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Torque Converter Issues and Alternator Noise Testing Before Testing - IMPORTANT PLEASE DO NOT SKIP! Before doing any testing of the alternator for AC noise, make sure to remove any and all wiring modifications. Return the electrical system back to stock. Make sure there is no extra grounds, relocation of ground wires or noise filters installed before testing the alternator. It has been brought to my attention that wiring mods can and will provide false passing grades for the alternator. The entire electrical system should be left stock and unmodified so you (the owner) are alerted sooner to impending alternator failure. Stock system will show AC noise issues much sooner than a modified system which will mask the issue and then typically cause damage to ECM, PCM or VP44 sooner. 2 Methods of Testing your Alternator for AC Noise 1. Remove the 140 amp alternator fuse in the PDC. Then unplug the field lead of the rear of the alternator. DO NOT remove the heavy charge lead. This was handled by removing the alternator fuse. Now go for test drive and see if the torque converter lockup issues occur. If no torque converter lockup issues then the alternator is at fault for AC noise issues. I highly suggest you verify by having the alternator bench tested and or do test #2 below. 2. Remove the turbo intake tube. Now using a high-quality digital volt meter like Fluke or Extech. The DVM should have an AC scale capable of reading down to millivolts AC. If not you'll see measured AC volts in the range of 29 to 31 volts which is erred. AC Noise Voltage levels Normal - 0.01 to 0.03 AC Volts Marginal - 0.05 to 0.09 AC Volts (Some folks have reported random or odd behavior occurring at this low of voltage) Fail - 0.1 AC Volts and above. NOTE: W-T ground wire mod will make the AC noise much lower typical reading around 10mV AC to 20mV AC is Normal past about 40mV is a fail. Factory wiring is going to remain higher. Highly suggested doing the W-T ground wire mod. Here is another video explaining the AC noise even better... Failed diode waveforms will create some unusual patterns which will create the torque converter issues you guys are having. Here is a normal alternator output with good diodes. Why am I going out and trying to fix this problem? Because the AC noise created by the alternator is being fed to all systems ECM, PCM, ABS, etc. So there is a chance that some of the random failures of ECM's and VP44 are caused by a failed alternator. Replacement Alternators I've been asked about what kind of alternator should be used. I've seen several folks buy brand new alternators and get several in a row that failed out of the box. I've seen personally several remanufactured alternators failed out of the box. Then some folks think that dealer alternator is going to do better but you not guarantee a quality alternator either. So, what is an owner to do? The best thing I can suggest is to buy what you can afford but before you leave the store have them bench test your new alternator for a passing grade. Some folks have now gone to upgrade alternators like Nations Alternators which are all brand new and upgrade to high amperage output. Again, it about what you can afford and brand new is not a guarantee that it's good alternator. Replacement Diodes If the diodes are to blame you can rebuild your 136 amp OEM alternator with this diode kit. Another Member Results As posted from craneop (AKA: Terry Quirk) OK! Problem solved! Yippee!!! Took the recently purchased Alternator back to O'Reilly's where I got it from, had them test it on their tester. They told me they run the test 3 times and if they get a PASS all three times, its a good alternator. When I asked about measuring AC Voltage, they looked dumbfounded, so I asked them if I could hook my multimeter up to the alternator while they tested? They agreed! So now this alternator is reading .35 Volts AC as the first test PASS'S, they run the second test and we get a FAIL, the guy gives me a funny look, checks his wires and runs the third test and we get another FAIL. So the guy now tells me guess we have a bad alternator but they don't have another one on the shelf and I will need to wait till tomorrow to bring one in from the other store. I say I'm OK with that, but that I've learned my lesson and we are going to have to test the next alternator as well before I leave the store with it. The next morning (yesterday) they call me and let me know the alternator is in and I can come down and pick it up. We do the test like before, and this time we get a PASS, PASS, PASS, however, my multimeter is reading 0.3 Volts AC, and then I also notice that on their machine there is a box at the top that says Diodes and across from that box on the screen says N/A. So I ask the guy about it and he says their machine has no way of testing the diodes, it only tests for the overall condition of the alternator. Unhappy with what I'm hearing and looking at, I request my money back which they had no problem with at all, however the core I earlier took in was no longer in the store so the gave me cash in the amount of $215.00 (their core charge on that alternator $36.00 along with the full purchase price of $179.00.) By this time I have no core, only to find out all the other auto parts stores around town are charging a $70 - $80 core charge for this alternator, and a lot of the places have no tester. Starting to get a bit frustrated, I decided to quit messing around and go to the most reliable place in town I know of, a small family owned auto electric and mechanical shop (Auto Electric, Anchorage, Alaska). I was hoping that maybe they had heard of this issue I am having with the TCL and get fixed up with a good alternator. They rebuild all kinds of auto electrical parts right there in house as well a run a full-service auto mechanic shop. Well,,,,I explained my problem to them and showed them a printed copy of the troubleshooting procedure I got from the Mopa1973Man website, to which they said...never heard of this before. However, these guys are real pro's and they didn't blow me off. They took my concerns seriously, brought two techs in out of the shop to talk with me about this, as I explained to them the 0.1 Volt AC upper limit thing. They genuinely got concerned and were pulling down alternators, checking them on the bench and checking outputs at vehicles in the shop. In all, I was in there for about two hours while they tested and discussed and in the end, the shop found me a NEW alternator and gave me a heck of a deal @ $239.00 w/no core charge. The NEW alternator was putting out 0.22 Volts AC on their alternator bench vise, and that concerned me cause I was looking for something under 0.1 VAC. However in further discussion, the techs I was working with concluded, (and BTW they turned out to be right),that the test machine itself was putting off AC Noise and that the Fluke Meter was picking up that AC Noise during the test, and that since the Voltage Regulator is on either the PCM or ECM, the only way to accurately read out the AC output on this alternator was to put it on the vehicle and measure it at that time. So,,,I took the alternator home, hooked it all up, and WALLA... measured at the batteries -0.01 Volts AC @idle, and 0.00 Volts AC @2000 RPM. Feeling pretty good at this point I take it for a test drive. Runs and shifts perfectly. NO MORE PROBLEMS!!! Cory, I believe he's the manager or maybe owner, at Auto Electric said though he's heard and dealt with a lot of Dodge Cummins issues like this before, had never heard of this shifting problem being linked to + 0.10 VAC output on the alternator. He asked me to check back in with him to let him know how all this worked out. I will do that on Monday, as well as express my thanks for all the personal attention, efforts and concerns Auto Electric gave to me to address my problem. In the meantime, my utmost gratitude to Mopar1973Man for sharing your knowledge and wisdom on this issue. I had tried all the band-aid tricks only to have them each work for anywhere to a couple hours to a couple days or so and then reappear. I believe what was happening was that as I fixed a ground or foiled a wire, it masked the problem just long enough for the diodes on the alternator to get a little worse and then BOOM, the problem is back! Very good information Mopar1973Man!!! Happy Holidays!!! Update: November 19, 2014 Here we go with another blown alternator confirming without a doubt of the diodes being a cause. Before any repair... http://forum.mopar1973man.com/index.php?/topic/4988-torque-converter-lock-unlock-issues/page-10#entry100230 After the alternator is rebuilt... http://forum.mopar1973man.com/index.php?/topic/4988-torque-converter-lock-unlock-issues/page-10#entry100294 The cause... View full Cummins article

Starting a new thread so we don't clutter up other threads with this talk and we can have it in one dedicated thread. So @jlbayes you're the second person now I've seen post in the last couple days saying that the lower stall speed was terrible. Seems weird that builders like @Dynamic are using the slightly lower stalls, but the end user isn't happy. Is it just a preference on your end or is it actually performing bad? @Dynamic you said that the slightly lower stall speed was good up to around a 62mm sized turbo right? @jlbayes what size charger and stall speed where you running?! Tagging for sa purposes: @CSM @Silverdodge @Me78569 @JAG1

Hey guys, this is my first post but I have read a lot on this forum and have found help several times here. My issue now seems to be something in the electrical system causing some weird torque converter symptoms. First off, I have a 1998.5 Dodge 2500 4x4 24 valve with 177,000 miles and a 47re that has been built with a BD Stage 3 kit along with a single disk billet converter that has roughly 22,000 miles on it. It has ran flawlessly up until about a week ago. My issue is very consistent. I can take off with normal throttle from a stop and the transmission will shift perfectly 1st through 4th gear and the torque converter will lock perfectly at around the 45 MPH mark (not sure of exact speed due to 35" tires and speedo not being calibrated), and from there I can accelerate to highway speeds anywhere from 50 - 65 miles an hour with no issue. My issue occurs the second that I let off the throttle and let it idle as if I were coming to a stop and braking. The torque converter will unlock as normal, but for instance if I am going 60 mph and let the throttle go idle for even a split second and then give it more throttle to continue driving, the torque converter never even thinks about locking back up, it will simply rev high in 4th gear and drive. If I do come to a stop (or slow enough to downshift into 3rd), I can resume and shift back into 4th and the torque converter will once again lock until I get off the throttle. Basically, the converter will not lock more than one instance per 4th gear shift. It has never done this before, as normal operation would be that the torque converter locks back up after resuming throttle. My truck has two brand new batteries less than a month old with new and cleaned terminals and I have verified that all plugs on the transmission are clean and firmly pressed into each socket and all grounds are properly connected. Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated.

When i am running on the highway @ 45-60 mph with my edge att. box on 1 or 2, (do not have VP pump tapped) and push the pedal down even slightly it seams as if the trans or T/C is slipping. It feels exactly like a clutch slipping in a Manual Trans. mabe not as violent. does not do this running on stock level. T/C was replaced by local Cottman shop w/ what ever brand they carry, was suppost to be HD good for 800ft/lbs torque. Is this a T/C lock-unlock eletcrical issue???

Anybody ever do their own tc lock up switch? Tst products has a write up t install one for the cost of a toggle switch and a little wire. They tell you to splice into the orange and brown wire coming out of the middle plug at the ecm, run a wire to a toggle switch and then come out of the other leg to ground. Then they tell you to pull the trans relay and jump 2 specific terminals to give the tc lock selonoid constant power. The problem im having is when i jump these 2 terminals the selonoid (im assuming) starts to click rapidly in the trans. This does not seem right and i unplugged it as soon as i located the source of the noise. Anybody have this issue?according to theyre diagram ive got the right terminals and it seems as though alot of other people have done this with no issues...????

I have a 102k mile 48re in my 06 CR truck. I never tow more that about 5k pounds the other day I was accellerating up a hill with about 1500 lbs of 4 wheeler, coolers, trash, and butts and I think my T/C slipped a little. As soon as I felt and heard the slip, I got off the throttle. My question would be, what do I need to have a good reliable build without using a full billet input,output, and intermediate shaft, nor do I think I need a triple disc T/C or a complete rebuild. Yes I'm cheap and if I have to rebuild it, I think I'll do it myself. Where might I get the things I may need. I have a super chips vivid tuner 5 inch exhaust, and a AFE intake. 3:73's and 35's.

The previous owner told me about it, and I've put 300 miles on it empty and it worked perfect but I hooked up a trailer today and it shuddered bad, when I tap the brake pedal it quits. I have been surfing ebaymotors looking up tranny parts. Have any of you guys heard of RevMax convertors? They have a single billet convertor for $400, but I think they have a core charge on them and I'm too far away to send one back. What convertors have you guys used? I'm also thinking of either a full replacement valvebody or I'll install a shift kit, they are pretty cheap.

I am experiencing what i think is the TC going in and out of lock up. This occurs randomly and anywhere from 40 at initial shift into OD and cruising at 70+ on the interstate in cruise control. The tach jumps approximately 250 for anywhere from 1 second to 20 seconds with no increase in speed. I have taken the truck to a friend (master mechanic) and he said it could be due to brake switch position. he adjusted the switch with no favorable result. He said that the position of the switch in relation to the steering column does not allow for adequate movement to remove the gap between switch and pedal. The next step that he recommended was a new switch that could be modified to close the gap. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions to try before I buy a new switch?

I started having the infamous up/down shifting around 43-47 mph this afternoon. I've found the link for recal'ing the APPS, but the links are dead for the ground wire mod. Can anyone steer me in the right direction for this? I plan on taking the troubleshooting one step at a time tomorrow. 1st will try the APPS reset 2nd will try the alum. foil around passenger battery to alternator wire 3rd would like to try the ground wire if the above fails to fix her up 4th will replace APPS if needed as last resort Anyone care to chime in and let me know if I have these steps in the right order? Thanks in advance for any tips. --- Update to the previous post... Forgot to mention that it's not throwing any codes... --- Update to the previous post... I also plan on checking the horn relay in the tranny spot, and vice versa. --- Update to the previous post... As for the file for the ground wire mod, I have the files now. Just had to re-invert my head from the cranial-anal inversion position it was stuck in, and click on download file.

Finally got everything buttoned up tonight and fired it up, only to notice a small, but steady stream of ATF coming out near the front of the trans. Further tracing of the leak found a hole worn through the hard line that runs from the heat exchanger up to the trans cooler. So, I cut that worn section out and fitted a section of hose and clamps in place to hold over til I get the new lines ordered. Anyway, after that drain-and-refill exercise, we took it off the jacks and loaded tools and such in the bed, and headed home. About 2 miles in (and this is in 4am traffic, mind you, i.e., non-existant) with some basic testing of functionality like downshifts, WOT 1-2 and 2-3, lockup, etc. and after a sharp right turn, the trans temp warning light came on. OD never locked out, and the warning light went away after about 8 seconds. Since I was only a half-mile from home at this point I took it easy and pulled in the driveway. Immediately I popped the hood and went for the trans cooler. It was warm, but I could hold my hand on it as long as I wanted without any effort. So, my question is, could it be a sensor issue? There may have been some water or fluid in the main connector on the trans. I do not have any gauges yet, but I am definitely going to start shopping for a trans temp. One other thing: in reverse, and only under throttle, the truck makes almost a rattling sound. It sounds like it's coming from the transmission; before I put in the new FTI converter, it was kind of a high-pitched whine (but still only in reverse) whereas now it's more of a gravelly, rattling medium-pitch sound. Any ideas what that might be?

So, my buddy and I dropped the trans yesterday in preparation for the install of my new FTI converter. The trans is currently at a buddy's shop having the Superior shift kit and some new seals installed. Anyway, in looking at older posts, I see that the stock converter has 6 welded bungs for the bolts. The converter I pulled out of my truck has a billet bottom plate, and aside from color looks like a twin of my FTI. Of course, all of these billet converters look the same, so that doesn't mean a thing. Anyway, can any of you experts ID one based solely on a couple of markings? This is the old one: I'd like to know whose it is, because it flippin' SUCKS.

I slid my fuel plate full forward and when my truck shifts into over drive I'm getting shutter the tranny has only got bout 40k on a rebuild it only does it if your running the rpm 2k or above am I just over powering the tc It's not a billit tc

Last night while going down highway going 70 - 75 my truck started to skip / surge. Watching the tach it would jump a bit 200 - 300 rpm, and felt like the trans was slipping or maybe the TC was. Any ideas on what it could be. A solenoid?

I get some crazy wheel hop from a dead stop if I hit it hard...bucks crazy.....then a shutter or vibration when shifting 2nd to 3rd when accelerating hard....not just in a turn either....almost feels the same as the hop, just lighter.You can feel and hear it thru the dash.....never from first to second.....just second to third......probably torque converter and not more wheel hop huh?

I got the 47re auto in my 01.. the tranny is stock and runnin my tst powermax on high i can tell something is slipping.. How do I know if the TC is slipping or the clutch in the trans. slipping. What Do I need to do get a 3x TC or should I have it rebuilt and have a tc also.. Im looking for idea's on how I can beef up my tranny with out spending a ton.. Ive looked at ats tranny's and wish I could just get one of them but they want 4k for a stage 1 tranny.. Not sure my wallet can handle that with a 1600 core charge on top of it all.. So what do you recommend..I dont race so boosted launches is not happening, and I never tow over 15k lbs. I dont pull at truck pulls so thats not an issue.

I have a 99 Ram 2500. Lately the torque converter has been locking and unlocking, the other night I was checking the altenator grounds and realized my under the hood light was burned out, I took it out and now my Radio, inside lights, and cargo lights dont work... but the Torque converter doesnt lock and unlock anymore, It shifts like it did the day I bought it. Could these be related? I do have a deck, amps, speakers. I did notice that every now and then the amps would make a loud high pitched sound while accelerating. I like the torque converter part but dont know how long I can go without a radio... any suggestions?

I found my recent 2000 2500 truck aquisition very annoying constantly going in and out of lockup in the city or in hilly terrain so I installed a switch on the dash to disable the lockup solenoid. The extra lock-up sequence in 3rd gear was even more annoying as the 97 does not do this. This is not the "mystery switch" that forces a lockup and in fact is the opposite. The mystery switch is vey hard on the soft parts in the tranny when changing gears locked.I had done this in my 97 2500 and all I had to do was put a simple switch in to open the circuit to the solenoid. Last week I tried the same thing in the 2000 but it immediately went into 3rd gear limp mode. New software in the 2000 PCM so I had to take a different tact. I finally ended up switching in a 150 ohm 5 Watt resistor connected to switched 12V with a relay to make the PCM think the solenoid was still connected. The relay is activated with a round rocker switch on the dash that looks factory. The relay has a 75 ohm coil but the higher the resistance that does the job the less current required. If anyone else is interested I can post the circuit diagram. I basically cut and spliced in the circuit in series with the OR/BK pin 11 on connector C2 (middle of the three) on the PCM. No codes get set with this circuit. The relay can be eliminated by using a STDP switch but its hard to find one that looks factory. The switch has to be 2 position only and not a 3 position or a code will be set saying there is an "open solenoid circuit". The hardware is mounted immediately beside the drivers side hood hinge on the small ledge inside a small electrical box with a 4 wire trailer connector. This is my 1st post on this excellent site so I will fill in the signature once I figure out how.

Ok Gang...I've got a for sure way to diagnose torque converter lock up issues where it lock and unlocks at about 45-50 MPH. I had a gent call me yesterday with this problem and he's replace both batteries, alternator and the APPS sensor. Attempted all the different wiring issues (adding ground, tinfoil etc.) nothing worked. Like I told him the truck ran 11 years without all this stuff and doesn't require any wiring change to make it work. What it needs is the damaged part to be replaced. So he's returned the wiring back to stock setup.Now I told him to unhook the alternator fuse and take it for a ride... Guess what... No problems! Even though he replaced the alternator it has a damaged diode in it and it bleeding AC noise into the electrical system.So before doing any wiring mods, tinfoil, adding grounds, adding filter... PLEASE! Bench test your alternator! This is the second time I've suggested this and both time resolved the torque converter lock up issue.