommend driving much to get them pulled.
3. I have no clue as to the cause of your issue other than a quess at a tranny fluid circulation problem. Low fluid/plugged tranny cooling lines/??
4. the 545RFE is a solid DCJ transmission used in a bunch of DCJ vehicles for which service is nothing special in that any decent tranny shop should be able to diagnose/repair. As far as I know, Keith at GED or others can confirm/refute, any 545RFE can be bolted up to the KJ CRD and will work fine as all the programming that matters is in the CRD's TCM.

_________________
Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs

Thanks for the reply.

What was happening with the disengage problem was that the Jeep would just keep going even when I removed my foot from the accelerator. If I didn't put it in "N" then it would just plow forward.

So from what I've read about "hot / burnt fluid" is that its normally -

1. a circulation problem like clogged cooler lines, clogged cooler, or other clog (like filter or something)
2. you have been towing something that is too much for you cooling system
3. clutch problem related to low pressure

We can rule out 2.

I could pull the lines from the cooler and flush it again (I'm not sure how to detect a partial blockage) but I just did that a couple of weeks ago.

I have no clue how to check for a clutch problem other than pulling the transmission and going through the clutch (huge effort and I'm not sure what to look for).

I think my first step will be to take it to Jeep / Dodge and let them run diagnostics. They said they will do full diag for 1 hour of shop time. Seems reasonable. I have no clue what transmission codes are set but I know they're still there even after pulling the battery because I'm in limp mode.

I asked Keith about the transmission interchange and he said he wasn't sure about the bell housing bolt pattern. I'm still looking into it. If anyone knows for sure I would really be interested to knowing if that Dodge 1500 4.7L 4x4 transmission would work. With only 31K miles it would probably be a good option.

Where are you located, your signature does not say?
Do you have a good local transmission shop that you can trust? If so, let them pick it up on a wrecker and take to their shop. They should have the tools and equipment to diagnose your problems and make valid suggestions based on what they find.
Burnt trans fluid is bad, something had to slip and overheat in order to turn it dark and smell burnt.
Band clutches are most likely crystallized from the overheating and one or more may be burnt up. Changing filters and fluid will not repair the damage; it may get you a little further down the road, but ultimately you will either have to overhaul the transmission or replace it.
sorry

_________________
Supporting Vendor and Moderator of LOST
05 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited
Ironman Springs/Bilstein/Shocks
Yeti StgIV Hot Tune
Week's BatteryTray
No FCV/EGR
Samcos/ProVent
SunCoast/Transgo
Carter Intank-pmp
2mic.Sec.Fuel Filter
Flowmaster/NO CAT
V6Airbox/noVH
GM11 Bld.fan/HDClutch
IronrockArms/wwdieselMount
98 Dodge Cummins 24 Valve

Ok I'll accept "disengage" instead of "engage" based on your description but when you put it into neutral did the engine RPMs rise? I ask because a sticky throttle (viewtopic.php?f=98&t=76222) pedal could cause the same feeling.

_________________
Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs

VW Diesel thanks for your reply -

I'm located near Fort Worth, Texas.

The transmission shop near me, Phoenix (nationally known for GM / Ford transmissions), said they will not work on a CRD because of warranty concerns (which I struggle to understand).

There are many shops in FtW but I'm not sure who to trust. In general I've had bad experiences letting shops or dealerships work on my vehicles. I tend to do most things myself. However, I'm thinking that getting the transmission codes read is a must and the next logical step.

I just found a salvage 545RFE out of a 96 CRD for $350 with 96K miles. I'm tempted to just go get it, flush / check my cooling lines and put it in and drive it until it breaks. 90 day warranty.

I'm still curious as to whether a 2006 Dodge 1500 545RFE will interchange. I've found one with 31K mi.

Its been awhile since the won't disengage problem happened. I do know the jeep was in hard lockup at very low RPM when it would happen. The only way to stop it was to hit the breaks and kill the engine (ouch) or put it in N. Every time I put it in N and then went back to D it was fine. The RPMs would go up when back in N because there was no longer a load on the engine but I'm not sure there was any other reason. It just seemed to idle normally in N.

FYI: I solved this problem last year by slightly overfilling the transmission as suggested by some others on this forum who had already figured it out. I trimmed about 3/8 off the dipstick also so it would go all the way into the tube and stay there. After filling the transmission to slightly over the full mark when hot while it was cold using the shortened dipstick, the shutter and lockup after just cranking it up and driving a couple hundred feet or so completely disappeared. Like you I quickly learned to shift it into "N" to stop the shutter and stall before I learned of the overfill trick.
I learned from my good friend and local transmission specialist, the problem that causes the shutter and stall is some of the valves in the the front pump assembly were worn out and sticking.
I recently had the front pump and housing replaced with a new one along with a Transgo kit while the tranny was out to install a Suncoast TC. Since then, I have never encountered any more shutter, lockup, or engine stall after starting and driving a short distance...
WW

_________________
Supporting Vendor and Moderator of LOST
05 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited
Ironman Springs/Bilstein/Shocks
Yeti StgIV Hot Tune
Week's BatteryTray
No FCV/EGR
Samcos/ProVent
SunCoast/Transgo
Carter Intank-pmp
2mic.Sec.Fuel Filter
Flowmaster/NO CAT
V6Airbox/noVH
GM11 Bld.fan/HDClutch
IronrockArms/wwdieselMount
98 Dodge Cummins 24 Valve

Here's an update. Not a happy story.

I took my Liberty CRD to a local transmission shop that has good reviews for being honest.

They read the codes and they were a line pressing code and a shift position code. That didn't help much.

They dropped the pan and the fluid was black (the fluid was new with only a couple of hundred miles on it) and there was lots of metal bits in the bottom.

I agreed to let them pull the transmission out and go through it. They found that the thrust bearing at the rear of the clutch had failed which led to metal flying around. Basically my transmission is ruined.

The most likely cause of failure is that the thrust bearing fell out of place during reassembly when I put in the rest of the Transgo Reprogramming kit in (pump and clutch) or it just failed. If it fell out of place (most likely), it's a hard lesson learned. I used petroleum jelly to hold the bearings in place during reassembly but even that failed to hold it in place. Here's what I should have done -

1. stopped the reassembly when the transmission pump didn't mate to the mounting bosses perfectly. there was a tiny gap that I noticed but didn't think it might be a problem. The thrust bearing is very thin and it must have been partially in place. I likely squished it when I torqued the pump down.

2. reassembled the transmission vertically. with the transmission horizontal the bearings want to drop out of place. if you're vertical (nose up) everything stays where its supposed to.

3. perhaps been happy with only the valve body Transgo parts and left the pump and clutch alone.

So I had to go find a rebuild-able core from a salvage yard. The first one I got wasn't the right year even though the salvage yard argued it was. finally they found the right one and swapped me. I'm now waiting to hear back from the rebuild shop as to whether its a use-able core. The torque converter will have to be rebuilt too (even though its only got a couple of hundred miles on it) because of the metal bits that were pumped into it.

Hate to read this! The 545RFE is a relatively strong transmission; hope you get a good rebuild and many miles of use out of it.

Thanks, me too.

Update -

Estimate from transmission shop is $2075. That will be a full rebuild, install Transgo reprogramming kit, rebuild torque converter (that is new but full of bad fluid and possibly metal), install heavier transmission cooler, and all the labor. Comes with a 12 mo warranty.

I'm also out $375 for a rebuild-able core since my was destroyed.

I said go for it. I trust them and the rebuild guy has been doing it for 27 years. I'm also tired of crawling around under my jeep removing and re-installing the transmission.

Should be back on the road early next week.

Be careful if you remove your pump or clutch so you don't end up in the same or worse position.

Thank you for the valuable pointers. It's tough to own up to a mistake but your tips will help someone down the road.

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05CRD: GDE Hot ECU & TCM tunes, Provent, Cat filter, Facet lift pump, TransGo kit, Florida TC, Samcos, stainless brake lines, HDS thermostat, Renegade light bar,
RL super sliders, Bilstein adjustables, Al's Gen 4.5 Arms, 235/85-16 Duratracs, DTT rear, Elocker front, EVIC+TPMS, Turbo timer, McNally pillar gauges, Weeks Stage II kit.