RFCRD wrote:
Honest opinion, I think this is what is causing the bucking after hard acceleration. Have a theory that the valve is too slow or having problems changing angles after a WOT/full-boost event. Just think about how much air volume and what force is applied to that plate by this engine if it can completely overcome @25psi boost pressure and suck it's CAC hoses closed as some have reported. Can easily see this breaking the plastic gears controlling that valve.
I have wondered the same thing since you guys started talking about the shudder. The thing is that what everyone describes is more like a sudden fuel starvation problem, such as small amount of air in the fuel or what a sudden loss of boost at WOT will do when you have vaccum fludder to VVT on a VW TDI. Only on the VW it would normally just do it once or twice then have total vacuum failure to the boost from what I had heard a few years back. I think VW had gotten a few bad vacuum valves or something that was a cheap & easy fix once the cause was found.
However this shudder is also I think reported in gassers with same tranny, and what is so confussing is the larger number of vehicles that never seem to have this problem. I am not saying it is just one tranny in every 10,000 but it is not 2 out 3 trannys having the problem either. I know water in the tranny will cause these shudders and that these trannys can not tolerate even an ounce of water in the fluid or they will act up with almost same symptoms.
I think I said here before that this may be a water in tranny problem, and that these units have a poorly sealed dipstick tube and that on other vehicles they had TSB to replace the seal. Then when even new designed seal didn't work they went to RTV sealing the tube and this was done not by TSB, but by service note from Chrysler. Mine was done that way at about second week of owning and was never driven in the rain before having the RTV sealer job done. Note the condition described here on the TSB for the 42RLE trans and this is same "box" or housing used for our 545RLE trans. This leaking seal was not limited to the 42RL and can be found on the MB tranny, the W5A or what is sometimes called the NAG-1, used in all 300C & Magnum car's with V8 and all Chargers.
THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES SERVICE BULLETIN 21-006-04, DATED APRIL 27,
2004, WHICH SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM YOUR FILES. ALL REVISIONS ARE
HIGHLIGHTED WITH **ASTERISKS** AND INCLUDES UPDATES FOR THE REPAIR
PROCEDURES, PART NUMBERS, LABOR OPERATION TIMES AND A NOTE.
SUBJECT:
Shudder During Shifts
OVERVIEW:
This bulletin involves flushing the transmission and **replacing the transmission fill tube**.
MODELS:
2005 (LX) 300/Magnum
NOTE: **This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 42RLE transmission (Sales
Code DG6) built before August 29, 2004**.
SYMPTOM/CONDITION:
Shudder felt during shifts. The shudder is most noticeable with partial application of torque
converter clutch in 3rd and 4th gear.
DIAGNOSIS:
1. Test drive the vehicle to verify the condition.
2. Visually inspect the Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) for water contamination (use
a service dipstick, Miller Special Tool 9336). ATF contaminated with water will have a
milky appearance but may not be readily apparent at lower concentration levels, 0.5%
water concentration will cause shift shudder. The visual inspection may not be
conclusive.
3. Document result of the visual inspection on the repair order.
4. Perform the Repair Procedure if the shift quality test drive confirmed shift shudder
exists regardless of the outcome of the visual inspection.
NUMBER: 21-006-04 REV. A
GROUP: Transmission
DATE: October 6, 2004